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"Adventures of Superman" Lady in Black (1954)

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Reworking the Obvious Title into a New/Old Twist and throwing in one of Aesop's Fables for Good Measure!, 24 January 2009

Author: redryan64 from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

CREATING a change of pace for the Superman crowd, the production crew could always count on doing something involving his friends and co-workers at The Planet. Before long it was discovered that those that involved Cub Reporter, young Jimmy Olsen were usually the best. It seems that Jimmy's youthful exuberance when mixed with his natural tendency to bungle things left him as the "go to guy" whenever an episode needed to be a pick me up.

OF all the existing plots (and it has been said that there only a small number of them on which to pull variations) they chose "The Boy Who Cried Wolf"! The manner in which it is incorporated into the storyline is pulled off in a very smooth manner.

OUR STORY………………Our buddy, Jimmy Olsen is being a "good scout" by doing some apartment watching for friends who would be out of town. Suddenly he begins to hear strange noises in the building late at night. He also reports to Mr. Kent that it appears that the paintings on the wall seem to be changing.

HE also reports strange occurrences outside the apartments, such as knife wielding thugs and a mysteriously veiled Lady in Black, who speaks to him in cryptic language, seemingly warning him of unknown danger.

NEEDLESS to say, Jimmy is strictly on pins and needles. It doesn't help him that no one believes him, writing it off as being a figment of an overactive imagination or a product of mixing pickles and ice cream as a late night snack.

FINALLY with aid of Superman's keen super hearing and the Ameche (the telephone), the mystery is cleared up as being a burglary ring, specializing in precious artwork. (Not the sort from those "Starving Artists" Sales, either).

THIS episode had Mr. Reeves (Kent/Superman), Noel Neill (Miss Lois Lane) along with Jack Larson (Jimmy Olsen); but it gave both John Hamilton (Perry White) and Robert Shayne (Inspector Henderson) the week off. But it apparently paid off in some Big Dividend$ for SUPERMAN'S publishers, National Comics.

THEY were quickly discovering that Jimmy had fast become the favourite supporting character on the series. Hence, his appearances were given more on screen time and there were more Olsen centered stories on the way.

AND as one might guess, the effect was felt on the Comic Books for beginning with the Sep/Oct. 1954 issue, a new comic book title was added to the National Comics DC Line. The new title published 6 times yearly (later boosted up to 8 times) was titled: SUPERMAN'S PAL JIMMY OLSEN.

GETTING back to this "Lady in Black' episode, we find that the producers managed to assemble their usual fine supporting cast. Leading off the guest players is Frank Ferguson (a pal of George Reeves ever since they both trained at the Pasadena Playhouse), Virginia Christine (she was that busy-body Mrs. Olsen for Folger's Coffee), John Doucette (back for a second season's appearance), Rudolph Anders (perennial film Nazi Officer), Holly Bane and Frank Marlowe.

'LADY IN BLACK' is another variation in the series' favourite topic; that being the Man of Steel's war on the forces of the Metropolis Underworld.

POODLE SCHNITZ!!

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