Original subtitles

Faster than a speeding bullet.

More powerful than a locomotive.

Able to leap tall buildings at a single bound.

Look, up in the sky, it's a bird. It's a plane.

It's Superman.

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.

Mr. Kent, I know you're busy and I hate to...

Mr. Kent, you have a visitor.

Did I wake you?

Oh, why, no, Jimmy. I was just thinking.

We understand, Mr. Kent.

This is Miss... Nancy Quinn. I'm Professor Quinn's niece.

Why, of course.

I haven't seen the good professor in over two years, since he retired.

Well, that's why I'm here. You see, he didn't actually retire.

Good inventors seldom do.

Don't tell me he's still experimenting with molecular hydroactivity.

That's what I don't know, Mr. Kent.

But for two years he's been conducting a secret experiment.

And this afternoon he's going to test the results.

And you don't even know what the experiment is?

Nobody in the world knows except Skyler.

Skyler? Oh, you'll meet him when we get there. That is, if you'll come.

Jimmy, grab your camera. We may have a scoop on a brand new scientific

discovery.

Uncle Oscar?

No.

I wonder what I did with that vial of...

Copper sulfide.

It's in your hand, Uncle. In my hand? That's preposterous.

That's preposterous?

That's copper sulfide.

Thank you. Oh, thank you, Nancy, dear, yes.

And Jimmy.

And Kent.

I'm sorry I forgot you were here.

We weren't, Professor.

I hope you don't mind our breaking in on you like this. Mind?

You're just in time to witness the greatest experiment of a lifetime.

Well, now that sounds mighty important.

Oh, it's the greatest boon to modern humanity.

And I understand you have a new assistant. Is it Skyler?

Skyler, oh, yes. He's a great help, a great help. He's over there in the cage.

In the cage.

Please, Skyler, we have guests.

It's a parakeet.

He doesn't like to be called a parakeet.

He thinks he's an eagle.

Nancy says he's the only one that really understands about your formula.

He is.

Understood? Now, I knew parakeets talk, but I didn't know they understood

things. They can't. But Uncle was afraid that someone might steal his formula if

he wrote it all down, so he left out one essential step and taught it to Skyler.

And I was right, too, because last night I guess I forgot to close the doors.

Anyway, somebody got in and stole a copy of the formula.

But it didn't do them any good without the part that Skyler knew, right?

That's right.

Of course, I would have memorized it myself, but then you know how forgetful

I am.

Anyway, Skyler's the only one who knows.

Listen, I'll show you.

I taught him to associate it with the sound of this bell. Now listen.

Yeah, now that's the first Chinese parakeet I ever met.

Uncle, aren't you ever going to tell us what you're working on?

It's ready now.

This is my experiment.

I wanted to do something for humanity. And I said to myself, what do people

hate worst of anything in the world? They hate to lick postage stamps.

And so I have invented a new and stronger glue.

But... with six delicious flavors.

Beef stew, liver and onions, ham, lamb, veal, and vegetable plate.

Professor, the Secretaries of America will erect you a statue.

Thank you. Mr. Kent, would you do the honors?

Why, thank you very much.

I might as well. I haven't had anything to eat all day. You ready?

Yes, please.

How was it?

Delicious, just like Mother used to make. Oh, it was the old-fashioned beef

stew. I was afraid for a minute it had too much salt.

Wonderful, come with me.

You ready?

Nancy, are you all right? I think so.

How about you, boy?

I'm still in one piece.

Good. If that counts.

Uncle Oscar. Oh. Did you come through this all right? Oh, my.

Oh. I think something must have gone wrong.

Is that your considered opinion?

Oh, dear. Some extraordinary chain reaction that I hadn't counted on.

Oh. Now I'm going to have to build this whole thing over again from scratch just

so I can trace the difficulty.

Thank goodness Skyler remembers what I taught him.

Oh, thank heaven. He hasn't even lost a tail feather.

Professor, you couldn't have had more than half a drop of solution on that

stamp, right?

Less than that, but why does it matter?

