Adventures of Superman (1952–1958): Season 6, Episode 3 - Divide and Conquer - full transcript

Clark, Lois and Perry are visiting a Latin American country and meet with the President who is a benevolent man who uses his country's vast resource to help his people. But there are people in his cabinet who want gain control of them and keep the money for themselves. One of whom is the Vice President. When an attempt is made on the President but Clark senses it and changes into Superman and stops it. But the Vice President orders Superman arrested which the President objects to. But upon learning the President could be impeached, Superman agrees to it. He then sends for a scientist cause he has to find a way to help the President without breaking out of custody. The scientist postulates that because of molecular make up he could split himself into two. But being split means he won't be as strong as he is and not as invulnerable. And if he does split himself he might not be able to get back together. But he decides to do it and while one remains in custody the other goes back to being Clark. The President plans to get rid of the Vice President so he plans to rid the President before he can get rid of him.

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NARRATOR: The
Adventures of Superman!

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.

[♪♪♪]

I have just come from
the presidential palace.

His Excellency is in conference

with the newspaper people
from the United States.

Unfortunately, I
left my briefcase

in His Excellency's office.

There was nothing
of value in it, I trust?

Only a clock, set to
go off at 12:00 sharp

and a small quantity
of high explosives.



[CLOCK TICKING QUIETLY]

Señor White, you do us
honor with your plan to publish

a Latin-American edition
of the Daily Planet here.

I can assure you of my
complete cooperation.

Well, I'm counting
on that, Mr. President.

As I was just saying to
Miss Lane and Mr. Kent:

Your government is a model
of progress and integrity.

You're kind to say so.

Actually, our prosperity comes
from the mines my country owns.

The land is rich in metals.

And you use the money
for the good of the people.

Gracias.

Unfortunately there are
certain unscrupulous politicians

who would like to
put me out of office.

Then they would
take over the mines

and steal the profits
for themselves.

In a very few moments,
Your Excellency.

Yes.

We must leave at once
for the presidential palace.

Now, from this
district, we get gold.

[CLOCK TICKING]

And, uh, down
here, we mine silver,

lead and copper.

You see, we have
every type of metal and...

Excuse me, Your Excellency.

Chief, I hate to break in,
but we have an appointment

to see the building. The
one for the new plant.

We have all day to
see that building, Kent.

What's the hurry?

We have to leave
at once, sir. I'm sorry.

Would you care to come
along, Mr. President?

No, thank you. I must remain
and sign a few documents.

Then we'll see you later.
Come on, chief, Lois, please.

Clark, of all the
outrageous, highhanded...

I demand an explanation
of your conduct...

Chief, I'm sorry, but we've
got to see that building.

Forgot my hat. You go
ahead. I'll join you later.

Brace yourself.

It should blow up
in a second now.

[TICKING]

Superman!

Look, President
Patillo's office...

He must be dead.

Gracias. Por nada.

Señor Presidente,
you're still alive.

Yes, thanks to Superman.

He is more concerned
over my welfare

than certain of my
own countrymen.

We are thankful that
your life has been spared.

But as for
Superman... Arrest him.

Arrest Superman? He
is the one who saved me.

Perhaps it only looked that way.

Maybe it was he

who brought the
bomb into your office.

Well, but that's for
the courts to decide.

Arrest him.

Stop this nonsense!

I forbid it!

Permit me to remind you:

when an attempt is made
on the life of our president

anyone with him must be
arrested on suspicion, it is the law.

And according
to our constitution,

if you break the law,

you can be removed from office.

And, just who
would take his place?

As vice president I would.

I submit to arrest.

If his enemies try again
to assassinate him,

they may succeed. You
must break out of here.

No, no, no.

If I did that, he'd be
impeached tomorrow.

That'd be a disaster
for the entire country.

However, there is one
thing you can do for me.

There's an old friend
of mine back home,

his name is Professor Lucerne.

He's been of tremendous
importance to me

on matters of very grave,
grave consequence.

