Superman Episode #1 - The Baby From Krypton as originally broadcast 02/12/1940.


Cast of Characters

Ned Wever Jor-L
Agnes Moorehead Lara
Jay Josten Rozan
Clayton Bud Collyer Science Council

Production

Frank Chase Producer
Allen Ducovny Associate Producer
Robert J. Maxwell Production Supervisor
George Ludlum Author


Script


Announcer Boys and girls your attention please, presenting a new and exciting radio program. Featuring the thrilling adventures of an amazing and incredable personality. Faster than an airplane.
  swooshing noise is starting to come in, gradually growing louder
Announcer More powerful than a locomotive, impervious to bullets.
Man #1 Up in the sky look
Man #2 It's a bird
Man #3 It's a plane
Man #4 It's Superman
  very loud swooshing
Announcer And now Superman, a being no larger than an ordinary man, but possessed of powers and abilities never before realized on Earth. Able to leap into the air an eighth of a mile in a single bound. Hertle a twenty story building with ease. Race a high powered bullet to its target. Lift tremendous wights and rend solid steel in his bare hands, as though it were paper. Superman...a strange visitor from a distant planet. Champion of the opresk. Physical marvel extrordinary, who has sworn to devote his existance on Earth to helping those in need. As our story begins we ask you to come a far journey. A journey that takes us millions of miles from the Earth. Where the planet Krypton burns like a green star in the heavens. Here civilization is far advanced. It has brought forth a race of super men. Men and women like ourselves, but advanced to the absolute peak of human perfection.
  a hissing sound begins to be autible
Announcer As we near Krypton we see high walls and gleaming terrifs. We approach the magnificent Temple of Wisdom, and there in a great hall, Jor-L, Krypton's foremost man of science is about to address a meeting of the planet's governing council.
  crowd noises begin, then a gavel strikes a hard object a few times.
Rozan Attention. Attention gentlemen.
  crowd quiets down
Rozan Jor-L speaks
Jor-L Members of the council...I have completed my solar calculations and much as I dread uttering these words, I have come to the conclusion that Krypton is doomed.
  noise from crowd
Council Member Did I hear him right?
  noise from crowd continues
Rozan Gentlemen
  while striking gavel
Rozan Gentlemen. Gentlemen. Gentlemen, hear him out.
  crowd quiets completely
Jor-L These internal quakes, we've been experiencing..these volcanic eruptions, tital waves, gas escaping from giant craters, all point to one thing gentlemen. Krypton is uttering and finally doomed.
  crowd explosion
Council Member Why the man's mad.
Rozan One moment gentlemen one moment.
  said while striking gavel
Rozan There is no cause for anxiety, I am certain Jor-L has made a mistake. True we have had a few minor quakes and eruptions, but nothing very serious. There must be some error in your calculations Jor-L.
Jor-L No, No there is no error Rozan. I only wish there were. The sun is gradually drawing Krypton closer to it. Within a month...possibly only a week...the gravitational pull will be so tremendous that Krypton will not be able to wether the strength. And then, then our planet will explode like a giant bubble, distroy every living thing on it.
  crowd is laughing......gavel is struck
Rozan Gentlemen. Assuming for the moment Jor-L, that what you say is true, how are we to avoid it? What can we do to stop it.
Jor-L There is only one way. As you all know, I have been working on a space shop designed for interplanetary travel. With time, and untited effort, we might transport the entire population of Krypton to another world.
Rozan Impossible! Where would we go?
Jor-L To the...Earth? My studies tell me the atmosphere of the Earth is very nearly the same as our own.
Rozan You have been working too hard Jor-L. You need a rest. Believe me, we have the upmost respect for knowledge and integrity, but thi si carrying it too far, planets as large as Krypton do not explode Jor-L.
  a rumbling sound is heard
Jor-L Wait, do you hear that gentlemen? Its the forewarning of doom. Every moment is precious now, quakes like that are sounding the death bell of Krypton. It will happen gentlemen and happen soon. When the last great eruption comes.
  interupting
Rozan When it comes Jor-L...it shall find all of us ready. If Krypton is to die, we shall die with it. The parting would be much to severe
  laughing
Jor-L Very well, laught if you like Rozan...and you members of the council. I have no time to laugh, my life Lara dn my infant son are dear to me. It is not my wish to stand by and see them destroyed. Laugh all of the you! But a time will come and that time is perhaps very close at hand when you will wish you had headed the words of Jor-L. Now you think me a fool, but remember what I have said gentlemen, when Krypton is shattered into a thousand million stars, when the glorious civilization we have built is no more, when you and your families are swept from the face of Krypton like dust.
  laughing
Rozan Order Gentlemen, Order. You have heard Jor-L speak, is it your wish that we devote time and money to the building of spaceships for the transportation of Krypton's population to another planet.
Council Members No!
  several times
Rozan I am sorry Jor-L, the council has spoken.
Jor-L Yes...and signed the death warrents of every living thing on Krypton. Well, I've done my best to convince you. Now all that remains for me is to proceed with my own means of salvation. My own spaceship..to save the lives of those near and dear to me. As for the rest of you, may the gods have mercy on your soles.
  new scene
  tinkering noises
Jor-L Ah, Lara, I didn't see you
Lara I came out to take the air on the terrace. It's been terribly hot all day. Is that because we're being drawn to the sun Jor-L?
Jor-L Yes
Lara What did the council have to say about that?
Jor-L I...I didn't mention it.
