WHAT: Superman: The Movie (1978, DCP, theatrical version)
WHEN: December 15, 2021: 1 PM & 7 PM
WHERE: Pickwick Theatre, Park Ridge, IL
WHAT ELSE: Organist Jay Warren performs pre-show music at 6:30 PM.
Jay Warren’s Christmas cds will be available for purchase in the lobby.
Cartoon: Superman (The Mad Scientist, 1941) at 7 PM.
The first 50 patrons will receive commemorative artwork in honor of our Superman screening at the Pickwick Theatre.
HOW MUCH: $12/$10 (advance) or $10 for the 1 PM matinee
Advance Tickets for the 7 PM screening: Click Here!
NOTE: The evening screening starts a half hour earlier at 7 PM. Doors open at 6 PM.
“I realized what you could do in motion pictures by surrounding yourself with geniuses.” ~Director Richard Donner
Prologue
In December of 1978, Superman: The Movie was released to wide acclaim from both moviegoers and critics. It was the first feature film to take the superhero genre seriously, and it became the granddaddy to all the comic book movies that followed. But the secret of its appeal is its ability to reach viewers on many levels. It’s also a great love story. Even with all the striking set pieces that come to mind, fans equally embrace the film for the romance between Superman and Lois Lane.
Everything just seemed to come together in unison on-screen, and yet, there were so many ways in which Superman could’ve become one of the great disasters of the 1970s– so many ways the film could’ve gone wrong. There could’ve been a director who didn’t respect the material, a script that made it all a joke, or a miscast Hollywood star to destroy the illusion. The fact that none of this happened is a testament to the film’s director, Richard Donner.
There are many components that go into a film’s overall success, and Superman is an example where all those elements were masterfully orchestrated. Superman is a film that brought out the best in the craftsmen and artists who worked on it. But it was its director who had to piece it all together under trying circumstances. Richard Donner, who passed away on July 5, 2021, at the age of 91, had been a movie director for decades, having made such films as The Omen, Goonies, and the Lethal Weapon series. However, it was his involvement in the creation of Superman that will always remain his highest career achievement.
In honor of Richard Donner, we present this special screening of Superman: The Movie on December 15, 2021…
This Christmas, we present you with the gift of flight…
For comic book fans, the making of Superman is an epic unto itself, a production as storied and complex as Gone with the Wind. (But whereas GWTW had several directors, one man would be behind the camera on Superman.) The origins, of course, go back to the 1930s, when the character was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Since his debut in Action Comics #1 in 1938, Superman had appeared in a series of Max Fleischer cartoons, two Columbia movie serials, and a popular 1950s television show starring George Reeves. But for generations, no one had attempted to make a theatrical film based on the character.
It was producer Alexander Salkind who, with his son Ilya, had the vision to make a movie from the Superman legend. Together with producer Pierre Spengler, they secured the rights to the character from DC Comics in August of 1974. In their eyes, they saw a large-scale, international production that would be beyond anything ever attempted before. There was industry skepticism about the project, but Warner Bros. gave the Salkinds the green light. The Salkinds would secure financing and get the film made and Warner Bros. would agree to distribute it. In the movie business, this is called a negative pickup deal between a studio and an independent producer.
The first key name attached to the project was Godfather author Mario Puzo, who wrote a 500 page screenplay covering two films. His name helped attract two of the biggest stars in the industry: Marlon Brando (who would portray Superman’s father, Jor-El, for $3.7 million plus a % of the profits) and Gene Hackman (set to play Lex Luthor). Their casting brought credibility to the production. At that point, Hollywood realized this would be a major motion picture.
Several high profile directors were considered for the film, including Steven Spielberg (whose biggest movie up until that time, Jaws, had not yet opened). But the producers ultimately signed Guy Hamilton, best known as the director of several James Bond films, most notably Goldfinger. Superman was set to start production in Rome, Italy. However, as there was a warrant out for Brando’s arrest in that country (due to an obscenity charge related to The Last Tango in Paris), the production was forced to move to Shepperton and Pinewood Studios outside London. Despite having already worked on the film’s pre-production, Hamilton had to bow out because he was a tax exile and could only be in England for thirty days out of every year.
