Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Missed Opportunity by Dave Goode





You’re probably familiar with the episode in question. An old friend of Clark Kent,one Gary Allen is visiting Metropolis and is making plans to meet up with the mild-mannered reporter. What no one is aware of is due to exposure to kryptonite radiation Allen has become invulnerable to everything except kryptonite which has the same effect on him as it does on the Man of Steel. There is no real explanation for this. We just except it. Allen’s vulnerability to the “deadly rock” of the title leads to a case of mistaken identity and he is kidnapped by criminals who plan to use the kryptonite to kill him. Lois and Jimmy blunder into the picture and are also threatened with death. Of course the real Superman arrives on the scene to save the day.


This is a pretty mundane episode of the series and only the use of kryptonite and reference to the 2nd season episode Panic In The Sky make it stand out. But it could have been so much more. You see the actor who portrayed Gary Allen in this episode was none other than B-Movie leading man Robert Lowery. The same Robert Lowery who a few years earlier had portrayed Batman in a movie serial. What an opportunity wasted. I’m not suggesting that Lowery should have worn the cape & cowl in this episode.Though how cool would that have been? I’m only suggesting that the writers could have made the Gary Allen character Bruce Wayne from Gotham City and made some reference to his ward Dick Grayson being unable to make the trip to Metropolis. Shazam...instant cult classic.



By the way this episode wasn’t the 1st project Reeves and Lowery worked on together. During the 2nd World War while in the service the pair made a sexual hygiene training film.

4 comments:

  1. No comment, until the time limit is up.

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  2. Loved the one where he walked through a wall....also the aliens underground.

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  3. You're right, that would have been a good opportunity to introduce Batman into the show's continuity, which wouldn't have seemed odd to viewers who used to listen to the Superman radio show.

    I've always been a bit disappointed that this series never used any supervillains, only ordinary crooks. They never even gave us Lex Luthor, who could easily have been a recurring menace.

    And regarding that old Army film, I noticed the name of the commanding officer who ordered the troops to watch the sex hygiene film was James Brown. What was the name of that film..."Get Up, I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine!"? :P

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