The Time Tunnel

Season 1

 Perhaps it was a high school or college history class. Maybe it was a movie on a significant historical event. In any case, most all of us at one time or another have mused on the idea of going back in time to talk to notable historical figures and cry out, “Why are you doing this?  Don’t you know what is about to happen?” The Time Tunnel, which first aired on WABC-TV in the fall of 1966 on Friday nights at 8pm, gives us a chance to live vicariously thru the adventures of Dr.’s Tony Newman and Doug Phillips, played by James Darren and Robert Colbert.

The Time Tunnel is part of a collection brought to us by Irwin Allen who was also known as the Master of Disaster. Allen’s television work includes Lost in Space and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.  Allen also produced The Poseidon Adventure and The Towering Inferno which appeared in the movies in the early 1970’s. The Time Tunnel is a 10 year top secret project which is in danger of losing its funding because the U.S. Government is not convinced time travel is possible and the project has become too expensive to support. Dr. Tony Newman, in an effort to prove the government wrong, activates the tunnel and sends him back through time to one of the most tragic events in world history, the sinking of the Titanic. This was the pilot episode which features Michael Rennie, who also appears in an episode of Lost in Space. Needless to say, no one on the ship believes Newman when he insists the unsinkable ship will go down in less than 24 hours. Season 1 takes the stars back to the volcanic explosion of Krakatoa, The War of 1812 (which features Carroll O’Connor five years before he would be known forever as Archie Bunker), the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the Trojan War.

One of the more interesting aspects of the series is the fact that its appearance is very suggestive of the culture of the 1960’s. Talk about going back in time. Tony and Doug are constantly traveling from one time to another aided by their cohorts played by Whit Bissell and Lee Meriwether. Bissell is no stranger to sci-fi work as he appears with Phyllis Coates in “I was a Teenage Frankenstein” in 1957. Lee Meriwether was Miss America in 1955 and played the Cat woman opposite Adam West in the Batman series. Every time they are transported you see them swirling in a psychedelic maze so reminiscent of time when LSD was in its heyday. The computer room looks very much the way computer rooms looked in the day where a Sperry Univac computer would take up an entire room. There is always a monitor displaying a wavy sine curve similar to the waves that we see on the opening of “The Outer Limits.” The show is as crisp and exciting as ever and keeps you on the edge of your seat.  Tony and Doug, despite being two scientists, give you the impression they could easily out fight Mohammed Ali at Madison Square Garden.

  

Fans of The Adventures of Superman might recognize two TAOS alumni in this season. Peter Brocco, who you might recall as Dr. H.L. Ort in The Secret of Superman in 1951 and Crackers in the Clown Who Cried in Season 2, appears in the episode called “Night of the Long Knives,”  where Tony and Doug meet up with Rudyard Kipling and get caught in a battle between British troops and Afghanistan tribes. John Doucette, who plays Slugger in The Birthday Letter in 1951, is almost unrecognizable in the role of Ulysses in Revenge of the Gods, which takes us back to the war between Greece and Troy.

  

The purpose of studying history hopefully is to teach us something, and to learn from those who have come before us so that hopefully we can become better people. This series is a chance to live thru some of the major events in world history and learn without feeling like we are back in a dull history lecture. That’s how I saw it when in 1966 when I was in the 6^th grade. Some things, despite the passage of time, never change.

May 2008

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That Other Superhero

Named Reeves

He was born Joseph Reeves Bolton III on September 8^th 1910, in the town of Flushing, New York. This first generation “King of Queens” started his career in broadcasting as an announcer for WOR Radio in Newark New Jersey in 1927.  In 1948 he came to WPIX in NY to become a news announcer and weatherman. So popular a personality he became in his reporting of the meteorological events of the day that in 1957 his book entitled, “The Wind and the Weather” was published. In this book the reader could get an in depth education on the weather explained for a civilian audience. Readers would learn the answers to their burning weather related questions such as What is a degree day? or What is a high pressure or a low pressure area? But in 1955, WPIX Channel 11 became the first NYC based TV station to air reruns of the Our Gang/Little Rascals film comedies on their own daily kid's TV show, "The Clubhouse Gang".  The show’s program director was looking for a host for the show.  Ironically it was the director’s son who at his birthday party in January 1955 said his favorite person to host the show would be "The Tasteweatherman!" All the boy’s friends at the birthday party agreed and so Joseph Reeves Bolton III became known to a generation of boomer children as Officer Joe Bolton.

Joe Bolton would host the Clubhouse Gang until September of 1957 which featured The Little Rascals.  A year later, in 1958, WPIX Channel 11 became the first NYC station to air The Three Stooges film comedies on a daily show known as "The Three Stooges Funhouse" Joe Bolton’s TV relationship with the Three Stooges would last for 12 years until 1970 when parents and teachers, concerned at the time about the violence in the Stooges shorts drove the show off the air. Officer Joe, as the kids affectionately called him, presented the program against the backdrop of an amusement park. I personally remember coming home from school and recall the WPIX lineup which began at 3pm with Bill Britten as Bozo the Clown, Captain Jack McCarthy as the emcee for Popeye the Sailor and followed by Officer Joe Bolton and the Stooges which was then followed by The Adventures of Superman. Officer Joe was, for many NYC tri-state boomer kids their first experience with a law enforcement officer. I used to see policemen on the street back then and look at their faces carefully hoping that maybe one day I would find Officer Joe walking the beat somewhere in my neighborhood.  Joe Bolton once hosted a musical /comedy variety kids TV special called “The Shari Go Round” with puppeteer Shari Lewis, Chuck McCann, at Palisades Amusement Park in New Jersey in 1965. Oddly enough, another superhero named Reeves had also made a personal appearance at Palisades Park in 1957.

Joe Bolton had such a close personal relationship with the Stooges that he appeared in 2 Stooges films that have been released on DVD.  The first, “Look, Listen and Laugh” is a compilation of clips from classic Stooges comedies. Using a series of vignettes presented by Ventriloquist Paul Winchel, he along with his well known sidekicks Jerry Mahoney and Knucklehead Smith introduce the clips viewers will remember from their childhood including “How High is Up, 1940” and “Sock-A-Bye Baby, 1942”. Paul Winchel was also a staple of New York children’s television appearing in the afternoon on a show called “Winchel Mahoney Time” on WNEW-TV Channel 5. Joe Bolton was invited to do a cameo for this collection which was released in 1960. This DVD is a must see for Stooges fans and those who remember this friendly policeman dressed in that now all too familiar policeman’s uniform and cap along with his engaging smile.

