All-Star Comics #44

(December 1948 - January 1949)

Evil Star Over Hollywood [Chapter 1] (Table of Contents)

Justice Society of America / comic story / 10 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

John Broome

Pencils:

Irwin Hasen (also splash)

Inks:

Bob Oksner (also splash)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

Justice Society of America [Hawkman [Carter Hall]; Green Lantern [Alan Scott]; Wonder Woman; Flash [Jay Garrick]; Atom [Al Pratt]; Dr. Mid-Nite; Black Canary]; Evil Star; Fred Fanum (film producer)

Synopsis:

On the set of Stellar Studios in Hollywood, a new crime expose film, "Thief in the Night," is in production when one of the cast disappears during a scene. Soon after, the Fred Fanum gets a warning note from a criminal named "Evil Star" to stop production at once or face more such acts. Fanum calls for a board meeting to discuss why a criminal would want the film stopped, the announces he has called in the Justice Society to investigate. When the JSA appears, Fanum tells them on how he had a mysterious writer start providing parts of the script at a time so that production could begin....but not even he had yet seen the final part of the script. Dr. Mid-Nite deduces that the script may be factual, exposing the activities of a real criminal, probably Evil Star, who would stop at nothing to halt production on the film. Assisgnments are given out and the members leave Fanum's office. Black Canary and the Atom walk around the set with Fanum, who explains valuable props are being taken, and the JSA duo figure that a master criminal must be behind this, but that the JSA will find him. Meanwhile, Evil Star is meeting with his masked gang, explaining that, with the JSA in California and on the case, that they must re-double their efforts to succeed in halting production of the film and find out who the mysterious author of the script is.

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Justice League of America (DC, 1960 series) #115 (January-February 1975)
• in All Star Comics Archives (DC, 1991 series) #10

Evil Star Over Hollywood [Chapter 2] (Table of Contents)

Justice Society of America / comic story / 13 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

John Broome

Pencils:

Irwin Hasen

Inks:

Bernard Sachs

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

Justice Society of America [Dr. Mid-Nite; Flash [Jay Garrick]; Hawkman [Carter Hall]; Wonder Woman; Atom [Al Pratt]; Black Canary]; Evil Star

Synopsis:

At Lake Arrowhead, California, the final day's shooting is at hand, with Charles McNider and Jay Garrick serving as extra's in the scene. As Benton prepares to start filming the scene, Evil Star suddenly appears with a gun and forces the actors to march down a steep hill, when Flash & Dr. Mid-Nite pound Evil Star's men and then follow the villain into an office, where he overcomes the duo with a smoke barrage. In the meantime, in Venice, California, at an amusement park, director Summers is telling Hawkman & Wonder Woman that he is preparing to film a comic relief scene. They laugh at the antics of the Keystone Cops....that is until they find a prop gun dropped by one of them that is loaded with real bullets. At the same moment, inside a gambling ship on the set, the same Keystone Cops plant an explosive in the roulette wheel, set a ball in motion and attempt to run off. Hawkman swoops in to grab the ball, then joins the Amazon Princess in rounding up the phony cops before Evil Star appears and overcomes the pair with a spray gun filled with methanol. Back at Stellar Studios, Atom & Black Canary are on the set as Fanum instructs Guy Pompton, his prop steward, what props will be needed for the next scene. After he leaves, Fanum remembers needing one more item and chases after Pompton, who has mysteriously disappeared. Suddenly, they hear a groan from the studio's silver-processing room and discover the chemist knocked to the floor and Evil Star sneaking away with silver ingots. They follow the villain right into a trap, where Evil Star's men knock out the duo.

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Justice League of America (DC, 1960 series) #115 (January-February 1975)
• in All Star Comics Archives (DC, 1991 series) #10

Indexer Notes

Pencils credit from Craig Delich; previously credited to Arthur F. Peddy.

Evil Star Over Hollywood [Chapter 3] (Table of Contents)

Justice Society of America / comic story / 10 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

John Broome

Pencils:

Irwin Hasen

Inks:

Bob Oksner

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

Justice Society of America [Green Lantern [Alan Scott]; Flash [Jay Garrick]; Wonder Woman; Dr. Mid-Nite; Atom [Al Pratt]; Black Canary; Hawkman [Carter Hall]]; Evil Star

Synopsis:

Unaware that his comrades have been captured, Green Lantern to Faberville, California --- the city where the scripts of "Thief in the Night" had been mailed from. He talks with the postmaster, who tells him the envelopes just show up for him to mail, then he tells G.L. that Hollywood had built a studio never, but never used it, and it sits decaying. The Emerald Crusader suddenly realizes that the sound studio might house the mysterious writer who did the scripts, and he discovered him at work. When the man nervously denies the script speaks of a real crime czar, G.L. suspects that Evil Star is around....and he is, and, after a brief struggle, the Lantern is knocked out. When he recovers, he and the other JSA members find themselves securely bound on the front row of a private theatre.....facing them is a knife-throwing machine, whose weapons are aimed at the JSAer's chests. G.L. muses that if all members move one way together, the knives thrown will miss them entirely, which proves true. Then the members free themselves and head back to Stellar Studios, where Fanum has just discovered the Evil Star has stolen a valuable movie print and wants $5 million in cash for it. The Justice Society then accuse Guy Pompton that he is Evil Star.....he quickly puts on his disguise and signals his men to enter and dispose of the JSA. With the gang catured, Evil Star jumps out the window to escape, but is caught by a net formed by the Lantern's power ring. Farnum promises the members a reward --- which is their footprints in cement in front of a well-known Hollywood Theatre.

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Justice League of America (DC, 1960 series) #115 (January-February 1975)
• in All Star Comics Archives (DC, 1991 series) #10

Indexer Notes

Inks credit from Craig Delich; previously credited to Bernard Sachs.

The Puzzle of the Pacific (Table of Contents)

text story / 2 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Ted Udall [as Charles King] (signed)

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Colors:

?

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Genre:

adventure

Indexer Notes

Writer identified by Craig Delich (March, 2006). This text story was NOT reprinted in the Archives.

When the Moon Fell (Table of Contents)

Johnny Peril Surprise Story / comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Howard Purcell ?

Pencils:

Howard Purcell

Inks:

Howard Purcell

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

fantasy

Characters:

Johnny Peril

Indexer Notes

This story was NOT reprinted in the Archives.