Featured in the newest site of The London Film museum, Covent Garden is currently playing host to a treasure trove of cinematic artifacts including a rare opportunity to see the above as part of the Magnum On Set collection.
Originally on loan from the Propstore of London, this incredible exhibit was first unveiled in the County Hall site on the South Bank in 2010 (see my archived post) before being withdrawn some months later.
In the intervening years, however, there has been a curious revision that prompted a trip to view the display up close once again. Whereas the costume in County Hall was successfully screen-matched to specific scenes of both Superman: The Movie and Superman II, it was evident the costume tunic had been switched out for one arguably more instantly recognisable.
To clarify, all the Superman costumes were handmade and therefore share particular quirks as none were 100% the same. This costume, however, can be matched to a specific scene in Luthor’s Lair in Superman: The Movie and is clearly identifiable (despite two differing tunics being used in the same scene!) besides being used in promotional material (most notably in the Topps trading card sets as shown in the comparison above. The key identifier is the unique shape of the yellow triangle at the base of the chest shield giving the bottom curve of the \S/ its shape.
Quite why the top has been switched out is a mystery (as this is clearly a much older piece rightly showing its age and not a colour match to the tights) and there has clearly been amendments to the mannequin’s padding, making the body visibly more slender than before. The rest of the exhibit attributes (cape, boots, belt, etc.) appear unchanged.
The exhibition is in its closing weeks now so if you have an opportunity to go and see this genuine piece of Movie history I can’t recommend it highly enough. Vintage Superman costumes are becoming more rare in the public domain and it is unlikely we will ever see their kind (with such accurate provenance) again.
Further reading about the specifics of Christopher Reeve’s Superman costume will be available in the coming weeks with a updated version of my detailed analysis featured on the incomparable capedwonder.com where an extensive gallery of both the Propstore displays can be found…
UPDATE 12/09: Official Propstore feature on this piece here
(comparison pic courtesy of capedwonder.com & Chris King)
A limited edition release to coincide with DC Comics 75th anniversary, the Christopher Reeve as Superman bust represented a new direction for collectables division DC Direct by going retro. Indeed, the sculpture pictured above is only the second-ever officially licensed collectable from Superman: The Movie bearing the likeness of Reeve, (the 1/6 statue sculpted by Karen Palinko being the first) the line continuing to spawn similar tributes to Tim Burton’s Batman.
While the piece is nicely rendered by Adam Beane (reminiscent of Reeve in his earliest Fortress scenes) on a crystal base featuring the \S/ logo, its let down horribly by the paint-job and the sheer lack of attention to detail. While I admit not fully comprehending the purpose of display busts anyway this could have been a great, fun item but in honesty I’m a bigger fan of the box and purchased it only for completest sake.
Beane’s talents seem to have been way under-utilised here and one could make a convincing case that the 1/6 statue would have benefited more from his take on the celluloid Man Of Steel provided the finish was of equal standard. As is, IMHO its a chintzy companion piece to said statue and should only be of interest to die-hard fans. Having said that, a donation to theChristopher & Dana Reeve foundation is made with its every purchase and there can be no better recommendation than that…
Nestled among the ‘New Additions’ on the Propstore Of Londonwebsite is this little piece of cinematic history, a casting struck from one of make-up legend Stuart Freeborn’s miniature Superman head sculptures.
This rare offering comes with the great provenance of a still showing Freeborn himself holding aloft two finished flying puppets from Superman II topped with similar casts. Almost primitive by today’s standards, these puppets originate from a clutch of models made in various scales to double for the actors in long shots and more complex flying scenes.
The most obvious use of similar props is the Eiffel tower and climatic Metropolis battle sequences where they were frequently ‘flown’ on transparent thread. Go here to read more about Stuart’s contribution to the Super-Movies and see his 1:1 lifecast of Christopher Reeve which he released only recently after keeping it stored for decades…
Marvel, if you will, at the supreme talents of one Richard Martin, UK-based Special Effects Make-Up artist, Sculptor, painter and indeed, SuperFan. Pictured above are two of his sole creations, 1:1 silicone figures of Christopher Reeve as Superman and a bust of Terrance Stamp as General Zod. Those lucky enough to attend the Memorabilia 2011 show at the NEC Birmingham will surely testify to the frightening realism of these pieces in the flesh among other exhibits in the first ever prop party sanctioned by the RPF.
Chances are you’ve seen some of Rich’s work already on screen and not even known it. With a portfolio containing significant contributions to everything from the last series of Dr. Who to Lady Ga-Ga Music videos, go to his site for an impressive showcase of his work.
With the credentials shown above I was compelled to contact Rich myself to assist with my own Superman 1:1 project last year and to my surprise he accepted – taking on the difficult task of inserting prosthetic eyes into my bust, mounting it onto the mannequin and finally giving it a realistic paintjob of incredible quality. The result will be shown in a future post but for right now I want to thank Rich for being such a consummate professional and a real gent – he literally came to my rescue…
From the top, pics and video taken from the RPF booth by me (please excuse my Zod impression, I got excited:) of Rich Martin’s Superman projects (both now in the hands of private collectors)
Enjoy these unreleased publicity portraits of Christopher Reeve for Italian Vogue from 1985 –
Or instead marvel at the fact they are actually shots of a modified Hot Toys Superman figure by Duabelas Custom Works complete with rooted hair and casual attire. A true work of art…