Joe Bolton appeared in a bit of a meatier role in the stooges comedy “The Outlaws is Coming” which co-starred Adam West and was produced only a year before West would go on to become known as the one and only Batman for the boomer generation. The story, centered in Wyoming in 1871,  tells the tale of The Stooges and the West character all working for a wild life conservation center back east when their boss discovers that the buffalo population out west is seriously dropping and send the crew out west to investigate. This is where they stumble upon a diabolical plot on the part of a team of, need I say it, wacky gunslingers that are out to take over the Western half of the country by pitting the army against the Indians by doing away with the Indians food and clothing supply. Joe Bolton plays Rob Dalton but have no fear because Jesse James, Wyatt Earp, and even Bat Masterson are all here too.   And the best part is that they are all played by some of the country’s local TV hosts that were actively working in children’s television in 1965. Some of the stars you might recognize if you grew up in Boston, Detroit, San Francisco, Philadelphia or other cities. I won’t tell you who they are. Hope I have sparked your interest in picking up this little gem to see if you can recognize any of them. I had to look at Joe Bolton a few times. Out of his usual policeman’s uniform and sporting a mustache, western gear and a disguised voice, it was hard for me to believe it was actually him!

And now boys and girls, it is about 6pm. Be sure to join us again back here tomorrow, same time; same station for The Three Stooges and Officer Joe Bolton. It’s time now to get washed up for dinner.  But don’t go away just yet! Be sure to clean your plates so mom won’t make you late. After dinner, settle down in front of your television sets so we can all watch that other Superhero named Reeves only WPIX-11 New York.

March 2008

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Retro Toy Corner

Home can mean a place of love, security, safety, well being and building memories that last a lifetime. People can have a transitory life and find every dwelling to be truly a home by definition. Carl Glass

Going back home is about going back to your roots. To capture those intangible things you can’t really put your finger on, but you know they make you essentially who you are today. Someday I will actually go back home the same way Carl Glass has done before. Until then, I search for my childhood home in a different way.   Finding the toys that made me feel safe and secure as a child is one of those ways.  I recall playing with “Miss Weather” by Colorforms when I was about 5 going on 6 which would be roughly 1962. It consisted of a vinyl board depicting a little girl in her room with an open closet, a cat, a teddy bear by her side and a window offering a view of the precipitation outside. Precision cut little pieces of plastic consisting of clothes, the sun, clouds, leaves, raindrops, snowflakes and the like, lay on a sheet of paper for the toddler artist to make up whatever scene comes to their mind.

The front of the box has exactly the same graphics as it did when it first appeared in toys stores in 1962. “Bigger pieces for little fingers” it proudly proclaims on the front. But this box I recently purchased also has a warning about “choking hazard”. I don’t quite recall seeing that warning on the original box. Probably because kids back in 1962 did not choke. We were much too sophisticated and savvy in the technique of chewing and digesting little plastic pieces so that we barely experienced so much as a tummy ache.

Opening the box was a joy. I sat up in bed and gently pulled each of the plastic decorations out of the storage keeper and made up little scenes time and time again. For summer I put on her bathing suit. For a snowy day she wore her snow suit and mittens. On a rainy day she wore her raincoat and galoshes. Each meteorological event sported raindrops, snowflakes or the sun in the window. 

As I touched the little decorative pieces and placed them on the board, I found myself going home again. Suddenly I was 5 years old again and living in a pre-war apartment in Brooklyn, New York in a section that today is known as Crown Heights. It was as if the little pieces of plastic were lighting up memory cells in my brain, bringing back the furniture I sat in or the little dress my grandmother had dressed me in that morning. Barrettes fastened my carefully coiffed pigtails. When I finished dressing Miss Weather for all 4 seasons, I carefully placed the little plastic clothing pieces back in their respective storage cells and closed the box. I was ready to take her along for a car trip! Sitting in the back of a Chevrolet Station Wagon, I would play with Miss Weather when the ride got boring and I would wonder when we would ever reach our destination. With Miss Weather to keep me company it made the trip to Prospect Park or Coney Island a little easier to bear.

I suppose what I loved so much about her, both then and now, was the sheer simplicity of the toy. No batteries, no instructions to read. The lack of instructions was important. I always had the reading comprehension level of a pineapple. No, with Miss Weather you just open the box and get going. If Miss Weather taught you the concepts of sun, rain and snow when you were a child and you would like to rekindle those homespun moments, it is available online for less than $10. 

However you choose to go back home, I hope you enjoy your trip!

I was still living in Brooklyn, New York at the time. It is so hard to describe Brooklyn as it appeared to me in 1959. All I can say is it was beautiful. Even at the age of 4 I intuitively understood that this first home in my life was regal.   

February 2008

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Superman’s Animal Planet

The Adventures of Superman was blessed with an impressive list of guest stars over its six season run including veteran performers such as John Eldridge, Sterling Holloway, Dabbs Greer, Elizabeth Patterson, and Leonard Moody to name just a few. But there is a very special collection of guest stars for which you will not find an entry in IMDB.  Nonetheless they’re guest appearances did just as much to give this series the endearing quality we remembered as children and continue to remember today. Join me in remembering these four legged, fluffy, scruffy, and feathered actors who, like the ensemble cast, were not paid with much more than table scraps, seeds, carrots, and literally peanuts!!

Who could forget that spine chilling cry, “Help! Help! I’m Drowning!” This mantra has become synonymous with the episode known as The Haunted Lighthouse from Season One where Jimmy goes to an island off the coast of Maine to visit his aunt Luisa. His visit turns out to be far from a vacation. Superman has to come and rescue him from certain death and determine that his Aunt Luisa is actually an imposter who is connected to a smuggling operation.  But what many of us remember is how Jimmy’s eyes would nearly pop out of his head every time he would hear this infamous cry. Didn’t we all breathe a collective sigh of relief as children in the end when we find out that the cry for help is actually coming from a parrot named Peter! Despite the happy ending, the episode leaves another mystery behind. Who??? Is the voice of Peter?? I personally believe that the voice of Peter is actually George Reeves as he also does the voice over work for the opening narrative. On the other hand, it would be really hilarious if it were actually the voice of Jack Larson crying that he is drowning in as much as he comes close to drowning in this episode anyway.

