Adventures of Superman (TV Series) Tin Hero (1957) User Reviews

Playing Make-Believe 'Hero'

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 17 November 2006]

Things are slow at the Daily Planet. Perry White is upset because there is nothing dramatic to put on the front page. He orders Clark, Lois and Jimmy and go out on their own looking for good stories. Olsen runs into one right away in front of a bank, witnessing a meek man capturing a robber fleeing the scenes. Actually, the thief ran into him by accident but it made the citizen look like a hero. Jimmy captures it with a photograph. He then brings the bookkeeper to the planet and tells Perry White that he often is "led" to some news event and is just there when it happens. White, thinking the man has a natural "nose for news" offers him $100 a week to become a reporter. He was making $45 as a bookkeeper. He consults his girl (wife?) Celia, who tells him to go for it. NAME is a bit reluctant making this career change but goes ahead with it. The crooks, meanwhile, decide to get rid of this new "ace crime reporter."

Mr. Meek ("Frank Smullins" played by Carl Ritchie) who faints at the sight of a gun, continues his charade as a tough crime reporter to some funny - and pathetic - moments in this crime- comedy episode.

This show started a little slow and got more entertaining as it went on, leaving with finish that left a smile on your face.

Smullins in Wonderland

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 11 February 2015]

A man named Frank Smullins accidentally captures a bank robber by getting him tangled in a cat's cradle he is playing with. Because nothing much is going on, Jimmy, who was at the scene, brings the guy to the office. Perry White thinks the guy is a natural reporter and hires him at over twice the pay he is getting as a bookkeeper. Of course, there are crooks around and they want their revenge, and they also want to get rid of Smullins. Of course, everyone gets into the act as they start to bolster the myth of Frank. He actually believes he is a great reporter, but it has all been orchestrated. This is far fetched and quite dull. It's like a silly sitcom from that era with no edge.

Makes no sense and not that enjoyable

[sssuperman-dot-com · 3/10 · 18 August 2015]

This episode's premise had potential, and it could be pretty funny at times. The problem is, why do all the characters, including Clark/Superman, keep supporting this guy's fantasy that he's a great crime-buster, even though Clark verbally acknowledges that this could get him in big trouble? It doesn't make any sense at all. Plus, it's just not entertaining to see this guy keep getting credit he doesn't deserve. I mean, he seems like a perfectly okay guy, don't get me wrong, but this fantasy puts him in danger too.

The best part of this episode is probably the humor that comes from realizing that, while Clark Kent is supposed to be a "mild-mannered reporter", in this show Smullins does a MUCH better job of actually fitting this description. Which just goes to show that George Reeves' depiction of Superman's alter ego was rather non-traditional in some ways.

Bottom line, I love seeing the reporters of the Daily Planet looking for news and busting crimes with a helping hand from Superman, which is why I love this show. I don't really want to watch someone who has no actual reporting skill being deluded into thinking he's crime- busting.