Donner's Superman 2

Superman II
The Richard Donner version

Scenes 329 - 336, "Balloon bustout", pt. 1

329 EXT. PRISON - NIGHT

It is curfew time. One by one, lights are extinguished throughout the prison yard. The only illumination left is in the lit guard towers which top the walls.

330 INT. CELL BLOCK - NIGHT - TRACKING SHOT

CAMERA TRACKS WITH PRISON GUARD as he walks the length of the cell block making sure the lights are out and all prisoners are safely in their cells. He marks the information down on a clipboard.

GUARD
382... check... 383... check...

He passes LUTHOR'S cell as CAMERA HOLDS: LUTHOR and OTIS sit in the far corner, clearly visible in a strange light. They are both reading.

331 CLOSER ON GUARD

The GUARD backs up, looks into LUTHOR'S cell, irritated.

GUARD
Lights out, Luthor.

Neither LUTHOR nor OTIS move a muscle.

GUARD
I said lights out!

Again no physical or verbal response. The angry GUARD unlocks the cell door, enters.

332 INT. CELL - NIGHT

LUTHOR continues to peer down at a book entitled: HOLOGRAPHS MADE EASY. OTIS reads a comic. The GUARD crosses angrily.

GUARD
You guys are about ten seconds away from solitary, you know that?
(to OTIS)
Gimme that comic...

The GUARD reaches out to snatch the comic away from OTIS: his hand passes right through it as if the book were made of air. The GUARD stops, wide-eyed, steps toward LUTHOR who suddenly disappears completely. He turns back, steps toward OTIS. Now OTIS disappears, but LUTHOR has reappeared.

1	This Donner scene plays out much differently on film from how it was scripted. However, the basic premise of Luthor using a hologram to escape remains.

The stunned GUARD looks down, sees he is standing in front of two beams of light. He swivels to find their source as CAMERA PANS: They are being projected from the corner by a small, complicated-looking holograph device.

333 BACK TO GUARD

The open-mouthed GUARD blocks both beams now, revealing a large shiny pane of plastic-looking glass against the cell wall. The GUARD grabs his whistle, yells loudly.

GUARD
Break! Break!

334 EXT. PRISON YARD WALL - NIGHT

All hell has broken loose. Loud klaxons ring out, searchlights glare down from the towers, etc. LUTHOR and OTIS run along the wall, duck as a searchlight beam passes by overhead, just missing them. OTIS holds a long coiled rope, one end of which has been tied around his middle. LUTHOR grabs the coil, flings it over the top of the wall. OTIS grins excitedly, full of the thrill of the jailbreak. LUTHOR looks at him with tragic curiosity, sighs.

LUTHOR
Tell me again, Otis. Why am I going first?

OTIS
To see if it's safe for me, Mr. Luthor. Isn't that what you told me?

LUTHOR
(sad pause)
Yes, Otis. That's what I told you.

335 EXT. STREET OUTSIDE PRISON - NIGHT

CAMERA CLOSE on the street outside the prison where the rope has hit the ground. Female hands pick it up, ties it securely to the bumper of a car. The rope becomes instantly taut as CAMERA PULLS BACK: It is EVE. She looks up nervously as LUTHOR scrambles over the top of the prison wall, shinnies down the outside, heading for the street.

336 EXT. PRISON YARD - NIGHT

The klaxons and searchlights continue. OTIS stands at the bottom of the prison wall, the rope still tied around his middle. (He was the ballast for LUTHOR). He starts to yank himself up as the rope suddenly becomes slack. It slithers back down over the top of the wall and lands at his feet as a searchlight hits him square in the face.

GUARD
Hey, you! Hold it right there!

OTIS turns with a sickly smile, waves shyly into the light as if he were on Candid Camera.

OTIS
(to himself)
I guess it wasn't safe... Poor Mr. Luthor...

Additional Info:

This scene was rewritten and shot with Eve Teschmacher arriving in a hot air ballon as the means for escape. The majority of this scene made it in the final cut, though some additional on-screen antics between Luthor and Otis was cut out. The revised script portion for this scene is currently unavailable.

Sources:
1 - Superman 2 DVD, 2001 Warner Home Video; image courtesy of Superman in the Movies.
2 - Superman 2 Laserdisc, Warner Home Video; scan courtesy of Superman CINEMA.

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