However, I want you to
call him, or rather cable him,

and tell him to fly
down here at once.

We'll do it right away.
Come along, Lois.

Ah, Professor
Lucerne, do come in.

Nice that you could come.

It seemed urgent.

Yes, it was. Won't
you sit down, please.

As soon as I got
Mr. White's cablegram,

I caught the first plane south.

I just arrived.

Imagine, you in
prison. [CHUCKLES]

SUPERMAN: Did Mr. White
explain the circumstances?

LUCERNE: He and Miss
Lane met me at the airport

and told me everything.

I see. Then you know my problem.

As I see it,

you're obligated
to stay in prison

to save the president's job.

And yet you must break
out to protect his life.

And to catch and
punish his enemies.

But how can I be in
two places at once?

Unfortunately, I
wasn't born twins.

Ah, unfortunately not.

But do you remember a discussion

we once had about
molecular density?

Oh, yes. All matter is
composed of molecules,

and all molecules are
composed of atoms.

Correct. That applies to solids,

liquids, gases, everything.

The atomic and molecular
structure of any substance

determines its
strength and weight.

Yes. Including your own.

I understand.

You are made up of
molecules and atoms.

Everybody is.

Yours happen to
have greater density.

They're packed
more closely together,

giving you your super-strength

and making it impossible
for you to be injured or hurt.

I see.

Now let me understand this.

If I can expand
my atomic structure

by driving the
molecules farther apart,

then separate them...

There might be two of
you instead of one. Ah.

Of course if it is
possible, it would require

an extraordinary
concentration of willpower.

Naturally.

But with a person
of your great ability,

I think it might work.

Theoretically, at least.

Well, thank you. I think
you've solved our problem.

At least, I'm going to try it.

I must warn you

the experiment may be dangerous.

If you do separate into two,

then each of you will
be only half as strong

and only half as powerful.

You could be wounded
by bullets Mm-hm.

And be hurt by your enemies.

Even flying through the air

might be difficult
or impossible.

Well, it's just a risk
I'll have to take, sir.

And there's one other danger.

Sometimes a theory may
work one way but not in reverse.

If you do separate into two,

it may be impossible

for you to fuse
yourself together again

into one single Superman.

If this happens

both of you might perish.

Well, professor, I'll worry
about that when the time comes.

From the bottom of my
heart, I wish you luck.

Thank you, professor,
and bless you.

Guard, guard!

I'm ready to leave now.

[♪♪♪]

[CLATTERING]

[SIGHS]

[♪♪♪]

Don't you have any idea
at all who's behind all this?

I have a strong suspicion
it is Vice President Obreon

who would like to take over.

He and Felipe Gonzales,

one of my cabinet
members, are like that.

And they are both ambitious men.

Ambitious and greedy for money.

But there must be some
way to stop them. There is.

In a day or two I shall
dissolve my government

and ask for a new election.

That will put Señor
Obreon out of office.

But it will put you out too.

Yes.

But it will also let me
campaign for the truth.

The voters can decide

whether to re-elect me
for honest government

or replace me with a
scoundrel like Obreon.

I am sure he will be defeated.

And I'm sure you're right.

And you can count
on the Daily Planet

for support up to the hilt.

Gracias, Señor White.

Lois, we'd better be
getting back to the hotel.

And you're going to take us
on a tour of the mines tomorrow.

It will be a pleasure.

Thank you and good night.

Buenas noches. Hasta
mañana entonces.

Good night. Good night.

I've been thinking, chief.
Hasn't it struck you as odd

that we haven't seen
hide nor hair of Clark

since Superman was put in jail?

What are you getting at?

Well, I was just wondering,

wouldn't it be funny if Clark
turned out to be Superman?

[DOORBELL BUZZING]

Come in.

Oh, hello, Lois. Hi, chief.

Hello.

I suppose you've been
wandering the streets all day,

dazed by the bomb.

Well, I was a little close
to it when it exploded.

Well, you better take it
easy for a day or two, Kent.

Oh, by all means,

rest your little,
shattered nerves.

