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…
Concluding the month of rare collectibles from France on SUPERMANIA is this fantastic boardgame released by Miro in 1979, one of three different formats to be marketed across Europe (the others being Greece and Italy).
Featuring great box and interior art (despite the lid image being flipped, top pic) this game for two to four players typically contains board, (third pic,) dice, instruction sheet and an assortment of Superman counters plus one Lex Luthor counter.
Interestingly, despite Superman: The Movie’s global appeal, the only territories not to produce similar games were the US and UK, something that would be later rectified with popular games produced for Superman II & III…
Resuming the posts dedicated to collectibles originating in France, these two fantastic jigsaws are a recent acquisition and are both complete and in splendid condition for their age.
Though numerous jigsaw puzzles were released in conjunction with Superman: The Movie stateside and elsewhere in Europe, this pair of 150-piece iconic poses were unique to French makers Capiepa although many found their way to UK shores.
More often than not found in dilapidated boxes and inevitably with pieces missing, these are surely among the best surviving examples and are now an essential addition to the SUPERMANIA archive…
Bonjour Superfans – This month’s posts on SUPERMANIA are devoted purely to rare collectables originating from Producer Pierre Spengler’s home country of France, where Superman:The Movie was released as Superman: Le Film.
Shown above is the bumper French Press book, its 60 pages filled with sharp B&W portraits and biographies of cast and crew under its crisp white cover (top). Considerably sleeker than the no-frills campaign books produced in the UK, this A4 sized volume profiles everybody from Geoffrey Unsworth to Yvonne Blake.
And found resting under a sheet of tissue inside the back cover were three loose glossy ad blocks in various sizes intended for reproduction in newspapers and magazines. Featuring art from the US one sheet and UK Quad (third pic) for layout options, its unknown if they formed part of the original press package but compliment the package perfectly…
Coming soon – Le Jigsaws…
One of the many memorable scenes in The Making of Superman II is the walkaround shot demonstrating the plethora of capes for The Man of Steel hanging proudly in the wardrobe department. As we know, many of the scarlet drapes were produced for very specific purposes such as flying or walking, and also made from a variety of fabrics to highlight movement.
It would be easy to claim the pics above are of one of the few pieces left from the production but alas, it is instead the work of talented Superfan Greg Vasilof, who, frustrated with the lack of detail on the various replica capes on the market, sought out to make his own (top pic).
Buying up a healthy portion of the tried & true red wool gaberdine fabric used by Action Costumes to create their replicas – Greg refined details such as the pleats and padding while adding an authentic, finishing touch – the handwritten interior label (second pic).
Famously noted as ‘Colour B’ (red) these sewn in patches (Greg even replicated the handwriting and copied the haphazard stitching) were mounted in most capes so the costume dept. could distinguish one from the other as often they would need to be changed scene by scene.
Not content with producing the cape labels, Greg also went on to reproduce the famed interior Bermans and Nathans costume labels with authentic details (bottom pic) to stitch into his own display costume to give it the accurate finish. As a conscientious Superfan, however, Greg is neither selling nor distributing these labels to avoid them being used as provenance for counterfeit costumes (the sales of which I’m proud to say has eroded considerably in recent years thanks to growing awareness) but is indeed producing capes to sell privately. Should any discerning Superfan wish to add one of these quality props to their collection feel free to contact me…
