54.
lois & clark / "ghost"
LOIS & CLARK
"The Ghost of Superman-Future"
TEASER
FADE IN:
EXT. 344 CLINTON STREET - ESTABLISHING - NIGHT
Clark's apartment building. For a beat it's just a quiet night
in the city. Then suddenly a WHITE LIGHT slices from the sky to
a THIRD-FLOOR WINDOW.
SFX: There is a crash of THUNDER.
INT. CLARK'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT
CLARK sleeps. His GLASSES sit on the night table. He wears only
a bed sheet. He snores lightly, floating up into the air as he
inhales and down to the bed as he exhales.
The glowing figure of OLD SUPES stands out of frame, but the
LIGHT from the figure suffuses the room from its direction.
On Clark as he sleeps. The Light grows brighter as Old Supes'
face approaches. Old Supes' mouth enters frame next to Clark's
ear.
OLD SUPES
Hey Clark!
Clark wakes with a start, falling to his bed and grabbing for his
glasses. He looks up to see Old Supes and we see him for the
first time too, like Scrooge glomming Marley's Ghost.
OLD SUPES is Superman, older than he is now - probably several
centuries older, but we won't deal with that can o' worms. He's
Dean Cain in a Superman suit, made up to look about sixty. He
has a graying beard, distinguished wrinkles and he's still built
like a Princeton Tiger. That white glow surrounds him like an
aura.
OLD SUPES
Don't worry about the glasses with me, kid.
Never understood why they worked so long
myself.
Clark looks at the glasses in his hand, puts them down on the
dresser. He gives the figure a once-over with his X-RAY VISION.
OLD SUPES
Ooohhh! Tickles!
CLARK
What are you? You're ... you're not there.
OLD SUPES
Very good. I'm a hologram. It's a nifty
little trick you'll learn sometime. I sent
this image back in time from the future -
your future. I'm having my end of this
conversation from memory.
CLARK
What're you saying? You're me when I'm a
zillion years old?
OLD SUPES
Watch it. I can bench press a planet if you
find me a strong enough bench.
CLARK
Okay, it's late. Let's buy your story.
Why're you here ... or wherever you are?
OLD SUPES
To warn you about Angela January.
CLARK
Who?
OLD SUPES
You'll need help. You must not trust Angela
January.
Clark stands up, waves a hand through the figure's mid-section.
Old Supes separates top to bottom like a ghost dissipating for a
moment then reforming and waves a finger at Clark.
OLD SUPES
Are you through playing?
CLARK
All right, say I do meet this Angela January
and you are me. Why bother to warn me? You
know what's going to happen.
OLD SUPES
I know you'll fall for her line and you
should know better. I'm just here to give
you a leg up when you come to your senses.
Old Supes begins to fade.
OLD SUPES
Good luck, kid. You'll need it.
CLARK
Wait! Do I live a long time? Do I get
married? Is the world going to -
OLD SUPES
Can't help you there, pal. Give my love to
the Good Witch of the North.
The image of Old Supes fades and the white glow surrounding him
fades a second later. Silently mouthing the phrase, "Good Witch
of the North," Clark plops down on his bed, perplexed.
CLARK
Gotta lay off that Tex-Mex.
FADE OUT.
END OF TEASER
ACT ONE
FADE IN:
EXT. RESIDENTIAL CITY STREET - DAY
Half a dozen COSTUMED KIDS hustle down the sidewalk and up the
stairway of a BROWNSTONE. Conspicuous on a big windowless WALL
is the graffito: "WRITE IN", followed by the S-EMBLEM. One of
the kids rings an INTERCOM BELL.
INTERCOM
(female voice)
Who's there?
KIDS
(hollering)
Trick or treat!
The Intercom voice CACKLES like a witch. The kids look at each
other, then run down the steps, scared. They run by a
CONSTRUCTION SITE shielded by plywood walls plastered all over
with CAMPAIGN POSTERS. Several are torn down to make room for
another appearance of the handwritten "WRITE IN 'S'" legend.
There are two kinds of posters, both with pictures of white male
mayoral candidates. One says "ELECT ELLSWORTH MAYOR" and the
other says "RE-ELECT MAYOR WHITNEY".
EXT. DAILY PLANET - DAY
LOIS, done up for Halloween as Glinda, the Good Witch of the
North, makes her way across a traffic-infested street. She
carries a BOX large enough to contain another costume. Here and
there are other costumed people, both adults and children. Lois
weaves and bobs against the light, slipping between a TAXI and a
BUS. The CABBIE leans out to yell at her. She swats the hood of
the cab like Ratso Rizzo and brandishes her wand.
CABBIE
You wanna die young?
LOIS
You wanna get turned into a frog?
INT. DAILY PLANET - CITY ROOM - DAY
PERRY enters from his office with a CLIP BOARD, toward Clark.
PERRY
Clark, where's Lois? I've got an assignment
for you two.
CLARK
She went off to pick something up. Said we
had some hot tickets tonight.
PERRY
What'd she mean by that?
Clark shrugs, about to talk as Lois breezes in with her package.
LOIS
Mayor Whitney's annual Halloween party.
PERRY
That's my girl. How'd you wangle an entré to
that?
Lois plops the box down on Clark's desk, opens it and takes out a
sequined "Elvis" outfit.
LOIS
An old high school friend in the mailroom at
City Hall.
PERRY
The height of a big Mayoral campaign and not
a single reporter in town has had as much as
a two-minute interview with either candidate
since the summer.
CLARK
Yeah, I don't get that.
LOIS
Both candidates have piles of money and lots
of television time. They don't need us. But
tonight the Mayor'll get us anyway.
Perry hands Clark a BUSINESS CARD which Clark glances at, then he
looks down at his costume in the box.
PERRY
Just in case Lois' plan is a washout, Clark,
take this card. Lady named Linnea Lambeth.
She runs a children's shelter in the Helltown
section and you might make a good story out
of her.
CLARK
What am I going as? Captain Marvel Junior?
Perry reaches into the box for a pair of SIDEBURNS that he puts
to his own cheeks.
PERRY
Right. Hey I'd go with Lois myself if I
didn't want to see what you look like in this
outfit, son.
(breaks into song)
Since my baby left me ...
Clark joins Perry, mugging the body english and singing.
PERRY & CLARK
... I've found a new place to dwell;
Down at the end of Lonely Street
At the Heartbreak Hotel ...
Perry continues to sing.
CLARK
Okay, I'll be Elvis. Who're you? Priscilla?
LOIS
No, silly. I'm Glinda the Good Witch of the
North.
Clark is thunderstruck. Lois smiles. Perry continues his song.
EXT. DAILY PLANET - DAY
It's getting toward dusk and the rush of the after-work crowd -
both cars and pedestrians - crowding through the street.
LOIS (O.C.)
Well look at it practically, Clark. If you
were Mayor Whitney would you want us asking
you questions?
CLARK (O.C.)
Well sure, Lois. Part of being a responsible
Mayor.
Clark in his Elvis outfit and Lois in her Glinda gear walk out
the revolving door onto the crowded street.
LOIS
It never fails to amaze me how naive you are.
CLARK
What's naive? We're reporters and he's a
public servant. It's his job to talk to us.
LOIS
He didn't do his job when he said he was
going to make the city manageable. Why do
you think he would do it now?
EXT. CITY STREET - DAY
Across the street from Clark and Lois a MUGGER approaches a WOMAN
who carries a SHOULDER BAG. In the middle of a crowded street he
sweeps by the Woman, snatching the bag off her shoulder and
running behind her through the crowd with it. Some in the crowd
wear costumes. In his flight, the Mugger passes a graffiti
"WRITE IN 'S'" sign chalked on a wall.
LOIS
Case in point.
WOMAN
Hey that's mine! Stop him!
LOIS
A daylight purse-snatching right in a crowd
that lets it happen.
(hollers)
Somebody stop that guy!
As Lois watches the Mugger weave through the crowd carrying the
bag by its long strap, Clark lowers his GLASSES and shoots a thin
beam of HEAT VISION across the street ...