A cute little monkey in a Superman outfit and an organ grinder entertain children on the street and the monkey offers everyone a fortune. Sounds like fun even to Lois Lane who takes a fortune from the monkey only to find that it is a tip that the daughter of a famous scientist who is carrying a secret formula will be coming to the United States. In The Monkey Mystery, Lois manages to find the girl but gets caught in an assault by men determined to get this formula for their own ill use. This episode is very strong in its adult content by 1950’s standards. The scientist is tortured. The daughter and Lois Lane are assaulted. The organ grinder is stabbed to death and Olsen take left jab that knocks him unconscious. Using Pepe as bait, Superman captures the bad guys and rescues Jimmy in the knick of time. Sometimes even Superman needs a super assistant. Pepe was the best helper the man of steel could have ever asked for! 

The episode Ghost Wolf is notorious as being the episode where George Reeves, suspended on wires, takes a fall when one of the wires breaks. This episode inspired the development of the “flying pan” apparatus that was used in subsequent episodes until the series finale. The story centers around a mystery where the employees of the company that supply the Daily Planet with the wood to make its’ paper resign on reports that a ware wolf is stalking the area! The planet crew of George, Lois and Jimmy go out there to investigate. The ware wolf scares Lois nearly to death when he crawls into her room, but the fact is he is only a sweet German shepherd whose owner is deceived into believing the company manager stole the company’s assets from her father. Superman saves the much-maligned canine from being shot to death by Jacques Loliver. Superman also saves the crew from a deadly forest fire that was started by the same perpetrator.  What a relief to find out in the end that the Ghost Wolf was actually sort of a Rin-Tin-Tin in disguise!

In The Dog Who Knew Superman, Superman saves a dog that by happenstance is owned by the head of a crime syndicate. Once again, the knowledge of Clark Kent’s true identity hangs in the balance. The dog escapes again only to visit Clark at his office and steals the mate of a glove Superman leaves behind where the dog had been saved. Surmising the two gloves must belong to Superman, Hank (Ben Welden) offers a reward to get his dog back and get the dog to help him track Superman down to make a deal with him. What he doesn’t bet on is that the dog is on Superman’s side and warns Clark by barking in time for Clark to avoid getting caught! This episode, more than any in the series captures Superman’s sense of isolation. While we learn as the series goes on that he cannot be with the girl of his dreams, here we see that he cannot share his love with a pet either.  This episode is one of the moments that could only be brought to life by the magic of George Reeves. When Lois says, “You look like you’ve lost your best friend” his face is the picture loneliness and melancholy. Therein lies the reason why being the man of steel is not easy. 

In The Whistling Bird, Uncle Oscar is at it again. Retired now for a few years, he decides to invent something innocuous as a tasty glue to make the licking of postage stamps a little less taxing on the tongue. The formula is only partially written down with a portion that is stored in the memory banks of Uncle Oscar’s trusted assistant, a parot named Skyler. But when Clark’s “taste test” reveals that Uncle Oscar has invented a powerful explosive, a group of foreign agents set out to get the formula for their own dubious motives. Skyler is kidnapped and Uncle Oscar, Nancy and Jimmy held against their will.  Superman frees them and captures the crooks with a little tip from Skyler as to their whereabouts. We have an interesting episode here in that Superman has to drink a beaker of the formula to save his friends. Now here is a guy who thinks nothing of crashing through walls but knocks back Uncle Oscar’s version of a Long Island Ice Tea and feels the need to reach for an Alka Seltzer! Also as in The Haunted Lighthouse, we can’t help but wonder who is the voice of Skyler?? While it is possible that it is George Reeves (appropriately whistling at Lois in the end!), it is conceivable that it could also be Sterling Holloway who went on to delight children for decades to come as the voice of Winnie the Pooh.

In Flight to the North we are introduced to a sweet mule named Lilly Bell. Two crooks make a bet with each other to determine who makes a better lemon meringue pie. Meanwhile, a country boy named Superman (Chuck Connors) along with Lilly Bell decide at the same time to make a visit to Metropolis. Louie Lyman (Ben Weldon) is determined to get the lemon meringue pie from his former friend Margie Holloway who contracts Superman (or who she believes is Superman) to fly her pie to Alaska for her fiancé. Lyman follows Mr. Superman and Lilly Bell to Alaska in pursuit of the pie and in turn is followed by the real man of steel. This parade of characters visiting an isolated air force man stationed in Alaska is enough to convince him he needs to be isolated!   All in all this is a lighthearted episode centering on the virtues of being neighborly. It is also clear in this episode that George Reeves does not share the same feeling about animals W.C. Fields had. George clearly had no trouble having a mule steal the spotlight for a moment!

Joey is the story of a horse that has racing in his blood. He has to be sold to raise money to save the farm that Alice lives on with her grandfather. When Perry White agrees to buy Joey so he can race for charity, Alice reluctantly gives him up so he can raise money to help children.  But nobody felt it was important to consult Joey. Appearing to become ill, turns out he misses Alice so much that he can’t even stand. Joey is one of three episodes in the entire series where Superman flies a little girl in the air. With Alice by his side Joey recovers but fails to win the race and comes in second! Luckily Superman tips off the officials that the winning horse was prodded with electric shocks that result in the winner’s disqualification. The money the Planet wins is enough to cover Joey’s purchase with money to spare to go to the Planet’s charity. It is said that until you love an animal, something is asleep in your soul. The love we see here between Alice and Joey is enough to awaken that special something in all who see them together.

It’s almost impossible to look at a baby elephant and not smile. Reminiscent of Disney’s Dumbo, Suzy is stolen from the circus. The daily planet was hoping to have Suzy appear at a picnic for under privileged children. The Stolen Elephant is hidden away by the crooks in what they think is a deserted barn. Lucky for Suzy, she is discovered by Johnny Wilson and his mother who recently bought the farm and moved in. Disappointed to find she is not a birthday present when he reads of her abduction in the paper, Johnny calls Clark Kent who summons Superman to the rescue. The lucky break to finding her lies in the fact that the crooks show the boy what they say is the elephant’s identification number but in reality is their car’s auto registration number. A combination of the crooks stupidity and the boy’s terrific memory make it easy for Superman to return sweet Suzy to the circus safe and sound and allow her to make an appearance at the picnic.