It was the success of The Omen that brought director Richard Donner to the attention of the Salkinds. Donner was offered one million dollars to direct Superman and its sequel, which would be shot simultaneously. He was hired in January 1977. One of his most important decisions was bringing in Tom Mankiewicz to overhaul the screenplay. Since Mario Puzo’s initial draft was too long, writers David Newman and Robert Benton had worked on a rewrite. When Benton left, Leslie Newman replaced him. Their script was submitted in July 1976. Early drafts of the story, beginning with Puzo, reveal that the writers were going for a humorous approach. But it was Mankiewicz who changed the tone, making the final shooting script more in line with what Donner had envisioned.
Phyllis Thaxter, Aaron Smolinski, and Glenn Ford
Donner felt the story should be played straight. The Superman legend was, in his eyes, an essential American myth, and he didn’t feel anyone should mess around with it. He wanted to make this fantasy something that would suggest truth rather than parody. His approach is embodied in a word he was fond of using: verisimilitude. “It’s a word that refers to being real . . . not realistic – yes, there IS a difference – but real,” Donner said. “It was a constant reminder to ourselves that, if we gave into the temptation we knew there would be to parody Superman, we would only be fooling ourselves.”
As if making a statement on their intent, the first line of dialogue in the film, spoken by Jor-El, reinforces it: “This is no fantasy.” Gone were some of the more egregious examples of camp, such as a scripted appearance of Telly Savalas as “Kojak”! Mankiewicz, who claimed that not a word of the Puzo script was used, gave the revised story a seemingly Biblical dimension that incorporated Christian allegory. The emphasis also shifted to the love story between Superman and Lois Lane, which is at the heart of the whole film. As the story took shape, casting was underway for the pivotal leads.
There were many Hollywood A-list stars who were in the running for the role of Superman, everyone from Paul Newman and Robert Redford to Dustin Hoffman and Burt Reynolds. The problem was that the actors who could act would never make a believable Superman, and those who looked like Superman could not act. It was Richard Donner who felt they needed to find an unknown actor. (The situation became so desperate that at one point Ilya Salkind’s wife’s dentist tested for the role of Superman.)
However, through the persistence of casting director Lynn Stalmaster, a rather skinny Christopher Reeve caught the attention of the filmmakers. From the very beginning, everyone realized they had found their Superman. Out of the 200+ actors who were tested, Reeve won the part with his confidence, charm and ease of manner. He exuded the humanity that was sought in this character. In the film, Reeve came across as genuinely good, kind and decent– someone who sincerely cared about the people he was saving. But in order to meet the physical demands of the character, Reeve underwent an intense body-building regimen, which was supervised by David Prowse (Darth Vader from Star Wars).
“If it hadn’t been Christopher Reeve playing that movie, playing that role, bringing him to life,” Donner said years later, “I truly believe we would never have had the success we had. Because I don’t think there was an actor out there that I knew then or I know now that could’ve done what he did to bring that character to life.”
Christopher Reeve, custodian of the cape during the 1970s and 1980s.
In early 1977, many up-and-coming actresses in Hollywood tested for the role of Lois Lane, including Stockard Channing (a finalist), Anne Archer, Lesley Ann Warren, and Susan Blakely, among others. But once again, it was Stalmaster who suggested the eventual winner, Margot Kidder. Her reading with Reeve revealed that she was clearly the best choice. She could be forceful and high-energy when she needed to be, but there was also an underlying vulnerability. Like Chris, who had to delineate two separate characters, Margot had to act one way with Clark Kent and another way with Superman.
The rest of the cast was an assortment of veteran actors and new faces. Ned Beatty played Luthor’s bumbling sidekick, Otis. Jackie Cooper was cast as Perry White after Keenan Wynn dropped out due to health issues. Glenn Ford played Jonathan Kent. Terence Stamp was cast as General Zod, and Trevor Howard had a small role as the First Elder of Krypton. Others in the cast included Valerie Perrine (Miss Teschmacher), Jeff East (teenage Clark Kent), Sarah Douglas (Ursa), Jack O’Halloran (Non), Maria Schell (Vond-Ah), Phyllis Thaxter (Martha Kent), Susannah York (Lara) and Marc McClure (Jimmy Olsen). Larry Hagman and film critic Rex Reed also had cameos, as did Kirk Alyn and Noel Neill (Superman’s original Clark Kent and Lois Lane); their scene together appears in the Special Edition of the film.
