Mind Machine -- Lester Dorr Day

It was on August 7, 1951, that this sequence from "The Mind Machine" (episode #8) was filmed high atop Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook, across the way from the Forty Acres backlot. It would be interesting to know how long it took to film and to know all the work involved with setting up these scenes.

[@michaelstout157]

Interesting in the very last shot of him flying with his arm up you can see where his costume was apparently repaired with black stiching!

[@Ratlins9]

Good observation, and I thought his costume was indestructible, lol.

[@im1who84u]

3:05 I noticed that also, and a pretty sloppy job at that. Good thing Superman knows a good seamstress with special thread and needle that can fix that for him. I wonder why bullets were never able to penetrate that suite?

[@michaelwaterman266]

Good enough was ok in those days

[@jamesb.9155]

Wow. First season 1951 and with those old California oil derricks in the background!

[@thomaschacko6320]

One of the most thrilling episodes of all, from the first - and best - year! The acting and overall production were magnificent, all in a low-budget 1951 series! No one more noble and heroic than George Reeves! The climax, with a great fight and the plane rescue, showed Reeves at his best.

[@kevinmadden1645]

Reeves performed more stunts in this episode than in any other.

[@timothykozlowski2945]

Always good to see George Reeves and Phyllis Coats.

[@STho205]

I can't count the times i saw the overlook road over the Culver 40 in Rockford Files, Mannix, Chips, Heart to Heart, Scarecrow and Mrs King, The Crisis...

[@shedjammer87]

Love Lois Lane's Nash Ambassador...(and Lois Lane for that matter)

[@petervance6777]

Just before they merged with Hudson motorcars to form AMC🧖🏻

[@AnthonyStJames]

Exciting footage!

[@YootoobSteve123]

Lester Dorr is the man. Spot on performance

[@johnnytd1128]

If you look at this video at the 310 second mark, you will see that the costume that supposed to be indestructable was torn and sewed up as you see the obvious stitch under his arm.

[@jimnolt-TAC]

The beatings the costume(s) took are especially noticeable in the first season. Most likely that stitching we see at the 3:10 mark resulted from the need to sew the costume around the flying rig. A few seconds later you can see the pole that extends from between George's legs and then up and over his back. The costume had to be adjusted to fit over that.

[@Steve-wm1ol]

The guy playing Clark Kent is a dead ringer for Superman.

[@jamesreeves6783]

Not really. Clark has glasses.

[@pl5624]

While sorta hokey and dangerous those cable lift offs hold a unique realism to his flying vs the run/jump manner.

[@jimnolt-TAC]

Director Lee Sholem favored those wire lift-offs which must have been particularly dangerous along that dirt road.

[@paulcoy9060]

"Can you fix those brakes?" "Why sure I can ..... hey, how did you know the brakes were bad? I only told Miss Lane and that Kent fella." "Oh... um... I uh... used my x-ray vision to see inside the bus." "You used your powerful alien x-ray vision on underage school children? They'll get cancer!" "What? No! I..uh..look over there!" (Whooosshhh!!!)

[@brucevodka]

See the stitch repair on the under arm last few seconds? Who cared when you were 6, who could see it on an antenna TV 60 miles from the broadcast tower...

[@GrantMatthews-oi4eq]

GREAT EPISODE!!!!⚡⚡⚡⚡

[@michaelwaterman266]

In the last sequence when he’s flying away notice the quality of stitching on the suit 😂

[@jimnolt-TAC]

George Reeves got in the harness and then the costume was put on over him and sewn into place. Back in the early 50s on small fuzzy TV screens, that stitching wasn't visible.

[@michaelwaterman266]

@@jimnolt-TAC thanks

[@richardwhite9975]

School bus in oil field..in the background is Tara -Gone with the wind..bus with faulty brakes..leaving dead body on bus..

[@RealBigBadJohn]

Lester Dorr was underrated and should have been a bigger name.

[@steveneisen8057]

Jim every time I see that clip I get goosebumps what a great action sequence that was I think that's the most besides Superman and the Movement lift off harness was used more than twice. Steve in Maryland. With any luck I'll see you at the nostalgia show Baltimore.

[@jimnolt-TAC]

Steve, I'm still planning to be there... on Friday of that week.

[@travels129]

He could really fly

[@RealBigBadJohn]

Unbeatable takeoff scene.

[@douglasrice7524]

Yes, each time there was a 'take-off' in this clip, there was none of the traditional 'run-and-jump' (with mini-trampoline) ...here, it was just 'lean in' and "up and away!"

[@GrantMatthews-oi4eq]

LOVE THOSE TAKE OFF'S

[@kevink2593]

A lot of oil derricks in the distance (notice at about 2:09?) Easy to forget southern California was a big petroleum producing state not so long ago.

