I have memories of this episode from way back. It involves a little blind girl whose family has split due to the great guilt of her father, who was the driver during an accident which caused the girl's condition. The girl lives with her mother and enters a contest that would involve a trip around the world for the winner. But she uses her mother's name and wins. This is counter to the intent of the contest. When Clark and Lois visit, they find out about all the extenuating circumstances. Also, the little girl is adamant that there was nothing in the contest about who got to go around the world. She also makes it clear that she has not belief in Superman, hat he is a myth. This is heartbreaking on so many levels and the show really plays it nicely. The mother is portrayed as guilt ridden herself and the little girl is quite believable in her role. One of the better episodes. One question, doesn't it get a little cold at around 30,000 feet, not to mention the lack of oxygen. Just saying.
Adventures of Superman (TV Series)
Around the World with Superman (1954)
User Reviews
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A Dream Trip for any young 'un; and it isn't a prize on WHEEL OF FORTUNE! So, Why doesn't the Girl want it? Why doesn't she believe in Superman? Read on, Schultz......
redryan6429 October 2008
Warning: Spoilers
TAKING another opportunity to pass on the "Super" and concentrate on the "Common" story line, the ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN goes to "Around The World With Superman", another in a fine line of human dramas that the show brought us.* Outer Space, Kryptonite, Time Travel and Urban Crime Waves are once again given a back seat to the heartache and wishes of a pre-teen aged girl, Anne Carson (Judy Anne Nugent).
ENTERING a Daily Planet contest for kids, but using her Mother's name; young Anne wins. The 'Chief', Editor Perry White (John Hamilton)sends Clark Kent and Lois Lane (George along with Miss Noel Neil) to pay a visit and bring the good news. Soon they discover the situation of the old switcheroo of names. Interviewing the youthful Anne, they find that she stubbornly insists that there is no such person as Superman. Shortly into their interview, the pair discovers that the girl is blind and has been so ever since an auto accident in which her now estranged Father, Jim Carson (James Brown) blamed himself and left the family in a guilt ridden bought of depression.
MOTHER, Elaine Carson (Kay Morley), returns and displays a bitter, desperate attitude and expresses the desire that the Planet Reporters just leave and forget about the Contest.
FURTHER investigation by Superman reveals Anne to be skeptical about there even being a Superman to be tied into her hurt and ultimate disappointment in her Father's absence. A demonstration of super-strength with the bending of a steel floor lamp's upright is greeted by her "Any really strong man could do that!" The super-hearing test is found to be the ultimate heart line as the words she speaks from another room in a whisper for Superman to hear are: "I wish my Daddy was here!" SOMEWHAT tearily, Superman tells the young Lady; "That's something that you really didn't want anyone else to hear!" NOW what began as a typical publicity stunt for increased circulation turns into a multi-faceted drama involving Superman, the young Girl & Family, with both her sight affliction and a broken heart.
THE production team found this story, as they did so many other great additions to the Series, in the pages of the Superman Comics Feature. The story entitled something like "The Girl Who Didn't Believe In Superman!" (Or something close to that) and it would have been in either the monthly Action Comics or the then bi-monthly Superman Comics Magazines. Like so many other such adaptations there were some differences in the screen versions of the text and illustrations from the print media..
IN the teleplay, the Man of Steel uses his powerful X-Ray vision to locate a minuscule piece of glass from the family's automobile accident that lodged in her eye and causing an incapacitating and disabling pressure on her optic nerve. The information is relayed to one Physician & Surgeon, Dr. Anderson (Raymond Greenleaf), who performs an otherwise impossible procedure in removing the foreign object; thus restoring her sight.
EXAMINATION of the original Comics Magazine story reveals that in that printed page, the readers were treated to seeing Superman reading and memorizing all of the Medical Books needed to be a Doctor and passing the Medical Board Test on the next page; only to perform the operation himself! As for realism in the TV episode, they did at least show Superman scrubbed and sterilized for surgery; but he wore no Super-Scrubs as he directed the Surgeon with his Super Vision.
AND that my Dear Schultz, is the story. The young Girl had her vision restored and the Mommy and Daddy were reunited! It turned out to be another top notch entry into the most excellent TV Series of the 1950's in its Second & Best Season.
NOTE: * When we say a non-super, common story, we are referring to the realistic circumstances, emotional stress and general life difficulties. Any story featuring a Comic Book Hero such as Superman, would certainly be considered to be Super!
UPDATE: Dateline, Chicago, IL. March 14, 2009....This is another teleplay adapted from a Superman Comic Book Story; being "The Girl Who Didn't Believe in Superman", from SUPERMAN COMICS, no.96, dated March, 1955.
