Original subtitles

You are a centrist chief?

Yes.

This is Mr. Salem, Secretary of the Treasury.

And Mr. Carter, President of the International World Bank.

Gentlemen, Mr. Lewis Lane and Mr. James Olsen, two of my reporters.

I was just showing him this pound of gold I made in my laboratory.

Gold? You made it?

Astonishing, isn't it? Just think, ever since medieval times, the alchemists and

scientists have been trying to transmute base metal into gold.

And I'm the first one who ever found how to do it. I still can't bring myself to

believe it. Oh, it's gold, all right. You tested it yourself with acid a few

minutes ago.

Pure 24-karat gold.

But you didn't say how you made it. Now, now, Mr. Carter.

A professional secret, you know.

But how do we know you didn't just go someplace and buy that?

Oh, I can vouch for the professor, gentlemen.

While he's invented some strange things in the past, they've always worked.

And I've never known him to tell a falsehood.

Kent's right about that.

If Professor Pepperwinkle said he made that bar of gold, you can depend on it.

He really made it.

I guess there's no doubt of it. But tell me, Professor, how long did it take you?

Oh, not very long.

After all, I only made this one pound.

More than $500 worth of gold, and he acts as though it didn't amount to a

hill of beans.

Professor, could you make more of that?

Oh, tons of it. That is, if I had enough raw material, scrap iron and various

other ingredients.

No trouble at all.

Mr. White, this is the most alarming invention I've ever heard of. If he

starts making gold by the ton, do you realize what will happen to this

country's economy?

Why, our monetary system would be shattered and Fort Knox would become a

ghost town.

Not only that, it would destroy the international banking structure and

throw world trade into a panic.

That's why I asked you gentlemen to this conference.

When the professor told me about making this gold, I realized it could ruin the

nation. And you wouldn't want that to happen, would you, Professor?

Oh, gracious goodness, no.

Imagine turning Fort Knox into a ghost town.

Oh, Diddy, that would be dreadful. It sure would.

Professor, for the good of the United States... For the good of the entire

world... We must ask that you forget this invention.

And promise never to use it again.

You're absolutely right, Professor.

You mustn't make any more gold.

Well, all right, if you say so.

I won't make another bit.

Good, good, good.

Now, gentlemen, if you'll excuse us, we have an appointment.

I have to get back to Washington.

Goodbye, gentlemen. Goodbye, gentlemen. Thank you for your courtesy.

Thank you so much for coming.

Remember, I don't want one word of this to leak out.

And that goes double for you, Mr. J.

Blabbermouth Olsen.

Oh, cross my heart, Chief. I won't spill a word.

Golly, Professor, I never thought I'd live to see the day that I'd be sitting

with a man that could turn rusty old iron into 24-karat gold.

Oh, it's really no trick at all.

In fact, I'm surprised I didn't think of it before.

Jim, you better remember what Mr. White said. You're not even supposed to be

talking about it.

Nobody's listening.

Besides, as long as the professor's promised not to make any more gold,

what's the difference? You can at least lower your voice.

All right.

When that professor-type character leaves his friends, we better make sure

he gets home safe and sound.

Why, Mr. Mitchell here's got one of the kindest thoughts you've ever seen,

Professor. If I was to shoot you right now, you'd be terrible sore at me.

Well, I'm certainly glad to hear that.

But sore, no sore.

I'm going to plug you, unless you make us a batch of gold.

Now, now, let's take it easy.

We don't want to be greedy about it. All we want is, say, a couple of tons.

A couple of tons?

Why, that's over a two million dollars worth.

We'd be satisfied with that. With two million dollars, me and elbows could

live like millionaires.

Without it, you might not live at all.

I won't do it. I refuse.

You're pretty fond of that young reporter on the planet. Now, let me see.

What is his name?

Jimmy Olsen.

Surely you wouldn't harm him or Miss Lane.

Well, we wouldn't want anything to happen to him. But I am afraid their

health might take a sudden turn for the worse if you don't make that gold for

us. Well...

What do you say?

I say this is blackmail. Call it whatever you like.

Well, I can't let anything happen to those two young people on my account,

can I? Of course you can't. And I don't suppose a mere two million dollars would

upset the economy of the world, even if it were in gold, would it? No, no, it

wouldn't. Of course it wouldn't.

Well, then I guess I'll have to do it.

Now you're talking, Professor.