CLARK
I don't think the Mayor is responsible for
every little thing that goes wrong -
... which slices cleanly through both sides of the strap, causing
the bag to fall behind the Mugger who continues to run. The
Woman makes her way back through the crowd toward ZORRO - rather,
a man in a Zorro costume - who gallantly picks up the fallen Bag
from the ground and hands it to her.
Angle on Lois and Clark.
CLARK
- and besides, things have a habit of working
out.
LOIS
Clark did you see that? He dropped it.
On Zorro handing the Woman her bag.
WOMAN
Oh thank you. Thank you so much.
ZORRO
I didn't ... he just ... you're welcome.
EXT. CONSTRUCTION SITE - DAY
Lois and Clark walk by a boarded construction site with posters
of Mayor Whitney and candidate Ellsworth covering all available
space. Spray-painted over several of the posters is the "WRITE
IN 'S'" legend.
LOIS
Have you seen a cab yet?
CLARK
With this transit strike on? Forget it. I
thought we were walking.
LOIS
You know, there're some people who've got one
solution to the unmanageability of this city.
CLARK
What's that?
Lois indicates the graffiti "WRITE IN 'S'" message on the wall.
LOIS
This.
CLARK
Yeah right. Drop it all in Superman's lap.
That'll solve everything.
LOIS
I've heard worse ideas. Like walking to this
party.
EXT. METROPOLIS STREET - DAY
Lois and Clark walk into another fairly crowded area. People
rush around. There are also a few in costume.
CLARK
Listen, Lois, this is a democracy where the
people are responsible for their own
government. When I was a kid we had this
state senator who -
LOIS
Oh spare me the stories of cow town politics,
Clark. This is a serious city with serious
problems.
CLARK
Well this "Superman for Mayor" thing is just
a bunch of kids with spray paint. The
election's next week. Superman's certainly
not interested and there's no serious effort
to do any organizing.
Lois looks up. So do many of the people in the street.
LOIS
Really. Well, that's not spray paint.
CLARK
Whuh?
Clark looks up and so do we. Above them, a big BILLBOARD hangs
over the city. Two WORKMEN paste it up. It is a big photo of
Superman. Above him it says, "WRITE IN ..." and below him it
say, "This could be the start of something BIG".
People on the sidewalk spontaneously break into applause and
whooping. Lois joins in. Clark is dubious.
CUT TO
INT. HOTEL LOBBY - NIGHT
A nice hotel. Scads of costumed people traipse through the room
to the elevators. An EVENTS CALENDAR includes this item:
"WHITNEY HALLOWEEN PARTY ... Shayne Ballroom ... 7 PM".
As the partiers drift by, ANGELA comes in. She dresses elegantly
but is almost completely covered. She takes off her coat and hat
to reveal a knockout black witchy outfit, and a breathtaking
body. She does not appear old or young; rather ageless and
quite dangerously beautiful. As she looks over the Events
Calendar, several MEN stop and gawk, WOMEN hustle them along.
One man trips and falls, unconcerned that he might be hurt as he
watches Angela. We hear the SOUNDS of several unspecified things
falling over or breaking off-camera.
Angela smiles sweetly.
INT. HOTEL BALLROOM - NIGHT
This sequence takes place on a TELEVISION SCREEN, though we do
not see that until the sequence ends.
EXT. METROPOLIS AERIAL SHOT - TV SCREEN - DAY
The city is pristine from the air, magnificent, like a sculpture.
The NARRATOR has a rich but rough-edged voice, like Ed Asner.
NARRATOR (O.C.)
Metropolis. City of dreams. Everyone comes
to Metropolis.
EXT. CITY HALL - TV SCREEN - DAY (SERIES OF STILL PICTURES)
Dub in the pictures of several well-known and lesser-known people
here or look-alikes, with Mayor WHITNEY in a succession of poses.
The Mayor stands on the steps of the building greeting, shaking
hands with and/or handing a gold-plated key to the city to (1) a
herd of Boy Scouts, (2) Barbra Streisand, (3) a professional
baseball team, (4) James Earl Jones and Harrison Ford, (5) Billy
Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg and Robin Williams with a giant symbolic
check, (6) Nelson Mandela, (7) Bill and Hillary Clinton, (8)
members of the original cast of Star Trek, (9) a group of desert-
camouflaged soldiers with a Humvee parked in front of them, and
(10) Superman; whatever you can get cheap. Linger on the last
picture, zooming in on a two-shot as the Narrator speaks.
NARRATOR (O.C.)
They come here to live, to shop, to do
business. Very often they come here just to
be here, and to be seen with Mayor Julius
Whitney. Metropolis is the heart and soul of
America and Julie Whitney is Metropolis.
EXT. METROPOLIS AERIAL SHOT - TV SCREEN - DAY
Animation sequence. Overlay a series of futuristic additions to
the aerial shot we saw earlier. First a network of MONORAIL
LINES appears around the city. Then add three or four new
BUILDINGS higher and spacier than the existing ones. Next there
is a smoothly flowing web of AERIAL ROADWAYS over which
hovercraft navigate the city. Finally overlay the legend: "RE-
ELECT MAYOR WHITNEY".
NARRATOR (O.C.)
As he has led us through the past eight
years, so will Julie Whitney take the city of
dreams into a new century.
(aside)
Paid for by the Whitney Re-Election
Committee, Fiscal Agent Wayne Boring.
LOIS (O.C.)
Have you ever seen such tripe?
CLARK (O.C.)
What's wrong with it?
PULL BACK to show that we are in
INT. HOTEL BALLROOM - NIGHT
where Clark and Lois, in costume, mill among a shoulder-to-
shoulder roomful of Halloween revellers looking at one of several
large TELEVISIONS scattered around the room showing off the
Mayor's campaign propaganda.
CLARK
Morning in Metropolis. I'd like to live in a
city like that.
LOIS
Or at least one where the subways were
running and the garbage got picked up.
CLARK
So what's your plan to get this interview
with the Mayor?
LOIS
This is it. Come here and get the interview.
Clark looks at Lois like she's from Pluto, throws up his hands.
Lois breezes off into the crowd accosting the other party-goers.
LOIS
Excuse me, have you seen the Mayor? ... Has
Mayor Whitney arrived yet? ... Pardon me, is
that - no ... Sir, do you know if ...
INT. HOTEL LOBBY - NIGHT
On the elevator. It RINGS and the door opens.
Clark steps off the elevator, holding the Business Card that
Perry gave him earlier and rooting through the pockets of his
Elvis costume for change. He passes the figure of Angela sitting
on a lobby chair reading a paper and of her he sees only her
legs, which he notices as he walks toward a PAY PHONE.
Angle on Angela as she folds the newspaper, smiles and walks
toward the pay phones. A GUY behind the registration desk ogles
her. She hands him the newspaper.
ANGELA
Take care of this for me, would you?
GUY
I'll guard it with my life.
Angle on Clark, talking on the pay phone, looking at the Business
Card in his hand and facing toward the wall. The REST ROOM DOORS
are visible beyond the pay phones.
CLARK
Yeah, Ms. Lambeth? This is Clark Kent with
the Daily Planet. I heard about your shelter
and my editor thought you'd make a good
story. I wonder if I could ...
Angela walks into frame, picks up the phone next to Clark's and
watches him intently until he notices her not breaking her gaze.
CLARK
I'm just a few minutes from there now, if ...
sure I'd love to ... My name is Kent, K-E ...
oh thank you, I like your work too ... see
you in a few minutes. Just let me change.
Clark hangs up by depressing the tab and holding the receiver as
if he is going to make another call. Angela hangs her receiver.
ANGELA
I thought she'd talk forever, didn't you?
CLARK
Do we know each other?
ANGELA
Not yet. My name is Angela January.
Angela extends a hand. Clark, taken by surprise, drops the
receiver and fumbles with it.
INT. CLARK'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT
FLASHBACK SCENE. Fuzzy around the edges to show it's taking
place in Clark's memory, the holographic image of Old Supes with
an ethereal glow floats in the room.
OLD SUPES
You'll need help. You must not trust Angela
January.
END FLASHBACK.
INT. HOTEL LOBBY - NIGHT
Angela leans in close to Clark. He is at such an angle that no
one in the lobby could see him head-on except Angela. Clark is
oddly nervous.
