TAC, Jr. #7
From the publisher of The Adventures Continue
www.jimnolt.com

Friday, May 23, 1997

Contents:

1) GOOD NEWS
2) CALLING ALL RESEARCHERS
3) MY FRIEND, COLUMBIA HOUSE?
4) SEASON OF TERROR
5) A QUESTION FROM MICHAEL HAYDE
6) STATIONARY FLIGHT
7) HOLLYWOOD COMMANDOS
8) SUPER STUFF
9) CONGRATULATIONS

1) GOOD NEWS!!! - The phone call finally came in. For those of you who
ordered TAC #13 and 14, you can expect them in your mailbox next week. In
just about three hours I'll drive to the printing company to pick them up,
and tomorrow TAC reader John O'Neill will drive from Philadelphia to help me
sort, stuff and stamp. On Tuesday morning I'll deliver them to the post
office, and only one more task will remain - for you to examine each and
every word, picture, and illustration. And that's a task I trust you'll
enjoy.

2) CALLING ALL RESEARCHERS - I received a call from Chuck Harter a short
time ago. As most of you know, he's been working on a book about George
Reeves and the Adventures of Superman for many years. I've seen the material
he's collected, and it's nothing short of phenomenal. His book is nearing
completion, but he'd like help from readers in the Chicago, St. Louis, and
New York City areas. In late 1956 Whitney Ellsworth announced that in
conjunction with the premiere of another season of the Adventures of
Superman, George Reeves would be making personal appearances in those cities
during the month of February (1957). Chuck would like to know if anyone of
you living near those cities could search through newspapers of that time to
find articles related to those appearances. Of course, anyone helping with
this project will be acknowledged in his book which he assures me will be
published late next year. If you can provide any help, please let me know.

3) MY FRIEND, COLUMBIA HOUSE? - Columbia House advertises their television
episodes as being complete, but TAC reader Dave Orbach recently wrote asking
if I remember a scene in "My Friend Superman" which showed Tony placing the
wire recorder microphone under the table in his diner. I pulled my WWOR copy
of "My Friend Superman" from the shelf, and sure enough, the scene described
by Dave is there. It happens this way: After the conversation between Perry
and Clark concerning Lois' whereabouts, Clark leaves the editor's office,
and the action switches to Tony's Diner where Tony is kneeling by the table
and Elaine is sweeping the floor -

ELAINE: Pappa, what are you doing?
TONY: Oh, I'ma fixing something...
ELAINE: That's my microphone for my wire recorder you gave me for Christmas.
You'll ruin it!
TONY: I'm a nota ruin it. I'm supposed to keepa my ears open, so I use this
one as an extra ear.
ELAINE: Pappa, you're carrying this too far. It'll get you in trouble
inventing stories... pretending you know Superman. You're liable to get a
lot of people in trouble.
TONY: Ah, even my owna bambina, she don't believe her own father. I'm gonna
show you. I'm gonna helpa Superman.
The entire exchange takes 45 seconds, but it's completely missing from the
Columbia House print.

4) SEASON OF TERROR - When you read Michael Hayde's article in TAC #14 next
week, you will soon realize that putting together that first season of the
Adventures of Superman was not an easy task. The pace was fast and furious,
and the opportunities for accidents many. You may already know that George
fell to the floor when the wire broke, that George was knocked cold when he
attempted to break through a door, and that Phyllis Coates was decked by
Frank Richards (Sully) in "Night Of Terror." Yesterday I received a phone
call from TAC reader Robert Harvey who may have discovered a trace of yet
another accident on the set of "Night of Terror." Robert suggests you run
your copy and pay close attention near the end. Listen very carefully to the
sound track just after Richard Benedict stabs Superman with his knife and is
subsequently punched out by the Man of Steel. Turn up the sound, and let me
know what *you* hear as Benedict falls out of camera range.

5) A QUESTION FROM MICHAEL HAYDE - I received this question from Michael:
In Gary Grossman's book, Superman: Serial to Cereal, he describes this
moment between Clark and Lois as being from "Panic in the Sky": "Kent is
reintroduced to the trappings of his Daily Planet cubicle and a pretty Lois
Lane. Unaware of who she is, he returns the pretty gal's stare with a wink
of his own." I distinctly remember, from childhood, a scene where Lois is
staring at Kent in the hallway, and he winks at her, but it's not in any
copy of "Panic In The Sky" that I've seen since. It's not in "Wedding of
Superman" either, and I can't think of what other episode it could be from.
Do any of the readers remember this scene?

6) STATIONARY FLIGHT - I love to get e-mail from the readers, and this week
my mailbox was filled to overflowing. Bruce Kanin wrote: You continue to
bring up fascinating oddities concerning the show. I recall one episode in
the second season (I should keep my Serial to Cereal handy so that I could
remember the names) about the computer which supposedly committed crimes.
Towards the end there is a sequence where Superman rescues the scientist who
made the computer and then goes off to rescue Lois Lane. There are couple of
flying sequences which were rarely used. Finally, seeing from the air that
Lois is OK, Superman seems to stop in mid-air! While the comics version of
Superman does that all the time (including Wayne Boring's wonderful work
back in the "old days"), this was the only time I'd ever seen Reeves'
Superman do it.

The episode Bruce is trying to recall is "The Machine That Could Plot
Crimes," and that stationary flying scene is unusual, but not unique. Check
out the climax to "The Human Bomb" when Superman rescues Jimmy as he falls
from the ledge. There too he appears to be in stationary flight. Later, back
in Kent's office:

LOIS: No matter what happened, Jim, I want you to know I appreciate the risk
you took for me.
WHITE: And I wouldn't be surprised if the paper could spare a little raise
for you... providing you don't pull any more fool stunts.
JIMMY: Golly, thanks Chief... thanks Miss Lane.
Clark enters his office.
LOIS: Oh, it's you!
CLARK: Glad to see you've finally come to your senses... cut out that crazy
publicity gag.
JIMMY: Yeah, some gag!
LOIS: And where were you during all this if I may ask?
CLARK: Me? I went fishing... caught a big one too.

7) HOLLYWOOD COMMANDOS - Earlier this week Jim Beaver alerted me to
something of interest. In honor of Memorial Day, AMC is airing Hollywood
Commandos (May 23, 8:00 PM) which relates the story of the First Motion
Picture Unit. This unit produced training and morale films for the Army Air
Corps during WWII. It is the unit in which George served, and at least one
of the titles discussed in the documentary is something George may have been
in.

8) SUPER STUFF - If you are interested in Superman collectibles, trivia, and
newsy stuff, check out Bill Smith's neat little newsletter called "Super
Stuff" which is published a couple times a year. Although the newsletter is
free, Bill would appreciate the donation of a few dollars to help hold down
his printing and mailing costs. Any amount is accepted, but a $5
contribution makes you a member of the Clark Kent Club, and a $10 donation
elevates you to the Krypton Club. For more information send e-mail to
Comic52@aol.com or snail mail to Bill Smith, c/o St. Louis Post-Dispatch,
9966 Lin Ferry Drive, St. Louis, MO 63123.

Update: 10/20/98 -- Bill Smith recently informed me that because of rising
costs, he no longer publishes "Super Stuff."

9) CONGRATULATIONS - Not all mail I receive concerns George Reeves. Indeed,
some is more personal. TAC reader Scott Pomeroy wrote to tell me that he and
I share the same birthday (August 31), and he added that he and is wife are
expecting a baby boy on Tuesday, May 20. I haven't heard from Scott in the
past few days... but maybe he's busy changing those super diapers.
Congratulations Scott, and our best to your entire family.

-----
The Adventures Continue . . .
. . .with George Reeves