Meanwhile, I have
newspaper work to do.

Uh, just what sort of
newspaper work do you mean?

I have an interview
tomorrow morning

with Vice President Obreon.

I would like to maybe trap
him into admitting something

that might incriminate
him. Hm. I see.

Well, thank you for the
interview, Señor Obreon.

You're welcome.

Oh, just one more question.

Of course.

If President Patillo
dissolves his government

and calls for a new election,

would you run against him?

My dear young woman,

I would not dream of
opposing our beloved president.

What in the world
gave you that idea?

Well, I was just wondering.
Thank you again.

Hasta la vista.

FELIPE: Adios, Miss Lane.

Felipe, this young girl
knows more than she's telling.

President Patillo
must have hinted to her

that he plans to hold
a general election,

as a vote of confidence.

If there is a new election,

he will win by a landslide.

You will be voted out of office,

and we will never get
our hands on the mine.

Yes, we must act quickly

before he has time
to call for this election.

We must remove him permanently.

But how?

How?

I happen to know
that he is planning

to take Mr. White and Miss
Lane on an inspection tour

of the abandoned
mines at San Gabriel.

As you know, those mines
go almost a mile deep.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

LOIS: Are you sure it's safe?

PATILLO: Oh, quite safe,

unless the mountain
fall down on us.

[ALL CHUCKLE]

Shall we go in?

Are you sure the
dynamite is properly planted

and that there is a
sufficient quantity?

More than enough, Excellency,

to seal off that
tunnel for 100 years.

Then nothing can save
them, nothing but Superman.

Make your call.

X-2-0 calling X-2-1.

FELIPE [OVER
RADIO]: Come in, X-2-1.

Come in, X-2-1.

GUARD: This is X-2-1.

The prisoner is still
here, your Excellency.

Bueno.

Un momento.

We will give them a few minutes

to reach the
bottom of the shaft.

Then...

Adios, el Presidente Patillo.

Well, here we are.

Just think, we're a mile
under the surface of the earth.

I'd hate to be trapped
down here by a cave-in.

There is no chance of that
happening, Señorita Lane.

I hope not. We'd be in a bad
way if our air supply were cut off.

Oh, come, this is what
I wanted to show you.

All right, my friend, now.

I think, Señor Vice
President, that perhaps

you should have the
honor of electing yourself

to the presidency.

Thank you, Felipe.

Your sentiment does you credit.

What was that?

Sounded like dynamite.

Oh, no!

The elevator shaft
is solidly blocked.

You mean, we can't
get back to the top?

No, and fresh air
cannot come down to us.

Isn't there any other
way to get out of here?

There is no other way.

Señor, I fear that
we are doomed.

President Patillo and
his friends are finished.

What a pity.

A terrible disaster.

For everybody but us.

It might still be
disastrous for us

if by any chance we were
to be connected with this.

Don't worry, my friend.

I have already had rumors spread

that Superman
escaped his prison cell

to perpetrate this outrage.

His guard will swear
that he escaped.

And since Superman was
present at the earlier attempt

on the president's life,

the people will be all the
more likely to believe it.

Right, now we
must go to the prison

to make sure he stays there.

If he were actually to escape,

he might yet
rescue the president.

I shudder to think what
might happen to us,

if such a thing came to pass.

But of course, such
a thing is impossible.

Of course.

Vamanos.

If they could only dig down here
with some excavating machinery.

It would take days, maybe weeks.

By then it would be too late.

There is nothing powerful
on Earth to get us out in time.

Nothing.

[JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING OVER RADIO]

MAN [OVER RADIO]:
Ladies and gentlemen,

we interrupt this music program

to bring you an
important news report.

There has been an explosion
at the San Gabriel mine.

President Patillo is trapped
at the bottom of a shaft,

one mile deep.

With him are two newspaper
people from the United States:

Señor Perry White
and Señorita Lois Lane,

as well as two bodyguards.

It is estimated their air supply

will not last very much longer,

and I am sorry to...