Imagine a donkey that can read minds? Well, that exactly what George, Jimmy and Lois discover on a trip to Mexico where they meet Carmelita in The Brainy Burro. As always happens in the series, the knowledge of this animal’s unique talent falls into the wrong hands. Carmelita and her owner Pepe are forced to rob a bank and the daily planet crew ends up in jail as part of a frame-up. But Superman, in a scene that fosters images of Dr. Dolittle, talks to the brainy burro to get the exact location of the crooks. In the end, Clark tries to strike a deal with Carmelita to keep his identity a secret. While we are often charmed by George Reeves giving us a little wink of the eye at the end of an episode, this time it is Carmelita’s turn to wink at us, suggesting that Clark cannot trust his newly found 4-legged friend with the secret of his true identity!

So here you have them. Nine of the hardest working guest stars to grace the Adventures of Superman series. In as much as these non-human thespians had neither a SAG card or got paid so much as union scale, I thought it appropriate that they receive an honor place here at Glass House Presents. I hope you all put your paws together and join me in giving them all a big round of applause!

January 2008

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The First Lady

of Westerns

By Gail McIntyre

Before she became known as the “First Lady of Metropolis” Noel Neill was the first lady of the western film genre. So central a figure she was in Western films in the 1940’s, that she was the recipient of the Golden Boot Award in 2004 that honors the achievements of cowboy films heroes and heroines. If you are like me, and you love seeing these beloved actors from “The Adventures of Superman” in the work they did before they stepped into their signature roles, you might want to catch Noel Neill in some of the westerns she appeared in which are currently available for purchase.

In Son of a Bad Man from the Lash LaRue Collection, Noel plays Miss Vicky Burley. Lash LaRue, who bears a striking resemblance to Humphrey Bogart and also won the Golden Boot award himself in 1983. He is just one of the many icons of Western Cinema that included Gene Autry, Tom Mix and Roy Rogers. One of the things that I found a little bewildering is that he is the good guy but he is always dressed in black! Marshals Lash LaRue and Fuzzy Jones are after the mysterious masked outlaw 'El Sombre' and his men. The job becomes more difficult when they find the Sheriff is in cahoots with the outlaws.  Filmed in 1949, Noel sports a cowgirl outfit reminiscent of “The Bully of Dry Gulch” and long hair which no doubt would be cut short in a few years to fit the career business woman persona of Lois Lane. While her roles are often that of a sweet lady, that is not always the case here. When it’s necessary, she has no trouble pulling a gun out of her holster and letting the guys know who is in charge! At one point she points a gun at Lash LaRue in a scene that reminded me of the time she managed to get hold of a machine gun in Jimmy Olsen Boy Editor. It is mentioned by on one of the other characters that Miss Vicky is not “of age” yet. This is interesting as Noel carries that underage status beautifully, despite the fact that she is actually about 29. It’s little wonder she looks so young today!

In the Adventures of Frank and Jessie James, Noel has the opportunity to work with Clayton Moore as Jessie James. Clayton Moore would go on to play the notorious TV western hero in The Lone Ranger. This 13 chapter series is presented in the style of the old cliffhanger serials. The notorious bad boys of the west want to make good for all the bad deeds that were done in their name. To do this they will have to dig out the riches of a mine.  This is an incredibly action packed series with stage coaches that go out of control and fall into rivers and mines that explode. Noel’s role here is softer than in “Son of a Badman”, but it is still quite a bit physical. In one episode she is knocked out by the bad guys and has to face the dubious task of jumping from a stage coach while it is out of control. How she manages to do that and still look pristine when she picks herself up off the ground is priceless! While it is currently only available in VHS, her adventures with the James brothers is still a must see for her fans who long to see her without her signature pillbox hat and pearls.

NOTE: For the past year, I had been searching for material I could purchase that showcased Noel Neill’s singing and acting talents.  Despite my best efforts I was not able to turn up anything.  Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Larry Ward was kind enough to send me a copy Over the Santa Fe Trail where Noel Neill stars along with Ken Curtis who most have come to know as Festus on the smash TV western hit Gunsmoke. The soundtrack on this movie is fabulous. This is a movie that is just as fun to listen to as it is to watch.  It would make for a wonderful Broadway production. Noel has 2 solos. The first is “Dr. Henderson’s Compound” where she sort of a kin to Lucy Ricardo selling Vitamitavegamin. She sings the praises of an elixir that is guaranteed to cure whatever ails you. Noel (who plays Taffy Neill) also sings “Fire Ball Mail” a heartfelt song of the old railroad days with the Hoosier Hotshots as backup vocalists. The film centers on the Hoosier Hotshots who are traveling with Doc Henderson but are unaware that Henderson is really an outlaw who is using the show as a cover to rob the towns they travel to.  Sounds serious but it is really a hysterically funny movie and it’s unfortunate that it is not currently being released for purchase. Of all the western movies I have seen Noel Neill in outside of the Adventures of Superman, this one ranks as my favorite. I hope someday to see it released on DVD.

So next time you’re looking for some good old fashioned fun entertainment at your online video shop, check out some of the westerns that feature Noel Neill. You’ll be glad ya did partner. Tell’em Miss Gail sent ya!

November 2007

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The Astronaut’s Tale

Music Composed by Charles Fussell

Libretto by Jack Larson

Reviewed By Gail McIntyre

In “Superman on Earth” from Season One of the 1950’s Superman series, Jor-El and Lara used Krypton’s most sophisticated technology to save their only son by transporting him to earth in a small shuttle like rocket ship. Our fascination with Superman is very much embedded in our God given curiosity about the universe, an embrace of the newest technology, and an underlying sense of optimism.   As baby boomers, we grew up with the images of the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and Challenger space missions. In Superman Returns, the man of steel manages to save an aircraft carrying Lois Lane from disaster.  By contrast, The Astronaut’s Tale is a story that begs the question, Where was Superman? 

