Adventures of Superman (1952–1958): Season 2, Episode 19 - Perry White's Scoop - full transcript

[♪♪♪]

NARRATOR: Faster
than a speeding bullet.

More powerful than a locomotive.

Able to leap tall buildings
at a single bound.

MAN 1: Look! Up in the
sky! MAN 2: It's a bird!

WOMAN: It's a plane!
MAN 3: It's Superman!

NARRATOR: Yes, it's Superman,

strange visitor
from another planet

who came to Earth
with powers and abilities

far beyond those of mortal men.

Superman, who can change
the course of mighty rivers,



bend steel in his bare hands,

and who, disguised
as Clark Kent,

mild-mannered reporter for a
great metropolitan newspaper,

fights a never-ending battle

for truth, justice and
the American way.

[♪♪♪]

[GUNSHOTS]

[PHONE RINGS]

White speaking.

Yes?

No, no, Mr. Jones.

Handle that assignment
the way I told you to handle it!

You reporters all make
the same mistakes.

You refuse to take orders.



No imagination.

You don't think when you
have a problem to work out

or a tough spot to get out of.

Yes, chief.

All this depending
on Superman for help.

When I was a reporter, I...
And you were a good one.

Well, let me tell you this: I
always saw a story through.

JIMMY: Mr. White!

What do you mean
barging in here like this?

Downstairs. In front
of the Daily Planet...

Did you hear what I just said?

A man was shot right now
in front of the Planet building.

Who was shot?

A man in a diver's suit.

A man in a diver's suit.
The boy's losing his mind.

Well, Dr. Johnson's working
on him right now in first aid.

First aid? Come on!

Olsen, get down
to the press room.

Tell 'em to hold page one.

Can he be cut
out of that outfit?

I'm afraid it's no use, chief.

[MAN GROANS]

Qui... Quin... cy.

Quincy. We've got it.

Go on, man. Go on.

Quin...

Gosh, Mr. White.

Why don't you let
me handle the story.

A diver mysteriously murdered
in the center of the city.

And no water for miles around.

That's the sort of
assignment I always wanted.

First aid room.

I suppose this'll be
another break for Mr. Kent.

Johnson? This is White.

Have you searched
the diver's effects?

What about the diving suit?

Any label?

Gimme that pencil.

Yeah. Give it to me.

Inshore Diving
Equipment Company.

Thanks.

Please, chief.

I mean, Mr. White.
This is a real mystery.

That's why I wanna...

That's why I'm gonna
handle this story myself.

I'll get a scoop without
the aid of Superman.

And it'll give me a chance
to teach some of my reporters

how to go after a story.

Starting with you.

I guess you don't type
as fast as you used to.

Huh, chief?

Maybe not as fast,
but just as good.

And don't call me chief!

Here's the early edition,
chief. Hot off the press.

Ah!

It's got your story in it.

Mm-hm.

But, uh, Mr. White,
sir, I don't get it.

You don't get what?

It's written in clear,
concise, newspaper style.

Any idiot could understand it.

This part, right here.

"The man in the diving
suit, before his death,

"made startling and
important disclosures

to Perry White, editor
of the Daily Planet."

Well?

Well, did he?

He said "Quincy."

That's a startling and
important disclosure?

In itself, no.

But the killer or killers don't
know what the poor devil said.

All they know is what
they read in the paper,

and I write the paper.

Then it's a deliberate fake!

Certainly.

The killers are probably
worried sick right now

about how much I know.

That's what will make
them come to us.

And right now, we're gonna put

a little more
cheese in that trap.

You and I are going down

to the Inshore Diving
Equipment Company

and rent us a diving suit.

Diving suit?

But they're liable to come to us

the same way they
came to that diver.

With bullets.

You're right, son.

You're learning fast.

[♪♪♪]

I tell ya, this Perry
White rented a diving suit

from the same company.
I trailed him there.

That diver must have talked.

Now, listen to me.

I was right in
getting rid of that guy.

You agreed to that.

Now, why do you say no

to getting rid of this
newspaperman? Why?

Max. Max, there is a difference
between an unknown diver

and the editor of
the Daily Planet.

I tell you, we cannot risk it.

Do you want us to sit back

and do nothing when we might
be facing the electric chair?

Please believe
me. My way is best.