I think I see what Jimmy's getting at, Professor.

By accident, you seem to have invented one of the most powerful explosives ever

known. All I wanted to do was to invent the most delicious glue ever known.

Well, I'm not sure why, but I figure this must be a historic moment. So, uh,

turn around and hold it. Turn around? Yeah.

It may be quite some time before you can use that.

Why? Because unless I'm wrong, the government is going to want to keep this

top secret.

Uncle Oscar's mistake can be very valuable.

In fact, I fully intend to go to the authorities.

Come on, Uncle. I think you'd better go take a nap.

Nancy, go away.

I'm not going to take a nap at all. I'm going out in the park with Skyler like I

always do.

Yes. Well, now come on, Skyler.

You and I are going to have to start all over again.

Why were you calling the Federal Security Commission?

All right, I'll tell you.

A local professor invented a new kind of glue which blew up right in his face.

If you don't tell me the truth, I'll find out some other way. All right. Bye.

I'm sorry, Miss Lane.

Look at this.

Oh, yes. It's the picture you took of us in the professor's lab. What about it?

Remember that window in the lab? The one that opened on the outside stairwell?

Take a good look.

Oh, yes.

Two people looking in that window.

It looks like we weren't the only ones that saw the big mistake.

Then you weren't kidding about that exploding glue.

I wish I were, Lois, then I wouldn't be worried about those two faces.

Oh,

the answer's got to be someplace.

I'm going to find it if it takes me the rest of my life.

After all the way it is now, a person goes to mail a letter, boom, they're

blown to bits. Blown to bits, blown to bits.

Please, I wouldn't want you to think for a moment that it was... The bird.

He must have learned that whistle from somebody.

I assure you I have no idea where he picks up such things. It might not be a

bad idea if you'd find out. Mind if I sit down?

No.

Isn't he cute?

Nice birdie. Pretty birdie.

He's just feathers, after all.

Well.

Professor, am I interrupting something?

Oh, Clark.

Clark Kent. That's right.

I want you to meet... Dorothy.

Dorothy Manners. Yes.

My pleasure, Miss Manners. And of course you know Skyler. Oh, naturally.

Miss Manners, would you forgive me if I borrowed the professor for just a

moment? I have a personal message for him.

Of course not.

Thank you.

Who is she?

I never saw her before in my entire life.

And if it hadn't been for that Skyler, if he'd minded his own bit, what's the

matter? I'm not quite sure. You remember that picture Jimmy took in the lab?

Guys, what on earth would she be doing outside my lab window?

Maybe you can find out.

Going back to that bench, she'll probably try and pump you. Let her.

Give me a chance, too, to tell Skyler what sort of a woman he's taken up with.

Mr. Kent!

She's gone.

The bird. I forgot all about him. Oh, Skylar.

Skylar.

It's all right.

Do you know what?

I bet you if she knew that Skylar knew the formula, she would have taken him.

You're right, Professor.

Chuck up a lucky break for our side.

Well, you better go back to the lab. Jimmy's already there waiting with

Nancy. Yeah, okay.

Where are you going?

I'm going back to the office. I'm still waiting to hear from Security

Commission. They ought to be able to tell us something.

Yes. Well, goodbye.

Boy, I'm tired.

I... Oh.

Oh.

Let's go home, Skylar.

Let's go home.

Give me on fire! Give me on fire! Stop squawking or I'll put you back in the

handbag. Come on. Give.

Give.

Formula.

Chemicals. Get him giving a bird to third degree.

I suppose you could do better.

I was only supposed to get the bird, not guarantee him to talk.

Come on, pal.

The sooner you talk, the sooner you get something to eat.

Sure, Skyler. He'll take you out for a nice hot beef sandwich. That's what I

need. Wisecracks.

My scientific mind is not amused.

I would hate to report to our superiors that you have resorted to practical

jokes. I tell you, Doc, this bird can fill in the formula.

I won't know what it means, but you will.

So far all I've heard is kill the umpire, hit the deck, and two choruses

of Yankee Doodle. Okay. If I can't make this pinhead monster talk, I know who

can. Come on.

