SUPERMANIA is proud to host these fascinating long-forgotten yellowed pages from deep within various Silver Age DC Comics. Collated and contributed by Superfan Ethan Clark from (the top), Worlds Finest #251 & #252, House Of Mystery #257 and Batman Family #18 & #19 respectively, they form a valuable documentation of the buildup to release of Superman: The Movie.
With the advent of what would become the ‘Event’ movies of the late ’70’s early ’80’s and the most revered fictional character of the all making his cinematic debut, what better forum to generate advance word than within the comic-book readership?
In what would be so much rapidly-circulated internet noise today, these well written and researched reports profile everything from the Producers, (third pic), actors, (second and fifth) and even the Special Effects (where we learn for the first time Reeve’s cape flapping device was the creation of John Richardson).
However its the advance screening writeup by Mike Gold (top) that really fires the imagination. Though as we all know the picture didn’t meet its planned release date of Summer 1978 I envy the excitement of any child old enough to read and comprehend that article and the anticipation it creates, and for once, having the finished product more than exceed the initial promise…
This latest addition to the SUPERMANIA archive is a generous gift from longtime Superfan Chris King. Distributed in 1983 by Present Needs Ltd, this complete set of four promotional pinbacks were a mainstay of local comic shops for years (bagged separately on a blue backing board) and, according to Chris, available in the foyer of the cinema where the movie was screening.
Featuring sharp, colourful graphics, besides the obvious spelling faux-pas (third pic down) the most curious concoction is easily the last button (fourth pic) where a still from the computer showdown is paired with a still from the junkyard sequence for a supposed ‘reflection’ (with the help of a laughably rendered mirror).
Like many promotional items from Superman III these, although considered ‘shelf warmers’ at the time, are increasingly rare as a set today…
Enjoy this nice vintage piece reproduced in full from the 29th Internationale Berlin FilmFest Spiele of early 1979.
One can only imagine the response of European audiences seeing Richard Donner’s magnum opus unfold for the very first time…
Superman III / Superman’s Bodysuit (Christopher Reeve)
(Warner Bros., 1983) Superman first appeared in Action Comics #1 (June 1938) and subsequently appeared in various radio serials, television programs, films, newspaper strips, and video games. With the success of his adventures, Superman helped to create the superhero genre and establish its primacy within the American comic book. In the late 70’s, Christopher Reeve became the embodiment of the Man of Steel. Though he had predecessors, his name became synonymous for the Man from Krypton, sent to Metropolis to protect Earth. In 1995, with the tragic announcement of Chris Reeve’s spinal injury from a horse accident, rendering him paralyzed in a wheelchair, fans’ ongoing hope of Mr. Reeve once again donning the suit were shattered. As a result, Chris Reeve’s Superman costumes have become one of the most sought after artifacts in film history. As witnessed in the fine arts world, it did not take long for the forgers to see an opportunity and today, several fake suits, manufactured long after filming – yet copied from the real thing, therefore identical – are known to have ended up in private collections, sold as “originals”. Many of the die-hard collectors are aware of that fact, which naturally makes a purchase choice in today’s market a rather difficult one, especially since hardly any of the suits documented in public sales seemed to be accompanied by any meaningful provenance. In fact, the standard “COA” often reads that the suit was given to “x” person by an employee from the costume department with no direct link that would allow tracing it back to a credible or indisputable source.
ScreenUsed is proud to offer a rare original Christopher Reeve Superman bodysuit with his trademark belt, accompanied by an actual Certificate of Authenticity direct from Warner Brothers Studios. To the best of our knowledge, this is the only original Superman costume ever to be released to the public with full Warner Brothers Archives sanctioning. The studio’s unique DNA encoding system allows for matching the suit with its corresponding COA at any given time, eliminating the risk of the valuable and authenticating paperwork ever being matched up with a replicated body-suit. To adequately display the suit, it was dressed on a custom muscular ‘heroic’ mannequin with custom sculpted Christopher Reeve head (painted in silky white to direct the emphasis towards the suit, not the sculpture) and completed with a replicated set of cape and boots. Superman’s appearance is distinctive and iconic, making this costume instantly recognizable the world over.