John DeVries was killed
while resisting arrest

because he delayed long enough
to hide the information for me.

The diver was next.

I am superstitious, Max.

Three is bad luck.

Believe me, Maria,
if we stall anymore,

Bingham and Lynch are gonna
get to the hiding place first.

DeVries loved you, Maria...

Never mention John
and myself together.

I've told you this.

As far as Lynch and
Bingham are concerned,

well, at least we know
where the secret is.

We are still one
jump ahead of them.

Oh, Max, my Max.
You do love violence so.

But believe me,

patience is still the
best weapon of them all.

And then they took the
diver's suit back to the paper.

Hmm, so Max Kruger followed
the editor who wrote this story?

You were wise to
watch Max, Bingham.

[CHUCKLES]

Poor Max.

Always too quick on the trigger.

We have our first lead, Bingham.

I think Max and Maria
have finally made a mistake.

Oh, but they're not
gonna tell us anything.

What are we gonna do?

They won't, but... maybe
this Perry White will.

I don't think you
oughta do this, chief.

Remember what
happened to that other diver.

Oh, don't be ridiculous, Olsen.

If you want a story,

you've got to go out and get it.

Olsen! Now, where's that helmet?

Coming right up, chief.

Oh, it seems to be
a little bent, though.

I can never get
that over my head.

Oh, I don't know.

Olsen, take it down to the
shop and have 'em straighten it.

You'll have to take
the whole blasted thing

to get it fitted.

Better let me do it, chief.

I'll have it fixed in a jiffy.

Let me help you off with that.

[GUNSHOTS]

Now, the police are convinced
the gunman does not know

who hired him.

He got his instructions
over the phone.

So I suppose we're
up a blind alley.

By the way, how did
Superman get that diving suit?

I gave it to you

just five minutes
before the shooting.

Oh, well, chief, you know
how Superman gets around.

As a matter of fact,

he took the matter
right out of my hands.

Now, let's think.

Think of what the
diver said: Quincy.

What's diving got
to do with Quincy?

Well, what does Quincy
mean to any of you?

Just a phone exchange.

Quincy 1-2-3-4
and so forth. Right?

Exactly right.

And because you
came up with it, Lois,

the assignment is
yours. What assignment?

Ah, here's where years
of experience pay off.

Now, we know that
Quincy is a phone district.

Right?

We call the phone company

and find out the
area of that district.

Then you, bearing
in mind the fact

that diving was
connected with Quincy,

make a list of
every possible place

where a diver could
be used in that area.

Understood?

Right.

Kent, you and Olsen stand by.

Yes.

In your office.

So...

again you had to use violence.

To use your gunman.

But we couldn't let that
editor get any closer.

Ah, but he is still
alive, is he not?

Now, we not only
have him to worry about,

but Superman as well.

Yeah. Yeah, I know.

I've made eight
million phone calls.

I studied twenty
million city maps.

The nearest reservoir is 10
miles away. No lakes in the park.

The piping in the sewer system
is too narrow to permit a diver.

No records of any
old cisterns or wells

of any appreciable size.

In other words,
a big, fat blank.

Blanks, blanks. I
can't print blanks!

Now, take it easy, chief.

She's had quite a workout today.

A workout?

That's one you've overlooked.

A workout.

A gym.

A pool, water. A swimming pool.

Yes. And Quincy
fits in too, chief.

There's a Quincy Athletic
Club that's got everything.

It's got a gym,
pool and so forth.

Fine. And this time,
you'll have a chance to see

a real reporter in action, Kent.

We're gonna take
a reducing course.

[CHUCKLES]

Well, here we are.

[GRUNTS]

Hey, you can use a workout.
Been sittin' around too much.

Gotta get out and
get some exercise.

You fellas loosen up a bit,
and I'll be back in a minute.

Yes, sir. Is it all
right to use this bag?

Sure, go right ahead.

Thank you.

Oh, I'm terribly sorry. I...

Well, you sure put
that out of commission.

Well, uh, it's an old
bag. Maybe, uh...

Maybe the canvas is rotten.

Yeah.

Ah, swimming. Now,
there's a sport I like.

Well, that door is locked.

The pool's empty.
We're getting it cleaned.

Oh, I see.

[DOOR SHUTS]

We've got to get in there.

I know. Watch the door.

Lynch?