You know, two years I spent working out on paper what it takes less than two

hours to do.

I think it was getting in the vitamins that threw me.

I'd say it threw all of us.

Yes. And now, with a little help from Skylar, I'll be able to go back,

recreate the original experiment, and in that way find out my mistake.

Skylar's been awfully quiet, hasn't he, Uncle Oscar?

He should be, after the way he carried on in the park.

Really?

I seem to be picking up things from him.

What does he charge for lessons?

Now, for the formula.

Skylar, this is no time to sulk.

Jeepers, what if he forgot?

Impossible. But suppose he has.

Impossible. There'd be no way to complete the formula.

No wonder he's not talking.

This isn't Skylar.

What is it, Professor?

You know that woman in the park?

She switched birds on me.

Yes, the one I have here is an imposter.

Are you sure?

Absolutely. It's the difference in the eyes.

You know, Skylar's eyes were sort of a soft, pale blue.

This one's a sort of a muddy brown.

Oh, yes, that's right. And I... Go ahead, Mac.

Mr. Kent, eh?

That's right. And if he can get in touch with Superman, you don't stand a chance.

Superman? Speck, let's beat it. I don't want to get tangled up with him.

I think the professor can help us out with Superman.

Can't you, professor?

Miss Lane, where are the others?

What others? There's nobody else here.

Well, when did you get here?

Just a few minutes ago. There was nobody home, so I came in and started looking

around. I don't understand how they could have gotten away, unless it was a

trick and they weren't here at all in the first place.

Well, how who got away?

What trick?

Oh, never mind, Miss Lane. We can't do any more good here.

I guess you'd better get back to your office. If you don't tell me what this

is all about, I'll get it out of Clark somewhere.

Come on, you two, over there.

Very well equipped room, Professor.

You think so? For nuclear experiments.

Thank you, sir. I'm referring, of course, to the lead walls.

They keep the gamma rays in. And Superman's vision out.

But how come the sliding wall business?

Oh, you see, before I retired, I used to use that room extensively.

I didn't want anyone to know what kind of work I was doing.

But we knew, Professor.

That's why we thought it logical to assume that this latest experiment of

yours was of the same nature.

Yeah. I was attempting to make glue.

We are only interested in the explosive that resulted.

So if you will be kind enough to produce another batch of the same substance...

He doesn't really think I would.

Do you?

We sure do, Professor.

Unless you want something to happen to these kids.

Pardon me.

Clark, I just talked to Superman and something terrible has happened. Yes,

yes, I know all about it, Lois.

You do? How?

Oh, well, Superman told me. Well, what does he intend to do about it? What can

he do about it? He doesn't know any more about it than I do. Which is?

Which is that we have these two faces in the window about whom we know nothing.

Absolutely nothing. No names or anything else.

Oh, that's just great. And in the meantime... And in the... And in the

meantime, I just remembered something a good professor told me in the park. Come

on.

Now, Professor, all we need is this vital segment of the formula to fill in

here. So get that bird to talking, Professor.

We don't have all day.

And I mean right now.

All right, Skylar, I guess we'll have to give him the formula.

If this is some sort of a joke... Skylar's a very good judge of looks and

a very bad judge of character.

May I reset that?

He'd better come up with the right answer this time, Professor, or it's

goodbye to the kids.

Oh, no.

All right.

Skylar, just this once, please.

Ah!

Ah!

Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!

Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!

Ah! Ah!

Ah! Ah!

Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!

Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!

Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!

Ah! Ah!

Ah! Ah!

Ah! Ah

Zinc oxide!

Saved by the bell.

Would you kindly tell me what you expected to find in the public park, or

did you just feel like a stroll?

Ah.

Well, thank you, Clark, but I have two dozen of my own.

No.

The professor said she dropped her handkerchief, but he was so immersed in

his work he probably didn't register.

Then that belongs to the mysterious Lady Birdwatcher. Exactly.

But...

Well, Clark, look, it's initialed R.M.

That's right.

There's much to go on, Lois, but at least it's a lead.

