Superman Page #11

CLARK:

Thanks , Mr. White .

PERRY leaves. CLARK rises, crosses to LOIS who rereads her article delightedly, puffs on a cigarette. CLARK clears his throat nervously.

LOIS:

(looking up)

What...? Oh, goodnight, Clark.

CLARK:

Actually, Lois, I... ah, well...

LOIS:

Yes?

133CONTINUED

CLARK:

Would you, ah...be interested in a little dinner

tonight?

LOIS:

(nice smile)

Sorry, Clark. I'm booked.

CLARK:

Oh.

LOIS rises, grabs her notebook, starts off for the elevators. CLARK follows, CAMERA TRACKKING.

LOIS:

Air Force One is landing at the airport tonight and

this kid's going to be there to make sure you-know-who

answers a few questions he'd rather duck.

CLA.RK

(admiration)

Don't you ever let up?

LOIS:

For what? Oh, I've seen how the other half lives.

My sister, for instance. . . three kids, two cats, one

mortgage....I'd go bananas after a week..

(chain smokes)

I already am bananas, right? That's what you're

thinking.

CLARK:

No. I'm just thinking that you smoke too much, if you

don't mind my saying so.

(she stares)

Lois, you should see what the inside of your lungs

look like.

LOIS:

I appreciate the advice, okay? I've got a story to do.

CLARK:

Can I take you to the airport?

LOIS:

Not unless you can fly. . .

133CONTIUNED

They have reached the elevators. The door opens. LOIS enters, turns to CLARK, smiles.

LOIS:

Good night, Clark.

The elevator doors shut. A moment later another empty elevator stops, opens its doors. CLARK enters.

CLARK:

Going Down?

134EXT. ROOF OF DAILY PLANET - NICHT

LOIS emerges through a rooftop exit, looks off past an illuminated helicopter pad with a

small waiting room building on the far side. A fierce wind in howling. LOIS turns her face as she sees:

135ANGLE ON HELICOPTER - LOIS' POV

A helicopter heads in for the roof, swaying slightly, fighting the tricky winds. It lands

uncertainly on the edge of the pad. LOIS ducks her head, runs for the open door.

136INSERT SHOT - FLOODLICHT CABLES

The rubber-encased cables connecting the helicopter pad floodlights dance wildly in the wind like black snakes. The helicopter struts are precariously near to them.- too precariously, as one cable inadvertently hooks itself around a strut.

137BACK TO SCENE

LOIS has entered the helicopter. The PILOT takes off. The helicopter starts to rise through

the strong winds, suddenly jerks back as the hooked cable takes hold, yanking out one of the

floodlights. The helicopter lurches down violently to the PILOT'S ' side, its spinning blades knifing through the waiting room window, spraying showers of glass. The helicopter, still hooked to the edge, one strut hanging over the side.

138INSERT SHOT - CABLE

The cable holding the helicopter has split, short-circuits, spitting electric sparks.

139 INT. HELICOPTER

The PILOT, on the roof side,has been knocked unconscious by the impact of hitting the waiting room. LOIS, on the street side, looks over at him, paralyzed with fear. Held In by her seatbelt, she looks down her side to the street, terrified.

140ANGLE ON STREET - LOIS' POV

A shear drop to the street. A small CROWD has already started to form.

141EXT. METROPOLIS STREET

The CROWD grows rapidly in size, staring up, pointing excitedly. CLARK arrives on the scene, looks up as well, eyes widening in horror.

142ANGLE ON LOIS - CLARK'S POV

The helicopter dangles half over the edge of the roof.

143BACK TO CROWD

Determined, CLARK pushes his way through the crowd, looking for something.

144ANGLE ON PHONE BOOTH - CLARK'S P.OV

A phone booth stands on the corner - but this is a modern booth -- it covers only the top half of the body.

145BACK TO CLARK - WIDER ANGLE (amended from page #33 -

145A/B/C Sc. 92,93,94,95)

CLARK starts to cross an empty street to an alley, oblivious to the red light turning green and the oncoming traffic. A taxi hurtles across the intersection.

145A ANOTHER ANGLE

The taxi smashes into CLARK with a sickening crunch. The DRIVER,

horrified, jumps out.

DRIVER:

Oh, my god, I couldn't help...

CLARK, still standing, simply turns, smiles nicely.

CLARK:

Sorry, I didn't notice the light.

The DRIVER stops, dumbfounded, stares at the hood of his cab.

145B INSERT SHOT - HOOD OF CAB

The front of the cab has CLARK'S impression cut deeply into the hood, through

to the engine block to the windshield.

145C BACK TO CLARK

CLARK crosses to alley.

146INT. HELICOPTER

LOIS looks up past the unconscious PILOT to the edge of the roof. She has only one chance. She unbuckles her safety belt, tries to crawl over him. As she moves, the helicopter shifts

position, swings out farther over the roof.

147INSERT SHOT - CABLE

The cable jerks with the weight. Sparks fly. It holds together by a thread.

148 BACK TO LOIS

LOIS tumbles back with the movement, falls out the door grabbing her unbuckled seatbelt at the last minute on the way out.

149EXT. STREET ANGLE ON LOIS - CROWD'S POV

The CROWD scream. LOIS dangles from the roof, holding on to her seatbelt for dear life.

TO PAGE 57

150EXT. ALLEYWAY

An incredibly garish BLACK PIMP exits an alley doorway, stoned, stops in awe as he, sees: SUPERMAN in full costume heading towards him, determined.

PIMP:

Say, Jim! That is a bad outfit...

SUPERMAN:

Excuse me...

With a burst or energy SUPERMAN rises from the ground, flies up into the night sky. The PIMP watches in wonder.

PIMP:

Wait a minute, Jim! Who's your tailor, baby?

Who cuts your threads?

151EXT. STREET - ANGLE ON LOIS - CROWD'S POV

The hushed CROWD watches LOIS hanging from the roof as SUPERMAN appears, flying quickly towards her.

FIRST VOICE:

Look!

SECOND VOICE:

It's a bird!

THIRD VOICE (woman)

No, it's some kind of plane! What the

hell is it, Harvey?

FOURTH VOICE:

Goddamned if I know, Margaret.

152EXT. ROOF - ANGLE ON LOIS

LOIS dangles from the helicopter, eyes closed. her mouth moving in some sort of silent prayer. The helicopter suddenly lurches.

153INSERT SHOT - CABLE

The cable snaps.

154BACK to LOIS

The helicopterfalls. LOIS screams, eyes welded shut. Suddenly SUPERMAN'S mighty arm reaches out, grabs her around the waist. With his other hand, he takes the bottom strut of the helicopter.

SUPERMAN:

Easy now, Miss. I've got you.

LOIS' eyes open tentatively, then flutter unbelievingly.

LOIS:

You've got me? Who's got you?

SUPERMAN smiles warmly as he lifts both LOIS and the helicopter back onto the roof.

155EXT. ROOF

SUPERMAN gently deposits the awestruck LOIS on the roof, then lowers the helicopter.

SUPERMAN:

(smile - to LOIS)

I hope this little incident doesn't put you off

flying, Miss. Statistically it's still the safest

way to travel.

LOIS,

I. . .

LOIS opens her mouth to speak, but SUPERMAN takes off again. She stares after him. gaping.

156EXT. SKY - NIGHT

SUPERMAN is in mid-air, exhilarated - literally high. He executes a cocky "loop," feeling a kind of release, a genuine physical joy in flying.

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