[♪♪♪]

[COUGHING]

GUARD: Your Excellency.

OBREON: The
prisoner is still here?

GUARD: Yes, señor.

And I have a strange
feeling about this Superman.

What do you mean?

He does not act
as a powerful man.

The mob outside worries him.

An angry mob would
worry most men.

But Superman, a real Superman?

And when I pointed my
rifle at him, half in jest,

he was frightened.

Frightened, as any
other man who could die.

Is it possible Superman
is only an empty legend?

If it is true, he would make a
convenient scapegoat for us.

Come.

What would you say
if I were to tell you

that I am considering
ordering your release?

I would say that you
have no authority to do so.

But I do have the authority,

as president of the republic.

As president?

Yes, yes, my friend. President.

Unfortunately, President Patillo

and his North American
newspaper friends

perished at a cave-in
at the San Gabriel mine.

No.

So as I was saying,

I may consider
ordering your release.

My decision will depend
upon whether or not

you are able to break
through these steel bars.

Thank you for the
demonstration, my friend.

You have my permission
to leave whenever you wish.

Open the door.

You see? You can walk
out the front door a free man.

Yes, I can walk
out the front door

a free man, as you said,

right into the arms of your mob.

Or I can leave by that window.

I'm afraid you can't.

The bars on the window are
at least as strong as these.

Ah, but I had some
help with those.

Stop him!

[GUNFIRE]

[WIND WHOOSHING]

[GUNSHOTS]

[♪♪♪]

Well, as Lois Lane would say:

"Boy, am I glad to see you!"

It has been a little
rugged, hasn't it?

Professor Lucerne
was right all the way.

How did you get out?

The vice president

gave his official
"okay" for my release.

Or if what he said was true,
he may now be president.

It may very well be true
unless we do something about it.

That means we have to become
one person again... if we can.

It's a cinch, we're no
good the way we are.

We must try.

[SIGHS]

That we must.

[♪♪♪]

[SIGHS]

I'm afraid he can't
last much longer.

I don't think any of us will.

I feel so weak.

Come, come, now,
we mustn't give up.

Help may come even yet.

No, señor, I fear it
can never come in time.

It sounds like
machinery digging.

It's Superman!

Just take it easy, folks.

I've just dug a new tunnel.

The fresh air will
revive you in no time.

Then we'll all go out.

There, this document
places the mines

under our personal control.

From now on, the money
will go into our pockets

instead of the
national treasury.

That's where you
are wrong, señores.

President Patillo.

And Superman.

Yes, Superman.

Not only did he rescue us,

but you may be
interested to know

that in digging a new
tunnel to reach us,

he uncovered a new vein of
ore worth millions of dollars,

which my government will
use for the benefit of the people.

And now, you are
both under arrest

for trying to destroy me.

You cannot prove we
had anything to do with this.

We have all the proof
we need right here.

Both your fingerprints
are on this detonator box.

Arrest these criminals!

[BUZZES]

[BUZZES]

[DOORBELL BUZZING]

Must be asleep.

Kent! Where in
the blazes are you?

Well, come in, chief. Come in.

Don't have to kick
the door down, chief.

I don't suppose you'd be
interested in hearing about

what's been happening to us.

Oh, has something happened, sir?

Oh, not much, really.

We've just been in a cave-in,

there's been an attempt
on the president's life,

Superman rescued us,

and we've cabled
the story of the year

to the Daily Planet.

While you have been
resting your shattered nerves.

You wanna hear something funny?

Yes, sir. At one time,

Miss Lane had
the ridiculous idea

that you were Superman.

Who? Me? [CHUCKLING]

Well, I realize
it's pretty silly.

You've been sitting here

while Superman
was in that awful jail.

I... I do see what
you mean, though.

It's difficult, even
for Superman,

to be in two places
at once, isn't it?

[♪♪♪]

NARRATOR: Don't miss
the next thrill-packed episode

in the amazing
Adventures of Superman.

Superman is based
on the original character

appearing in Superman magazine.