…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…