Superman (1978 film)

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Superman, also known as Superman: The Movie (as it was called in pre-release advertising), is a superhero film, released by Warner Bros. in 1978, and based on the popular DC Comics character of the same name. It was directed by Richard Donner and executive produced by Ilya Salkind, with music by John Williams.

The movie led to three theatrical sequels: Superman II (1980), Superman III (1983) and (1987), as well as several canceled sequel attempts after 1987. The 2006 film Superman Returns continues from the first sequel.

Taglines:

You'll Believe a Man Can Fly.
The movie that makes a legend come to life.

Contents

1 Cast
2 Plot
3 Production history
4 Critical reaction
5 Score
6 Different versions
7 The restoration

7.1 DVD Special Features

8 Trivia
9 External links

Cast

Actor	Role
Marlon Brando	Jor-El
Gene Hackman	Lex Luthor
Christopher Reeve	Superman / Clark Kent
Ned Beatty	Otis
Jackie Cooper	Perry White
Margot Kidder	Lois Lane
Marc McClure	Jimmy Olsen
Glenn Ford	Jonathan Kent
Phyllis Thaxter	Martha Kent
Valerie Perrine	Eve Teschmacher
Susannah York	Lara
Terence Stamp	General Zod
Sarah Douglas	Ursa
Jack O'Halloran	Non
Jeff East	Young Clark Kent
Diane Sherry	Lana Lang

Plot

[Spoiler warningSpoiler warning]: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The planet Krypton is in danger of imminent destruction. Unable to convince Kryptonian elders, scientist Jor-El promises that neither he nor his wife will leave the planet. However, he sends his infant son, Kal-El, to Earth to ensure his survival. His spaceship lands in Smallville, America, in the year 1951. The boy is found and adopted by a late-middle-aged childless couple, Jonathan and Martha Kent, who name him Clark.

Clark is no ordinary boy: he is incredibly agile and strong. As he grows into an adult, he is well aware that these "gifts" make him stand out from humans, but nevertheless tries to fit in with his peers. Following the death of his adoptive father, Clark knows that it is time to discover his purpose and departs on a journey to the Arctic. Once there, he discovers his "Fortress of Solitude," a huge structure grown from a single green crystal that Jor-El sent with him on the voyage from Krypton. Inside, Kal-El learns, from recordings of his father, the reason why he was transported to Earth, and his future role on the planet. He emerges as Superman.

After 12 years of learning and training in the Fortress of Solitude, Clark returns to civilization, and in particular the city of Metropolis. He is given a job as a reporter on The Daily Planet newspaper by its editor-in-chief, Perry White. The paper's star journalist, Lois Lane, is assigned to look after Clark. It isn't long before Superman makes his first appearance — and a name for himself — by rescuing Lois when The Daily Planet helicopter is involved in a perilous accident. As Clark, he becomes infatuated with Lois, but is reluctant to pursue any sort of relationship.

Meanwhile, supercriminal Lex Luthor is intent on committing "the greatest real-estate swindle of all time," with the unwitting aid of the U.S. government and the test launching of two ICBMs. To accomplish this, Luthor hopes to cause a major earthquake in California by using the missiles, one of which he has programmed to hit the San Andreas Fault (the other is mistakenly programmed to hit Hackensack, New Jersey by his klutzy assistant, Otis). The quake will cause most of California to slide into the ocean, killing millions of people while simultaneously making the vast tracts of worthless desert land that he had quietly purchased skyrocket in value when it becomes the new West Coast of the United States.

With Superman's fame rapidly spreading, Luthor perceives him to be a serious problem, and lures him with a threat to gas the population of Metropolis. Having succeeded in attracting his attention, he traps the superhero with a rock of kryptonite — the only thing to which he is vulnerable. However, Superman effects an escape with the help of Luthor's assistant, Eve Teschmacher, who is frightened for the fate of her mother in Hackensack.

However, the Man of Steel is too late: the earthquake happens, after promising Miss Tesmacher he would stop the Hackensack missile first, and, after being trapped in her car, Lois dies. Wracked with grief and anger, Superman disobeys the wishes of his father, who forbade him to interfere in human history. He flies into outer space and circles the Earth at tremendous speed, traveling backwards in time to a point just before the earthquake.

