Superman and the Mole-Men (1951)

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:

Over a year after this film's release, it was split up and used to make a "two-parter" to close the first season of "Adventures of Superman" (1952).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When the Mole Men are atop the dam, they are in a small rectangular area of the screen in a different shade of black than the night sky around them, revealing that they were just "superimposed" into the shot.

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:

Version of "Superman" (1988)

"It's Almost As If They're Saying, You Live Your Lives & We'll Live Ours"

"Superman & The Mole Men" tells a story that's way ahead of it's time for 1951. Clark Kent & Lois Lane go to the small town Silsby to do a story on "The World's Largest Oil Well". When they arrive they find out the well is being shut down due to complications that have come about. They had drilled 6 miles down, & realized the earth's center is hollow, & there may be life down there. Their suspicions are correct when small (possibly radioactive) "mole men" start coming up & roaming around the town. (They aren't very frightening, but may have been by 1951 standards). One old man, at the well, sees them & has a heart attack & dies. Lois sees them too & describes them as having, "the bodies of moles with big human heads". A child encounters them in her bedroom & plays ball with them. She demonstrates the innocence of unjaded youth who sees someone without prejudice. The majority of the small town goes ballistic & wants to destroy the unknown "visitors". This is an excellent portrayal of small town ignorance ready to snuff out something that they don't understand, is different, out of the ordinary, or "strange" in their opinion(s). These "mole men" not only signify 'out of this world' beings, but people in one's own society as well (ridiculed for one's race, sexuality, etc.) The movie "Powder" represented the same premise in 1995! I can't write this review without mentioning that Phyllis Coates was the BEST actress to play Lois Lane! She portrayed her as feisty, sassy, independent, & resilient.