Donner's Superman 2

Superman II
The Richard Donner version

Scenes 308 - 308A, "Luthor does laundry"

308 EXT. PRISON YARD - DAY

CAMERA PANS the prison yard of a penitentiary. The CONS recreate themselves in classic fashion: one group plays ball, another is huddled around a card game, etc. CAMERA PUSHES IN on TWO MEN washing clothes in one corner of the yard, segregated from the others.

308A CLOSE ON LUTHOR AND OTIS

LUTHOR stands in front of a large tub of water, transfers wet clothes from a vat, rinses them, hands them to OTIS who rings them out, runs them through an old-fashioned roller-type dryer, stacks them neatly in a hamper. LUTHOR, clearly depressed, sighs deeply.

LUTHOR
So this is how it ends for the greatest criminal mind of our time. Not with a whimper, mind you. Not with a bang.
(examines hands)
With washwoman's thumb...

LUTHOR sighs again, continues rinsing. OTIS squeezes a garment in the rollers. looks over sympathetically.

OTIS
I know, Mr. Luthor. I know...

LUTHOR
What could you know? You've only got a twenty-year sentence. A sissy sentence. But how do they choose to reward Lex Luthor, the world's one true genius? Do they give me treasure? Do they give me glory? What, in fact, do they give me?

OTIS
Life plus twenty-five years.
(cheerfully)
It almost worked out, Mr. Luthor. The West Coast was almost destroyed. Millions of people were almost killed.

LUTHOR
Almost. Almost, Otis. But as it turned out, thanks to Superman, not one drop of blood was shed.

LUTHOR grits his teeth, hands OTIS some wet clothes.

LUTHOR
All I want now is to get out of here and destroy that miserable, glad-handing showboat.

OTIS
How? You've tried everything. Nothing seems to stop him.

LUTHOR
Every man has a vulnerable point. Some like you, Otis, have several. I just didn't find his in time. But now - finally - thanks to my invention, patience, and skill - my black box is nearly ready.

OTIS
That black box in your cell?

LUTHOR
(frantic)
Ssssshh...!

OTIS
(whisper)
That black box in your cell? What's it for?

LUTHOR looks at OTIS secretively, hands him a wet garment.

OTIS
It's only one sock...

LUTHOR
Pegleg Horvath only needs one sock...
(back to rinsing)
All attempts to track Superman with conventional means have failed, including radar, correct? Correct. He flies at super-speed. And yet we know that every so often, when he isn't all tied up with "doing good" and taking bows and kissing babies... he goes North. North. Where? We don't know. The tracking device always loses him... now why would he go North?

OTIS
To ski?

LUTHOR
It's incredible, Otis. Your brain defies all known scientific laws...

OTIS
Thanks, Mr. Luthor...

LUTHOR
In its infinite capacity to deteriorate...
(rinsing)

1

That black box, Otis - that innocent looking piece of devilish genius - goes beyond all means of conventional radar.
(leans in)
It tracks Alpha Waves.

OTIS
(impressed)
Alpha Waves!

LUTHOR
I could have said linguini, couldn't I. Well. No matter, Otis. You'll hear of them again. Those Alpha Waves will lead me North - to his secret. And when I have that secret - I'll have Superman.

LUTHOR picks up a wet garment, looks at it with extreme distaste.

2

LUTHOR
Slasher Fogelstein is a bedwetter. Pass it on.

OTIS nods, turns to no one.

Sources:
1 - "Superman II - The Adventure Continues" by Robert Greenberger, Starlog #46, May 1981.
2 - Superman 2, European/Australian TV edition; snapshot courtesy of "Supergirl's Boyfriend."

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