ANGELA
I'm the best thing that ever happened to you,
guy.
CLARK
I've had some very good things happen to me.
ANGELA
There've always been people like us here.
People whose origins are elsewhere. People
with powers and abilities far beyond those of
mortal men.
CLARK
Excuse me?
ANGELA
I'm behind it. I'm behind it all. The
graffiti, the posters, the television spots
you'll be seeing. I've got plans. Making
you Mayor of this city is just a first step.
CLARK
Making me ... ? Miss January, maybe you've
mistaken me for someone else.
ANGELA
Oh, I don't think so, Elvis. Making you
Mayor ... making you President ... doesn't
even start to trace the path you'll take.
Angela gives Clark a teasing kiss on the cheek. As Clark is put
off guard by this, Angela brings a hand up to his collarbone,
slips a finger under the top of his shirt and slices downward to
rip open the shirt and reveal his "S" emblem.
For a moment Clark is dazed. Then he shakes it off, looks down
and holds the ripped shirt together, perplexed.
ANGELA
Be what you were born to be. A god.
Clark looks around and scoots into the MEN'S ROOM.
As Angela leaves, chuckling, the eyes of the few people in the
lobby are fixed to her, no one noticing Clark dart into the Men's
Room with his emblem hanging out.
FADE OUT.
END OF ACT ONE
ACT TWO
FADE IN:
INT. DAILY PLANET - CITY ROOM - DAY
This sequence takes place on a TELEVISION SCREEN, though we do
not see that until the sequence ends.
EXT. SCUZZY STREET SCENE - TV SCREEN - DAY
Garbage piles up along the curbs. Tenements. Puddles collect.
A VAGRANT or two sits on a stoop or lies by a building. There is
no traffic, but several ratty CARS and at least one stripped HUSK
of a car are parked here. In the distance, above the tenements,
are the gleaming TOWERS of midtown Metropolis.
The SPEAKER narrates in a conspiratorial whisper.
SPEAKER (O.C.)
Is this your Metropolis? Does the city of
your dreams lie on an underbelly of disease,
ignorance and poverty?
As long black LIMOUSINE rumbles toward us up the street and
passes us.
EXT. STREET TO CITY HALL - TV SCREEN - DAY
FOLLOW the Limo as it zooms away from us, under the back side of
CITY HALL looming like the Emerald City at the far end of the
poverty-laden street.
SPEAKER (O.C.)
In Julius Whitney's Metropolis, poverty and
homelessness have multiplied. Unemployment
is above nine percent. Four out of five new
businesses started in the past eight years
have failed. Whitney has raised city income
taxes three times and sixteen of his
appointees and associates have been indicted
for corruption.
EXT. CITY HALL - TV SCREEN - DAY
ELLSWORTH in loosened tie and his jacket over his arm walks out
the main door of the building, talking amiably with three or four
officious looking SUITS that walk out with him. As the Speaker
talks, Ellsworth skips jauntily down the steps toward the camera.
SPEAKER (O.C.)
In six years on the City Council, Morton
Ellsworth hasn't been indicted for anything.
As Mayor, Morton Ellsworth will put his
sterling record of honesty and integrity to
work for a new Metropolis.
By now Ellsworth is full face in the camera. He flips his jacket
over his shoulder as he begins to speak.
ELLSWORTH
Hi. I'm Morty Ellsworth. Make me Mayor and
I'll make Julius Whitney's Metropolis into
our Metropolis again.
FREEZE FRAME on Ellsworth. Overlay the legend: "ELLSWORTH FOR
MAYOR".
Pull back from the TV screen to show we are in
INT. DAILY PLANET - CITY ROOM - DAY
General hub-bub. It's the height of morning activity here.
Clark at his desk talks into his phone with a hand over his free
ear. Lois types feverishly at her keyboard. JIMMY and Perry
watch the TV fixed to a wall.
SPEAKER (O.C.)
(perfunctorily)
Paid for by Friends of Morton Ellsworth, Otto
Binder Fiscal Agent.
CLARK
(into phone)
Sorry I didn't make it there last night, Ms.
Lambeth. I just got a little sidetracked.
PERRY
So much for the candidate's new TV spot.
JIMMY
That's a great recommendation. We should
vote for this guy because he's never been
indicted. I should run for Mayor.
Perry reaches up to flip off the TV, but he doesn't reach it yet.
LOIS
His main qualification is he's not the Mayor
now. You should still run for Mayor.
CLARK
I'll be there around lunchtime then. Thanks.
Clark hangs up the phone and gets up to leave, but looks back at
the TV screen on which is a closeup of a color picture of George
Washington. Perry stays his hand.
PERRY
Hey what's this?
On the Television Screen.
The voice of the NARRATOR is deep and trustworthy, like James
Earl Jones or Patrick Stewart.
NARRATOR (O.C.)
George Washington.
CS. ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Black-and-white photo.
NARRATOR (O.C.)
Abraham Lincoln.
CS. DWIGHT EISENHOWER
Circa 1944 shot in his General's uniform.
NARRATOR (O.C.)
Dwight D. Eisenhower.
EXT. THE CAPITOL - DAY
Black-and-white, JOHN F. KENNEDY gives his inaugural address,
January 2, 1961. MOS.
NARRATOR (O.C.)
John F. Kennedy.
EXT. SCHOOLYARD - DAY
KIDS play and TEACHERS oversee. KID #1 points up at a spot in
the sky, growing as it approaches. TEACHER #1 looks up,
unconcerned, but as TEACHER #2 and the other Kids look up, the
image grows into the approaching figure of SUPERMAN.
KID #1
Look! Up in the sky.
TEACHER #1
It's a bird.
KID #2
It's a plane.
NARRATOR (O.C.)
Remember when public servants were heroes
too?
TEACHER
It's ... it's ...
Superman lands on the schoolyard, smiling, and scads of kids and
teachers swarm around him in adulation.
NARRATOR (O.C.)
It could happen again.
FREEZE FRAME on Superman, surrounded by adoring kids. A SUPER
materializes in the middle of the screen: "SUPERMAN FOR MAYOR".
NARRATOR (O.C.)
This could be the start of something big.
PULL BACK to show that we are watching this on a TV in
INT. DAILY PLANET - CITY ROOM - DAY
STAFFERS, including Perry, Lois and Jimmy, stand at the TV, rapt.
NARRATOR (O.C.)
Angela January, Fiscal Agent.
Those gathered around the Television burst into applause. Clark
stands by the door on the balcony of the room, watching everyone
else in the room marvel at the ad. He is troubled.
JIMMY
Wow.
The staff, all gathered at the TV screen, jabber and murmur
excitedly like the opening SFX on Jeopardy. Clark lets loose a
breath and slips out the door.
EXT. LINNEA'S PLACE - DAY
A storefront in the raunchy Helltown section of Metropolis has
all of its front windows painted over in colorful patterns and
designs of translucent paint. A big hand-painted sign over the
door and windows says, "LINNEA'S PLACE".
LINNEA (O.C.)
We call it a children's shelter, Mr. Kent,
but they're not all children as you can see.
CLARK (O.C.)
There are so many, Ms. Lambeth.
INT. LINNEA'S PLACE - MAIN ROOM - DAY
Clark and LINNEA - 50-ish and fit, a no-nonsense lady who in her
youth was probably a major point of contention - stand together
in the big open room that would be the "store" if this storefront
were a mercantile concern. All around them are PATRONS, mostly
between 8 and 18 but not exclusively, working on one project or
another. In one corner a group of three or four SINGERS with
headphones rehearse a performance together. Elsewhere a young
TEACHER reads a book out loud to a circle of small CHILDREN. At
a table six or seven TEENS play poker for pogs. A few WATCHING
KIDS gather around a MONITOR as nearby three young ACTORS play a
scene to a CAMCORDER on a tripod. Young PAINTERS of various
ages, as appropriate, paint pictures on different easels, from
fingerpaints to oils. In every spare corner are STUDENTS, rapt
in their books and looseleaves.
LINNEA
Call me Linnea. Everyone does.
CLARK
Then I'm Clark. Where do they all belong?
LINNEA
Here. They belong here.
(taking Clark's arm)
Let me show you something, Clark.
