THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERBOY

John Rockwell as Superboy

THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERBOY (1961 TV pilot). Director: George Blair. 

In Smallville, Clark Kent goes to school with friends Lana Lang (Bunny Henning) and Jimmy Drake (Jimmy Bates). Jimmy is embarrassed to tell the class that his father, Mr. Drake (Ross Elliott), is only the doorman at the local bijou. No one is aware that the mild-mannered Clark, who keeps disappearing, is secretly the dynamic Superboy. For a movie premiere in Smallville (one of the cast members comes from there), some real diamonds worth $200,000 are exhibited in front of the theater, and stolen. Superboy asks for Mr. Drake's help in capturing the criminals and getting the jewels back, and his son develops an even greater appreciation of his dad. 

John Rockwell and Ross Elliott

Produced, I believe, by the same people who did George Reeves' The Adventures of Superman, this series -- had it gone beyond the pilot episode -- is similarly earthbound, with few of the elements that made the Superboy comic book run for so many years. Instead we have a human interest story with some mild special effects and a heart-warming quality that is typical of fifties television. John Rockwell is handsome and reasonably impressive as Superboy, and seems uncomfortable playing his alter ego. Bunny Henning doesn't really have much of a chance to get across the somewhat obnoxious qualities of Lana Lang. Bates is fine as young Jimmy and Ross Elliott, forgoing his hairpiece, also makes an impression as his likable and admirable father. George Blair also directed Exposed. Decades later, when FX capabilities had greatly improved, Superboy finally became a series. 

Verdict: Probably would have made a pleasant if unmemorable series. **1/2.