BEGINNING "his" life as 'Jimmy, the Daily Planet's Office Boy' on the Mutual Radio Network's ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN Radio Series, the character quickly demonstrated a decidedly affinity for the audience. With the move to the World of the TV Series, Jimmy Olsen's popularity continued to grow.
SENSING that they had a "hot" property, more and more of the action revolved around the kid of the cast, now promoted to 'Cub Reporter'. Episodes such as today's honored disectee, "Jimmy Olsen, Boy Editor", (Season #2, Episode no. 22, 1954), demonstrated both great appreciation for the Olsen character and having the good sense to use, but not overuse, the juvenile angle with overkill.*
OUR STORY .IT is the City of Metropolis' Annual Boys' Week; in which any and all positions of authority are filled for 24 Hours by youngsters. Boys and Girls fill all jobs fro Mayor, Police Chief, School Principals and Subterranean Sanitation Engineers. The program includes Editor of the Planet; with the position going to young Olsen.
OVER the vigorous objections voiced by Perry White, it was Editor Olsen for a day. An amusing moment occurs early on when Jimmy, being ever the opportunistic imp that he is, admonishes Mr. White with a hearty, "Don't Call Me Chief!"
DESIRING to be remembered as a strictly do nothing, lame duck figurehead; Jimmy searches through the Daily Planet's 'Morgue' for any old stories that could be given another look. (It would be what we today refer to as a "Cold Case".) In the old newspaper files he and Miss Lane find the nearly seven years old article about a Robbery that was almost certainly the work of known gangster, Legs Leemy (Herb Vigran). Inasmuch as the Statute of Limitations will run out on the prosecution of the crimes perpetrators, Editor Olsen rolls the dice and has a vague item published on the next edition of the "Great Metropolitan Newspaper"; which tells the tale of new evidence on the old crime.
GOING for the bait hook, line and sinker, Leemy arrives at the Editorial Offices of the Planet with a Thompson Sub-Machine and his gang; demanding to learn just what the further developments on the old story. Stalling and waiting for the right opening, Lois manages to seize and fire all of the forty-five ammunition from the Tommy Gun; firing it into the ceiling, all the while believing that there were no other guns in the thugs' possession. She was wrong.
MEANWHILE, down the hallway, Clark Kent and Perry White maintain a silent vigil; eavesdropping on the proceedings on the intercom, they learn sufficient new information to convict the Leemy Gang. . By this time, both the statute of limitations and Metropolis Boys Day are about to expire.
BUT with use of brain power instead of his Super Powers, Kent/Superman devise a deception to fool Legs Leemy and company into a false sense of security and right into their snare.
IN ADDITION to showcasing the character of Jimmy Olsen very well, the episode does very well with the character of Editor Perry White (venerable & lovable character actor, John Hamilton). At story's end, Clark tells him to go home and get a good night's sleep and perhaps in the morning he may wake up and find out that the whole thing to be a bad dream.
My pal, Schultz and I give it a rating of SSS ½; or the equivalent of Three and one-half Stars.
NOTE: * The Jimmy Olsen character proved to be a real sleeper in much the same manner as did such other varied supporting characters in other TV series; with those such as the Kingfish (Tim Moore) on THE AMOS 'N' ANDY SHOW, Fonzie (Henry Winkler) on HAPPY DAYS, SteveErkel (Jaleel White) on FAMILY MATTERS and Sgt. Fish (Abe Vigoda) on BARNEY MILLER.
Meanwhile, the Olsen popularity didn't go unnoticed back in NYC at the other Editorial Offices of National Comics/Superman, Inc.(now better known as DC Comics), where the suits agreed with Chief Comics' Editor and Superman TV Series producer, Whitney Ellsworth's idea to expand the Superman Starring number of Comics Magazines to four. This would add the title of "SUPERMAN'S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN" joined the others; those being ACTION COMICS, SUPERMAN and WORLD'S FINEST COMICS, the latter being a co-starring venture with Batman & Robin. ****************Finis
POODLE SCHNITZ!!