INT. LINNEA'S PLACE - PLAYROOM - DAY
A YOUNG TEACHER uses FLASHCARDS to help teach RUSSELL, 7, to
read. The room is smaller and quieter than the Main Room,
outfitted with SCHOOL DESKS, a BLACKBOARD, some TOYS and
DECORATIONS on the walls reminiscent of an early elementary
grades classroom: alphabets, pictures of the Presidents, current
events, that sort of thing.
YOUNG TEACHER
What's this one?
RUSSELL
I don't know.
YOUNG TEACHER
You did a minute ago.
RUSSELL
Lion?
YOUNG TEACHER
So you do know.
As the Young Teacher and Russell speak quietly we PULL BACK to
show that there are four or five other teacher/kid PAIRS in the
room and Clark and Linnea stand near the door quietly.
YOUNG TEACHER
How about this one?
LINNEA
Russell over there is autistic. He was
diagnosed only after he came here four weeks
ago. His teachers just assumed he was dull.
CLARK
Came here from where?
LINNEA
Oh, home. Or what passes for it. Took him
three days to start speaking, longer to start
reading.
CLARK
And where do they go next?
LINNEA
That's the problem. If I were in charge of
things Russell's mother would move into a
safe house with him and get special training
that would not only allow her to help raise
her son, but would train her to work as a
teacher's aide for special needs kids.
CLARK
Ambitious.
LINNEA
I've got more.
INT. LINNEA'S PLACE - MAIN ROOM - DAY
On the PAINTERS. Among them one big boy, TYSON works on a very
detailed and ambitious canvass in oils.
LINNEA (O.C.)
Junie, the little one over there, is dyslexic
but very bright. Nobody diagnosed her before
she came here. Tyson, the big boy working
with oils, never had an art lesson in his
life, or a music lesson for that matter, but
he plays piano like an angel and paints, well
... like that.
On the SINGERS.
LINNEA (O.C.)
We got Aurelia there an operation on her
appendix that probably saved her life.
On Linnea, pointing variously around the room. Clark has a
NOTEPAD in one hand, motions for her to slow down.
LINNEA
Frankie over there was living with an aunt
and uncle who moved without a forwarding
address. And if I were in charge Jillian
here would get a -
CLARK
You keep saying if you were in charge,
Linnea. Why don't you run for City Council
or something?
LINNEA
My dear Clark, I've been on the ballot for
Mayor for the past twelve years.
Clark reacts, startled.
EXT. METROPOLIS - HELLTOWN STREET - DAY
On the roof of the highest TENEMENT in the neighborhood stands a
single figure looking out over the neighborhood. Visible
somewhere is a big "Write-in Superman" billboard. Gradually ZOOM
on the figure so we see that it's Angela. She looks great with
clothes billowing in the wind and a distant look in her eyes.
Clark and Linnea's conversation continues out of frame.
CLARK (O.C.)
Excuse me? On the ballot?
LINNEA (O.C.)
Sure. Every election the kids and the people
in the neighborhood go out and get signatures
and I'm one of those names on the ballot no
one ever notices.
CLARK (O.C.)
Do you campaign?
Angela gracefully dives off the roof and falls out of frame.
LINNEA (O.C.)
Heavens no, I don't have the money for that.
But I've carried this part of town the last
three elections.
INT. LINNEA'S PLACE - MAIN ROOM - DAY
Linnea walks Clark to the door and opens it. He walks out.
CLARK
The mayor of Helltown.
LINNEA
Nice title. Hi to your editor for me, Clark,
and call if you need to know anything else.
EXT. LINNEA'S PLACE - DAY
Clark comes out the door. Linnea stands with him for a moment as
Angela officiously walks up to him on the street, taking his arm.
CLARK
Will do. Good lu-
ANGELA
Clark, we've been looking all over for you.
CLARK
Uhh ...
ANGELA
There's a holdup in the Bronx, Brooklyn's
breaking out in fights. There's a traffic
jam in Harlem that's backed up to Jackson
Heights ...
LINNEA
Back to work.
Linnea smiles and disappears back into her storefront as Angela
hustles Clark down the sidewalk.
ANGELA
... and I've got to show you something. What
should I call you, Superman? Kal-El?
As Clark talks, Angela's stride becomes flight. She lifts off
the ground, holding tightly onto Clark's arm.
CLARK
Clark's fine. You're flying. Who are you?
ANGELA
I told you. Angela January, the best thing
that ever happened to you. You'll need your
work clothes.
EXT. VEST POCKET PARK - DAY
A small park in the business section of town, sort of like the
Steve Ross memorial on the Warner lot. Give it slate or marble
sheet walls in tall narrow panels that Superman can use for a
rescue later. A CROWD of people rally good-naturedly, some with
signs that say things like, "SUPERMAN FOR MAYOR" and "VOTE SMART
- VOTE SUPER" and "THE START OF SOMETHING BIG" and "A MAN OF
TOMORROW FOR TOMORROW'S METROPOLIS".
LOIS talks to demonstrators and JIMMY snaps photos of the crowd.
A WMET News CAMERA CREW debark from a NEWSVAN as Lois talks.
CROWD
Write in Superman!
Write in Superman!
Write in Superman!
LOIS
Excuse me, but who organized this rally?
SIGN CARRIER #1
Who knows? Not me.
LOIS
Well did all you people just materialize here
with printed signs and press releases?
SIGN CARRIER #2
I got the word on my computer at work. The
screen just lit up saying "Pro-Superman rally
at Vest Pocket Park noon today," so I came.
LOIS
That's how I found out about it. I thought
it was an e-mail from my editor.
SIGN CARRIER #2
Yeah me too. Then I realized my computer's
not hooked up to a network.
Lois thinks about that, then looks suddenly startled as we
CUT TO
EXT. THE SKY - DAY
Floating among the clouds are Angela and Superman.
SUPERMAN
Why mayor? Why me?
ANGELA
Who better? There are more of us, Clark.
People like you and me. Some fly. Some cast
spells. Some run faster than lightning.
We've always been here. And once, we ruled.
SUPERMAN
Ruled?
ANGELA
My grandfather lived on Mount Olympus in the
Aegean ten thousand years ago. He and his
family gave men fire ... the wheel ...
created civilization. Then men spurned them.
SUPERMAN
Olympus? Zeus and the Greek gods? Angela,
how old are you?
ANGELA
How old do you think you'll get? There
aren't any "natural causes" to stop you. See
them down there, demonstrating, worshipping
you? Why don't you make an appearance?
SUPERMAN
I'm not running for anything. Why should I
encourage that?
ANGELA
I don't know. But what would you do ...
Angela extends a hand downward and energy beams shoot out her
fingertips - like x-ray vision only a different color.
EXT. VEST POCKET PARK - DAY
Lois, Jimmy and the Camera Crew mingle among the growing crowd.
The thin BEAMS of light shoot down from the sky, hit the ground
and kick up big shards of park flooring like it's dust.
ANGELA (O.C.)
... if, say, a water main were to burst?
From under the busted flooring of the park a two-foot-diameter
length of metal PIPING rears up from underground like a huge
spitting cobra, to spray a deluge of water under enormous
pressure all over the area, knocking people into walls and each
other, spattering Lois and Jimmy like flies by a cow's tail.
Superman flashes down from the sky. He yanks the tall stone
panels out of the wall of the park and quickly pokes them side-by-
side into the ground around the spewing pipe to wall in the rush
of water. Within this barrier the water begins to rise.
Outside the wall the water begins to flow into the streets and
sewers. Superman helps a soaking wet Lois to her feet. Jimmy,
nearby, climbs to his feet by grabbing Superman's arm.
SUPERMAN
Sudden storm, Lois?
LOIS
Superman. Boy am I glad to see you!
As Jimmy is about to drop his camera in the ebbing water Superman
grabs for it at super-speed and hands it to Jimmy. Superman
gestures toward another MAN who seems rattled.
JIMMY
Gee thanks, Superman.
SUPERMAN
Is that man all right.
MAN
I'm fine, Mr. Mayor.