I'm downstairs in the gymnasium.

Get down here right away.

Chief?

Well? He was right.

The pool's empty, and
I couldn't find a thing.

I brought you a
visitor, gentlemen.

Well, you're most
accommodating, Mr. White.

Though we'd have preferred
it had you come alone.

I think you owe us an
explanation, Mr., uh...

Oh, my name isn't
important, Mr. White.

Just let's say
somebody got desperate,

and a man was killed.

Like a diver, perhaps?

Your reporter is
smart, Mr. White.

His deduction is correct.

They killed him to
protect certain information.

We, uh, intend to obtain
the same information.

And if we have
to kill to get it...

That won't be
necessary, Bingham.

Mr. White's a
cooperative man, I'm sure.

He'll tell us and right now...
what the diver spilled to him.

I have nothing to,
as you say, spill.

Well, Bingham,

help the gentlemen
into the cabinets.

All right, fatso. Come on.

You too, Mr. Kent.

Gentlemen,

we haven't much time.

And we want the answer.

I don't know.

I can't tell you
what I don't know.

Let me have him
for a few minutes,

and he'll chatter like a magpie.

You heard him, and
you can believe him.

The diver told him nothing.

Maybe he's right.

Maybe the diver
didn't get a chance to...

Bingham, the diver must have
stumbled across something.

And Max and Maria
must know what it is,

or they wouldn't
risk killing him.

We're wasting time here.

We can find where the
stuff's hidden from Max.

Well, what about these two?

Oh, yes.

They're... dangerous
things, these cabinets.

Sometimes the attendant
forgets and... goes away.

Turn them up full.

You'll be well-done, fatso,
by the time you get out of here.

[♪♪♪]

There we go.

Here you are, chief.

Thanks, Kent. I
must have fainted.

I'm all right now.

How did you...?

Well, that old steam
cabinet couldn't take it

any more than you could.

Here, I'll give you
another glass of water.

I've got it. You've got it?

I've got it. What?

The water cooler.

The diver.

What? The diver?

In the water cooler?

Chief, that steam must have
poached you more than I thought.

Now, you listen to me, Kent.

The water supply on top,

like the water supply
in this water cooler,

runs down into the cup.

To fill this pool in there,

there could be a water
tank on top of this building.

Of course, a water tank.
Why didn't I think of that?

Let's get dressed and
go up and take a look at it.

See, I told you I was a
better reporter than you are.

Let's call Olsen.

Jimmy, go up there and see
if you can spot anything inside.

Yes, sir.

It's, uh, full, Mr. White.

What we're looking for
is probably on the bottom.

Well, don't stand up
there doing nothing.

Go downstairs and
turn on the pool release.

That'll give it a
chance to drain.

Then Olsen can go up
again and take another look.

Downstairs, I said.

[DOORBELL BUZZES]

Max. Max, answer that.

See who it is.

Well, you have guests, Maria.

And welcome ones, I hope.

Welcome as the plague.

Oh, come, come, Maria.
At least be sociable.

DeVries didn't like me, either,

but we always had a very
pleasant business association.

Hmm. That's why he left
the last shipment for me.

Yes, but I don't think
you'll find it. Ever.

Get out of here.

You are wasting your time.

Get out.

Well, uh, first a
few facts, Maria.

John DeVries
gave me a sort of...

Well, a sort of verbal
option on the stuff.

When he was foolish
enough to run foul of the police

and to resist
arrest, he was killed.

Which is regrettable, but, uh...

Well, these things do happen.

What doesn't happen,
however, is my finding myself

cut out by you.

For the last time, where is it?

I'll never tell you that.
You know that, Lynch.

I, uh... I believe you, Maria.

But I wouldn't count on Max.

[GRUNTING]

Lynch. Lynch, we
have no time to waste.

If I talk, if I'm willing
to split with you,

will, uh... Will
that satisfy you?

But of course, Maria.
You can trust me.

You know, honor among thieves.

Ugh, Lynch. We
have no time to joke.

Look. Look over there.

They got out of the cabinets.

Let's have it.

What has that
tank to do with it?

It's inside the tank, Lynch.

Just before the police closed
in on John, he phoned me.

He tried to tell me. He
did not have the time.

All I heard was:

"On the club, on the
roof, inside the tank."

