Original subtitles

Faster than a speeding bullet.

More powerful than a locomotive.

Able to leap tall buildings in 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.

And now, another exciting episode in the Adventures oi Superman.

- Afternoon. Can I help you? - Possibly. We'll look around.

Hey, what's the big idea?

How much are they?

- Fifty cents apiece. but that's no reason-- - I count 10.

That would be $5.

Nothing?

Thank you. sir.

- Hello, Miss Lane. - Greetings.

- Good heavens. What happened? - Craziest thing.

Two fellas walked in. One was a nice-looking gent carrying a cane.

I just can't believe it.

It's like in a dream where everything gets smashed up.

You mean someone did this deliberately?

The fellow stood right here smashing them on the floor.

Ten of them. Here's the money.

You mean he paid for them and then smashed them?

No. The little one smashed. then the big one paid. It's cuckoo.

Oh. you want your pitcher. huh?

I had a little trouble with the handle. but if you lift it carefully. I think it'll hold.

- Thank you. - Glad to do it.

By the way. I'm sorry about the breakage.

All I'm sorry about is they didn't smash some of the $50 vases.

Oh. by the way. do you have any china eggcups?

China eggcups? No. I'm afraid not.

Try Edwards on Front Street. He'd have them.

Oh. no.

- Wasn't no bull in the china shop-- - Don't tell me. I'll tell you.

Two men walked in the shop. a tall one and a short one.

The short one smashed them. and the tall one paid for them.

- How did you know? - I read minds. Thanks.

And that was about 4:30?

- I see. Yes. you told me. - Busy?

Come in. Mr. Kent. You're just the man I wanna see.

Nine.

Well. thanks a lot. Bye.

You look like you just won the Pulitzer prize.

Mr. Kent. I have just stumbled onto the wackiest story this side of a nuthouse.

Get this. At 3:00 this afternoon. two men walked into Bonelli's Artcraft Shop--

And smashed a lot of cheap plaster statuettes.

- Well. how do you know? - Oh. I get around.

Now. don't be difficult. They've done the same thing at seven places.

I have a list of 12 more still to check.

Is there a Davis Brothers. 416 Kingsley Drive on your list?

- Yes. - Well. Mr. Davis called.

It seems they went into his place and smashed 14 statues.

He wants us to send a photographer and shoot the wreckage for free publicity.

- What do you make of it? - They're looking for something.

- How big are these things? - Oh. not very big.

- White plaster. Real cheap. - All the same?

Sort of. Animal subjects. Horses. cows. dogs. cats.

Clark. will you be a good sport?

I have a hunch there's a story behind this statue-breaking binge.

Now. let's buy some of them and see what's inside.

Here. You cover five of the places. and I'll cover six.

- Oh. Lois. - Where's your spirit of adventure?

- This is silly. - I'll be home after I check my places.

If you hear of anything exciting. let me know.

That's the dame. boss.

Follow her.

No. wait a minute.

If we follow. we'll have to get Pete and Charlie to cover the rest of the shops.

We'll lose her if we don't move fast. It will be getting dark.

Go ahead. We'll call from wherever she stops.

That's her car. This must be where she lives.

There's a drugstore on the corner. Call Pete.

Have him cover the rest of the places with Charlie.

- I'll wait here for you. - Right.

Eureka!

Hello.

- Clark. I found something. - You did?

I bought 15 statues. and guess what.

I found a small brass key. And that's not all.

They'd already been to two of the places on my list.

Now. it doesn't make sense. but at one place. MacVey's...

...the owner saw them pick up a small acorn and a little toy automobile.

- And at another-- - Now. wait a minute.

I want to write that down.

Yes. and a little toy automobile.

At the other place. I think it was the Art Mart...

...they found a safety pin and a small. dried-up onion.

Just a minute now. Safety pin and a small onion.

- Sounds crazy, doesn't it? - Maybe not.

- How did you make out? - They'd been to four places I checked.

I haven't checked the fifth one. It's clear across town. I'll call soon as you hang up.

- Oh, getting interested, huh? - Sort of-.

They find anything at your places?

Yes. They found a dollar bill and a little plastic cow.

- It gets crazier and crazier. - I want you to hide that key that you found.

- I'll get back to you later. - Okay.

Elite Gift Shop.

This is Clark Kent of the Daily Planet.

Two men have been going around town smashing statuettes.

Oh. yes. they're here now. having a wonderful time.

I have 19 of those horrid little things.

And if they hadn't smashed them. sooner or later I would have.

- Call the police and have them arrested. - Oh. now. really.

They're not committing any crime.

Well. they've paid for the little monstrosities. Let them smash them.

Very well.

That was a newspaper reporter. He told me to have you arrested.

- For what? - Oh. don't worry. Here.

You can smash every solitary thing in the shop. so long as you pay for them.

- Okay. Let's go. Thanks. chum. - Don't mention it.

Come again when you're in a destructive mood.

My name is Kent. I'm a newspaper reporter.

- I'd like some questions answered. - Out of the way. chum.

Call Henderson at police headquarters.

Goodness gracious.

- But what am I gonna hold them on? - I don't care.

Disturbing the peace, willful destruction.

You newspaper boys have to learn you can't take the law into your own hands.

- Now look. inspector-- - This time. Kent. you pulled a real boner.

Those two guys may beat their crippled grandmothers five times a day...

...and 10 times on Sunday.

They may be murderers. but in this case. so far as the law's concerned...

...they haven't done a thing.