Superman leaps behind the wall he made to contain the quickly
rising water of the still spewing pipe and we are suddenly
EXT. VEST POCKET PARK - UNDERWATER - DAY
in the area contained by the makeshift wall. Superman squeezes
shut the spouting mouth of the exposed pipe, keeping any more
water from shooting out, and then he shoots upward.
EXT. VEST POCKET PARK - SKY ABOVE - DAY
Superman flies in tight concentric circle directly above the
"tank" of water he has made with his makeshift wall, drawing the
water in it upward into the sky in a tall narrow funnel.
On the ground Lois, Jimmy (who snaps away), the camera crew (who
are filming) and the erstwhile demonstrators all watch, bracing
themselves from the backdraft of the wind Superman whips up.
Superman rises in the sky, still spinning, the funnel of water
following him upward. When he is as high as the roofs of nearby
buildings he stops spinning with his water and flies out of his
pattern onto a convenient roof.
EXT. ROOFTOP - DAY
The big funnel of water, no longer rising, hangs for a moment
suspended over the city as Superman, soaking wet, stands on the
roof and focusses his heat vision in a wide beam below it.
As the funnel falls, it tumbles into the beam of heat vision and,
rather than raining down on the city below, the water steams up
as it hits the heat, dissipating into the sky.
EXT. VEST POCKET PARK - DAY
All those watching stand dumbfounded, agape for a moment, then a
WOMAN says, just above a whisper ...
WOMAN
Write in Superman.
... and gradually, one at a time, everyone but the reporters
joins in until the whisper becomes a chant, then a roar ...
GATHERING CROWD
Write in Superman.
Write in Superman.
Write in Superman.
Write in Superman.
EXT. ROOFTOP - DAY
Superman watches the cloud of steam rise into the sky and we
continue to hear the rising refrain from the crowd below.
Behind Superman, from out of the sky, Angela lands lightly.
Superman speaks to her angrily, without turning.
SUPERMAN
Angela, why on Earth would you do that? Are
you out of your mind?
ANGELA
Yes I am ...
Angela touches the backs of Superman's shoulders, spins him
around, and just before she locks her lips on his she says ...
ANGELA
... over you.
EXT. VEST POCKET PARK - DAY
The crowd continue their chant. Jimmy snaps pictures. The
camera crew is in the shot. Lois shrugs and joins the chant.
LOIS
Oh what the heck? Write in Superman. Write
in Super -
One of the crew points up into the sky as the Cameraman points
his camera upward too. Lois looks up, stops her chant as the
crowd continues. Her expression is suddenly downcast.
EXT. SKY ABOVE METROPOLIS - DAY
Superman and Angela, in an intense clinch, rise high in the sky,
kissing. Eventually they disappear into a cloud.
There is a flash of lightning and then a clap of thunder.
FADE OUT.
END OF ACT TWO
ACT THREE
FADE IN:
This sequence takes place on a TELEVISION SCREEN, though we do
not see that until the sequence ends.
EXT. COUNTRY VILLAGE HALL - DAY
A bleak wintry scene in the crowded parking lot of a rustic New
Hampshire municipal building as a PICKUP TRUCK with snow chains
skids into a space amid the slush and drifting snow. TWO VOTERS,
bundled in coats and scarves, get out of the Pickup to stand in a
line of PEOPLE that extends out the front door of the building.
Voice-over is that of WAYNE KING, the Governor of New Hampshire.
WAYNE (O.C.)
Every four years, in the dead of a North
Country winter, we New Hampshire voters cast
the first ballots in the nation for the next
President of the United States.
INT. COUNTRY VILLAGE HALL - DAY
A hand-ballot voting operation is in progress. TWO LINES of
people go into two VOTING BOOTHS, one marked "DEMOCRATIC" and the
other marked "REPUBLICAN." A THIRD LINE of people wait at a TABLE
to get their names checked off by TWO SUPERVISORS. Off to the
side, a few JOCULAR FOLKS consume COFFEE and DOUGHNUTS.
WAYNE (O.C.)
Now we hear that Superman is a write-in
candidate to be Mayor of Metropolis.
EXT. NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE HOUSE - DAY
Wayne King, in shirt and tie with a jacket slung over his
shoulder, stands in front of the gold-domed building.
WAYNE
I'm Wayne King, the Governor of New
Hampshire. Folks up this way have a long
history of getting there first.
Wayne begins to undo his TIE and unbutton his SHIRT.
WAYNE
That's why the people of New Hampshire are
jealous of the people of Metropolis this
year.
Wayne opens his shirt to reveal a Superman "S-emblem" underneath.
ZOOM on the S-emblem and overlay the SUPER: "SUPERMAN FOR MAYOR".
WAYNE
This could be the start of something big.
CUT TO
EXT. CITY HALL - DAY
JEFF GREENFIELD, the ABC News media reporter does a standup with
a microphone in hand on the steps of the old marble building.
GREENFIELD
It's ads like that, paid for by an unknown
independent operation going under the
mysterious name of 'Angela January,' that are
driving the major candidates for Mayor of
Metropolis positively bonkers. The latest
ABC News running poll shows Councilman
Ellsworth and Mayor Whitney neck-in-neck ...
INSERT the appended GRAPHIC for three seconds as Greenfield
continues.
GREENFIELD
... with undeclared write-in candidate
Superman showing sudden super-strength the
past week. So much so that with just days
before the election ...
Back on Greenfield's standup. Pull back to show the television
set on which we are watching this in the course of the next line.
GREENFIELD
...the two official candidates - who have
virtually no issue but personalities, or lack
of them, separating them - have agreed to
stage their first public debate, and one of
their few public appearances, of the
campaign. What will they debate about? Who
knows? Peter?
Show we are watching this in
INT. KENTS' FARMHOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
MARTHA sits on an easy chair doing a crossword, smiling and
shaking her head at the TV screen for a moment.
MARTHA
(calls)
Jonathan?
Martha picks up her REMOTE and flips the television off.
INT. KENTS' FARMHOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT
JONATHAN is deeply involved - roughly up to his elbows, as it
happens - in mixing together a big vat of chili on the stove.
Martha is out of frame.
MARTHA (O.C.)
Jonathan! What's a word meaning
'deliberately, for dolphins?'
JONATHAN
What's that?
EXT. AMERICA - NIGHT
RUNNING SHOT at super-speed of the countryside between Metropolis
and Smallville.
INT. KENTS' FARMHOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Martha scrunches in her easy chair doing her crossword.
MARTHA
It says 'deliberately, for dolphins.'
EXT. KENTS' FARMHOUSE - PORCH - NIGHT
A flash of RED ruffles at the edge of the frame in front of the
door and then Clark walks into frame to open the door.
MARTHA (O.C.)
Thirteen letters. Starts with a ...
INT. KENTS' FARMHOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Martha continues to wrestle with her crossword. Clark walks in
the front door and Martha gets up to hug him.
CLARK
How about 'porpoisefully?'
MARTHA
Clark! My son the Mayor.
CLARK
Oh not you too. Does it work?
MARTHA
What?
Clark points at the newspaper. Martha looks at it.
MARTHA
Porpoisefully. It fits. Jonathan, our son
the genius is home.
Jonathan, grinning, hustles out from the kitchen with his hands
full of red chili sauce.
JONATHAN
Great. Just in time for a bowlful of my
special chili.
Clark looks at Martha with a rueful expression and she looks back
with a "don't-you-dare-hurt-your-father's-feelings" expression.
CLARK
Great.
INT. KENTS' FARMHOUSE - DINING ROOM - NIGHT
Clark, Jonathan and Martha sit at the table eating chili and
bread and drinking big glasses of fruit juice.
JONATHAN
So what's the story, son? It's all over the
news that you're the next Mayor of
Metropolis. Is it true?
CLARK
I don't want to be Mayor. That's not what I
do. It's just this ...
MARTHA
This what, Clark?
CLARK
This girl.
MARTHA
A girl? What girl?
CLARK
Her name's Angela January. She's the one
who's been fronting the money for the
campaign to make me Mayor.
JONATHAN
Here. Have more chili.
CLARK
Thanks Dad.
MARTHA
Just one person? Where does her money come
from?
CLARK
Oh I don't know. Squeezing coal into
diamonds. Flying people to Europe in a bus
for the air fare. Money's the easy part.
