“Dear Diary –
The passing of one of the truly good guys called to mind a summer evening in the mid-1980’s when I encountered two middle-aged women on Columbus Avenue. From the map they were wrestling and their cameras I deduced that they were not from around here, and I asked if I could help with directions. They were visiting from Tennessee and admitted that they were looking for places where they might spot celebrities. I asked if they had ever heard of Christopher Reeve. They fairly swooned.
I said that I had noticed him on the other side of 72nd street, lined up for the ATM. When they asked if I knew him, I replied after a pause that I did (technically true, although he did not know me) and took them across the street. As I approached him I hastened to explain I was a New Yorker and would never dream of disturbing his privacy but that the two women hopping up and down on the curb were huge fans of his visiting from out of town.
He immediately beckoned them over and engaged them in an animated conversation about their visit, grandchildren and the like. As the line crept forward he quietly asked me if I could do him a big favor. I glanced around to see if there was a lump of Kryptonite I could fall on, but instead he asked one of the women for her camera and handed it to me. He put one arm around each of their shoulders and asked if I would mind taking a picture.
After seeing the joy he brought that day, when he could’ve given them the old ‘I’m a famous actor’ brushoff, I was never surprised by all his later good works and courageous fight. A super man, indeed…”
– Jon Lindsey, NY Times Metropolitan Diary
Top: Portrait of 24 year-old Christopher Reeve taken almost half a century ago during a sitting for his Superman waxwork figure at sculptor Logan Fleming’s studio. The finished piece would be on display at the Movieland Wax Museum for many years…
The featured lot in this years Planet Hollywood Online Auction represents a bittersweet full-circle moment for CapedwonderEurope – indeed, Lot 585 is of great sentimental (and now monetary!) value, being a screen-used Superman costume and the first I saw up close in reality.
When I first encountered this breath-taking display in the late 90’s in the Orlando Downtown Disney Planet Hollywood, I was bemused even then how the costume had been suspended from the restaurant ceiling with no apparent means of conservation. Though the outfit appeared to be in great condition, with the floorplan beneath my concern was how vulnerable it may have been to popping champagne corks and airborne spaghetti. What I should have been more concerned about, however, was a threat to the costume’s integrity that couldn’t be seen – dreaded UV rays.
On a later visit to this holiest of grails in 2002, while I might have been happier the suit had been relocated and was now safely encased in a plexiglass tube, I was nonetheless dismayed at how the blue bodysuit had degraded to an almost silver grey. While the new display had taken pride of place in the restaurant lobby, it now contrasted so much to the public perception of it that patrons were stopping to question its authenticity. Of course I knew better, but the inexplicable loss of the once-vibrant colour nonetheless prompted me to start researching the Superman costumes in more detail. What I later discovered – in regard to this costume specifically – was not only fascinating but would set the precedent for what was to become a lifelong obsession.
While the Propstore listing is typically thorough in its description, what’s missing is the colourful history of this particular ensemble and its unique claim to having appeared in two Super-franchises. Though the familiar Bermans & Nathans tags declare the tunic & tights from Superman III, it was possible both pieces could have dated back as far as the original film and had been repeatedly used throughout. After its appearance in pivotal scenes in Superman III, however the costume was finally retired but remained in the possession of Producer Ilya Salkind. By 1988, with their interest in the Superman movie franchise concluded, a number of wardrobe items (including a multitude of expensive wool capes) were retained for use in the Salkind’s new foray into television with Superboy.
In need of a costume for screen-testing potential Superboy’s, Salkind dusted off a complete Reeve suit for John Haymes-Newton’s audition. The release of this footage on the Superboy DVD boxset decades later sent shockwaves out when it appeared to be a 100% match to the Planet Hollywood display. Besides the production being located in Florida, further provenance (and screentime!) was afforded to this conjecture when the same costume appeared (over two episodes) during the series run. The Adventures Of Superboy would run for four seasons and end in 1992. Planet Hollywood opened two years later with the costume ‘Presented by Christopher Reeve’ on a mannequin suspended by wires. The movements of the suit beyond its time in exhibition in the restaurant can be traced to its final public appearance as the centrepiece of the Superman Penthouse Suite on the 28th floor of the Planet Hollywood Resort in Las Vegas after being kept in storage for some years.
The new images above from Propstore provide new evidence corroborating this to be a match to all the pictures taken by me throughout the timeline – the first being the scuffing on the belt and visible runs in both shoulders – suggesting the cape was stitched on to the tunic for purposes of display (as opposed to using the straps to tie around the back) besides the obvious match with the chest shield and faded colours. Whilst the lot description declares the cape, belt and boots to be replicas, I concede that, while they may not have been screen-worn accoutrements, they are not merely ‘replicas’ but potentially added by the Superboy Wardrobe Dept. as they all have lineage to a period in time before replicas became prominent (or, indeed, accurate)…
…And we’re back to posting good old-fashioned retrospectives on vintage memorabilia – in this case something that may truly be unique as another copy of this has yet to emerge (to my knowledge) since 1988 –
Superman’s 50th anniversary was a big deal for both DC Comics and parent company Warner Bros. Although Superman IV: the Quest For Peace, (released only the year before but initially meant to coincide with festivities) had not performed to expectations, there was nonetheless great anticipation surrounding its transfer to home video. Indeed, WHV had initiated a new line of affordable ‘classic’ films under the ‘Superheroes’ banner to celebrate – including all four Superman movies, plus Supergirl, and even Santa Claus, The Movie.
