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016 TV’s 1951 Adventures of Superman Episode #16

“Double Trouble” January 2, 1953

A shady character who sported a health officer armband was fiddling with stateroom doors when an occupant yanked it open. The ersatz health officer was pulled into the room. “Looking for someone?” The intruder named Fischer said the doc had sent him there to bring the package in. Von Kleban had almost eluded Fischer by posing as Madame

Charpentier. “How’re you taking the stuff through customs?” Not interested in meeting the doc or being whisked off in a rented ambulance, Von Kleban slugged Fischer, apparently hard enough to kill him, and shoved him under the bed. Meanwhile, Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen had just arrived at customs in a yellow cab to interview a famous movie star. Also awaiting on the pier was the ambulance with two nervous attendants who feared federal agents at every angle. Jimmy, who seemed to take a fancy to a very ugly woman, was summoned to the side by Madame Charpentier. After “she” showed him her twisted ankle, Jimmy agreed to take a box of serum to the ambulance for the doctor.

“It is a matter of life and death…” Jimmy showed the attendants the box and said he was only to give it to the doctor. For his efforts, he was grabbed at pistol point and shoved into the ambulance, which sped off. “Just a little ride, Sunny Boy.” All this was not missed by Lois. “Jimmy!” When Jimmy was taken to the boss, he tried to explain how he had come into possession of the box, which contained valuable serum. “Look, my name’s Olsen. Jim Olsen. I’m a reporter for the Planet.”

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This would have gone better for Jimmy, but, after the boss put on protective gloves, he discovered the box to be empty. “Nobody told us to be on the lookout for a female impersonator,” complained one of the heavies. Then, Doc got a call and found out Fischer was dead.

“I wish I knew what this is all about,” complained Olsen. “You know too much already, Young Man.” Jimmy was locked in a hidden room. The boss attempted to call Doctor Hans Schumann in Frankfort, Germany United States Base Hospital 991, but there was a three-hour delay in transatlantic calls. Meanwhile, Inspector Henderson joked to Clark

that perhaps Jimmy was an ambulance chaser, but admitted he had no idea who had used the ambulance and speculated the stateroom murder was connected to Jim’s disappearance. “I guess I’d better let you in on the whole story. It doesn’t look so good.” It was a phony ambulance rented under an assumed name. “They weren’t expecting a woman.” “ And the woman was no lady.” Henderson did have one revelation, however. “The fingerprints in the stateroom and on the gun were male prints.” (The readers may put their disgusting little minds to work figuring out how to tell the difference.) Anyhow, Superman was shortly rushing a copy of Madame Charpentier’s prints off to Clark’s friend Colonel Redding, who was a crack G-2 agent, in Germany and as soon as Clark handed him the prints he immediately pulled duplicates from his files. Bingo!

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“Looks like we’re in luck.” The prints belonged to Otto von Kleban an ex-Nazi who was now a hospital orderly. At the hospital, Clark gawked at Dr. Schumann who was called in to tell more about Von Kleban. Schumann said von Kleban had been discharged two weeks before and that this business had nothing to do with the hospital. Clark was not convinced. Schumann was a dead ringer for Fischer. (In fact, they turned out to be twins. Thus, the title…) The only thing small and valuable in the hospital was a million-dollar piece of radium the size of a peanut. When the colonel, a major, and Clark went into the vault to investigate, the piece was missing and Dr. Schumann slammed the door, leaving them to suffocate in a pitch-dark tomb. Clark had the solution, however. “If neither one of you moves or makes a sound, I’ll get us out of here. Is it a deal?” There was a sound of creaking metal. Then, the door was easily pushed open. Inspector Henderson had some question for Clark when he returned to Metropolis. Clark had gotten to Germany and back, published a story, and assisted in an arrest.

“How’d you do it, Kent?” “Trade secret.” Police soon surrounded the gang’s headquarters. The fleeing crooks were met by Superman. “Now, what have you done with Jim Olsen.” Jimmy was freed unharmed. Superman told him it was too bad he

missed the interview with the beautiful movie star, but Jimmy told the man of steel that right now he was prettier than all of the movie stars in the world. (Adapted from the radio play “The Million Dollar Mystery.” November 12, 1949.) (Selmer Jackson (1888- 1971) appeared in TAOS episodes #16 “Double Trouble,” #30 “Jet Ace,” and #75 “Blackmail.”)

C Minus Comics & Stories™ All rights reserved 03/27/2016 This episode featured one of the few appearances of an African American actor, uncredited, of course and playing a menial role as a porter.

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Director: Thomas Carr Writer: Eugene Solow Albert Schumann: Howland Chamberlain Colonel Jack Redding: Selmer Jackson Dr. Rudolf Albrecht: Rudolph Anders Major Lee: Tom Keene Otto Von Kleban: Steve Carr Jake: Jimmy Dodd Kreuger: John Baer