JONATHAN
What do you mean? She's ...
CLARK
Like me.
MARTHA
She's ... like you? She's from Krypton?
EXT. SKY OVER SMALLVILLE - NIGHT
High above the Kents' farmhouse a point of light grows in the
sky. As it comes closer we see that it is Angela, approaching
the house. She swoops silently to take a seat on the eave over
the front door.
CLARK (O.C.)
No, I think she's from here. Maybe her
ancestors were from somewhere like Krypton.
But I think she's from here. Maybe I'm not
such a freak.
INT. KENTS' FARMHOUSE - DINING ROOM - NIGHT
Clark wolfs down his bowl of chili as he talks with his parents.
MARTHA
Oh Clark, we've talked about that.
CLARK
No no, Mom, it's not that. It's her. I
can't stop looking at her. I mean she's
different from anyone else I've ever met.
She's the only person I don't have to put on
a pair of glasses to get her to treat me as
an equal.
MARTHA
And what about Lois?
Clark looks at Martha for a moment as though he doesn't recognize
the name.
CLARK
Lois? Lois.
JONATHAN
Here son. What you need is some more chili.
EXT. KENTS' HOUSE - NIGHT
Angela gets to her feet on the roof as we hear Clark leaving.
MARTHA (O.C.)
(muffled)
Now you take care, son.
JONATHAN (O.C.)
(muffled)
I'm sure you'll do what's right.
We hear the door close. From Angela's POV we see Clark, undoing
his shirt, stepping clear of the house about to change into
costume. She stands provocatively on the roof calling to him.
ANGELA
Hey flyboy. Want to come out and play?
Clark, partially costumed, turns toward Angela and smiles.
INT. DAILY PLANET - CITY ROOM - DAY
Perry storms out of his office waving a copy of the Daily Star.
PERRY
Lois. Lois! Jimmy! Clark!
Lois slumps at her desk with a pencil in her mouth, mussed hair,
unkempt clothing and running makeup. She plays it more pissed
than upset. Jimmy pops his head in from the copying room. A
COMPUTER sits either on Lois' desk or somewhere else visible.
JIMMY
Yeah Chief.
LOIS
Huh?
PERRY
Lois, you look like a bucket of warm spit.
LOIS
I love you too, Perry.
Out an office WINDOW a silent red-and-blue streak through the sky
approaches the building.
PERRY
We're running a full court press on this
Superman-for-Mayor thing before the most
respected newspaper in town becomes the
poorest. Where's Clark? He ought to be in
on this.
Clark, chipper as a beaver, pokes a head through the door, then
enters the city room.
CLARK
Sorry I'm late. Long night. Hi Lois, are
you all right?
LOIS
Yeah I'm great.
PERRY
Have you seen the Star?
CLARK
The Star. Oh, the Daily Star. The
competition. Never miss it. Except today.
Why?
PERRY
Look at this cover. Somebody there got a
shot of Superman running around town with
some mystery woman.
Lois winces. Clark looks embarrassed and Jimmy intrigued.
Perry shows them the cover of the Star which shows a telephoto
shot of Superman flying through a fireworks display over a
stadium hand-in-hand with Angela, both grinning. There's also a
blowup face inset of Angela in a frame shaped like a heart. The
headline says: "SUPER-FIREWORKS: WHO IS THE MAN OF STEEL'S NEW
FLAME?"
PERRY
Kids, we've been missing stories right and
left on this election thing. We've been
assuming it's just kids with spray cans and
we could wake up Wednesday morning with a
flying Mayor.
Jimmy looks over the newspaper, marvelling.
JIMMY
What a babe.
Lois shoots Jimmy a poisonous look. He looks contrite.
LOIS
(to Clark)
What're you so happy about?
CLARK
Sorry. Don't know what came over me.
PERRY
That's this morning's Star. And here's this
morning's Planet.
Perry picks up a copy of the Daily Planet and hands it to Jimmy.
Lois and Clark look over his shoulder at the paper. The biggest
headline says: "CANDIDATES CAN'T AGREE TO DEBATE RULES" and there
are stock head shots of Whitney and Ellsworth. Down below the
fold is a photo of Linnea with an article by Clark Kent
headlined: "LINNEA LAMBETH UNOFFICIAL MAYOR OF HELLTOWN HAS
PRESCRIPTION FOR METROPOLIS".
PERRY
Anything strike you about the difference?
JIMMY
Well I'd sooner pick up the Star. Is that
what you're getting at, Chief?
CLARK
I don't know. There's this article by Clark
Kent on the front page of the Planet. I hear
he's good.
PERRY
And it's a darn good article too. Too bad
it's about nothing anybody wants to read
about.
LOIS
Nobody wants to read about anything, Perry.
We're in a dying industry in a culture all
wrapped up in telejournalism and video games.
In a hundred years we'll all be dead anyway.
Perry, Clark and Jimmy stare quizzically at Lois for a moment.
Jimmy holds up the front page of the Star with Superman and
Angela on it and Perry nods knowingly.
Then the Computer on Lois' desk beeps, followed likewise by every
computer and word processor in the room.
PERRY
What's that about?
JIMMY
A message.
On the computer monitor is a starburst shape overlaying the word
processing information behind. On the starburst is the message
that Clark reads out loud.
CLARK
News conference on Superman's Mayoral
campaign - City Square outdoors - 10:30 AM
this morning - Be there!
PERRY
Okay kids. That's eighteen minutes from now
and ten minutes away by cab. Get moving.
Jimmy scrambles his camera and heads for the door. Lois lets a
deep breath, takes her shoulder bag and gets up. Clark pauses.
CLARK
Wait a minute, Perry. Do you think this is
on the level?
PERRY
Clark, we've got access codes protecting our
computers from crank messages like this, if
it is a crank message. I just know that
whoever sent it to us probably got into every
news bureau in town.
CLARK
You've got a point. Coming Lois?
LOIS
I'll catch up.
Clark goes for the door. Lois walks to the side of the exit
toward a hallway.
INT. DAILY PLANET - INTERIOR HALLWAY - DAY
Lois walks quickly toward a room marked "WOMEN". Alone, she
begins to cry. As she reaches out her hand to push open the door
there is a quick WHOOSHING noise and Superman steps between Lois
and the door.
SUPERMAN
Lois?
LOIS
Oh. You. Hello. Sorry, I've got something
in my eye. What is it?
Superman scans Lois' eyes with MICROSCOPIC VISION.
SUPERMAN
Well your tear ducts are irritated from -
LOIS
No, I mean what is this? Why are you here?
SUPERMAN
I just wanted to see a friend.
LOIS
A friend?
SUPERMAN
Yes. You see I have to make a decision.
Maybe a few important decisions about the
direction of my life. And I wondered if -
LOIS
The direction of your life?
SUPERMAN
Yes. I have a life.
LOIS
Well ding-ding for you, friend. It'd be
nice, if we're such good friends, if you let
me in on your life a little.
SUPERMAN
I do.
LOIS
You do? You show up when I'm about to fall
off a building. I might as well be your
puppy.
SUPERMAN
I just thought you were my -
LOIS
Friend? Well I have a job, friend. I'm
supposed to go to some press conference you
supposedly scheduled, friend.
SUPERMAN
I'm not having any press conference. I -
LOIS
Well then I'll find that out with all the
other egg-on-their-faces journalists who turn
up, won't I?
SUPERMAN
I'm sorry to bother you at work, Lois. I'll
talk to you another time.
Superman turns to leave, but Lois puts a hand on his shoulder.
He turns around, and she lays a kiss on his lips that is, if
anything, even steamier than the first kiss from Angela.
Lois lets go of him and scurries into the Women's Room. Superman
seems positively dazed for a moment. He is about to push open
the door of the Women's Room, but thinks better of it. He just
leans on the wall for a moment.
FADE OUT.