SENSING that they had a "hot" property, more and more of the action revolved around the kid of the cast, now promoted to 'Cub Reporter'. Episodes such as today's honored disectee, "Jimmy Olsen, Boy Editor", (Season #2, Episode no. 22, 1954), demonstrated both great appreciation for the Olsen character and having the good sense to use, but not overuse, the juvenile angle with overkill.*
OUR STORY .IT is the City of Metropolis' Annual Boys' Week; in which any and all positions of authority are filled for 24 Hours by youngsters. Boys and Girls fill all jobs fro Mayor, Police Chief, School Principals and Subterranean Sanitation Engineers. The program includes Editor of the Planet; with the position going to young Olsen.
OVER the vigorous objections voiced by Perry White, it was Editor Olsen for a day. An amusing moment occurs early on when Jimmy, being ever the opportunistic imp that he is, admonishes Mr. White with a hearty, "Don't Call Me Chief!"
DESIRING to be remembered as a strictly do nothing, lame duck figurehead; Jimmy searches through the Daily Planet's 'Morgue' for any old stories that could be given another look. (It would be what we today refer to as a "Cold Case".) In the old newspaper files he and Miss Lane find the nearly seven years old article about a Robbery that was almost certainly the work of known gangster, Legs Leemy (Herb Vigran). Inasmuch as the Statute of Limitations will run out on the prosecution of the crimes perpetrators, Editor Olsen rolls the dice and has a vague item published on the next edition of the "Great Metropolitan Newspaper"; which tells the tale of new evidence on the old crime.
GOING for the bait hook, line and sinker, Leemy arrives at the Editorial Offices of the Planet with a Thompson Sub-Machine and his gang; demanding to learn just what the further developments on the old story. Stalling and waiting for the right opening, Lois manages to seize and fire all of the forty-five ammunition from the Tommy Gun; firing it into the ceiling, all the while believing that there were no other guns in the thugs' possession. She was wrong.
MEANWHILE, down the hallway, Clark Kent and Perry White maintain a silent vigil; eavesdropping on the proceedings on the intercom, they learn sufficient new information to convict the Leemy Gang. . By this time, both the statute of limitations and Metropolis Boys Day are about to expire.
BUT with use of brain power instead of his Super Powers, Kent/Superman devise a deception to fool Legs Leemy and company into a false sense of security and right into their snare.
IN ADDITION to showcasing the character of Jimmy Olsen very well, the episode does very well with the character of Editor Perry White (venerable & lovable character actor, John Hamilton). At story's end, Clark tells him to go home and get a good night's sleep and perhaps in the morning he may wake up and find out that the whole thing to be a bad dream.
My pal, Schultz and I give it a rating of SSS ½; or the equivalent of Three and one-half Stars.
NOTE: * The Jimmy Olsen character proved to be a real sleeper in much the same manner as did such other varied supporting characters in other TV series; with those such as the Kingfish (Tim Moore) on THE AMOS 'N' ANDY SHOW, Fonzie (Henry Winkler) on HAPPY DAYS, SteveErkel (Jaleel White) on FAMILY MATTERS and Sgt. Fish (Abe Vigoda) on BARNEY MILLER.
Meanwhile, the Olsen popularity didn't go unnoticed back in NYC at the other Editorial Offices of National Comics/Superman, Inc.(now better known as DC Comics), where the suits agreed with Chief Comics' Editor and Superman TV Series producer, Whitney Ellsworth's idea to expand the Superman Starring number of Comics Magazines to four. This would add the title of "SUPERMAN'S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN" joined the others; those being ACTION COMICS, SUPERMAN and WORLD'S FINEST COMICS, the latter being a co-starring venture with Batman & Robin. ****************Finis
POODLE SCHNITZ!!