Yeah, but I'll have to have raw materials, scrap iron and various other

ingredients. It'll all cost money.

Don't worry your head about it. Here.

Here's ten thousand bucks. Buy whatever you need.

Oh, ten thousand bucks. Are you sure you can afford it? You make me two million

dollars worth of gold and there'll be plenty more where that came from.

When will the stuff be ready?

Well, I can't make two tons overnight. The machine will only turn out about ten

pounds a day.

How much is that in cash?

Let's see. That's a little over $5,600.

Almost $6,000 a day. Wow.

That will be quite satisfactory.

We will be back the same time tomorrow to pick up the first batch.

And something better be ready, understand?

Yes, indeed.

Yes, something will be ready.

Well, good morning, Mr. Kent. Why the gloomy look?

Well, that she's trying to send me out of town to cover a convention.

Golly, what's the matter with that? A free trip with all expenses paid?

I wish she was sending me.

I wish she'd send you, too.

Personally, I'd rather stick around and keep a weather eye on Professor

Pepperwinkle. Oh, you worry too much.

Yes, but I've got a curious feeling that something's about to happen.

How can anything happen when we're keeping it a secret?

Well, and if it did, Superman would take care of it. Well, I'm sure he would,

Jimmy, only with me being out of town.

What's the difference? You're never around when Superman's around.

It does look that way, doesn't it?

And incidentally, why all this interest in the professor?

Do you have an inside tip or something?

No, no, just sort of a hunch.

Oh, by the way, the professor called, you know, while you were both out.

What did he say?

Oh, you know him. He's so vague.

There's something about for the both of you not to worry.

He'd attend to it personally.

Well, I've got to be going. I'll see you later.

Attend to what?

Yeah, I better call a professor.

I've got a better idea. Why don't we go see him?

All right, let's.

It's so peaceful around here. It doesn't seem as though there could possibly be

any trouble.

Anything the professor's mixed up in can be trouble, Jim.

Well, Miss Lane, Mr.

Olsen. Come right in. Come in.

I don't want you to worry about a thing. No cause for alarm.

Everything's going to be quite all right. I'm not the least bit upset, and

there's no danger apparent.

And I have no intention of going back on my promise to the secretary of the city.

Well, professor.

They've been here.

Who's been here, Professor?

Two men with guns.

And they want you to make some gold for them.

Two million dollars worth.

How did you know?

Oh, it figures.

Somebody must have had a big mouth.

And I guess I know who that big mouth is.

You? Me.

Those two guys in that next booth.

Don't worry about it, Mr. Olsen.

They're never going to get the gold.

But you said they had guns, so obviously they're dangerous men, Professor.

I'm sometimes a dangerous man myself, Miss Lane.

Although you might not think it to look at me.

Let's not be silly about this. The first thing we've got to do is get Superman

right on the job.

No, no, no. Don't bother about him. Don't bother about that. Now, I want to

show you something.

Just look up there. Do you see those two sandbags?

Well, that's another one of my inventions.

I call it the automatic cookstopper.

You see, when my two guests arrive tomorrow for their first batch of gold,

I simply, oh, I just maneuver them into this position.

Right under the sandbags, huh? Yes.

And then... Isn't this sort of Rube Goldberg-ish?

Exactly.

But effective. And while they're completely unaware of their peril, I

simply...

Jimmy, are you all right?

Oh, I guess so. How can I ever forgive myself?

Oh, it's okay, Professor.

Does it hurt, Jim?

Only when I breathe.

Now, Professor, what about those crooks that are forcing you to make the gold?

Well, it's not important, really.

Not important?

But we've got to get in touch with Superman.

Well, we won't need him.

We don't need him. No. You see, I... I've made an amazing discovery.

Oh, no, not another one. Yes, Miss Lane. I've discovered what gives Superman his

superpowers. You have? Yes, indeed. Now, we know that Superman originally came

here from the planet Krypton before it exploded, right?

Yes. We also know that the explosion scattered billions of particles of the

element Kryptonite in outer space.

Sure. Kryptonite's the only thing that can take away Superman's superpowers.

It's just a good thing that practically none of it landed on the Earth, or he'd

be in a bad way.

Yeah, he certainly would.

Well,

it just so happens I accidentally discovered a supply of it right in my

backyard. You did?

Yes. And when I put it through some scientific tests, what do you suppose I

discovered? It's actually made up of two different kinds.

