Superman was on I Love Lucy? Who didn’t love watching reruns of the old Adventures of Superman TV series starring George Reeves, especially that first season with Phyllis Coates as Lois Lane? Sure, the special effects were horrible, and most of the villains that Superman battled were just everyday common thugs and gangsters. Still, it was Superman, and yes, while he was a strange visitor from another planet, he was also a symbol for truth, justice, and the American way. And Mr. Reeves portrayed the Man of Steel as both mighty and nearly indestructible, yet friendly and approachable.
I Love Lucy, on the other hand, I didn’t watch quite as much. Not sure why. Clearly, Lucille Ball was a talented actress and comedian, and I enjoyed most of the episodes I watched. It just didn’t find its way into my standard rotation of shows. After all, there were only so many hours of TV one could cram into a day, and quite frankly, I wasn’t giving up The Andy Griffith Show, Batman, Star Trek, or Gilligan’s Island for I Love Lucy.
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But, enough reminiscing and beating around the bush, let’s talk about Superman and George Reeves and how he ended up on an episode of I Love Lucy.
The episode establishes that Little Ricky, a huge Superman fan, has a birthday clashing with another classmate. Not wanting to reschedule, Lucy realizes she needs a better surprise guest than just clowns and magicians. She calls the rival mother and tells her that Superman will be at Ricky’s party, forcing the other mom to back down. It puts Lucy in a rather negative light, but it’s played for laughs.
Naturally, Lucy’s plan to get the real Superman falls through. With typical I Love Lucy hilarity, she dons something kind of resembling the Man of Steel’s costume, planning to climb through the apartment window. It backfires, leading to funny hijinks on the ledge with a flock of completely unbothered pigeons.
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When it rains, it pours, literally, leaving Lucy trapped outside in a downpour. Thankfully, Superman (who weirdly has a secretary and is friends with Ricky Ricardo in this reality) actually shows up and rescues her.
The episode concludes with Ricky ranting about being married to Lucy for 15 years, prompting Reeves to quip, “And they call me Superman.” It’s memorable, but feeds right into that long-suffering husband subtext that Desi Arnez’ character was known for.
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TV Guide included the Season 6 episode “Lucy and Superman,” which originally aired in 1957, in their ”50 Funniest Moments” retrospective; and, even more recently, Parade magazine included it in their list of “7 Lucy Scenes That Still Make Us Laugh”.
Speaking to Woman’s World magazine, film historian Chuck Harter said this about the episode: “It was a complete success and showcased the comedic timing of Reeves while working with one of the great comic actresses of all time. This was Reeves’ only TV guest appearance in the role of Superman, and the show is not only popular with fans of the Superman series but remains one of the best-loved episodes of I Love Lucy as well.”