Superman (1978)

Christopher Reeve in Superman movieI happened to catch the original Superman movie over the weekend and what I really liked was that the movie is still so enjoyable today. 30 years after the movie was made, the story is good enough, the special effects are good enough and the of course, it has Christopher Reeve and Gene Hackman on top of their game. I am a big fan of Superman and ‘Superman Returns‘ did not do it for me and I hope the next movie (if they ever get around to making it) does the original movies some justice but I cannot see anyone replacing Christopher Reeve as the ‘Man of Steel’. God bless him.

Here are some of the interesting facts about the first Superman movie:

  • Steven Spielberg was offered the chance to direct this film, but the producers balked at the salary he asked for.
  • After the success of Rocky, Sylvester Stallone lobbied hard to play Clark Kent/Superman, but he was ultimately turned down.  Stallone found out that Marlon Brando, who had casting approval, turned him down for the role. Stallone subsequently went on Merv Griffin’s talk show and denounced Brando, saying he had no respect for the superstar as an actor or as a man.
  • Christopher Reeve worked out so much during the making of the film that the traveling matte shots taken of him at the beginning of the shoot did not match the later shots, and had to be re-taken.
  • Clark Kent’s and Superman’s hair part on opposite sides.
  • To achieve the shot of young Clark Kent kicking a football into orbit, an air cannon was placed underground and the football fired from it.
  • The movie was filming in New York City on the night of the notorious 1977 blackout.
  • Marlon Brando refused to memorize most of his lines in advance. In the scene where he puts infant Kal-El into the escape pod, he was actually reading his lines from the diaper of the baby
  • Warren Beatty and Burt Reynolds passed on playing Superman, while Jon Voight was lined up to play Superman for a while but was let go because producers felt he was not right for the role.
  • Jack Nicholson and Gene Wilder were both considered for the role of Lex Luthor.
  • Robert Redford, Clint Eastwood and James Caan were all offered the movie’s title role. All three turned it down: Redford wanted too much money; Eastwood said he was too busy; Caan said, “There’s no way I’m getting into that silly suit.”

June 9, 2008 | Filed Under Classic Movies, Must See Movies | 8 Comments 
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