Lara Is the model of your space ship about finished?
Jor-L Yes...Yes, I just drove the last rivit. How does it look?
Lara Splended...but will it work?
Jor-L Ah..that remains to be seen, if it does work, I shall immediately begin construction on another just like, only much larger. One big enought to carry all three of us to another world
Lara Jor-L when will that be, every moment that we spend waiting and wondering...
Jor-L Yes, I know I know, Lara its been hard on all of us, and particularly hard on you. How is the boy?
Lara Sleeping Jor-L. That quake this afternoon frightened him, but he's all right now. Can't you come in and look at him? You've scarcly see him these days, what with working all hours on the space ship model.
Jor-L It can't be helped dear, I'm racing against time. Right now I'm anxous to know whether the model will behave as I hope.
Lara How does it operate?
Jor-L Very simply. When all is ready, I throw this switch. That closes the circuit and electric energy builds up presure in the atomic generators. Then at the final moment, the presure forces the ship from its carrier and speeds it on its way
Lara But where does it go?
Jor-L Whereever its pointed. This one I'm directing to the planet Earth.
Lara Earth? What is that Jor-L?
Jor-L A planet smaller than our own, situated on the other side of the sun. Its inhabited by a race of people simular to ourselves.
Lara Like ourselves?
Jor-L Oh well...only partly of cource my dear. They're about the same size, but no where nearly as developed. Very weak and helpless and with all their faculties extremely limited.
Lara How do you mean?
Jor-L Something like this...you know how far you step when you want to go some where.
Lara Practically as far as I want. Why one step takes me to Brutters house near the fountain.
Jor-L Exactly. But down where I'm sending this space ship, it's quite different. An Earth man steps three feet at a time at most...and everything else is in perportion.
Lara And that's where we're going? Oh how dreadful.
Jor-L My dear, which would you rather do? Go to Earth and live or stay on Krypton and die?
Lara I'll do anything you say Jor-L, anything. It doesn't matter to me wheter we live or die, as long as we live together. It's only the boy I worry about.
Jor-L Yes, I know. Oh Lara darling don't worry, he'll be saved.
Lara When are you testing the space ship model?
Jor-L In the morning. Just as dawn brakes, I'll set it on its way.Watching its flight through a high powered telescope to see whether it lands safely on Earth.
Lara Is Earth the only planet place we can go to Jor-L?
Jor-L We couldn't breathe on any other planet but the Earth. It happens to have an atmosphere simular to Krypton's.
Lara I suppose you know best Jor-L. Are you coming in, it seems to have gotten appresively hot?
Jor-L Yes it it has...I wonder...
  eruption and exploding noises
Jor-L Lara do you hear that?
Lara Yes Jor-L...What is it?
Jor-L Subterranean explosions. Do you feel the ground trembling?
Lara Yes I do. Jor-L do you think...
Jor-L Lara...Lara I'm afraid its come. Where is the boy, Kal-L?
Lara What do you mean?
Jor-L Get him quickly, this is the end.
Lara Jor-L what can we do?
Jor-L Nothing. Nothing. I'm not ready. Oh what a fool I've been to delay.
Lara It isn't your fault Jor-L, you did all you could.
Jor-L If only this model were large enough we could take a chance.
Lara Jor-L, will it carry one of us safely to Earth?
Jor-L Oh, I think so, but...Lara where are you going, stay here with me.
Lara I'm getting Kal-L. If one of us can be saved Jor-L it should be the boy.
Jor-L No, no Lara come back. If one must go it should be you. Lara I said come back come back!
  large explosions
Lara Here he is Jor-L, still asleep, good bye Kal-L.
Jor-L Please Lara...
Lara No Jor-L listen to me, we both stay here...Kal-L goes in the space ship. If there is a chance Jor-L, one little chance I want it for my son.
Jor-L Maybe your right Lara
Lara Jor-L look, the sky it's firy red...the mountains look the mountains are falling in. Jor-L what's happening?
Jor-L The end of Krypton Lara...just as I foretold, this is the last great quake.
Lara Jor-L listen, explosions.
Jor-L Here quick quick, give me the boy.
Lara Kal-L. Kal-L.
  tinkering noises with explosions in the background
Lara What are you doing Jor-L?
Jor-L Opening the door, putting him inside.
Lara Jor-L, the house it's swaying. It's braking apart.
Jor-L There, there he's safe inside. Now for the switch, stand back Lara
Lara Oh Jor-L will he reach the Earth?
Jor-L Only the gods know...but there is a chance, the only chance. Stand back now Lara, I'm going to throw the switch.
  an extra noise is now added
Lara Jor-L, its getting dark. I can't see, what happened?
Jor-L Fire, smoke from the center of the planet, not much time now.
Lara Hold me Jor-L. Haas the space ship gone?
Jor-L No. No, not yet, waiting for presure. We may have been too late. If it doesn't work up soon...wait.
  a swoosh noise
Jor-L Lara, it's off, its on its way.
Lara Jor-L where are you?
Jor-L Here, here beside you Lara, listen, can you hear me, our boy Kal-L, our son Lara he's on his way, on his way to Earth.
Lara Kal-L. Kal-L!
  loud explosions
  explosions sease
Announcer So the tiny rocket ship roars into the uncharted heavens, as the mighty planet Krypton explodes into million of glowing fragments, glittering stars to remain in the night sky forever. Jor-L and Lara, devoted parents of the tiny boy, perish in the giant quake that destroys Krypton. But what of the rocket, does it reach the Earth, does it find its mark in all the far flung darkness of space, remember, don't miss the next installment of Superman!
  swooshing noise is starting to come in, gradually growing louder
Man #1 Up in the sky look
Man #2 It's a giant bird
Woman It's a plane
Man #3 It's Superman!
Announcer Superman is a copyrighted feature, appearing Action Comics magazine.


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