All That Glitters (Adventures of Superman)

"All That Glitters" was the 104th and final episode of the hit 1950s action adventure juveniles series Adventures of Superman, based on the popular DC Comics flagship hero Superman. Directed by series star George Reeves, it aired on ABC Network on April 28, 1958.

The title derives from the old saying, "All that glitters is not gold", which in a more generic way means that things are not always what they seem.

Plot Outline

Eccentric Professor Pepperwinkle (Phil Tead) discovers a method of making gold from other metals. He is then blackmailed by criminals to make them rich. They become upset when they learn that along with scrap-iron and other miscellaneous objects, a bar of platinum is required, thus rendering the process highly unprofitable.

The episode features a dream sequence, in which both Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane mysteriously acquire superpowers of their own, very similar to that of Superman's. The dream sequence starts when Jimmy is knocked on the head by a falling sandbag that the Professor had set up as a booby-trap for intruders. It is not clear to the audience that it is all a dream until the same thing happens to Jimmy again, after which the dream ends.

During the last scene of the episode, Jimmy and Lois recount their dreams to Perry White and Clark Kent. Jimmy asks cheerily if he should include the dream in the newspaper story. White replies, "Definitely. NOT!"

The last moment of the show would prove to be darkly ironic. When Jimmy tells Clark, "Golly, Mr. Kent, you'll never know what it's like to be like Superman," Clark responds, "No, Jimmy, I guess I never will."

The episode at the time was presumed to be the final one of the series. By 1959, the producers had begun to consider a revival of the popular show. These efforts were truncated by the death of George Reeves on June 16, 1959.

ources

*"Superman: Serial to Cereal", by Gary H. Grossman, 1976
*"Adventures of Superman", DVD, 2006