Kryptonite positive and kryptonite negative.

What do you know about that?

And I also found out that it's negative kryptonite that's capable of harming

Superman. And do you know why?

Because he's charged with positive kryptonite. Then it's the positive

kryptonite that gives him his superpowers.

Yes, and the negative kryptonite destroys those powers because it

neutralizes his positive charge.

Well, that figures.

Well, what good is it to know all this? I mean, of what use is it? Oh, it has a

great deal of use, Miss Lane. Here, let me show you something.

Now, you see this machine right here? Well, this separates positive kryptonite

from negative kryptonite. It destroys the negative kind, which is harmful to

Superman, and it purifies the positive kind. Now, let me show you.

Now.

Now, here.

You, uh...

Now, these tablets are positive type kryptonite in pure form.

If a person swallows one of these, he'll be just like Superman and can do

anything he can do.

Have you taken any of them?

Oh, dear, no, no. It wouldn't be scientific for a scientist to experiment

on himself.

Well, then, how do you know it works?

I'll show you.

Come on, little one. Come out of here now. Come out.

That's right. Now.

I fed this little mouse. Stop that. I fed this little mouse hundreds of a

milligram of kryptonite.

Now watch.

Be quiet now, be quiet.

Now see, kryptonite changed a regular mouse into a super mouse.

Golly, Miss Lane, if we took those kryptonite pills, we could capture those

two crooks as easily as Superman.

And just think, what a way to get stories. If a chip came in, bingo, we'd

fly there to cover it. And Clark Kent could never scoop us again.

Then, then you'll, uh, you'll try them?

Well, didn't hurt the mouse. How can it hurt us?

I don't feel anything. Do you?

Frankly, no.

Well, here, here.

See if you can bend this.

Oh, golly.

Here, you try it.

Oh, for goodness sake.

Well, tell me, Professor, do you know where the two crooks have their hideout?

I don't know anything about them, except they gave me a $10,000 expense.

$10,000.

Golly.

See that a minute.

They're all new bills, Jimmy, and with a bank wrapper still on them. Well, that's

nice. But what difference does it make how old they are?

It might make a lot of difference. It says First National Bank.

We better pay them a visit. Why don't we fly there?

How else?

The door's over there, Mr. Olsen.

This way's better.

How do you like that? Just like Superman.

Come on, Miss Lane.

Here we go.

Mr.

Goldie?

This is Miss Lane and Mr. Olsen from the Daily Planet. We've met before, I think.

How do you do, Miss Lane, Mr. Olsen? Hello, sir. Well, now, just what can the

Fifth National Bank do for you?

Miss Lane and Mr. Olsen flew in for some information.

Flew in?

Well, yes.

We were wondering if one of your regular depositors recently withdrew $10,000 in

new $100 bills with consecutive serial numbers.

Why, yes. Such a withdrawal was made only yesterday by Mr. Bugs Morgan, the

eminent gangster.

I suppose you have his address.

Oh, yes.

Mr. Morgan used the Acme Warehouse Company as a front.

Well, thank you. That's all we need to know.

Can I have a little money?

No, thank you. But may we use your window? Why, of course. We only put up

the bars at night.

I thought only Superman did that.

Superman and Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen.

It's locked.

Hey, wait a minute. If we're just like Superman, maybe we have x-ray vision.

And super hearing. Let's try it.

Okay.

Concentrate.

Two tons of gold is 2,240,000 bucks.

That's the 2,240,000th time you figured it out.

Just like to be sure.

I still think we should have brought the professor and his goofy machine here

with us instead of leaving them in his place.

What time was it yesterday when we dropped in on him?

On half past two.

It's two o'clock now.

That first batch of gold ought to be about done.

Yeah, let's go.

Shall we take him, Miss Lane?

Allow me.

Look, they knocked the door down just like Superman.

Don't just stand there. Do something.

The bullets bounce off just like Superman.

That's because we are like Superman.

And you two crooks are washed up.

Allow me, Miss Lane. Be my guest.

No.

That'll teach him to fool around with Super Olsen. You find some ropes and tie

them up. I'll call the police. Right, Miss Lane.

This is terrible.

Are you all right?

What?

What's that?

Is your head all right? Does it hurt, Jimmy?

My head?

Oh, it's okay, I guess.

But what happened?

I remember I got clunked on the head by these sandbags.