This chamber opera was meant to be a companion piece to Igor Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale, which was written in 1918. The Soldier’s Tale is a Faustian story about a deserting soldier who enters into a deal with the devil. The soldier exchanges his violin to the devil for a book that predicts the future of the economy. The violin becomes a symbol of the soldier's soul. In Larson’s libretto, a young boy is anxious to desert his banal farming existence to become an astronaut and is befriended by an old man who offers to support his ambition by giving him a computer to help him master mathematics in school. The boy takes the computer in exchange for a bandana the boy had used to dry the tears he had shed over the death of his dog.   

It would not be unusual for Larson to choose a computer as a symbol of evil. This is a recurring theme in his work. In Gary Grossman’s book, Superman Serial to Cereal, on page 76, he writes that Larson “has a preoccupation with the dehumanization of society and a technology out of control.” Larson’s play Chuck, published in 1968, is the story of a man who is worried that television will kill the written word.  

We are reminded of this young man’s destiny throughout the entire production.  The narrator often tells us how much time the boy has left. Countdown: minus six years to lift off, we hear him say. The clock is constantly ticking with this reminder of what time it is, lending a compelling rhythm to the story telling. Jack Larson’s narration delivers the words with an imaginative, energetic style, making it easy to compensate for the lack of visuals.

In Track 17, composer Charles Fussell creates a musical celebration that reminds one of the music they play when they open the gates to the Magic Kingdom in Disney World.  There is a myriad of technical details described by the narrator that make it sound incredibly authentic. The ships engines roar in the background. The ship takes off and we know now that the acquiring of that small computer ultimately leads to his being selected for the Challenger space mission. The ship explodes about a minute later leaving behind that all too familiar cloud formation we had all witnessed on television in January of 1986. You hear the lamentation in the voices of the singers echoing what we all felt at the time of that tragic event. Set to music here is an allegory in the tradition of Alfred Hitchcock Presents or The Twilight Zone with the biting irony that made the episodes of those old television shows so didactic. 

This is a unique opportunity to hear Jack Larson in a Reader’s Theatre type performance as narrator. The limerick below appears in track 12: 

There was a young farmer thought bright

Who sped out faster than light

He went out one day

In a relative waaaaaaaaay,

And came back the previous night 

In Noel Neill’s biography entitled, Truth, Justice and the American Way, page 51 notes that Jack Larson was the voice of Tony the Tiger for Kellogg’s Sugar Frosted Flakes.  Samples of these commercials are now available on the Adventures of Superman Season 1 DVD.  Although they are over 50 years apart, the Tony the Tiger reading of “grrrrrrrrrrreat” and the word “waaaaaaaaaay” in this poem are spoken with that same rising intonation. 

The libretto for this opera opens with the following quote from Albert Einstein: 

If I would be a young man again and have to decide how to make my living,

I would not try to become a scientist or scholar or teacher.

I would rather choose to be a plumber or a peddler in the hope to find that modest degree

of independence still available under present circumstances. 

Setting the tone for the story, we learn that one of the greatest minds of the twentieth century did not regard science and the quest for knowledge to be such a noble calling.  But Einstein’s statement flies in the face of our inherent curiosity and particularly our modern day passion for emerging technologies. Given the conclusion of this musical production, however, it is clearly something to think about the next time we’re off to buy that hot new, must have, high tech gadget. 

October 2007

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The Super Ladies of Long Island

By Gail McIntyre

I have a rotten sense of direction. In fact, I can get lost in a revolving door. But ever since I was a little girl I had dreamed of living in a Victorian house and have a penchant for things Victorian. With that in mind, I thought I would share with you an experience I had on a recent trip to the Hamptons in Long Island, NY.

The Hamptons are known the world over as a vacation getaway with its gorgeous beaches, bays and wineries. So when it was clear that if I did not get away from work for a little while that I would end up getting put away, I made a reservation at a beautiful Bed n’ Breakfast Inn out in Eastport--which is one of several towns known collectively as the Hamptons. Since I dislike traveling long distances alone I got an early start and was relieved to make an early arrival.

Seeing the sign for the B&B, I rolled into the driveway and a lady greeted me at her back porch door. I walked up to the porch and said to her, “I know I am early and I am willing to come back at 3pm but could I use your restroom? She smiled and said “of course.” Afterwards she asked me if I wanted to see the 1^st floor of the house. I was expecting a tour of the house as I was told to expect one on arrival. As she is giving me the 50-cent tour, I couldn’t help but think that this house didn’t remotely resemble the pictures I had seen of the establishment on the internet. Then when she mentioned that the house was over 100 years old, a light bulb finally came on over my head and I was embarrassed to realize, “Good heavens, I’m in the wrong house!!” But by that time it was too late. I was so captivated by the anecdotes attached to every room and piece of furniture she described, that I didn’t want to leave. So it seemed that I had rolled down the wrong driveway and that the B&B I made a reservation with was actually next door to them! So I said goodbye, checked into my room and went back a few hours later to learn more about their story.

Their names are Sophie and Catherine Kostuk. Sophie and her sister Catherine have been living there since the 1920’s.  Their father, Peter Kostuk bought the house from a Captain Pye who traveled to China and brought ducks back to Long Island which ultimately gave rise to the duck farming industry in Long Island. The Hamptons, up until about 20 years ago, was known as the duck farming capital of the world. Sophie and Catherine’s parents raised 6 children in this Victorian-Queen Anne styled home. With its many gables, sunburst window, wrap-around porch, nine foot ceilings, french doors, Greek revival fireplace, and magnificent water view, the house seems to have been frozen in time. As I learned over the course of several days, it has born witness to a great history, and of course memories, many of them wonderful while others were unfortunate.

Peter Kostuk, came from Russia around 1918 into Ellis Island and survived typhoid fever. Their mother (also named Sophie) who came from Poland, was only 15 years old when she married 30 year old Peter Kostuk and bore six children and lived to the age of 98 when she passed in 2001. All six children were born at home and all lived to see old age except for Ann who passed at the age of 24 from rheumatic fever just prior to the advent of antibiotics which conceivably could have saved her life. Despite the fact that Peter Kostuk did not receive more than a 3^rd grade education, he worked hard and persevered until he built a thriving duck farm business, and a breathtaking homestead.