He returns to Lois who is very much alive and captures Luthor and his henchman, Otis, who are sent to jail.

Spoilers end here.

Production history

Although Warner Brothers had acquired DC Comics in the 1960s through a series of corporate mergers, there was little interest from the studio to exploit DC's most famous heroic character. The father-and-son producing team of Alexander and Ilya Salkind had enjoyed some success with European-based productions, and along with their long-time partner, producer Pierre Spengler, signed a negative pickup deal with Warners, under which they themselves would assume responsibility for fronting the production costs. This deal was consummated primarily on the basis that the film would potentially star Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman, two of the biggest marquee names of the mid-seventies — but in the early days of the project's development, no one was actually sure as to what part either actor would play. A relatively unknown Nick Nolte was signed for the part of Superman and in 1976 Mario Puzo was commissioned to write a screenplay. Puzo left the project after submitting two drafts, and the Salkinds assigned the task of rewriting the material to Robert Benton and the husband-wife team of David Newman and Leslie Newman.

It was decided early in the process to shoot two films simultaneously. During the production of The Three Musketeers (1972), the Salkinds had realized that there was enough footage for two films and split the film in two, releasing The Four Musketeers a year later. The joint production of Superman and Superman II would mark the first time this process was used intentionally. All actors' contracts have what is now known as the "Salkind clause", which stipulates how many films are being made. All performers on Superman were contractually obligated to Superman II as well. However, in this case, most or all of the simultaneously-shot footage was reportedly scrapped when Richard Lester was brought in to finish Superman II.

The Salkinds' original choice for director, veteran British helmer Guy Hamilton, had to amicably leave the project, as the film, originally intended to have been shot at Cinecittà studios in Rome, Italy, would now be shot at Pinewood Studios in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England. However, due to director Hamilton's status as a tax exile, he could not be involved in the filming. In the end, Alexander Salkind made a personal phone call to Richard Donner and offered him the film, promising to pay him a fee of $1 million. Although the filming dates for both Brando and Hackman had already been set, Donner was unhappy with the existing screenplay, feeling that it was both too long and too campy. One of his first acts as director was to hire Tom Mankiewicz to substantially rewrite the script (in the opening titles Mankiewicz is listed as a 'Creative Consultant' because the WGA did not want more than four people to receive screenplay credit). With the delay in production, Nolte also left the project.

Publicity still emulating screen shot

Actual screen shot for comparison

A talent search was made for an actress to play Lois Lane, with most of the leading young names of the time being considered. An unknown stage actor named Christopher Reeve was hired to provide feedlines during auditions and it was Donner's wife who first pointed out that he was ideal for the role of Superman. The director and producers had originally thought a bodybuilder or athlete would be the first choice. In fact, people such as James Caan, Burt Reynolds, Charles Bronson, Kris Kristofferson, Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and even Ilya Salkind's then-wife's dentist, were among those tested for the role. But, in the end, Donner kept coming back to Reeve, who had only one other theatrical role and a television appearance in the soap opera Love of Life to his credit. Reeve was then hired to play the superhero. One problem cropped up immediately: Reeve's lack of musculature. Reeve steadfastly refused to wear a padded suit and undertook a strenuous regimen under British bodybuilder David Prowse, who would soon become famous for playing the physical form of Darth Vader in . By the time filming began in March, 1977, Reeve had bulked up his 6'4" frame considerably.

Close to $1 million of the budget had already been spent before Donner joined, attempting to design a way for Superman to fly — including animation and a remote control plane. As a tax break, shooting would, as noted, be headquartered at Pinewood Studios, with a second unit housed at nearby Shepperton Studios in Middlesex, England. Before long, the film had the good fortune of securing John Barry as production designer. It was he who designed the crystalline world of Krypton. New York-based optical effects house R/Greenberg Associates, who until then had done mostly advertising, was responsible for the opening credits sequence. Model effects were designed, directed and supervised by Thunderbirds stalwart Derek Meddings.