What did you rig up the sandbags again for when we already captured those two

crooks?

talking about you. We didn't capture any crooks. Well, sure we did. Don't you

remember? We took those kryptonite pills that made us just like Superman.

Kryptonite? What kryptonite?

The one you invented.

I didn't invent any kryptonite. Sure you did. And then we crashed through this

wall over here.

Well, it's all fixed up.

How did you repair it so quickly?

Well, I didn't need you. I didn't need it. You never crashed through the wall.

I did too. Just like this. I'll show you.

Well, maybe the pill is wearing off.

Jim, we didn't take any pills.

You mean that we didn't bend that iron bar and fly through the air like

Superman? We got here just a few minutes ago. The sandbag fell down, knocked you

unconscious, and we've been trying to bring you to ever since.

Getting hit in the head must have given you hallucinations. You must have been

dreaming. I can't believe it.

Oh, no.

I thought we left you two tied up at the warehouse.

This guy isn't thinking very clear, boss.

Tie him up.

All right, Professor.

Where's our first batch of gold?

Oh, I haven't made it yet.

I figured my sandbags would knock you out and I wouldn't have to. Well, you

figured wrong.

Now get busy and start making that gold. Otherwise, it's going to be very

unhealthy around here for your friends.

Yeah, real unhealthy.

Oh, dear, dear. Well, then I guess I have no choice.

Bet you haven't. Now get busy and start making that goal. This time we're going

to watch it.

All right. All right, if you insist.

Now, first we put in the strap.

Yeah, these feet.

Still here.

Oh, yeah.

Now, now, what's this with the fish?

What's that stuff?

Apple cider. It's a very important ingredient.

Oh, yeah, that reminds me. Here, these go in, too.

Peanuts.

Shells and all?

Shut up. He knows what he's doing, I hope. Look, Dad, when's the gold come

out? Oh, just as soon as I put in this bar of platinum.

Did you say platinum?

Yes, indeed.

That's the only trouble with my invention. To make $5,000 worth of gold,

I have to use $10,000 worth of platinum.

You mean that gold costs more to make than it's worth?

Yes, we lose $5,000 on every 10-pound bag.

Did I forget to tell you?

Holy smokes, boss.

If he makes us two tons of gold, we'll go bankrupt.

Stop the machine. Turn it off before I go broke.

Oh, I'm afraid it's too late for that now.

Here you are. Here's the gold already made.

Pure 24 karat.

Ten pounds.

You gypped me.

Tie him up with the rest.

We're going to get even with him.

We sure will.

How will we get even? Get that dynamite out of our car.

Kent, what are you doing back in town? I thought I sent you to cover that

convention.

Missed my plane.

Missed your plane?

Yes, sir, but it's all right.

I phoned long distance. I found out the convention doesn't start till tomorrow.

So I just came on back to the office. Well, it's probably just as well.

Now you can go out and try to find Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen. Why, what's

happened to them? That's what I'd like to know.

They left here several hours ago without a word and haven't been back since.

Pepperwinkle, I'll bet you.

What do you mean, Pepperwinkle?

I'll see you later, Chief.

People come and go here all day long and tell me nothing.

You mustn't do that. You ruined my gold-making machine.

Yeah, and everything else in here, including you and your friends.

Come on, let's get out of here.

Hey, boss.

Take this with us. We might as well say something about it.

my poor gold-making machine broken beyond repair.

Well, but I guess the process was too expensive anyway.

Are you all right, Miss Lane?

Hey, Kevin, you're here, Superman.

How about Jimmy?

Miss Lane, will you please release Jimmy and the good professor here? I have to

go catch those crooks.

I did not faint.

I was just so tired from doing all those Superman stunts in that dream I had that

I fell asleep.

I did.

Well, anyway, Superman captured the crooks, and the good professor here

isn't going to make any more gold at three times what it's worth.

No, indeedy.

I certainly won't.

Well, now that that's settled, suppose you two go out and start writing the

story for the next edition.

Including my dream?

Definitely not.

Let's face it, Jimmy. Like I said, none of us will ever be able to do the things

Superman does.

I guess not.

Golly, Mr. Kent, you'll never know how wonderful it is to be like Superman.

No, Jimmy, I guess I never will.

Don't miss the next real packed episode in the amazing adventures of Superman.

Superman is based on the original character appearing in Superman

magazine.