Featuring a cover with all-new artwork (artist unknown) with the tagline ‘You’ll believe a man, a girl, and a reindeer can fly!”, this collaboration between Hollywood Nites, Cannon Films and WHV housed a copy of the 94-minute version of Superman IV, complete with ‘For Promotional Purposes Only’ in a black bar across the bottom of the screen for the duration of the film. Of course, the retail versions did not carry this over and the whole run of Superman Movies would be both released separately and later collected in their very own boxset for the bargain price of £34.99 (Approx. £121 in today’s money).
Just how this particular cassette found its way into the market after it served its initial purpose remains a mystery – regardless, it remains a key piece of both early VHS promotion and Superman movie history besides being a highlight of the CapedwonderEurope collection…
Those of you attempting to open the page ‘Take The Gentleman’s Cape’ in the Costumes section above may find that it has been disabled – the reason for this is it’s now forming the basis of my upcoming addition to the Capedwonder library entitled – you guessed it – ‘Take The Gentleman’s Cape – Tailoring Superman For Cinema’.
After almost 80 years, it seems the fascination with this seemingly most simple of costume designs doesn’t seem to wane. Indeed, even with the latest instalment of the character’s cinematic exploits released only last year, the debate around what makes the perfect Superman outfit rages on and will no doubt start again once the sequel begins filming. My particular take on the subject is that this is your generation’s Superman, so I encourage you to go have fun with it –
Meanwhile, my book will chart the history of the first ‘Longjohn’ character from its conception by the famous pair of Ohio teenagers in the 1930’s through to the final incarnation of the infamous producing duo of the 1980’s. Of course the focal point will be the version worn by Christopher Reeve as realised by Academy Award winning designer Yvonne Blake.
As you may remember from the article hosted on both this site and capedwonder.com, the painstaking research detailing every aspect of the Superman costume from concept to screen makes it the definitive guide on the subject. In the book I will seek to expand on this like never before, with never before seen images, archival and new interviews plus a retrospective on how and where the costumes were made.
On that subject, below the two cover mockups above (neither final) is an unseen image contributed to the book by Steve Hudson showing the storefront of the Irving Street branch of Bermans & Nathans, circa 1981. Young Steve is posing outside the shop having just purchased a complete Stromberg Costume (from The Spy Who Loved Me) off the rack for £15 (can you imagine??)
Finally and crucially, the impetus to commit the book to print came courtesy of my good friend and SuperFan Philip Hawkins, who put me in touch with the legendary British costume designer John Bloomfield. Not only was he kind and forthcoming with all his original designs for Superman IV: The Quest For Peace (Which will be lovingly reproduced in the book) but also generous enough to provide a really touching introduction where he looks back on his career and fondly recalls his time choosing wardrobe for Christopher Reeve.
The book is being worked on right now so does not yet have a release date – I will keep you updated (and feel free to leave a message if you have anything to contribute, especially former Bermans employees!) but rest assured I’m working hard to deliver a product worthy of the capedwonder library no collector will want to be without..!
CAPEDWONDER EUROPE WELCOMES YOU TO 2026
– our 16th year online..!
If you’ve not yet seen the latest video on the SUPERMANIA channel, I urge you to do so before I continue gushing about this most magical of pieces and newest addition to the collection. Indeed, only now have I been able to objectively look at this small slice of movie history and proffer up some details without getting dewy-eyed over my first authentic item of wardrobe from Superman: The Movie.
As I mentioned in the video, I was fortunate enough to secure this last of the Krypton extras’ costumes offered individually before the remainder were consigned to Propstore for their winter auction. The shock of seeing these long-thought-lost garments was compounded only by the fact they existed at all. Of course, we had the wonderful designs by Yvonne Blake (some of which now look startlingly contemporary) but the action and editing during the demise of the Planet Krypton in the movie made it nigh-on impossible to positively identify what the background artists were wearing. Even if many of the outfits did not appear on-screen, finally, out of nowhere, there was conclusive proof that famed costume house Bermans & Nathans had indeed produced them.
Last but certainly not least from the stunning array of designs for men in the ‘Krypton Crowd’ is ‘Sketch 15‘ – as designated on the inventory label and shown in its concept form (and in reality emulating the same pose) – above. A creation of simple yet sophisticated elegance, the only notes from Blake regarding the Tabard’s composition is ‘all reflective if possible’. While I can confirm the fabric selected does have a significant sheen, the only reflective portions are the parallel strips on the front (which have miraculously survived the better part of 50 years unscathed).
Unfortunately I can’t find anything on a ‘Raymond Cronk’ so if anybody out there has any info, I would love to add the provenance. His bloodstains may be on the collar but no, he’s not having it back…