That's why Maria
took this apartment,

to keep an eye on the tank.

That's why you hired the diver.

We planned to
smuggle him up there.

He heard too
much, got frightened.

I've got to know.

What did John
DeVries put in that tank?

That's what we must find out.

Unless they find out first.

There's about two feet
of water left, Mr. White,

but it's going down slowly.

Go on, get in. Get in.

Like this?

A little water never
hurt an old-time reporter.

You'll dry.

[SIGHS]

Ahh!

It's cold!

I can't see a thing.

Well, move around
a little. Move around.

Gosh, it's slippery in here.

Yessiree, chief, that young
reporter is sure learning fast.

WHITE: Did you find anything?

JIMMY: Oh, just a load
of moss, not much else.

Jimmy, you handled
that just like a veteran.

Tell me, can you
type under water?

Hey, look.

There's a goldfish in my...

For heaven's sake, a goldfish.

Throw it back. Throw it back.

But it's got a band around it.

So it's a pedigreed fish.

Now, wait a moment, chief.

I never heard of
a banded goldfish.

The only fish they usually
band are game fish, like trout.

And what's a goldfish doing
in that water tank, anyway?

Can you get the band off, Jimmy?

I think so. Here, wait a minute.

They found the large goldfish
John had in the aquarium.

John was smart, Maria.

No wonder we could
never find anything

when we searched his apartment.

But exactly how did
he hide the secret?

Look, there's
some writing on it.

"W-S-K-L-I-K-H-S-F"...

It looks like, uh, it's
a code of some sort.

Let me see it, Jimmy.

Codes used to be
a hobby of mine.

This should be a
cinch to unscramble.

It says "Car
7-6-3-7-9-2, East Yard."

Must be the railway yard.

The railroad yards. Good.

Kent, I want to scoop
every paper in town on this.

You go back to the office

and write up what's
already happened.

Olsen and I'll meet you
down at the yards later.

Well, now, wait just a minute.

What if those pot-shotters
and gym characters come back?

We'll take care of
them. Won't we, Olsen?

Oh, sure. We can handle it.

Come on. You can
dry out down in the gym.

They found something on
the band and are rushing away.

Quick! We gotta
follow their car.

Yes, yes, yes.

Bring him along.

"7-6-3-7-9-2."

That's it, boy.

Open it up.

Look, chief.

What's that?

Why, it's only paper.

Nobody would kill for that.

Take another look, Mr. White.

Look closer, Mr. White.

You see the threads
running through it?

They're silk threads.

You're looking at the
finest banknote paper

ever made outside of Washington.

Just how many $20
bills do you suppose

all this will make?

So you're counterfeiters.

And if you've got good plates,
this paper is worth millions.

Worth a lot of
trouble, Mr. White.

All right, let's get started.

You too, gentlemen.

Hurry up, Clark. Hurry up.

I wanna see what they've found.

We're on our way.

Max got the last one.

Very well.

Gentlemen, will you
step inside the car?

You too, Max.

You heard him.

Bingham, get the
gasoline can out of the car.

You won't mind
joining them, Maria.

Well, don't be surprised.
You heard our friend here.

Worth millions, he said.

I'm afraid Bingham
and I are a bit greedy.

I should have known it.

What're you gonna do with it?

Empty that can in the car.

[MARIA SCREAMS]

You're not gonna leave
them in there that way.

They'll never point
at us in a courtroom.

Come on, get the
paper in the car.

[ALL YELLING INDISTINCTLY]

Help, help. Let
us out. Let us out!

Help! Let us out!

MARIA: Let us out! Let us out!

It's no use. It's no use.

The gasoline is everywhere.

It's those two from
the gym. You stay here.

Lois, you better get help!

He won't bother us, anymore.

Get the rest of the paper.

[MARIA SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY]

[ALL SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY]

Superman!

[ALL COUGHING]

Nice going, Jimmy.

I couldn't have
done better myself.

Gosh, thanks, Superman.

See, Jimmy. I told you I'd make

an old-time reporter out of you.

Oh, me? An old-timer?
Gosh, I'm only a cub reporter.

Superman, will you
do me a great favor?

Most certainly.

Don't let Clark Kent know

I had to depend
on you to save us.

Well, don't worry, Mr. White.

He'll never learn
about it from me.

[♪♪♪]