Just smashed 19 statues.

They paid for them.

And what about the 3 cents they found?

Big deal. Those statues cost them 9 bucks. and they get back 3 cents.

Oh. they can get real rich that way.

- Sorry. Kent. have to release them. - Now. just a minute.

Even if it's certain from the descriptions we got from various shopkeepers...

...that the tall one is Paul Marden. one of the world's top con men?

Law. Kent. the law. What has he done to break the law?

- We don't know. Yet. - Until we do. we can't hold him.

- Yes, sir. - Release those two guys we just booked.

And fill out form 114 and tell O'Brien to see to it.

Great Scott!

Lois!

Lois?

Get me police headquarters.

After you. Miss Lane.

Sit down. Miss Lane.

Please.

Believe me. I deeply regret...

...exposing you to these. shall we say. disreputable surroundings...

...but I'm afraid you have no one to blame but yourself.

Never mind the sweet talk. Get to the point.

There is only one point.

Where is the key you found in one of those statuettes?

Aren't you tired of asking me that same question?

You'll discover that I don't tire easily. Miss Lane.

Nor does my associate.

You interfered in something that was none of your business.

You stuck your pretty nose into a matter...

...that concerned you not one whit.

I know. curiosity killed the cat.

Well. you may have to kill more than a cat before we're through.

Don't threaten me.

Dorn. leave her alone.

Look. let's get one thing straight. That key belongs to me.

I paid for the statue it was in. and I own it.

And you can threaten me until the cows come home...

...but it won't do you one solitary bit of good.

Nick? Paul Marden.

Get the plane ready. We're going up in the mountains to do a little persuasion job.

Right.

- Yes, when is h? - Fingerprint report on Miss Lane's apartment.

- Well. bring it in. - I'm sorry, sir. There were no prints.

You mean to say--

Oh. never mind.

- Well. how do you like that? - Marden's too smart to leave fingerprints.

That place looked like a cyclone hit it. You'd think there'd be a print somewhere.

What difference does it make? We know it was Marden and his men.

Fingerprints won't help us locate Lois...

...and I have a horrible feeling if we don't find her soon. it may be too late.

- Cops. - On the floor.

- You folks need any help? - No. thanks.

Wire to the distributor head popped out. It's okay now.

- All right. Good night. - Good night.

- That was a close one. - Get moving.

Now. we know that all the statues were shipped from one European factory.

We also know Marden found seven objects in the statues.

And they were an acorn. a safety pin. a toy automobile, a little plastic cow...

...an onion. a dollar bill and three pennies.

- Doesn't make any sense. - Must be a code of some sort.

I haven't had a chance to work it out yet. but I've got an idea.

- Yes? - We've got one of Marden's men, inspector.

Oh. bring him in. Swing that chair around. Kent.

You bet.

Okay. leave him here.

Well. sit down.

Ain't you guys getting tired of looking at me?

Sit down.

Take off your hat.

- Where's Marden? - How would I know?

You're a two-time loser.

Armed robbery in '39. felonious assault in '44.

You know what happens if we clip you now.

- I didn't do nothing. - You broke into Miss Lane's apartment.

- That wasn't me. - Who was it?

Well. I don't know.

Okay. punk.

You wanna play tag. we'll play tag.

Take the south gate. You can drive right up to the plane.

Okay-

Once more. Where does Marden go when he holes up?

I told you. I don't know.

Okay. You asked for it. you're gonna get it.

You'll go up for life if we have to frame you--

- No! You can't do that. - Where's Marden?

- Well. he's got a place up in the mountains. - Where?

- Rock Hollow. - Is he there now?

I don't know. He told the guy who runs his plane--

- Plane? Where does he keep it? - Ramsey Airport.

- Hey, Kent, wait a minute. - Can't wait, no time.

Keep Miss Lane up at the lodge until you hear from me.

- If you're nice. she might play canasta. - Could be.

Happy landings.

- There. - Well. we have an artist in our midst.

Well. at least it'll give you an idea.

The objects Marden and his men found in the plaster statuettes...

...make up what's known as a rebus. And here's how it works.

That's an acorn...

---PIUS "pin.“

Now. we subtract “car.“

Now we add “moo“ for cow.

Now we subtract “onion.“

O-N-I-O-N.

Now we add a dollar.

And subtract 3 cents...

...which leaves 97.

- Now. what have we got left? - PMO97.

PMO97.

Let's kick that around a little bit.

PMO97 doesn't seem to mean anything.

What about MPO97?

Don't look at me. I flunked simple arithmetic.

What about PO97? Let's leave the M out for a moment.

Well. it could be post office 97. Either a box or a substation.

Well. good girl. Now we'll add the M.

It is a box.

- Post office box 97, main branch. - That's right.

There's something in post office box 97 at the main branch...

...that Marden's gone to a lot of trouble to get.

Why are we sitting here? He's got the key.

Because the post office doesn't open till 7:00 in the morning.

And I'll be there in person to help Mr. Marden open that box.

You're under arrest. Marden.

- Must you take so long? Let me do it. - Relax. Lois.

- We need a screwdriver. - We'll break it open.

No. no. Wait, wait.

Oh. no.

Is this what we've been beating our brains out for?

No. inspector...

...this.

- It's a ruby. - The Renssalaer Ruby.

That's right. The largest ruby in the world. Stolen from the London Museum.

- What a story. - Thanks to Kent here.

And to Superman.

Like I always say. two heads are better than one.

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