Superman and the Mole-Men (1951)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Lee Sholem

Writer:

Robert Maxwell (original screenplay)

Release Date:

23 November 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi | Drama | Family

Tagline:

Now.....ON THE SCREEN!

Plot:

When underground beings explore the surface world from a deep oil well and inadvertantly cause a panic, only Superman can prevent a tragedy.

Plot Keywords:

Oil | Oil Well | Underground | Reporter | Small Town

Cast

George Reeves	...	Superman / Clark Kent
Phyllis Coates	...	Lois Lane
Jeff Corey	...	Luke Benson
Walter Reed	...	Bill Corrigan
J. Farrell MacDonald	...	Pop Shannon
Stanley Andrews	...	The Sheriff
Ray Walker	...	John Craig
Hal K. Dawson	...	Chuck Weber
Phil Warren	...	Deputy Jim
Frank Reicher	...	Hospital Superintendent
Beverly Washburn	...	Child

Also Known As:

Superman and the Strange People

Runtime:

58 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved

Filming Locations:

Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Lippert Pictures

Trivia:

Included as a special feature on the 4th disk of the Christopher Reeve Superman Collection and The Complete Superman Collection DVD

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Obvious bald caps on the Mole Men.

Quotes:

Superman: You're not going to shoot those little creatures. In the first place, they haven't done you any harm. In the second place, they may be radioactive.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman (2006) (TV)

George Reeves is still THE Superman!

Considering it was shot in 11 days; considering its "special effects" are something less than primitive, George Reeves and this film still pack a Kryptonite-sized wallop.

Mysterious Mole-Men emerge from "the world's deepest oil well," and scare the inhabitants of the nearby town of Silsby. Despite pleas for tolerance and patience, Superman must disarm the town and protect the aliens while hard-headed Luke Benson repeatedly tries to kill them.

FACTOID #1: Despite other accounts, this film was NOT a "pilot" for the eventual series. In fact, there WAS no pilot. The day after shooting wrapped, the company spent another 12 weeks shooting 24 half-hour episodes. The comic book company decided to include a feature film as part of the schedule, so they'd be sure to recoup their investment at the box office in case no one bought the series. Lucky for us, that didn't come to pass.

FACTOID #2: Although the two-part TV version, "Unknown People," had been edited and packaged with the other 24 half-hours, it had to be withheld during the series' original run. It had been produced in 1951, and SAG rules forbade films copyrighted after 9/48 to air on TV without residuals. Not until 1960, when the rules were revised, did "Unknown People" appear.