[@joenarbaiz1640]

It is interesting that the bus driver and Lois are looking at different directions while looking up at the sky.

[@patfenis7644]

No children in the bus when going downhill but just before the bus stops they appear.

[@warrenhoffman2006]

They were bracing for impact behind the seat backs, as they say on the airlines.

[@vebnew]

COOL

[@Magnetron33]

That road looked like the road from it's a Mad Mad World and a few other films

[@CH1LDOFTHEMOON]

I'm amazed that Miss Lane did not recognise him, just bacause he removed his glasses.

[@JohnnyGNV]

Most of the quick take-off insert shots are performed by George's stunt double(s).

[@jimnolt-TAC]

That's correct. In the entire first season George does only one of those "standing takeoffs." That happens by the side of the house in "The Unknown People" (Superman and the Mole-Men). All others like that are performed by a double.

[@kosmokritikos9299]

It's a good thing that Superman does not need glasses. Otherwise, they'd keep mistaking him for Clark Kent.

[@SallySallySallySally]

That happens to Peter Griffin too.

[@DanWint]

Loved these as a kid, even in black & white, but the Man of Steel, showed what Superman would really be, then Hollyweird had to screw it up.

[@afr1952]

This looks like a job for the company seamstress!!! Check out 3:10 timestamp

[@jimnolt-TAC]

Because the costume needed to be fit over a harness hanging from a bar, it needed to be stitched after he got in to.

[@watermain48]

Noticed the same thing...

[@reggveg]

I saw that also...lol

[@rafaelmadrigal9038]

The bus driver was staring at Superman's crutch way too long at the end. Creepy.

[@jimnolt-TAC]

That was an technique that character actor Lester Dorr used to draw a little bit of attention to himself. He always fidgeted or moved his head or something.

[@rseabrk1]

Lester also was an extra in “Reefer Madness” as Joe whose part was that of a Soda Jerk.

[@danf321]

Good ‘ol days of Los Angeles when oil rigs were everywhere.

[@patbyrne3076]

Oh George.

[@petervance6777]

this show was so brilliantly ahead of its time..sad to think only Phyllis coates is left🫶🏻

[@christiandenault7606]

She passed away last month at 96.

[@dont-want-no-wrench]

there just at the last you can see a stitched up rip on his costume, behind the armpit

[@lingeriedeparis7274]

Ahh yes the simple jump to fly

[@Michael-mr9kn]

Danny Hayes the special effects guy was fired after this episode

[@user-ou5hz2sp3s]

If the mind machine used tremendous amount of power, Superman shouldnt have any trouble tracking it with his Super hearing and finding it with his Xray vision.

[@JohnKoopman-ij1gl]

😂😂, yes

[@alexalex13131]

If Martin Scorsese had been the director he'd have had Phyllis Coates as Lois. If Stephen Spielberg: Noel Neill.

[@patbyrne3076]

Is the guy playing the bus driver the same one who played Clark Kent’s Dad?

[@jimnolt-TAC]

No. Eben Kent was played by Tom Fadden. The bus driver is Lester Dorr.

[@nancymoule6317]

Didn't Superman and Miss Lane get married or was that dream that Miss Lane was having?

[@jimnolt-TAC]

It was much later in the series (#73 of 104) that Lois dreamed that Superman asked her to marry him. She woke up just as the wedding ceremony was getting underway.

[@LarryKelly]

Wondered why bus stopped running.

[@rumrstv]

Maybe more like telekinesis...

[@dont-want-no-wrench]

man, the smog in LA in the 50's was horrible. pre all emmissions control. that's as bad on a random day as i ever saw it at the worst in the 80's

[@justintrowbridge4284]

I was two years old when they made this

[@garykerkstra1067]

Where were the school children in the scenes where the bus was being driven down the hill?

[@warrenhoffman2006]

Probably bracing for impact by staying as low as possible behind the seat backs.

[@diamondking3421]

First seasons episodes were very film noirish.

[@Supernumerary]

Baby Boomers grew up watching this. Draw your own conclusions.

[@tedrobinson372]

Someone destroyed his mind... his ability to think. Must have been Donald J. Trump.

[@richardwhite9975]

Shutup

[@tedrobinson372]

@@richardwhite9975 awww..... shadap yerself!

[@anthonyJohnson-ll7qx]

YOU ARE CORRECT SIR!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@alexturner8104]

I'm sure that Biden might like your feeble attempts at humor. I hope his nurse reads it to him.

[@kevinmadden1645]

Biden is enrolling in third grade.. He claims the third time is the charm.

[@jwhitman2447]

and nobody thought the wiser? dum dee dum dum.