Gangster Luigi Dinelli is on the phone with Clark Kent about a movie being made about him based on Kent's reporting, called "Czar of the Underworld." Dinelli is so unhappy about it that the phone call is actually a setup to get Clark killed, as two thugs with a rifle are aiming at him through the window. That attempt fails, but further attacks dog the film production, leading to the death of the star and further attempts on Clark, who has flown to Los Angeles to watch the shoot. Superman has to figure out how the attacks are being carried out and how to put Dinelli away for good.
This episode contains examples of:
- Convenient Misfire: In the opening scene, the sniper waits until he finally gets a clear shot ... and then the gun jams.
- Mr. Exposition: There's no real in-universe reason for the sniper in the opening scene to have a companion, but they do provide some helpful exposition for the audience.
- Not My Driver: Dinelli's mooks hijack the car sent to pick up Clark and the police chief, and one of them disguises himself as the driver.
- Not-So-Fake Prop Weapon: How the lead actor of the film gets killed: someone replaces blanks with real bullets.
- Offscreen Teleportation: Usually justified in Superman's case, but we could use an explanation of how he managed to get out of the locked garage that Clark and the inspector were trapped in, especially since it's shown later that the door is still locked.
- Show Within a Show: The film after which the episode is named.
- Villain Ball: If Dinelli is so upset about being seen as a criminal, how exactly are the violent attacks on the set supposed to help?
