Superman And The Mole-Man
Script to Screen

There are a few differences as Benson and his mob chase the mole-man around the outskirts of Silsby. Two stand out.

1) In the script there is no mention of the hobo that we see do a double-take when he sees the mole-man in the distance.

2) In the script Benson and his men encounter a dead dog. Weber says, "Daisy Belle, ain't it?" Then they see the luminous patch. As Weber reaches down, Benson says, "Don't touch it!"

In the movie, instead of the dead dog, we see the hobo scene.

And when they get to the shed where the creature is trapped, the script has Benson say, "I ain't aimin' to lose no more hounds." But in the movie, because there was no dead dog, Benson says, "I ain't aimin' to lose my hounds."

I see a minor change from page 73. The script says that both Superman and Dr. Reid stand side by side as Benson approaches the hospital, but on screen, Dr. Reid is not there.

Page 75 shows some changes to Superman's remarks: You invaded his world! You sank a pipe six miles into the ground and when he climbed up it, probably out of curiosity, you set dogs on him and shot him. If that's what you call democracy ---

Page 76 into 77. The way we see the creatures emerge from the well and the description of the weapon they carry differs slightly from script.

July 19, 1951 fell on a Thursday... leaving just two more days before "Superman And The Mole-Men" wrapped up on Saturday, July 21.

It was quite likely that on this date Jack Larson signed on to play Jimmy Olsen on the series, set to begin the following Monday. Jack was not sure of the exact date he signed, but he did remember that Tommy Carr directed his audition film and that he met both George Reeves and Phyllis Coates while they were filming "Superman and the Mole-Men."

Jack also remembered that he was hired shortly before Robert Shayne and John Hamilton. Jack said, "There were not many days between the time I was hired and the day production began on the series. I may have even started the show before a contract was signed."

Superman, Inc. would film the remaining scenes for "Superman And The Mole-Men" on Friday and Saturday, July 20 and 21. In the coming months the film would be edited and otherwise prepared for theatrical release later in the year on November 23. It was also be re-edited into the two-part episode "The Unknown People" that Maxwell had originally planned to use as episodes 25 and 26. Such would not happen, however... until almost ten years later (1960).

There is just one more thing to note. There is an alternate ending to "Superman And The Mole-Men" that was never filmed. This would have a fade-out before Phyllis Coates delivers her final line "It's almost as though they were saying: "We'll live our lives... and you live yours." The action would then pick up as described in these final pages.

The summer of 1951 continues…

Posted: July 24, 2021
Jim