Superman and the Mole Men(titled onscreen asSuperman and the Mole-Men) is a 1951 Americanindependentblack-and-whitesuperhero filmreleased byLippert Pictures.Produced byBarney A. Sareckyand directed byLee Sholem,it starsGeorge ReevesasSupermanandPhyllis CoatesasLois Lane.It is the firstfeature filmbased on anyDC Comicscharacter.[1]
| Superman and the Mole Men | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Lee Sholem |
| Written by | Robert Maxwell Whitney Ellsworth |
| Based on | |
| Produced by | Barney Sarecky |
| Starring | George Reeves Phyllis Coates Jeff Corey J. Farrell MacDonald Stanley Andrews |
| Cinematography | Clark Ramsey |
| Edited by | Albrecht Joseph |
| Music by | Darrell Calker Walter Greene |
| Distributed by | Lippert Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 58 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The film's story centers on reporters Clark Kent (George Reeves) and Lois Lane (Phyllis Coates) arriving in the small town of Silsby to witness the drilling of the world's deepest oil well. However, the drill has penetrated the underground home of a race of small, bald humanoids who, out of curiosity, climb to the surface at night. They glow in the dark, which scares the local townspeople who form a mob intent on killing the creatures. Only Superman can intervene to prevent tragedy.
Plot
editClark KentandLois Lanearrive in the small town of Silsby to report on the world's deepest oil well. That night, two small, furry, bald dwarfhumanoidsemerge through the shaft and scare the elderly night watchman to death. Lois and Clark arrive at the oil well and find the dead watchman. Clark and the foreman explore the surrounding area for signs of foul play, but then Lois glimpses one of the creatures. However, no one believes her when she tells them what she saw.
The medical examiner is summoned, and he later leaves with Lois. Clark stays behind to confront the foreman, who confesses that the well was closed out of fear they had struckradiumand not oil. The foreman proceeds to show Clark ore samples that were collected during different stages of drilling; all of them glow brightly.
Meanwhile, the two Mole Men explore the town, but the residents become terrified because of their peculiar appearance and the fact that everything they touch glows in the dark due tophosphorescence.Soon, an angry mob forms, led by the violent Luke Benson (Jeff Corey), to kill the "monsters". Superman (George Reeves) stops Benson and the mob and saves one of the creatures in mid-air after it is shot from the top of a dam. While Superman takes it to the hospital, the second creature returns to the wellhead and disappears down its shaft.
A doctor announces that the injured creature will die unless it has surgery to remove the bullet. When a nurse refuses to do so out of fear, Clark volunteers to assist. Benson's mob arrives at the hospital demanding that the creature be turned over to them. Superman stands guard outside the hospital with Lois, but a shot is fired from the mob and narrowly misses her. Superman sends her inside and single-handedly disarms the mob.
Three more Mole Men emerge from the drill shaft, this time bearing a strange weapon. They make their way to the hospital, where Benson and his mob see them; Benson decides to go after them alone. The creatures fire their laser-like weapon at him, but Superman jumps in front of the ray, saving Benson's life. Superman fetches the wounded creature from the hospital and carries him alongside his companions as they return to the wellhead. After descending back down, the Mole Men destroy the drill shaft, ensuring that no one can come up or go down it.
Cast
edit- George ReevesasKal-El / Clark Kent / Superman
- Phyllis CoatesasLois Lane
- Jeff Coreyas Luke Benson
- Walter Reedas Bill Corrigan, Mine Foreman
- J. Farrell MacDonaldas Pop Shannon
- Stanley Andrewsas The Sheriff
- Ray Walkeras John Craig
- Hal K. Dawsonas Chuck Weber
- Phil Warren as Deputy Jim
- Frank Reicheras Hospital Superintendent
- Beverly Washburn as Child
- Billy Curtisas a Mole-Man (uncredited)
- Jerry Marenas a Mole-Man (uncredited)
- Byron Foulgeras Jeff Reagan (uncredited)
Themes
editThe sympathetic treatment of the strangers in the film, and the unreasoning fear on the part of the townspeople, has been compared by author Gary Grossman to the panicked public reaction to the peaceful alien Klaatu in the science fiction filmThe Day The Earth Stood Still,which was released the same year. Both have been considered retrospectively as the product of (and a reaction to) the"Red Scare"of post-World War IIera. Grossman also cites the later filmThe Mole People(1956).
Production
edit
Superman and the Mole Menis the first theatricalfeature filmbased on anyDC Comicscharacter. Previously, there was a series of 17 animatedSupermanshort subjects theatrically released by Paramount Pictures' Fleischer Studios. Two live-action, multiple chaptermovie serialsmade byColumbia Picturesand featuringKirk Alynas Superman andNoel Neillas Lois Lane, had been shown in weekly installments in movie theaters. Two additional serials based on DC'sBatman,the first featuringLewis Wilsonas Batman andDouglas CroftasRobin,and the second featuringRobert Loweryas Batman andJohnny Duncanas Robin, were also made by Columbia in 1943 and 1949, respectively.
The original screenplay was by "Richard Fielding", a pseudonym forRobert MaxwellandWhitney Ellsworth.
Superman and the Mole Menwas filmed in a little more than 12 days starting on July 10, 1951[2]at RKO-Pathe Studios. The feature runs just 58 minutes and originally served as atrial balloonrelease for the syndicatedAdventures of SupermanTV series,for which it became the only two-part episode, titled "The Unknown People".[3]Some elements of the original film were trimmed when converted for television, including some portions of a lengthy chase scene and all references to "Mole Men". The originalfilm scorebyDarrell Calkerwas also removed, replaced with production library music also used in the first season of the series.
The laser-like weapon of the Mole Men, which they retrieve from their subterranean home in order to defend themselves and rescue their injured comrade, was a prop made by adding metal shoulder braces to one end of anElectroluxvacuum cleanerbody; for the ray's "gun barrel" a standard metal funnel was attached to the other.
The image of actors Reeves and Coates on the theatrical release poster is a painting derived by reversing ( "flopping" ) a publicity photograph image of the two actors, with Superman's "S shield" emblem then reversed in order for it to read correctly.
Release
editThe film was released to theaters on November 6, 1951.[4]
Superman and the Mole Menwas first released onVHSbyWarner Home Videoon July 22, 1987, coinciding with the 50th anniversary celebrations of theSupermancharacter that year.
Both the two-part TV episode and the full feature are on the 2005 first seasonDVDrelease forAdventures of Superman.During 2006, the film was released as a bonus feature on the DVD 4-Disc Special Edition ofSuperman: The Movie,then again as a bonus feature on aBlu-ray(presented in standard definition) box set in 2011.
References
edit- ^Schelly, William (2013).American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1950s.TwoMorrows Publishing. pp. 51–52.ISBN9781605490540.
- ^Ames, Walter. Los Angeles Times. July 6, 1951.
- ^Grossman, Gary (1976).Superman: Serial to Cereal.Popular Library. pp. 59–61.
- ^"The Southern Illinoisan".Newspapers.com.
Sources
edit- Warren, Bill.Keep Watching the Skies: American Science Fiction Films of the Fifties,21st Century Edition. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2009 (First Edition 1982).ISBN0-89950-032-3.