Dick Donner with his cast…
Kal-El, the last son of Krypton, is launched into space by his parents when his home planet faces imminent destruction. Jor-El and Lara send their son to the planet Earth, where his dense molecular structure makes him invincible. Having been given the name Clark, he is raised by Jonathan and Martha Kent on their Kansas farm. After the death of Jonathan, Clark is called by the mysterious green crystal hidden away in the barn. This remnant from his disintegrated star capsule is all that’s left of his heritage, and it guides him due north. At the North Pole, the submerged crystal builds him a Fortress of Solitude in which he is able to communicate with the disembodied Jor-El. After further instruction, his father sets him on his journey.
Once in Metropolis, Clark takes on the mild-mannered persona of a reporter for the Daily Planet newspaper. He meets Lois Lane, whose endangerment at the top of the Daily Planet triggers Clark’s transformation into the caped wonder– “Superman,” as Lois would later call him. Superman’s crusade in the name of “truth, justice, and the American way” begins. Meanwhile, arch criminal Lex Luthor plots to redevelop his land– thousands of acres of worthless desert– by destroying the West Coast. With the aid of a reprogrammed nuclear warhead, Luthor intends to send everything west of the San Andreas Fault into the Pacific Ocean. It’s up to the Man of Steel to save millions of people– including Lois Lane, who is caught up in the middle of it.
Chasing Rockets
When Richard Donner took over as director, he had to start over from scratch. The overlong script he was handed was basically a parody, and the test footage involving special effects, particularly the flying experiments, was unusable. On top of that, he had roughly six months before the production was set to start filming. Additionally, he was never given a budget or a schedule.
Donner assembled an extraordinary team around him. In addition to creative consultant Tom Mankiewicz, Donner benefited from the talents of production designer John Barry, who had worked on Star Wars. Together, they designed the visual look of the film, ranging from the crystalline settings of Krypton to the bucolic fields of Smallville (shot in Alberta, Canada) to the bustling streets of Metropolis (New York City). Two of the more impressive sets are the Fortress of Solitude and Lex Luthor’s lair beneath Grand Central Station.
With a budget set at $55 million, production officially began on both movies on March 24, 1977. The shooting would last until October 1978. Eleven units worked over three continents. It was a herculean effort on the part of Donner, shooting Superman and Superman II. Assisting him was another key member of the crew, cameraman Geoffrey Unsworth– one of the most respected cinematographers in the industry. He is best known for photographing 2001: A Space Odyssey. Superman presents some of Unsworth’s best work, both in terms of his lighting of actors and his composition. His wide-angle framing of outdoor locations, particularly the farm country, is reminiscent of John Ford’s sweeping landscapes. It was Unsworth who brought to life the Norman Rockwell-inspired visuals that Donner sought. Superman would prove to be Unsworth’s last completed film before his untimely death at the age of 64. The film is dedicated to his memory.
Superman, like Star Wars before it, was forced to innovate out of necessity. The film offers many ingenious visual effects, even down to the reflective material used for the Kryptonian costumes. But by far the most important effect would be the flying, which was accomplished through a combination of practical and optical effects. The tagline of the film was, “You’ll believe a man can fly.” Had they failed in this endeavor, the audience’s suspension of disbelief would’ve been shattered and the film most likely would have flopped.
Three techniques were used to achieve the flying effects in Superman. First, wire riggings were employed for scenes involving take-offs and landings. In the studio, these riggings were attached to the ceiling with the actors uncomfortably held in place for hours. When outside of the studio, the wire-flying was achieved with the rigging suspended from 200 foot tall tower cranes. (Two wires were attached to a harness at Christopher Reeve’s waist. In post-production, these wires would be removed.) Secondly, blue-screen matte techniques were used when Superman was turning in flight or growing smaller in perspective. In this process, Reeve was photographed in front of a blue screen. He remained stationary while the camera lens zoomed in or out. The blue background would later be removed and Reeve would be matted into another background. Finally, for tracking shots in which the camera travels with Superman, front screen projection was utilized. With this technique, the actors were positioned in front of a special screen that had a beaded surface for reflecting light. Upon this surface, a background image would be projected from the front. The image would then bounce off into the lens of the camera. The results were typically more convincing than rear-screen projection and made the actor appear to be seamlessly inserted into the background.