Currently offered in auction by Screenused.com this excellent piece from Superman III represents a first in authentication technology – although exactly what it is and how its achieved remains unclear.
As acknowledged by the outstanding description above, the market has been saturated by fakes (some better rendered than others) but all with corresponding paperwork with ‘legitimate’ correspondence easily capable of fooling the casual fan in to spending thousands. Prevalent throughout the nineties, it is unknown just how many of these copies are still out there pertaining to be the real thing. In fairness to the buyer, there was very little out there for reference as a basis for comparison until the last decade where access to genuine costumes was kindly made available (by the likes of the Propstore.com etc.) where extensive research and studies could be made for a definitive guide to what makes Yvonne Blake’s creation quite so Super.
Thankfully there are now sites committed to policing the web to ensure the consumer is not being fooled auction by auction as they become available. The best of these by far is Jason DeBord’s Original Prop Blog, where the dissection of every listing (right down to the fabric weave) caters for your every authentication concern. For those wanting a more exhaustive overview may I recommend SUPERMANIA’s very own essay on the costume found right here on the incomparable Capedwonder.com.
Revolutionary and genuine as the lot here is, however, its not all good news. While the bodysuit looks to be in fantastic condition (studio labelled throughout – even the belt – noting Reeve was a 36″ waist at the time of filming) the overall display does it little justice. Mounted on what looks to be a plain white basic shop display mannequin (lacking anywhere close to Reeve’s height or proportions) with a cast of Howard Senft’s stylised Reeve bust added painted to match, the obvious reproduction boots and cape, while completing the costume, seem to undermine the legitimacy of the production-made pieces.
Whomever the lucky new owner is, SUPERMANIA’s advice would be to remount the bodysuit as is (while binning the repro gear) or at least reinvesting in sharp new pieces from either Super Costumes or Action Costumes for a closer match…
Enjoy this great little piece by Dan Shaw of The Black Country Bugle –
SOME children are lucky enough to meet their heroes but Phil Carr met a superhero when he was introduced to actor Christopher Reeve in 1978.
The story on the ABC Minors in our March 27 edition prompted Phil to bring along to our offices his souvenirs of a very special day.
Phil was a member of the ABC Minors at the cinema in Stourbridge in the late ’70s and early ’80s. He went on to work there when he was 16 but before that he helped out during the week, after school, polishing the backs of chairs and cleaning the carbon projectors and carbon rods that provided light for the projector.
“I rewound films onto spools after showing, and checked them by hand as I wound them back on,” recalled Phil.
“Because I’d worked so hard, the manager of the ABC, Tim Williamson, asked me if I wanted to go with him to Pinewood Studios in London. He was going there to see Derek Meddings, a model maker for a lot of films. He built a bridge for Superman, and an entire street that a lot of it was filmed on at Pinewood.”
Tim was a keen on stop animation, hence his interest in Derek’s models.
“While we were there,” said Phil, “a woman called Pat O’Brien, a PR for the Superman films, came down to see Derek Meddings. She told us they were filming Superman II, and asked if we wanted to go in and have a look.
“She took us through, popping into an office on the way to get some photographs of Christopher Reeve for him to sign.
“We went onto the set, and were told to be very quiet. They were just filming the flying scene, with Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder. We were sworn to secrecy, but they did it by lying him down in a cast of his chest, with a green screen behind him and cameras moving around him.
“When they finished shooting and got them down, Pat O’Brien brought him over. He seemed huge, and the first words he spoke to me were ‘Well, hello down there’, as he put his hand out for me to shake. He had the tights and the boots on, and a dressing gown over the top.
“I was so star struck I didn’t say much at all. He asked me if I liked the first film, but I barely managed an answer.
“He signed the pictures, and when he signed mine he dropped the picture and trod on it. It may well have been my fault, I was pretty nervous when I passed it to him. But that footprint on the picture is from Superman’s boot.”
Bottom pic – Clean version of the signed photo. Read the original article here.