POODLE SCHNITZ!!
ENTERING a Daily Planet contest for kids, but using her Mother's name; young Anne wins. The 'Chief', Editor Perry White (John Hamilton)sends Clark Kent and Lois Lane (George along with Miss Noel Neil) to pay a visit and bring the good news. Soon they discover the situation of the old switcheroo of names. Interviewing the youthful Anne, they find that she stubbornly insists that there is no such person as Superman. Shortly into their interview, the pair discovers that the girl is blind and has been so ever since an auto accident in which her now estranged Father, Jim Carson (James Brown) blamed himself and left the family in a guilt ridden bought of depression.
MOTHER, Elaine Carson (Kay Morley), returns and displays a bitter, desperate attitude and expresses the desire that the Planet Reporters just leave and forget about the Contest.
FURTHER investigation by Superman reveals Anne to be skeptical about there even being a Superman to be tied into her hurt and ultimate disappointment in her Father's absence. A demonstration of super-strength with the bending of a steel floor lamp's upright is greeted by her "Any really strong man could do that!" The super-hearing test is found to be the ultimate heart line as the words she speaks from another room in a whisper for Superman to hear are: "I wish my Daddy was here!" SOMEWHAT tearily, Superman tells the young Lady; "That's something that you really didn't want anyone else to hear!" NOW what began as a typical publicity stunt for increased circulation turns into a multi-faceted drama involving Superman, the young Girl & Family, with both her sight affliction and a broken heart.
THE production team found this story, as they did so many other great additions to the Series, in the pages of the Superman Comics Feature. The story entitled something like "The Girl Who Didn't Believe In Superman!" (Or something close to that) and it would have been in either the monthly Action Comics or the then bi-monthly Superman Comics Magazines. Like so many other such adaptations there were some differences in the screen versions of the text and illustrations from the print media..
IN the teleplay, the Man of Steel uses his powerful X-Ray vision to locate a minuscule piece of glass from the family's automobile accident that lodged in her eye and causing an incapacitating and disabling pressure on her optic nerve. The information is relayed to one Physician & Surgeon, Dr. Anderson (Raymond Greenleaf), who performs an otherwise impossible procedure in removing the foreign object; thus restoring her sight.
EXAMINATION of the original Comics Magazine story reveals that in that printed page, the readers were treated to seeing Superman reading and memorizing all of the Medical Books needed to be a Doctor and passing the Medical Board Test on the next page; only to perform the operation himself! As for realism in the TV episode, they did at least show Superman scrubbed and sterilized for surgery; but he wore no Super-Scrubs as he directed the Surgeon with his Super Vision.
AND that my Dear Schultz, is the story. The young Girl had her vision restored and the Mommy and Daddy were reunited! It turned out to be another top notch entry into the most excellent TV Series of the 1950's in its Second & Best Season.
NOTE: * When we say a non-super, common story, we are referring to the realistic circumstances, emotional stress and general life difficulties. Any story featuring a Comic Book Hero such as Superman, would certainly be considered to be Super!
UPDATE: Dateline, Chicago, IL. March 14, 2009....This is another teleplay adapted from a Superman Comic Book Story; being "The Girl Who Didn't Believe in Superman", from SUPERMAN COMICS, no.96, dated March, 1955.
POODLE SCHNITZ!!
Boomer Fodder
kmcgovern-9009223 September 2022
We can only watch these and remember a time when good and evil were easy to determine. When Daily Planet staffers (like Batman's later Gotham City Police Department) could credibly act fooled Superman & Clark Kent were two individuals.
And we could be happy with 19" monochrome NTSC images with simple, in-camera effects and chintzy sets and effects. A bit of nostalgia, maybe wasted. Fortunately, my young kids and their friends get a kick out of these old episodes. And Batman as well..!
Things are better in many ways now, of course; just wish we could all appreciate a simple story of a demigod doing something nice for a young girl.
And we could be happy with 19" monochrome NTSC images with simple, in-camera effects and chintzy sets and effects. A bit of nostalgia, maybe wasted. Fortunately, my young kids and their friends get a kick out of these old episodes. And Batman as well..!
Things are better in many ways now, of course; just wish we could all appreciate a simple story of a demigod doing something nice for a young girl.
I like this Episode.
gene-0720218 August 2019
However, the "Suspension of Disbelief" got a tad difficult. Two hours around the world? That is how long is takes a satellite to do it. They had to be traveling over 15,000 miles per hour. She never would have survived the trip. Unless she was in a pressurized suit with an oxygen supply.
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