You've got the formula and you've got a sample. Now, I wish you would just get

out and leave us alone.

I will have to take this to our superiors and show them a controlled

percussion demonstration.

And all I can say, Professor, is it better go boom.

What shall we do with it? You take care of the chemistry, Doc. I take care of

the details.

Move. Come on, get in there.

With the door shut

and the ventilator fan off, I figured the air should last about an hour. Where

are you going with that thing?

I think he's kind of cute.

You'd think anything was cute that whistled at you. Come on, let's go.

Well, at least the light isn't on the same circuit with the fan and the door.

That's a big help.

Now we can watch each other not breathing.

I almost have it. What, Uncle, a way out?

No, the mistake in the formula.

Fine.

I'm sorry, Mr. Kent.

The commission is doing everything it can.

You've looked through our files yourself, and my men are checking every

possible lead.

All we can do is just sit and wait. Well, I've never felt so helpless in my

life. Clark, if Superman's helpless, there's certainly nothing you can do

about it.

Please, Uncle, what good will it do to try to correct your mistake now?

But, Nancy, my dear, I must know. I just must know. Yes, sir.

That's where I got it, that sprinkling system.

Well, very fine, Jimmy, except that none of us are on fire.

Yeah, but if there were a fire, the heat would melt the cap, would set off the

sprinkler system, and the fire alarm.

You're right. Have you got a match? Match?

Oh, I don't smoke.

Yes, thank you, dear.

You're wonderful.

Give me your boots.

Okay. Here.

That's very fine, except that nobody knows this room is here. And they'll go

to the lab looking for a fire. They won't find one. They'll think it's a

short circuit.

And this whole room is filled up with water.

Why was I born so clever?

Hello? What?

Where? At Quinn's house.

There's been a fire at Quinn's house. Well, at least something's happening.

Well, come on.

Well, there's nothing I can do now, and if something's already happened, there's

no sense in my going in the first place. You two go ahead.

Oh, reliable Clark. Well, I'm glad there's one man around here.

You were right about that fire alarm, Professor.

They turned it off without even suspecting we were here.

Yes, yes, of course.

Superman, you're a sight for wet eyes. We couldn't have lasted much longer.

There you go, Uncle Oscar.

Are you all right? Nothing to worry about?

I've got it. I've got it. The formula. You see, two of the chemicals react on

each other after a given time.

And somehow the other chemicals aid in this reaction a hundredfold or more. And

that's why we got such a big explosion.

Well, how long does this reaction take?

Well, it depends on the quantity.

But this I do know.

Before the mixture explodes, it will begin to bubble.

Bubble.

Oh, good heavens.

There's no time to get rid of it. We'll all be blown to bits.

If you hadn't smothered the force inside of you, the whole neighborhood would

have been blown to bits. But what about the other beaker, the one they took?

Well, that has a larger amount in it, but the reaction will take a little bit

longer. But when it does...

He must have escaped and flown home.

Well, it's a little late to do us any good now.

El Dorado! El Dorado! Well, at least he picked up a new word in his travels.

A new word?

Yeah, El Dorado. He never said that before.

El Dorado.

That's what they call that old goose town upstate.

That's right, Jimmy. There's much of a chance we'll let you take it.

As soon as our superiors arrive, we'll fly across the border. It's about time.

Speaking of flying, I'll get even with you for letting that bird loose.

I'm not going to have somebody else whistling at you all the time.

What's this?

Look.

Bubbles. You're the scientist.

Tell us what it means.

Oh, no. Not again.

Look, you're not worth saving. But run for your lives. This may explode any

minute.

Save her?

I don't know myself, but I do know I'm not going to save her from the law.

Come on.

Well, Mr. Kent, while you were sitting here mooning, Superman saved the day.

Oh, fine. Then I can write the story.

You write the story? Well, I like that.

Oh, Superman. Oh, Superman.

Professor,

until now, I thought Skyler was a pretty smart bird. But when he starts to call

Clark Superman...

He just whistled at you, Lois. What do you think of his mind now?