Going under the gavel in in a matter of days and currently on display at the IMAX Odeon in London’s Waterloo, this unprecedented collection of production/screenused treasures from the series of Superman films is presented in catalogue form by Propstore here on SUPERMANIA.
High-end pieces all with estimates set to suit a modest or high budget, this gathering of production ephemera and screenused props represents the finest collection of Superman related material to hit the market since the Ilya Salkind collection was offered by Profiles in History in 2007.
Chief among the lots is the full-size Starship ruin from Superman IV: The Quest For Peace, first positively identified and documented on SUPERMANIA here and presumed lost to storage after the closure of the London Film museum in 2013. ‘Superman’s Pod’ was obtained by Propstore and now offered in exactly the same condition as it was seen on display (then incorrectly listed as originating from Richard Donner’s Superman: The Movie) and is a completely unique piece of Super-history.
Other highlights are the Cosmonaut suits (made by costumiers Bermans and Nathans) from the opening scenes of Superman IV and storyboards from Superman III. Fans of the original movie and its sequel are catered for also by a pair of scripts and photographic contact sheets and even Supergirl is represented by a superb piece of (ultimately unused) concept art by Chris Achillieos.
This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bid and own these pieces starts at 2PM (GMT+1) on 23rd of September. SUPERMANIA would like to extend an advance invitation to the lucky new owners to have their purchases showcased here along with their stories…
In light of the recent announcement by Titan Books that the Batman 1966 TV Series has an all-new 256 page hardback book upcoming, SUPERMANIA looks back through the history of the publisher for its varied coverage on the Superman movie series.
As we wait oh-so-patiently for the definitive volume celebrating the cinematic adventures of the Man of Steel, it may come as a surprise to learn that its been almost two decades since so much as a chapter was dedicated to a retrospective of the films in an official release.
Though there are many career highlights to cram in across all media, one could be forgiven for thinking that a project entitled Superman: The Complete History – The Life And Times of The Man of Steel (top pic) would grant ample page space to the cast & crew that defined the character for a generation and beyond. Alas, these ground-breaking pictures are allocated a total of 8 out of its 190 pages (most shown above).
In fact, author Les Daniels is given a relatively easy ride here, with his no-frills insight free summary of sixty years (at the time of publishing) leaving little to recommend it past the initial read-through –
So thank goodness for the Art Direction & design by the genius that is Chip Kidd. Already a legend in fandom thanks to his incomparable masterwork Batman Collected Chip’s unique compositions are the only saving grace for this otherwise mediocre entry in the catalogue of Super-literature. Committing full pages to contemporary photographs of vintage collectables and classic screen-used costumes, (third & fourth pics) Chip’s layouts dominate the page with splashes of memorable comic-art.
The book concludes with a promise of Superman’s return to the silver screen in a movie directed by Tim Burton (whatever happened to that?) and tucked away in the smallprint of dedications is a thanks to one Jim Bowers, described here as a ‘Christopher Reeve aficionado’, his modest contribution here hopefully a prelude of much bigger things to come…
Fleetingly glimpsed in both Superman: The Movie and Superman II and sharing a grim demise in both movies, the iconic, anonymous Kryptonian guard’s scenes may have been short but left a lasting impression.
In fact, the nameless soldier (played by uncredited actors) in Superman: The Movie had a larger role than the theatrical cut led us to believe, where through footage restored for the TV edits (and later, the Special Edition) revealed the guard was dispatched by the council elders to arrest Jor-El and was crushed by falling debris from the eruptions enroute. Despite apparently having being teleported to Jor-El’s quarters (suspended on wires to convey levitation), the inter cutting of the extended version suggests the journey took considerable time, culminating in a bizarre closeup of the soldier’s eyes as he’s wiped out.
A similar guard opens proceedings with considerable style in Richard Lester’s Superman II, where an atmospheric tight shot of the helmet reveals it to be somewhat different than Donner’s version. Although it appears to be the same design, its lack of 3M material shrouding gives it a smooth finish (decorated with aluminium tape?) and its black lenses replaced by mirrored. Despite a speaking part this time (Alert, Alert!) his screentime is cut short as he’s dispensed with in a swift attack by General Zod’s cohort Non.
So distinct was the guards design that 30 plus years later, talented Superfan Tim Allen sought to recreate the helmet design using today’s technology –
“I was inspired to re-create this Kryptonian guard helmet from Superman (above) because I felt it was one of those props in the movie that often gets overlooked and I thought the fans of this movie would appreciate viewing a unique piece from the film. I created this CG model purely in 3DS Max using the Mental Ray render and procedural texturing. The helmet was created to fit the average human head so theoretically this model could be 3D printed for display or as part of a costume. It could also be scaled down to either ¼ or 1/6th scale for custom collectible figures/statues..”
Watch this space for updates as the Kryptonian guard potentially rises again as a 1/6th figure exclusive to SUPERMANIA..!
Following on from the last post and as a prelude to the ‘Super Supper’ came the small matter of the European Royal Charity Premiere of Superman: The Movie, attended by no less than her Majesty The Queen and HRH The Prince Andrew and in aid of the Variety Club of Great Britain and The National Association for Maternal and Child Welfare.
From the same lot as the Dinner memorabilia are the priceless relics above, where the handsome silver card (top pic) presents itself as an application for a ticket to the Press Show (second pic) which was obviously successful as evidenced by the Super-rare ticket from the showing (bottom pic) where seat 25 of the phenomenal EMPIRE Theatre in Leicester Square would be reserved.
Accompanying the ticket would be thick, glossy programme packed full of well-wishes and full page ads for the various sponsors of the event. With far too many highlights to showcase effectively here, Jim Bowers of Capedwonder.com has graciously provided this marvellous PDF to offer the full experience.
So, along with this great footage (hosted by Superfan Oliver Harper) there you have it, the whole event chronicled as best SUPERMANIA can – almost as good as being there yourself short of standing in line and bowing before her Maj…
It is with considerable pleasure that SUPERMANIA presents this latest addition to the archive, a simple, elegant piece of ephemera that may well qualify as one of the most rare items in the collection.
Quite apart from the obvious appeal of the hand-signed autograph (top pic) this 8×6″ 8 page glossy booklet represents excellent provenance by virtue of only being available at the event itself and surviving to this day where most other copies were presumably deemed disposable.
Indeed, this gala dinner at world renowned London restaurant Claridges to mark the European Premiere of Superman: The Movie on December 13th, 1978 (see pics from the night here) had to date yielded little in the way of memorabilia, making this ‘Table Plan for Supper Party’ document a significant piece of Supermovie history.
And quite an evening it must have been, with a guest-list (second & third pics) reading like a glossary of Superman celebrities both onscreen and off, rounding out the 26 tables (fourth pic) alongside such esteemed company as The Earl and Countess of Limerick.
And topping it off is possibly one of the greatest examples of Christopher Reeve’s signatures SUPERMANIA has ever seen – its certainly the largest (at approx. 12cm across) signed in blue marker and underlined – smudged in a few places but is otherwise pristine. The composition of this above the blue ‘Super’ shield makes for quite the striking piece and a stunning souvenir of a glittering occasion…