END OF ACT THREE
ACT FOUR
FADE IN:
EXT. CITY HALL - CITY SQUARE - DAY
Several dozen CHAIRS stand on the Square in the intersection in
front of City Hall and as many REPORTERS mill around among them,
including Clark, Lois and Jimmy. A PODIUM with a MICROPHONE
stands in front of the chairs and TWO CAMERA CREWS set up their
respective EQUIPMENT in the back of the chairs to tape the
conference. Lots of milling around. Lois is the only one
sitting, slumped and bothered in a chair on the center aisle. As
Jimmy and Clark stand in the aisle talking, other men among the
group of Reporters look up, out of frame and behind Clark. They
drop what they're doing and gawk.
JIMMY
You really think Superman'll show up to this
thing?
CLARK
Anything's possible.
(to Lois)
Lois you really should get out more.
Lois grunts.
JIMMY
Don't worry about her, Clark. She'll snap
out of it the next time she smells a story
about some disaster or ...
Jimmy trails off, watching the figure of Angela approach up the
center aisle.
Angela walks into frame, holding the blank stare of every man on
the square and slowing some traffic as it goes by too.
JIMMY
That's her. Wow.
CLARK
Who?
As Angela brushes by behind Clark he jumps as if she goosed him.
JIMMY
The girl who was seen with Superman. Is she
the campaign manager?
Clark shrugs. Reporters take their seats. Clark sits with
Jimmy, on the aisle in the row behind Lois. Angela stands at the
podium.
ANGELA
I see I've got your attention.
JIMMY
I'll say.
ANGELA
My name is Angela January, the fiscal agent
of the campaign to elect Superman Mayor of
Metropolis. Superman is elsewhere on
pressing business ...
As Angela speaks she gestures oddly in the direction of passing
traffic, as if willing something to happen there.
ANGELA
... but he's authorized me to tell you that
if the people of Metropolis decide tomorrow,
Election Day, that they want him to be their
Mayor ...
EXT. CITY HALL - STREET NEXT TO CITY SQUARE - DAY
Cars move slowly as they go by this scene, but a transparent RAY
comes from Angela's direction to hit and boil for a moment on the
surface of the hood of a LARGE CAR.
ANGELA (O.C.)
... then he's willing and able to -
The Large Car skids out of its DRIVER's control, up the curb of
the Square beside Angela, careening at the crowd of seated
reporters.
EXT. CITY HALL - CITY SQUARE - DAY
BEGIN SLOW-MOTION.
On some Reporters, startled.
On Angela, smiling slightly.
On Lois and Jimmy, looking up, alarmed.
On the Large Car advancing across the square and its helpless
DRIVER spinning the wheel to no effect.
Next to Jimmy, Clark steps out of the row into the aisle, loosens
his tie and while all eyes are on the accident-to-be Clark fades
in a blur of super-speed, seeming to vanish.
On the crowd of Reporters trying hopelessly to get out of their
seats and out of the way of the oncoming Large Car as ...
Superman swoops out of the sky to interpose himself between the
Large Car and the people.
END SLOW-MOTION.
The car crashes spectacularly against Superman. Through the
shattering window, a driver-side AIRBAG is visible cushioning the
Driver. Metal twists; glass breaks; the crisis is averted.
Scattered over the Square are Reporters, Camera Equipment and
toppled Chairs in random states of disarray. Only Angela, cool
and composed at the undisturbed podium, and Lois, slumped and
unconcerned in her chair, are unaffected by the chaos.
Slowly, the Reporters get up, brush themselves off and reacquire
their composure. Superman tears open the side of the wrecked
Large Car and helps the Driver out.
SUPERMAN
Are you all right?
DRIVER
I'm fine, yes. Will it explode or anything?
SUPERMAN
No, but I'm afraid it's just a pile of
twisted slag. Here let me introduce you to
someone.
Superman walks the Driver over to Angela. Reporters gather
around, including Jimmy who snaps pictures.
ANGELA
How nice that you could come, Mr. Mayor.
SUPERMAN
Sir, this woman goes by the name of Angela
January. She is extremely rich. She'll
replace your car.
DRIVER
Thank you.
ANGELA
I won't do anything of the sort. We're gods,
not servants.
All the Reporters - even Lois who wanders over, mildly interested
in the proceeding - listen and most take notes or pictures.
SUPERMAN
You don't have a clue, Angela. We're people.
Just people. And like everyone, we're
responsible for ourselves. A woman your age
should have learned that by now.
Angela gets all huffy.
REPORTER #1
Superman, what will be the first thing you do
as Mayor?
REPORTER #2
How will you deal with the transit strike?
REPORTER #3
Do you support the Governor's crime bill?
REPORTER #4
Will you seek higher office?
SUPERMAN
No. No. No. No. I'm not going to be
Mayor. If the people of this city display
the bad judgment to vote for me I will not
serve.
The reporters react, startled.
ANGELA
Now he certainly doesn't mean that. Ladies
and gentlemen, I -
SUPERMAN
Angela, shouldn't you be shopping for a very
expensive car by now?
Angela is startled and rebuffed. Superman continues speaking
into the cameras.
SUPERMAN
I apologize for my delay in telling you all
this, but I just got a little preoccupied.
I'll be voting tomorrow for one of the three
major candidates for Mayor and I hope you all
will too.
REPORTER #1
Three candidates? You mean two.
SUPERMAN
No, three. Mayor Whitney, Councilman
Ellsworth and Ms. Linnea Lambeth.
Reporters chatter, perplexed, among each other.
REPORTER #2
Who's Linnea Lambeth?
JIMMY
Check her out in today's Planet. She has a
children's shelter in Helltown. She always
runs for Mayor.
REPORTER #3
He seems to think she's a real candidate.
REPORTER #4
Sir, are you endorsing this Linnea Lambeth?
Superman ignores the question; walks among the Reporters to
Lois.
SUPERMAN
Lois, I understand you were especially upset
by all this. I hope you accept my apology.
LOIS
Huh? I ...
Superman takes Lois's hand and kisses it. Then he flies away.
Lois stands there, a little dazed. The Reporters begin to gather
up their belongings and scatter. Jimmy walks over to Lois and
Clark also walks in from out of frame, dusting off his clothes as
though he was hunkered down somewhere.
JIMMY
I think he likes you.
LOIS
What?
CLARK
Are you feeling better now, Lois?
LOIS
Me? I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be fine?
Let's flag down a cab. You guys take that
side, I'll go over here.
AERIAL SHOT
The POV pulls up to show the Square as Lois, Jimmy and Clark pile
into a cab and roll away, and the only people left on the Square
are the forlorn Angela and the Driver, next to the car wreck.
The driver pulls a WALLET out of his pocket.
DRIVER
Here's my car registration. When do we go
shopping? I'm free this afternoon.
INT. METROPOLIS POLLING PLACE - DAY
It's a school auditorium or a church hallway somewhere. Voters
line up to go into voting machines. The turnout is heavy.
INT. DAILY PLANET - PERRY'S OFFICE - NIGHT
There is a big wheeled BLACKBOARD in the room marked up with a
chart - like the accompanying graphic - with the names "WHITNEY",
"ELLSWORTH", "LAMBETH", "OTHER" and "WRITE-IN" down the left and
numbers of precincts across the top. Perry stands at the board
with PHONE scrunched against one ear and CHALK and an ERASER in
his hands, changing numbers in the chart as he talks.
Jimmy is also in the room, talking on another PHONE at Perry's
desk with a hand over his free ear.
PERRY
You heading out of there soon, Clark?
JIMMY
Finals for precinct four are in, Chief.
Linnea's walking away with it. Twenty-two
thousand for Ellsworth ...
With the phone still at his ear Perry erases and replaces numbers
in the column marked "4" as Jimmy calls them out.
JIMMY
... Eighteen-six for the Mayor; sixty-seven
thousand for Lambeth; Other gets -
PERRY
Jimmy, write it down. I'm on a call here.
JIMMY
Oh. Sorry, Chief.
PERRY
What's it look like, Clark?
INT. ELLSWORTH HEADQUARTERS - NIGHT
In a big hotel ballroom Clark sits on the PLATFORM at the front
of the mostly empty room, dangling his legs and talking on one of
several desk phones scattered on the platform around a podium.
There is a big tattered "ELLSWORTH FOR MAYOR" sign hanging behind
the podium by just one corner. Campaign paraphernalia peppers
the room.
