That previous review seems to enlist quite a soapbox to present an agenda. We finally get to the actually review of this Superman episode. This is a simple story and was never designed to make a huge political statement. This is about an evil man, an opportunist who takes advantage of his old workmate. They happen to be clowns. One is a joyful man who loves children, even if he doesn't make much money; the other is a bitter man who thinks the world owes him a living. When the Daily Planet telethon to send underprivileged kids to camp takes place, the loving clown readily agrees to participate, but he is attacked by the bad clown and tied up. There are some really dumb things done by the people in charge of the telethon. Ultimately, Superman must make a decision that would be one of the hardest he ever will make. There are some nice scenes. An Asian magician is really good and the performance by the bad guy is excellent. He could have kept up his career if he hadn't turned to crime.
4 Reviews
No Room For Clowning Around When It Comes To This Daily Planet Charity Event! Just ask Rollo, Superrman and especially 'Crackers.'
redryan641 April 2008
A large portion of the World holds the notion that we should be compelled by Law to Care for all of our Citizens. "To each according to need, from each, according to Ability" is not, as so many erroneously believe, a quotation from THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, our CONSTITUTION or THE MAGNA CARTA. The platitude comes from the writings of Karl Marx & Frederick Engels in "The Communist Manifesto" and "Das Kapital".
IN no way, shape or form are we attempting to state, imply or infer that our own way of Free Enterprise (aka Capitalism) does not and should not provide aid, assistance and relief to those in need. We sure don't do that thing! Our way of Economics and Government would go into action under a principle known as "Federalism".
UNDER this principle, when a tragedy occurs or individuals find themselves suddenly in need of a little helping hand; the assistance would come from the provider closest to the situation, which has the ability and resources to handle the problem. Hence, with regards to any extraordinary action to be taken; we start at the most basic source, namely the Private Sector. If the Private Sector is unable to handle; we would go to the Municipality of occurrence. Say the City finds it too big of a problem; the County would be prevailed upon for their 'hospitality'*. Needs greater than County-wide agencies' capacities would go up the ladder to the State of occurrence and wide area multi-state and severe natural disasters would get the services of the Federal Government.
WE find that the difference between us and the Socialists/Communists is that we offer help to those in need; while the Totalitarian, collectivist governments put everyone on a cradle to grave & life long, law mandated and enforced schedule for participation in communal living.
THE level of voluntary charitable contribution in the U.S. is extremely high; as is that of the rest of the Countries of the Free World. And a high 80 % + of the voluntary giving is to and through Charities that are religiously established and affiliated. Even the rest of the Non-Profit Corporations participating in Charitable pursuits do so in adherence to age old Judeo-Christian teaching and tradition.
SO, even though a secular charitable enterprise operates without the sanction of any particular Faith, they do so more from a position of neutrality of Religion; rather than doing so as an exercise in Public Atheism. This is sort of like the U.S. Constitutional principle of neither establishing an official State Church, nor doing anything to interfere with the free practice of any.
SO we find about 1/5 of charities to be secular; which still presents to their credit, however, a tremendous level of intake & output of funds. This brings us to our segue way to a fictional Telethon by our favourite newspaper, the Daily Planet of Metropolis, whichÂ…Â…Â…Â….
OUR STORYÂ…Â…Â…Â…..In order to obtain his voluntary appearance on their annual Telethon for their Underprivileged Boys Summer Camp, Daily Planet Editor, Perry White sends his top Reporters, Lois Lane (Noel Neill) and Clark Kent (our boy, George Reeves) down to the visiting Circus to enlist the aid of the Show's Star Clown, Rollo (William Wayne). Immediately Rollo acquiesces but is overheard by a former partner turned small-time hood, 'Crackers' (Peter Brocco). Crackers slugs his old partner and foils Jimmy Olsen's attempt to uncover the plot by turning the Cub Reporter over to the powerful, dimwitted and crooked Strongman (player uncredited).
Crackers then heads over to the TV Station and masquerades as Rollo in a spare clown suit. Crackers had already plotted what he would do and as a finale to his act and time on the Telethon, he brandishes a revolver. Acting as if it's all part of the show and admonishes the M.C. Mr. Kent and all other on the stage to go along with the gag. Kent immediately telephones Police Headquarters; where Inspector Henderson states that he was taken in by Crackers' TV caper.
AS every marked Police Car and Motorcycle pour out of the HQ building, the real Rollo has broken free and winds chasing his crooked double down the street; with Crackers firing has gun at him. When Crackers tries to push Rollo off of the roof; both fall off. Observing the scene; Superman makes an instantaneous deduction as to which was Rollo and catches him. Crackers dies of his injuries from the fall.
WITHOUT letting on as to what has transpired, the real Rollo goes on and entertains. The Telethon is a success and none of the spoiling details of the robbery are immediately brought out.
THE CLOWN WHO CRIED is anther great Episode from the fine totality of the 2nd season's output. It succeeds on several levels. It is a good action show and it has many of the dramatic elements that raise it to more than just another half hour. It's a great Superman story which has some powerful message and moral to the story.
AND incidentally, Rollo weeps for his former partner, turned bad; ergo, the title.
AS a personal matter, I recall the scene where Clark Kent uses the uniformed watchman as being far more prolonged. The scene originally showed Clark setting up the whole thing of using the guard's shadow to confuse the others into thinking he was eating a sandwich in the hallway, while Superman made his appearance and pitch for support. The prints now, be they on re-run TV, VHS or DVD all show a shortened version. I do recall this, honest Schultz! Unless it's my mind that I'm a losing! Please somebody, back me up on this!
