SUPERMANIA is pleased to at long last to return to the pages of the Big Red Book and continue the story of Superman IV: The Quest For Peace as told in pictures by master artist Martin Asbury –
To recount the origins of this find, the Big Red Book is a production used/made item and was recovered from a skip on the site of Elstree Studios in 1988. Marked on the spine as ‘Superman IV, Script & Storyboards Part 2’ it picks up the story midway and has been serialised on this blog from the beginning (scroll through the Superman IV posts for previous entries). Surviving in pristine condition (save for minimal water damage) given the circumstances, this may well be the only copy in existence.
From the top; Additions in pink for the ‘Revised Red Square Sequence’ depict exactly what made the final cut of the film. More to follow..!
Presenting another SUPERMANIA exclusive – this time from a selection of ephemera surviving Dovemead Ltd’s office wastebasket from the production of Superman III.
This small selection of material shows correspondence (with accompanying Polaroids) between associate producer Bob Simmonds and stateside production manager Chris Coles regarding the casting of a suitable stunt double for Richard Pryor’s pivotal character August Gorman for the third act of the film.
From the top – Unpublished still of Pryor used for makeup/continuity purposes, typed memo between producers dated July 10th, 1982 (with hilarious last paragraph) photocopied sheet of casting Polaroids and bottom Anthony Reese in full Pryor makeup with costume notes for the Webster clan…
This week marks the 26th anniversary of the worldwide release of Superman IV: The Quest For Peace on unsuspecting moviegoers everywhere –
Like it or loathe it, the closing chapter of the Reeve series remains as shrouded in controversy as its three preceding pictures but for all the wrong reasons. To date still unreleased in its entirety and tucked away embarrassingly in many a boxset collection, it remains today more a guilty pleasure than a Batman & Robin style disaster.
At a glance the images above would seem to represent a Movie of equal quality to the first two rather than the Corman-esque travesty it actually became. From the advertising campaign headed by veteran Bond poster artist Daniel Goozee’s painting (rare ‘clean’ version shown, top) to the supporting cast carried over a ten-year period (featuring Gene Hackman (bottom) and at its heart, the assured presence of Reeve himself with a story he co-wrote. What could possibly go wrong…?
As SDCC closes its doors for another year and fans slowly digest/debate the vast amount of cool stuff shown and/or on offer, SUPERMANIA presents another exclusive on a revelation at the show you may well have missed –
Peeping out modestly on display at the Propstore Of London’s very busy booth was this pair of exquisitely sculpted portrait heads from Superman II. Mounted on a handsome black plinth with the movie title (inscribed Mount Rushmore Zod & Ursa) the display is so fresh it has yet to be listed on Propstore’s website. While it seems evident exactly what this piece is and its purpose, a keen-eyed fan familiar with the specific scene from Richard Lester’s Superman II may notice these are full head casts and appear different from the final miniature (where all three Supervillians are integrated into the rockface.)
Unlike the giant foreground miniature of Abraham Lincoln (read about its rescue from the PinewoodStudios skip here) these heads are no more than 10″ tall and even though they have been painted to resemble construction from blocks they lack the dark detailing seen in the final shot.
So what do we really have here? Its well established Propstore had a great relationship with the late, great Stuart Freeborn and these could well be his masters for the final miniature. While it seems clear they are original sculpts (as opposed to lifecasts) in plaster(?) It remains entirely speculative until Propstore releases the details of this fine piece when it finally comes up for sale at what will surely be a price worthy of its villainous subjects…
Those of you lucky enough to be attending this years San Diego Comic-Con are in for a historic Super-treat courtesy of DC Entertainment and Warner Brothers.
To coincide with the 75th anniversary of the Man Of Steel, an elaborate showcase of genuine costumes celebrating the many live-action incarnations of Superman from the small & silver screen is currently being exhibited among the hordes of pop-culture memorabilia (credit to respective photographers for the pics above).
From CNET.com; Leith Adams, movie poster expert and the Executive Director of Warner Brothers Corporate Archive, delves into the secret history of Superman’s on-screen costumes. “I was always told, ‘You can’t save everything, Leith,’ he recounted. But when it comes to some classic Superman suits, Adams was able to save the day. Or at least, the fabric.
Featuring one Henry Cavill costume too many and a George Reeves costume too little, (with original Reeve costume re-housed from the DC Comics 75th anniversary in Valencia a few years back) this is also the first time a complete ‘evil’ Superman costume has been made available to view in public. The showcase will presumably run until the close of this years con on Sun 21st and may well be the only location (save for the Warner Museum) this Super-collection will ever be assembled again…