CLARK
It's pretty deserted at Ellsworth
headquarters, Perry. A few reporters
sniffing around for color but the party
fizzled early.
INT. DAILY PLANET - PERRY'S OFFICE - NIGHT
Perry tosses Jimmy the receiver and fills numbers on the board.
PERRY
You get on over to Linnea's Place, Clark.
She's our story.
(to Jimmy)
Here Jimmy. See if you can scare up Lois at
the Mayor's do.
JIMMY
Sure Chief.
INT. WHITNEY HEADQUARTERS - NIGHT
CS. Julius Whitney, standing in front of a big American flag,
gives a rousing speech.
As he speaks, pull back slowly to show a similar hotel ballroom,
distinguishable from the other for being a different color.
WHITNEY
... and when the final vote comes in
Metropolis will wake up ...
Pulling back, we see that Whitney is being watched by two or
three shoulder-held TELEVISION CAMERAS and half a dozen
JOURNALISTS, slumped in chairs with their notebooks, but the room
is big and empty of campaign partiers.
WHITNEY
... to find to its delight that it has again
elected the Mayor whose experience has
brought it unprecedented growth ...
‘Way in the back of the largely empty room Lois stands talking
into a PAY PHONE as Whitney drones on.
LOIS
It's a morgue here, Perry, and the Mayor
won't admit he's lost. At Linnea's Place in
Helltown? Sure, I'll meet you there.
WHITNEY
... and safety, and that the Whitney
administration will continue to lead
Metropolis into the twenty-first century ...
INT. LINNEA'S PLACE - TELEVISION SCREEN - NIGHT
The TV screen fills our screen with the image of Superman and the
Reporters in City Square beside a livid Angela.
SUPERMAN
(television)
I'll be voting tomorrow for one of the three
major candidates for Mayor and I hope you all
will too.
REPORTER #1
(television)
Three candidates? You mean two.
SUPERMAN
(television)
No, three. Mayor Whitney, Councilman
Ellsworth and Ms. Linnea Lambeth.
The image continues without sound as Superman walks among the
Reporters toward Lois. The NEWS ANCHOR begins as a voice-over.
NEWS ANCHOR (O.C.)
(television)
That was yesterday, when Superman, taking
himself out of the running for Mayor of
Metropolis, said he considered an unknown
social worker one of the significant
candidates for the office ...
The image on the screen changes to that of the News Anchor,
sitting at a desk in front of an electronic TOTE BOARD displaying
similar information to that on the chart back in Perry's office.
NEWS ANCHOR
(television)
... and today, it seems, the people of
Metropolis have overwhelmingly elected that
social worker, Linnea Lambeth, their Mayor.
Pull back from the television screen to show that we are in the
storefront, watching this with a huge elbow-to-thigh crowd of
newsmen and Linnea's supporters - including many of the Kids who
live here - now sporting "LINNEA FOR MAYOR" buttons and hats.
A huge CHEER goes up from the crowd at the Anchor's words.
The television sits on a high desk on the wall furthest from the
door. Around it are scads of KIDS, adult STAFF members and
Linnea herself in a folding chair, wearing a "Linnea for Mayor"
hat and enjoying the broadcast immensely. Several NEWSPEOPLE try
to get the apparently uninterested Linnea to talk to them.
NEWSPERSON #1
Ms. Lambeth, what will be the first thing you
do as Mayor?
NEWSPERSON #2
How will you deal with the transit strike?
NEWSPERSON #3
Do you support the Governor's crime bill?
NEWSPERSON #4
Will you seek higher office?
As Linnea speaks we first see Clark, a bit disheveled in the
confusion, among the Newspeople. Linnea notices him too.
LINNEA
Where were all you people when I was just a
poor little do-gooder trying to light a
candle in the darkness? Let me enjoy this
delightful television show, would you?
NEWS ANCHOR
(television)
We can now go to Linnea's Place, the Mayor-
Elect's children's shelter in the Helltown
district.
The image on the television screen changes to a scene of this
very room with all its crowd and chaos. The exchange between
Linnea and Clark is visible both in real life and on the screen.
LINNEA
Oh hang it all. You there ... Clark Kent.
CLARK
Ma'am?
Linnea gets up from her chair, takes Clark by the lapel and leads
him through a back door out of the room.
LINNEA
You're the young man who wrote a nice piece
about us when nobody had ever heard of me.
Would you like the first exclusive interview
with the new Mayor-Elect?
CLARK
Twist my arm.
In the crowd, near the door, Lois hops up to see what's going on.
She waves wildly at Clark. He waves back and disappears behind
closed doors with Linnea. Beyond Lois, Perry just arrives at the
storefront.
LOIS
Clark? Clark! You've got a partner,
remember?
PERRY
This time he beat you out, Lois.
Lois wheels around quickly, startled to see Perry.
LOIS
Perry.
PERRY
He's a bright boy. Get used to it.
FADE TO:
EXT. METROPOLIS STREET - NIGHT
The streets are largely deserted as Lois and Perry walk through
the nightlit city.
PERRY
By the time we get back to the office Jimmy
will have the final returns, Clark will have
phoned in his interview and we can put the
bulldog edition of the Planet to bed.
LOIS
More than I can hope for.
PERRY
I tell you every year, Lois, it's election
night and ...
PERRY & LOIS
... nobody sleeps on election night.
PERRY
I'm glad you suggested walking back to the
office. These streets seem somehow safer all
of a sudden.
LOIS
(sulky)
Mmmmm ...
PERRY
You've had a rough week, girl. What's
bothering you?
LOIS
Oh, Superman. What else? I mean, I must be
a Class-A idiot thinking I could get anywhere
with him when there are people like that
Angela January floating around the world and
he has his pick of them.
PERRY
Now listen ...
LOIS
I mean, who am I kidding anyway?
PERRY
Lois, you're -
LOIS
Superman? And me? Forget about it!
PERRY
- you're selling yourself short, Lois. Did I
ever tell you about -
LOIS
Is this an Elvis story? Because if this is
an Elvis story it just -
PERRY
No, this is a Perry story. Listen, sometime
back I was seeing two girls at the same time.
LOIS
Oh naughty naughty Perry.
PERRY
Well I was younger then. Women, they were,
but it was so long ago we called them girls.
There was Alice - you know Alice. And there
was Lynn.
LOIS
Who was Lynn?
PERRY
Oh Lynn was this wild woman. A real force of
nature, this gal was. She danced until the
sun came up. She sang as if the stars would
fall out of the sky if she stopped. She did
some crazy things. Like she'd ... well, just
crazy things. There were rumors she smoked
cigarettes. She was just the hottest,
sassiest thing this side of Memphis.
LOIS
I thought this wasn't an Elvis story.
PERRY
It isn't.
LOIS
So what did Alice think of all this?
PERRY
Not very much, I thought, until she came by
my little hole-in-the-wall one day and sat
herself down and she said, "Perry, I know
there are others you might think are prettier
than I am, or more exciting or headed for
greater things perhaps. But I want you to
know," she told me, "that I would never
desert you. Never. I would always stand by
you. Always tell you honestly what I think.
Always be a companion to you." She said that
to me. Flat out. And I'd never asked.
LOIS
Wow. Alice, huh? So what'd you say to that?
PERRY
I asked her to marry me. And she did. And I
don't know if she's ever regretted it but I
haven't. Not one moment of one day ever
since.
Lois takes Perry's arm, clings to it. They walk a little, then
stop for a moment.
LOIS
So what happened to Lynn?
PERRY
Oh, Lynn did fine.
LOIS
Where is she? What is she doing?
PERRY
Lynn? You may have heard of her. She just
got elected Mayor of Metropolis.
Lois steps back, looks at Perry, then looks beyond him at
A FIGURE
shimmering over the deserted street in Lois' line of sight. It
coalesces into the image of Old Supes.
Lois stands, mouth agape, as the holographic image of Old Supes
winks an eye at her and fades away.
Lois points where Old Supes was.
PERRY
Spit it out, girl. What's wrong?
LOIS
There. He was there.
PERRY
Who was there? There's nothing there.
LOIS
Right. Nothing.
She takes his arm again and they walk on. We see the Daily
Planet building in the distance.
- 30 -
|