The year was 1938.  Hitler was marching into Austria.  Gone with the Wind was in production, Orson Wells was broadcasting his adaptation of War of the Worlds creating a nationwide panic as listeners believe that aliens have landed in New Jersey, and an unexpected hurricane wreaked havoc on Long Island, N.Y. and in New England. The Hamptons sustained one of the worst hurricanes in its history. Nicknamed by some "The Long Island Express" the waves that hit Long Island were picked up on seismographs in Alaska. The Perfect Storm of 1938 left a wake of death and destruction across seven states. Winds were measured at 186mph and stripped cars of their paint. The storm gave rise to walls of water 50 feet high that swept homes and entire families out to sea. Along with the Great Depression and World War II, this natural disaster had a profound impact upon a generation living in the North East US.

In the course of the storm, the water surges from the creeks and bays caused the Kostuk duck houses to collapse. While miraculously none of the Kostuk family members were killed or injured, thousands of birds and several employees were lost. The children were able to seek refuge at a local school. The homestead was severely damaged with the 1^st floor almost totally submerged in water. The Kostuk’s had to relocate to another home for a few years while their primary residence was being restored and the duck houses rebuilt. As we went thru the 1^st floor Sophie showed me all the magnificent pieces of furniture that somehow managed to survive despite being flooded in water. As you might imagine these transition years were tough, yet they found strength in the closeness of their family and their faith in God. It would be years before a state of normalcy would return to this family and the community.

The duck farming industry has long disappeared from these parts. There is only one left.  They have been replaced by residential homes, upscale restaurants, Bed n’ Breakfast Inns and a Marina. But you can still see the descendants of these webbed footed animals roaming the grassy hills. And of course there is Sophie and Catherine who are now 83 and 80 in age respectively. With their duck collections, angel collections, antique family portraits, and a steamer trunk of old wedding and bride’s maid’s gowns dating back as far as the 1920’s, theirs is an existence that is steadfastly disappearing from the national landscape.  

They shared with me their home videos of family reunions where the children modeled all the gowns that were stored up in the attic. They also shared with me a video of their mother’s 90^th birthday party where each of the children read aloud their fondest memories of their mother. After the videos, they remarked that they caught me snoozing.  And that’s true; I was! But there was a moment where I saw their mother, who was suffering from dementia, had come to life for a brief moment as she watched her great grandchild sing happy birthday to her. That scene made me cry. Somehow the sisters didn’t pick up on that. I was grateful. 

 

Sophie and Catherine are survivors living in a home that is itself a survivor. And for four days they allowed me to believe that I lived in the Victorian home that I had always dreamed of.  I think you will agree that Sophie and Catherine embody the spirit of friendship and camaraderie that merits their being called super ladies. The only way they will see this article will be for me to print a copy of this story and mail it to them as they do not own a computer and have no interest whatsoever in email or the internet although on my last day there they did display some curiosity about my blackberry device.  

In a curious way, I think they learned something from me. Sometimes it’s good for a stranger to knock on your door every now and then and remind you of how rich you are. Not in the financial sense mind you, but rich in the love, security and strength of family and friends. How do you put a price tag on that? And I learned something too. I learned that I shouldn’t be so afraid to travel alone. In fact I should do it more often. For I know now that wherever I go if I make an effort to reach out I will find wonderful, caring people who will reach out to me. More importantly, I learned that maybe a bad sense of direction isn’t such a bad thing after all.

*Hurricane photos courtesy of Mary Cummings, “Images of America, Hurricane in the Hamptons, 1938”Arcadia Publishing, 2006.

**September 2007 marks the 69^th anniversary of the Hurricane of 1938

September 2007

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Around the World with Superman

Stands for Faith

By Gail McIntyre

Of the 104 episodes of the Superman series from the 1950’s, Around the World with Superman often ranks among the top ten favorites if not the all-time favorite with the fans. Why is this? What is it about this episode that engages us so much? What is this story really about?

Life is full of disappointments. Ann Carson is blind. The writer could have given her any kind of malady. She could have been crippled, struggling with childhood cancer, unable to hear, anything really. But the writer chooses for her to be blind. And while it is true that she is physically unable to see, it is her spiritual blindness that disables her the most.  Pursuant to the accident that causes the loss of her sight, her parents separate and she becomes the child of a single parent household, the daughter of a woman who is stressed out and overworked. Alone for a better part of the day, Ann has a lot of time on her hands and a lot of time to think. Thinking begets depression, then cynicism, and bitterness. Out of pity for her mother who could really use a break, she enters her mother in a contest for children so that she can win a trip around the world. Ann’s winning the contest sponsored by the Daily Planet marks a turning point in her tragic life although granted it is a bumpy road for this child “doubting Thomas.” Before she can heal physically, she first has to heal emotionally and for that to happen she first has to have faith in Superman.  

The most poignant scene in this episode takes place when Superman, comes to visit her and demonstrates to her his super strength by bending a fireplace poker. Ann remains unconvinced. Superman says to Ann, “Honey, you are going to have to believe in me if I am going to help you.” Ann replies, “The only people who believe in you are the ones who can see you.”  These words denote not just a lack of faith, but a tone of hopelessness and despair from a child who is so broken spirited that she has cast a blind eye to believing in anything. Ironically it is Superman’s keen sense of hearing that marks a breakthrough. She whispers something to test Superman’s super hearing. While the words are whispered, the statement is deafening as she says, “I want my daddy back home again.”  Here we learn that the only thing standing between Ann and her ability to see was for someone to hear that that her eyesight is meaningless to her unless she can see her father again. Superman’s ability to hear her affects a cure. Once her ability to believe is restored, the restoration of her sight becomes easy through an operation guided by Superman’s eyes.

And so little Ann Carson, was once blind, but can now see, in every way that a human being should be able to see. As viewers, we walk away from this episode with a renewed sense of vision. We learn from this tale that faith is not optional. Faith is as central to the human psyche as food, water or the air we breathe. With faith, all things are possible.  Faith, like protein and vitamins is a very important nutrient for the brain. If you are hungry for faith, this episode feeds you. For those who do not hunger, this episode reinforces a healthy diet in the belief of things that are not always obvious to the human eye. 

And so whenever I am feeling cynical, depressed or otherwise blindsided by the train wrecks of life, I think of little Ann Carson and Superman, and I think of Around the World with Superman as the faith episode.