Superman logo in teaser trailer

As production dragged on through 1977 the studio became concerned — by that time, Star Wars had proven to be a big hit and Warners were not convinced the Salkinds' film would be as big of a draw. Donner soon commissioned an early teaser trailer, also developed by R/Greenberg Associates, in which clouds raced by the viewer with the names of the all-star cast 'blasting' on to the screen, ending with the Superman shield exploding into view (a visual effect re-used in the actual film's opening credits). This teaser trailer was released in the second half of 1977 on the back of Star Wars and garnered an enthusiastic audience reaction that did much to keep the production going. (It is available as a bonus feature on the DVD.)

Critical reaction

The critical reaction was largely enthusiastic, with Christopher Reeve singled out for particular praise for his sincere performance as both Superman and the bumbling Clark Kent. The visual effects were also praised for their believability in contrast to those of previous low-budget productions of a similar genre. Meanwhile, John Williams added to his string of kudos for his score, which critics noted helped give an essential mythic grandeur to the story and character. (As with "Superman" scores past, the main theme centers on a musical triad that suggests the three syllables of the character's name). While the critics were divided over their preference for the reverent origin sequence in the first part, or the more lively later sequence of Superman beginning his career, it has been considered one of the best superhero movies ever made.

The movie's legacy includes numerous television series, notably Superboy (produced, like the movie, by Alexander Salkind), ', ', and the current prequel series, Smallville, which have all been influenced by the movie to some extent. A particular example of this influence is John Williams' main title composition, which is often played and parodied in movies and other popular media referring to superheroes or superstar athletes.

In addition, the success of film, which cost an enormous $55 million — at the time, big-budget movies usually cost about $20–$30 million — set a new standard for superhero movies which demanded similar production values and fidelity to their source material.

Due to its high regard, the film's continuity is maintained with the 2006 film Superman Returns, whose production design is heavily influenced by its forerunner. This is especially evident with the Fortress of Solitude, musical references and even the use of Marlon Brando as Jor-El.

Tom Mankiewicz has described Superman as a three-act play, referring to Krypton as being "Shakespearean," comparing Smallville to the works of Andrew Wyeth, and likening Metropolis to the pages of a comic book.

Superman received a "Special Achievement" Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, in one of the years when there was no competition for the award. It was nominated for Best Film Editing, Best Music, Original Score and Best Sound.

Score

Different versions

Superman was originally released to theatres in December, 1978 with a running time of 143 minutes, edited from Richard Donner's original three-hour director's rough cut. In 1981, the rights to the movie reverted from Warner Bros. to Alexander Salkind, which allowed him to re-edit the film for international television distribution, including over 45 minutes of previously deleted footage and even some of John Williams' original score that had been left out of the theatrical cut, both elements restored to the film. This so-called "Salkind International Edit" runs 188 minutes. Due to a clause in the director's contract, Donner was excluded from the re-editing process. It was expanded in an attempt by the Salkinds to charge by the minute for television rights. ABC, which had U.S. broadcast rights to the Salkinds' library, first aired Superman domestically in February, 1982 as a two-night event. ABC's 182-minute edit, which deleted a few short scenes deemed inappropriate for television, aired again in November of 1982. The ABC version was derived from the Salkind edit. Subsequently, both the theatrical and television versions were distributed in syndication by Warner Bros., which regained control of the film in 1985, but only the theatrical version was issued on home video until 2001, when the special edition DVD featured a 151-minute cut.

In 1979, WCI Home Video (now Warner Home Video) issued Superman on VHS and Betamax. However, the film was truncated to a length of 127 minutes, by way of time compression, as most scenes without dialogue were sped up, and a majority of the film's closing credits were deleted, instead replacing them with a truncated version consisting of the copyright notice, and a chyron of the credits taken from an 8mm release of selected scenes from the film. This time compression was necessary because of the technological limitations of videocassettes at the time and the unavailability of long-playing cassettes. The film would not be available in an uncompressed form until 1983, when Warner Bros. finally issued such a version on home video. This version was re-released to video in 1986.