NOTE: * Hospitality from the County; it's kind of like County Hospital! That's a pretty good one, eh Schultz?
IN no way, shape or form are we attempting to state, imply or infer that our own way of Free Enterprise (aka Capitalism) does not and should not provide aid, assistance and relief to those in need. We sure don't do that thing! Our way of Economics and Government would go into action under a principle known as "Federalism".
UNDER this principle, when a tragedy occurs or individuals find themselves suddenly in need of a little helping hand; the assistance would come from the provider closest to the situation, which has the ability and resources to handle the problem. Hence, with regards to any extraordinary action to be taken; we start at the most basic source, namely the Private Sector. If the Private Sector is unable to handle; we would go to the Municipality of occurrence. Say the City finds it too big of a problem; the County would be prevailed upon for their 'hospitality'*. Needs greater than County-wide agencies' capacities would go up the ladder to the State of occurrence and wide area multi-state and severe natural disasters would get the services of the Federal Government.
WE find that the difference between us and the Socialists/Communists is that we offer help to those in need; while the Totalitarian, collectivist governments put everyone on a cradle to grave & life long, law mandated and enforced schedule for participation in communal living.
THE level of voluntary charitable contribution in the U.S. is extremely high; as is that of the rest of the Countries of the Free World. And a high 80 % + of the voluntary giving is to and through Charities that are religiously established and affiliated. Even the rest of the Non-Profit Corporations participating in Charitable pursuits do so in adherence to age old Judeo-Christian teaching and tradition.
SO, even though a secular charitable enterprise operates without the sanction of any particular Faith, they do so more from a position of neutrality of Religion; rather than doing so as an exercise in Public Atheism. This is sort of like the U.S. Constitutional principle of neither establishing an official State Church, nor doing anything to interfere with the free practice of any.
SO we find about 1/5 of charities to be secular; which still presents to their credit, however, a tremendous level of intake & output of funds. This brings us to our segue way to a fictional Telethon by our favourite newspaper, the Daily Planet of Metropolis, whichÂ…Â…Â…Â….
OUR STORYÂ…Â…Â…Â…..In order to obtain his voluntary appearance on their annual Telethon for their Underprivileged Boys Summer Camp, Daily Planet Editor, Perry White sends his top Reporters, Lois Lane (Noel Neill) and Clark Kent (our boy, George Reeves) down to the visiting Circus to enlist the aid of the Show's Star Clown, Rollo (William Wayne). Immediately Rollo acquiesces but is overheard by a former partner turned small-time hood, 'Crackers' (Peter Brocco). Crackers slugs his old partner and foils Jimmy Olsen's attempt to uncover the plot by turning the Cub Reporter over to the powerful, dimwitted and crooked Strongman (player uncredited).
Crackers then heads over to the TV Station and masquerades as Rollo in a spare clown suit. Crackers had already plotted what he would do and as a finale to his act and time on the Telethon, he brandishes a revolver. Acting as if it's all part of the show and admonishes the M.C. Mr. Kent and all other on the stage to go along with the gag. Kent immediately telephones Police Headquarters; where Inspector Henderson states that he was taken in by Crackers' TV caper.
AS every marked Police Car and Motorcycle pour out of the HQ building, the real Rollo has broken free and winds chasing his crooked double down the street; with Crackers firing has gun at him. When Crackers tries to push Rollo off of the roof; both fall off. Observing the scene; Superman makes an instantaneous deduction as to which was Rollo and catches him. Crackers dies of his injuries from the fall.
WITHOUT letting on as to what has transpired, the real Rollo goes on and entertains. The Telethon is a success and none of the spoiling details of the robbery are immediately brought out.
THE CLOWN WHO CRIED is anther great Episode from the fine totality of the 2nd season's output. It succeeds on several levels. It is a good action show and it has many of the dramatic elements that raise it to more than just another half hour. It's a great Superman story which has some powerful message and moral to the story.
AND incidentally, Rollo weeps for his former partner, turned bad; ergo, the title.
AS a personal matter, I recall the scene where Clark Kent uses the uniformed watchman as being far more prolonged. The scene originally showed Clark setting up the whole thing of using the guard's shadow to confuse the others into thinking he was eating a sandwich in the hallway, while Superman made his appearance and pitch for support. The prints now, be they on re-run TV, VHS or DVD all show a shortened version. I do recall this, honest Schultz! Unless it's my mind that I'm a losing! Please somebody, back me up on this!
NOTE: * Hospitality from the County; it's kind of like County Hospital! That's a pretty good one, eh Schultz?
Big Shoes To Fill
featfans21 March 2020
"How did you know which one to catch, Superman?"
moons052214 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This is one of my all-time favorite episodes of The Adventures Of Superman having seen it when I was 6 years old. The title carnival music will forever be with me. It was used again in "Beware The Wrecker" yet another favorite. And that great chase music when the clowns are pursuing each other as the Metroplois police force led by Inspector Henderson are closing in. But the heart of this episode was the ending. "It was the type of man that you were that gave you away, Crackers. I couldn't imagine Rollo pushing anyone off a roof, not even you." And at this point Rollo cries for his dying friend. At 73 those words are still etched in my mind. And one other thing. In an effort to possibly save money, doesn't Billy Wayne (Rollo) play Crackers (Peter Brocco) until the ending at the telethon when they are both together?
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