July 2007

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ALWAYS A BRIDE

By Gail McIntyre

Always a Bride is a rare opportunity to see George Reeves early on in his movie career in a leading man role.

Mike Stevens is every mother’s nightmare. He is unemployed, has no prospects and has no inclination toward getting any. What he does have is charm and an uncanny ability to persuade. The Stevens character has an eccentricity about him. He is somewhat of an Elwood P. Dowd on amphetamines. Mike Stevens can talk the devil into going to church.  He wins Alice, the love of his life by persuading his rival Marshall Winkler that marriage is not all it’s cracked up to be. He wins the mayoral race by singing the praises of his opponent. He has the knack for pulling a rabbit out of a hat in the nick of time when the objective seems impossible. Call it reverse psychology or whatever you like, this role for George Reeves actually constitutes a marvelous foundation for his future role as one of the most fondly remembered characters in 1950’s television.

The one thing that Clark Kent (aka Superman) and Mike Stevens have in common is a superior intellect. Both intuitively understand that to achieve the desired results, it’s not enough to work hard. You have to work smart. What’s more, the chance to practice this intellect against the likes of John Eldredge who would later become a recurring thorn in Clark Kent’s side can only be viewed by Superman fans as a delicious inside joke. From planting a phony newspaper story in A Shot in the Dark, to marrying Sgt. O’Hara in Superman’s Wife, to recharging the radio in The Girl Who Hired Superman, it’s begs to wonder whether Clark Kent is actually Mike Stevens in disguise.

Other than that, my reaction was the same as Super Sue’s; adorable, absolutely adorable!  A must see for GR fans.

July 2007

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By Gail McIntyre

Dabbs Greer was once quoted as saying, "Every character actor, in their own little sphere, is the lead."  In The Green Mile, no question he is the lead.  Opening up with a scene where he is crying over a movie starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers where they are dancing to “cheek to cheek”, the whole story centers on finding out exactly what it is about that movie that is making Dabbs Greer, who plays the elderly Paul Edgecomb, cry. 

We learn that he was a prison guard during the depression where executions were conducted, and that he had executed a man he knew was innocent. He had learned a lot about this prisoner, including the fact that he had powers beyond that of any mortal man. The prisoner’s last request, John Coffey, was to go to the movies and see “one of those moving picture shows.” As the restraints are placed on Coffey, we hear him quietly sing the lyrics “Heaven, I’m in heaven” as he had heard Fred Astaire sing the day before. And then Paul Edgecomb orders the switch on “old sparky” to be thrown. 

Dabbs Greer was no stranger to stories depicting execution, having been a wrongly accused murderer scheduled to die in the electric chair as Joe Winters in the Adventures of Superman episode “Five Minutes to Doom” in 1953. His character, Joe Winters was pronounced guilty at trial but is ultimately proven innocent and saved by Superman. In The Green Mile, no Superman comes to the rescue; not for the accused OR his executioner. It’s interesting that both pieces treat the subject of capital punishment and both have fantasy elements to them.

The prisoner John Coffey, who is able to save the life of a hopelessly crushed little mouse name Mr. Jingles is powerless to save himself. That is the kryptonite factor. He needs the young Edgecomb (played by Tom Hanks) to do that. But the guard feels he has no choice but to do his job. He lives to be an old man haunted by bad dreams. That is author Steven King’s cruel sentence passed onto a man who killed because he decided had no choice. He lives to see all the people he has loved pass on before him. That is the penance he must do for his sins, reminding us that the decisions we make early on  in life often determine how we feel about ourselves as we look back on our life’s work. And so Edgecomb walks every morning through green hills. The morning walk constitutes a green mile of his own where he searches for a peace that always seems to be just out of reach. 

Whether a dead man walking or the executioner, Dabbs Greer’s  performance in both of these pieces are what we had come to expect from this character actor who by his filmography proves could play just about anybody and did. They could only be described as compelling and compassionate. The scene in 1953 where George Reeves holds his hand as he tells his side of the story is as moving as when he is reduced to tears in Green Mile. But The Green Mile has to be, in my opinion, the most captivating performance of his entire career. 

Obituaries I have read on Dabbs Greer noted that he never married and had no survivors. I would like to edit that statement here and say that he has left millions of survivors behind. And we’ll be watching and remembering him.

May 2007

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The Unknown People

Stands for Tolerance

By Gail McIntyre

I ride a bus into work every morning. There’s nothing unusual about that. What is remarkable is that the person sitting next to me is often not of the same race as myself. Sometimes I look at the faces of the bus riders and I am conscious of the fact that some of them are too young to recall a time when in certain parts of the United States, this scene would have been impossible. That was certainly the case in 1951 when Superman and the Mole Men was being shown in theatre houses. This movie would later be adapted for television in a 2-part episode from Season 1 known as The Unknown People. 

Two strange creatures emerge from the deepest oil well ever drilled. They venture forth from this deepest of labyrinths to explore the territory above them. Human like, with a head, two arms and two legs yet they are short, dressed in black, their heads somewhat balding and pointy and generally speaking they are pretty bizarre looking. Suffice to say they don’t fit in with the crowd. After several encounters with the town’s people, the men of the town are so enraged that they set out to kill these creatures whether it be by shooting them, lynching, or setting them on fire.

In one memorable encounter, the creatures enter the window of a little girl, played by Beverly Washburn who would go on to star in countless major motion pictures and television programs and was recently interviewed by Steven Kirk in Burbank California.   Interview with Beverly

The little girl is not afraid. She is just curious and way too young and untaught to show any fear or hatred. She wants to make friends with them. While trying to playing catch with them, the ball starts to glow and realizes she has some very special friends in the her room until her the mother comes into the room who lets out a blood curdling scream which can be heard for miles around. 

One of the creatures is shot and Superman brings it to the local hospital to be operated on. The men, lead by Luke Benson, demand to be let into the hospital so they can finish the creature off. George Reeves as Superman is tough here and he has to be to handle this crowd. Phyllis Coates is almost as tough as George Reeves and justifiably so. Meanwhile the mob believes the other creature is dead having been burned alive in a shack. But it escapes and returns to the well shaft, only to return with another, just as enraged as the town’s men, carrying a weapon and this time dangerous where they had not been dangerous before.     