In 1994, Los Angeles television station KCOP (at the time an independent station) aired the first U.S. broadcast of the complete Salkind edit (it has been believed to have been broadcast outside of the U.S. prior to 1994 since this cut was originally prepared in 1981 before ABC's original telecast). The full expanded cut has unofficially been circulated on video among fans throughout the bootleg community, at conventions and, most recently, via Internet forums.

The restoration

In 2000, director Richard Donner and film restoration producer Michael Thau prepared a new 151-minute "Special Edition" originally for theatrical re-release. Working from original film elements (which were beginning to deteriorate), the film went through a six-month restoration, with both color and sound rejuvenated (and with some audio effects added, such as a different-sounding "whoosh" used for the opening credit items), and dirt that had been built in the film over twenty years cleaned. Also, Donner selected eight of the 45-plus minutes that had been used for television release to be incorporated into this new cut. This version was slated for worldwide theatrical re-issue, but was instead released to video and, for the first time ever, on DVD, in the summer of 2001. This version has been seen on cable television and in revival film houses.

The audio for this presentation of the movie is not a simple restoration. When inspecting materials for the restoration the original multi-channel soundtrack was deemed unusable for either theatrical or DVD release. The sound crew took on the job of re-recording the sound effects and mixing them in with the original dialogue and music tracks. Consequently, the soundtrack used for the DVD is an entirely new soundtrack. This caused a minor controversy in the DVD community as none of the original soundtrack mixes have, as yet, been made available.

A remastered version of the 143-minute theatrical cut was also prepared, and although this version has not been released on DVD, it has been seen on cable television. However, WB has confirmed that the theatrical cut will be issued for the first time on DVD as part of the studio's planned 14-disc box set, The Ultimate Superman Collection, in late 2006.

DVD Special Features

The DVD is a double-sided disc.

Side A:
*Feature presentation, with added scenes
*Feature-length commentary with director Richard Donner and writer Tom Mankiewicz
*Music-only audio track
*Subtitles (in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese)
Side B:
*Three behind-the-scenes documentaries (totalling over an hour)
**Taking Flight: The Development of 'Superman'
**Making 'Superman': Filming the Legend
**The Magic Behind the Cape
*Deleted scenes
*Screen tests
*Music outtakes
*Two theatrical trailers
*Vintage TV spot

Trivia

It was Marlon Brando's own idea for Jor-El to wear the recognizable "S" symbol in the scenes on Krypton. The establishment of the "S" emblem as the El family crest was a departure from the first three eras (Golden, Silver, Modern) of official DC Comics continuity, in which the "S" emblem and costume were both created by Martha Kent (Mary Kent in the Golden Age) after Clark chose his hero name. However, in the 2003 series , the "S" symbol has been changed to represent a universal symbol of the planet Krypton, adorning their flags and military uniforms in holographic projections Clark finds contained in a device that came with him from Krypton. He chooses to wear the symbol to honor his Kryptonian heritage, and the name "Superman" is given to him by the newspapers.

Christopher Reeve reported the following anecdote in his autobiography. The idealistic young actor Reeve asked the seasoned veteran Hackman what his "motivation" was in playing the role of Luthor. Hackman responded, "You mean, besides the million dollars?"

As was his habit, Brando did not learn his lines and they were read from cue cards spread around the set.

Gene Hackman would not wear a bald cap for the part of Lex Luthor (except for one small scene at the end of the film), so Mankiewicz devised the notion of Luthor wearing several different wigs throughout the film.

During the Smallville segment, the original recording of "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley & His Comets is heard on a car radio. This is significant as this is played at the beginning of Glenn Ford's final scene in the movie; Ford had starred in Blackboard Jungle, the film that introduced "Rock Around the Clock" (and helped launch the rock and roll era). The expanded ABC edit of the film, however, replaces the song with another piece of music.

Superman was the first film to feature a split-channel surround soundtrack — originally a 6-channel presentation. Dolby Digital sound made its debut in Batman Returns. Both were produced by Warner Bros. and feature characters appearing in titles from DC Comics.

The Seinfeld episode "The Face Painter" references the climax of this movie. When George realizes his girlfriend never heard him tell her he loved her, he exclaims, "It's like the whole thing never happened! It's like when Superman reversed the rotation of the earth to save Lois Lane!"

External links

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