One of the flying innovations involved the Zoptic Process, a refinement of front-screen projection that incorporated a special zoom lens. With Reeve hanging in his rig, the illusion of speed was accomplished with a synchronized lens attached to both the camera and projector. This gave the appearance that the (front) projected image was receding away from the actor. Many talented technicians worked on these scenes, sometimes uncredited. Caped Wonder, the definitive chronicler of Superman history, reports, “Andre de Toth filmed Christopher Reeve’s close-ups during the missile chase sequence with Zoptic front projection. Andre was an uncredited second unit director during the Richard Donner Superman Years.” (Film buffs will know De Toth from such film noir classics as Pitfall and Crime Wave– and for the 3-D classic House of Wax.)
Prior to Superman, no hero had flown convincingly in the movies. In interviews, Donner has talked about his reaction at seeing Chris Reeve fly for the first time on the Fortress of Solitude set at Shepperton. He was so excited by how believable it looked. There was a fluidity to it, and credit must also go to Chris Reeve for maneuvering his body in such a way as to convey the idea that he was actually flying. Today, superheros rocket up in a digital blur with a cloud of dust left behind, but in the original Superman movies, there was a gracefulness to the take-offs and landings. As a result of these efforts, Superman would win a “Special Achievement” Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.
Besides the intricate flying effects, there were many practical effects that incorporated models and miniatures. The landscape of the Planet Krypton, the mock-up of Air Force One’s engine, the recreation of Hoover Dam and the Golden Gate Bridge are just a few examples. There was also use of detailed matte paintings throughout the production as well as numerous optical effects and composites. Optical special effects are done by combining several photographed images onto one piece of film. This is accomplished using an optical printer. (The camera inside the printer re-photographs the separate pieces together.) Today, these effects would all be done through CG, but Superman is a monument to the old-school craftsmanship at hand in the days before digital technology.
In addition to the many technical aspects of supervising a multi-million dollar film, Donner showed that he knew how to manage actors and bring out the best in them. He tried to not only keep up his energy, but that of the cast as well. As a result, everyone respected Donner. The production unit became like a family on the set. His people skills were particularly effective in getting the results he needed. It was Donner who talked Brando out of a wild idea to have Jor-El “appear” as an inanimate object with only the voice supplied by Brando! (One suspects that Brando may have been putting them on!) And it was Donner who told Gene Hackman that if he shaved his mustache for the role of Lex Luthor, he would do the same. (Donner wore a fake mustache when he made this offer.) For more fascinating Superman trivia, Click Here!
Richard Donner had a vision for the film, he knew how to guide the talents and personalities involved, and he knew how to make the right creative decision. When the scene called for Margot Kidder to sing the love ballad, “Can You Read My Mind,” Donner realized it played better when she read the lyrics instead. And when it came time to shoot the climax, they didn’t go with the cliffhanger that was originally conceived– of Superman tossing the rocket into space and freeing the Kryptonian villains from the Phantom Zone. Rather, they went with an idea designed for Superman II, and as it turned out, it was the better choice within the context of the story. Again, things just seemed to work out the way they were meant to on this film.
Gene Hackman (sans mustache) as Lex Luthor
Footage was coming in from all over the world right up until the end of production. The pressure was on to finish the film by Christmas 1978. Donner’s relationship with the Salkinds, however, had soured. As the film ran well over-budget, the Salkinds were forced to trade off their licensing and foreign rights in order to get more cash from Warners. Originally, the studio was simply going to distribute the film, but as they saw the rushes coming in, they realized they had something special on their hands and made a bigger investment in it. Donner was the obvious target of the producers’ frustration. With the demands mounting, the decision was made to cease production on Superman II and finish the first film.
