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Superman - The Case of the Double Trouble

·29 min·2 clips

Mrs. Van Dyke accuses Clark Kent of stealing her paintings after recognizing his voice.

This episode features a classic radio drama where Superman's alter ego, Clark Kent, is falsely accused of a major art theft. The story follows Clark and his colleague Lois Lane as they become entangled in a bizarre criminal case. Hosted by the iconic narrator of "The Adventures of Superman," the episode presents a self-contained mystery. Clark Kent and cub reporter Jimmy Olsen are at police headquarters regarding the robbery of paintings worth $50,000 from Mrs. Van Dyke. Mrs. Van Dyke identifies Clark as the thief solely by recognizing his voice, despite his alibi of being in Bayville at Chief Perry White's request. Jimmy Olsen then reveals Clark phoned him about a boxing match at the same time, contradicting Clark's alibi. Perry White denies ever calling Clark to Bayville or ordering coffee from the office boy, Willie, who also claims to have served White late that night. Lois Lane is arrested for stealing $30,000 worth of furs after a butler identifies her voice; she claims Clark phoned her with instructions to meet him. Inspector Henderson threatens to arrest Clark and Lois unless their conflicting stories are resolved. The plot thickens when Jimmy calls Clark and Lois to a meeting, but they find only police and fire crews responding to false alarms. Superman rescues Jimmy from being accused of stealing diamonds from the Carver mansion, another crime involving voice identification. Clark deduces that the criminal is using voice mimicry to frame people and create diversions. The group discovers Willie, the coffee shop attendant, in Perry White's office impersonating both Henderson and White on the phone. Willie is revealed to be a skilled voice impersonator who overheard the reporters' assignments in the coffee shop. Clark explains Willie imitated Perry White to send him to Bayville, mimicked Clark to call Jimmy, and used Clark's voice to summon Lois to the robbery scene. Willie disguised himself as a veiled woman to commit the fur theft using Lois's voice. He later impersonated Jimmy to send Clark and Lois on a wild goose chase and mimicked official voices to dispatch police and fire crews as a diversion for the diamond robbery. The episode concludes with Willie's arrest, cautioning against giving him a cell with a phone. The tone is a fast-paced, serial-style mystery with dramatic dialogue and suspenseful cliffhangers. The style is a classic radio play, complete with sound effects, dramatic narration, and commercial breaks for a greeting card kit. Fans of old-time radio, classic Superman stories, and straightforward whodunit mysteries will enjoy this episode. Listeners preferring modern podcasts with complex analysis or contemporary themes might find the vintage style and simple plot less engaging.

As heard by us

A brisk Superman radio mystery built on mistaken calls, competing alibis, and old-school banter.

This Superman story gives Metropolis a string of robberies and builds the case around a clean identity puzzle, with Clark, Lois, Jimmy, and Inspector Henderson repeatedly crossing wires over calls and alibis.

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Why you'd press play

Press play if you want Superman caught in a brisk radio caper where stolen paintings, stolen furs, and a voice clue put Clark Kent on the spot.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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