Superman realizes all they want is their wounded friend back.  He gently carries the creature out of hospital but not before the other two fire their weapon at Luke Benson, who most likely would have been a goner had superman not stepped in to save him. After superman helps them back into the shaft, the creatures set it on fire so they can never be reached again. And so the two worlds become segregated again.

What sets this episode apart from the rest of the 1950’s TV series are its political overtones. It speaks volumes about racism in America at the time and the lack of tolerance that was so prevalent. There is the reference to Nazi Storm Troopers, the lynching threats, the cruelty, the ignorance, and the general lack of understanding of people that are guilty of nothing other than being different. Superman teaches us tolerance and the virtue of treating everyone as we would want to be treated not only by saving the life of a Luke Benson even though he had every justification to let the creatures kill him, but also in the gentle way he communicates with the creatures and in his gentleness and reverence in the handling of their wounded comrade.      

Knowing how George Reeves felt about segregation as illustrated in Lou Koza’s article:

The June 1954 Memphis, Tennessee Appearance Standing against Segregation http://www.jimnolt.com/Memphis.htm 

 

This makes seeing him portray Superman here as more important than in any subsequent episode. For he is not only portraying a fictional science fiction fantasy character, he brings his own ideological beliefs into his interpretation--making this probably the most powerful of all his Superman performances. This episode more than any other offers a tremendous insight into George Reeves, his character and the kind of man he was. For all times he donned that crimson cape, this has to stand as one of his proudest moments.

At the end of this 2-part episode, the creatures set the shaft on fire and a big burst of flames goes up in the air, conjuring up images reminiscent of cross burnings. It is almost as if they are burning a cross on our lawn and sending out a warning. Although this episode stands as an all time favorite of mine from the 1950’s series, I find it difficult to watch today. Knowing that it first aired in the cinemas in 1951 casts a chilling foreboding. In only 4 years, Rosa Parks would refuse to give up her seat on a bus, which would herald the violent civil rights struggle that would mar the history of the United States in the decades to come. That is why a ride on the bus makes me think of George Reeves and Rosa Parks, and more importantly makes me refer to The Unknown People from the Adventures of Superman series as the tolerance episode.

May 2007                              

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BEHIND THE CRIMSON CAPE: THE CINEMA OF GEORGE REEVES

Gail McIntyre - Commentary

After the rumors, the gossip, the innuendos and theories surrounding the death of one of the most celebrated television icons, spawns a breath of fresh air. Crimson Cape, the definitive encyclopedia of the cinematic work of George Reeves, infinitely expands his one-dimensional “man of steel” image.  Every film is described in exquisite and finely researched detail, leaving the reader without a doubt that George Reeves had the potential to become one of the most significant actors of 20th century American media. The book is incredibly illustrated, with dozens of rare and dramatic photographs taken from virtually every film, along with studio shots and even still shots from films made by other cast members from The Adventures of Superman. More importantly, it takes Reeves’ tragic death and puts it in perspective; as an afterthought rather the focal piece of discussion of this “diamond in the rough” actor/director, whose treasured performances had been long looking for a place to hang their hat.  Speaking of hats, my hat’s off to Jan Alan Henderson and Steve Randisi for putting together this diamond of an anthology.  

May 2007

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Champagne for Two

Perpendicular to “I Love Lucy”

By Gail McIntyre

A Cuban bandleader/nightclub manager is a married to an American, scatterbrained redhead who is always trying to get into the spotlight of his nightclub’s latest act. This all too familiar storyline for the TV series I Love Lucy may have had a curious prototype starring none other than George Reeves. Via those six degrees of separation, George Reeves would ultimately guest star on I Love Lucy, playing what would become his signature role as Superman.

Premiering in 1947, Champagne for Two was nominated for an Academy Award that year for best 2-reel movie short. George Reeves plays Jerry Malone, an American nightclub manager who is married to a Cuban singer/dancer played by Lita Baron. Although Baron was born in Almeria Spain in 1929, she was often cast as Cuban. In 1945, she starred in Club Havana and probably her most famous Cuban role was also in connection with I Love Lucy in 1952 where she plays dancer Renita Perez, one of Ricky Ricardo’s childhood (but now very grownup) friends. 

The musical numbers Lita Baron and others perform here are wonderful to watch. One of the most enjoyable numbers in the show is called “Ho, Ho Jose” written by Jerry Livingston and Ray Evans. Jerry Livingston wrote the music to dozens of American standard favorites including the theme to the This is It! (The Bugs Bunny Overture), 77 Sunset Strip as well as the score for Walt Disney’s Cinderella.    

Conversely to I Love Lucy, Malone’s wife is the star of the show and there is never any feuding about it. As the story opens, we learn the two had been married a year before in Cuba. Malone is seen enjoying his wife perform on the nightclub floor. George Reeves fans will know that off screen he had a penchant for Spanish music underscoring his casting here as being no accident.  The couple is anxious to get back to Cuba for an anniversary getaway when an elderly lady named Mrs. Benjamin Cowdy comes to the club claiming she overheard that the club was going to be robbed the following evening. Mrs. Cowdy, played by Ida Moore also has I Love Lucy connections, having appeared in a 1953 episode called The Club Election. Mr. Cowdy is played by Griff Barnett, who will appear again with George Reeves in Adventures of Superman, as Dr. Edward Stanton in The Mind Machine in 1952. 

Disappointed, Malone has to tell his wife of one year that the getaway to Cuba will have to be postponed. It is later discovered by Mrs. Cowdy’s own admission that it was just a rouse for her and her unknowing husband to get an anniversary dinner and show at Malone’s nightclub for their 50^th wedding anniversary as she feared they might never get this chance again. But instead of having her arrested, Malone takes pity on the lady and the show delightfully concludes with both couples celebrating their anniversary together by cutting a rug on the nightclub dance floor!

Perhaps aside from The Wedding of Superman, very rarely do fans of George Reeves get a chance to see him in an upbeat and romantic, leading man role and get a better feel for his enormous acting range. This makes Champagne for Two one of the most significant pieces for those looking to enjoy more of Reeves non-superman work. If I had had the chance to name this film, I probably would have named it “I love Jerry.” 

PS:  My sincerest thanks to Lou Koza for being kind enough to send me a copy of this film when I had been having so much trouble acquiring it on my own.   Lou, you’re the greatest!

April 2007