Principle photography wrapped in October 1977, but there would be a long post-production period. Another of the renowned talents working on the film was editor Stuart Baird. Baird had worked previously with Donner on The Omen, and they would work together on several more films in the years ahead. Baird would later edit the two best Daniel Craig James Bond films, Casino Royale and Skyfall. His editing on Superman was exceptional and earned him an Academy Award nomination. Superman‘s signature scene, the helicopter rescue, is also a standout moment in suspenseful editing.
In this scene, Superman rescues Lois Lane as she dangles from a helicopter, which is positioned precariously over the edge of the Daily Planet. (It was Donner who wanted the double jeopardy of Lois and the helicopter both falling.) The sequence remains one of the most exciting moments in any superhero film. To fully understand Baird’s contributions to this film– keeping in mind the prodigious amount of footage he was handling– one should view the three-hour Extended Version of Superman (originally broadcast on network television), now available on DVD. Here, a viewer can appreciate by comparison Baird’s editing of the theatrical version and how all the unnecessary material was excised.
Editing techniques can shape a picture into something truly great, but Superman: The Movie is just as well known to audiences for what is heard. John Williams, who had recently scored Jaws and Star Wars, composed what would prove to be one of his finest scores. The “Superman March” that opens the film is one of the most famous themes (and title sequences) in motion picture history. It’s a sprawling, operatic score filled with romance and subtlety. Williams made the film feel like a true epic. From the opening credits on, he gave the film its magic and grandeur. His score would be nominated for an Academy Award.
Christopher Reeve with Dick Donner…
Due to time constraints, Superman: The Movie was never previewed. It opened nationally on December 15, 1978. The response was overwhelmingly positive. The film would make over $300 million worldwide and became the second-highest grossing film of the year (behind Grease). Superman: The Movie lived up to its promise of making audiences believe a man could fly. Sadly, despite the tremendous box office success of the film, Richard Donner was not retained by the producers. Their relationship had completely deteriorated towards the end of production and the decision was made not to have Donner return to complete Superman II. (He had already shot roughly 75% of it.) Richard Lester was brought in as his replacement. Actor Jack O’Halloran, who played Non, summed it up this way: “It was great to work with Donner. Richard Lester was as big an @$$hole as the Salkinds.”
The filming of Superman: The Movie is one of the great Hollywood miracles, and the credit goes to Richard Donner. In the years afterward, Donner would be known as a journeyman director of action films. But in the late 1970s, he was the right man at the right time for this film. Superman was his special moment in history, and he accomplished something truly super. It’s a beautifully told “origin story” that honors the rich history of the character. Throughout, there are notable references and allusions to the past, including the 1950s TV series. Donner made a film that would be remembered for generations to come. He took the subject matter seriously, and as a result, a whole new genre blossomed. When Christopher Nolan sought to undertake his Dark Knight trilogy, it was Donner’s Superman that he pointed to as his inspiration and model. A whole generation of filmmakers working today are indebted to him.
Aside from his “Donner Cut” of Superman II, which approximates what his film might have looked like, Donner never worked on a Superman film again. The Salkinds took the series in another direction, and though the producers still had the best actor to play Superman, the films themselves never reached the heights Donner had achieved. With Tom Mankiewicz, the two might have continued on with a series as remarkable as the James Bond movies. Regrettably, it never happened.
In addition to Richard Donner, this past year we lost actor Ned Beatty, songwriter Leslie Bricusse (“Can You Read My Mind”) and casting director Lynn Stalmaster. So it is in their memory, too, that we dedicate this screening. It goes without saying that we also honor Christopher Reeve, who passed in 2004 but is always in our memory. Sadly, many of the people responsible for this film are now gone, forty-three years later. So with that in mind, we’d like to close by thanking all those still living who made Superman the greatest superhero movie of them all.
For a more detailed history on the making of Superman, you can visit the Caped Wonder website. Under the guidance and efforts of historian Jim Bowers, the Superman legacy is shared with fans from all over the world.
For more about Superman, you can also visit my Facebook group dedicated to the original film, Superman ’78.
~MCH
Superman: The Movie will be screened in the Pickwick’s Mega-Theatre– one of the largest screens in the Chicagoland area!
Dick Donner
