One thing many people tend to forget about Superman, is that he’s not all about super powers and fighting bad guys. A lot of times he also uses his super powers for things like keeping the peace, and protecting the small guy. “Superman and the Mole Men” is a very good serial that works as an allegory for racism. Superman finds himself in the middle of a war between misunderstood mole people, and a lynch mob that is hell bent on hanging them, if for no other reason that their appearance frightens them.
Clark Kent (George Reeves) and Lois Lane (Phyllis Coates) arrive in the small town of Silsby to witness the drilling of the world’s deepest oil well. The drill, however, has penetrated the underground home of a race of small, bald humanoids who, out of curiosity, climb to the surface at night. They glow in the dark, which scares the local townfolk, who form a mob intent on killing the strange visitors. Only Superman can intervene to prevent a tragedy.
The movie (or serial) brings Superman to forefront more as a peacekeeper. He knows deep down that the humanoids are misunderstood and are not intent on bothering anyone. But that doesn’t quite register with the town folks that approach them with intense prejudice and the unwillingness to understand them. For once Superman doesn’t spend his time clobbering monsters, but wedges himself right in the middle of the conflict trying to make everyone understand that these humanoids aren’t a threat to anyone. This results in some surefire unnecessary violence, sadly.
And at one point Lois is almost shot by a protestor. Superman does every now and then throw some members of the lynch mob around, especially when they refuse to hand over their guns to him. Superman has faith that he can talk them down, even when it becomes clear that they fully intend to solve their problem with violence, and only violence. “Superman and the Mole Men” really helps Reeves and Phyllis Coates shine in their respective roles, as they do a bang up job as random bystanders that inadvertently help this group of seemingly harmless creatures. It’s a great look at a Superman story with a very important message about prejudice, and ignorance, and it’s something we don’t get to see too often with modern Superman interpretations.