Month: April 2010

As seen in The Making Of Superman II, This elaborate, handmade and intricately detailed model set was commissioned by Producer Ilya Salkind to accommodate the visual effects shots deemed too impractical to shoot full-scale of the devastation caused by the Super-Villians throughout the climactic Metropolis battle.

From the top; Derek Meddings surveys the set while showering it with oil to simulate rainfall, Genuine set-used street sign props, One Way lamp-Post sign (measuring approx. 3 x 8 1/2cm) Bus Stop sign (measuring approx. 7 1/2 x 5 1/2cm), and a group shot of the talented British Model Unit with their creation.

This sequence, (eventually filmed by Richard Lester) ranks amongst some of the finest miniature work from the Superman series and indeed, of the era being practically undetectable to this day…

The playing fields of the Woughton Campus of The Sir Frank Markham Comprehensive School in Milton Keynes, UK doubled for the ‘Metropolis JFK High School’ In location scenes only recently restored for the Superman IV; The Quest For Peace Deluxe Edition on DVD.

From the Top – Japanese Movie mag article, UK Sky magazine coverage and another unique on-set still taken during filming. Suspended from piano wires at least forty feet in the air is Christopher Reeve himself…

Though the original set from Superman: the Movie was still standing in Ontario, Canada, the Kent Farm was recreated in considerable detail in the village of Baldock, Hertfordshire, England for the opening scenes of Superman IV: The Quest For Peace in 1986.

This set was apparently also left standing until the mid-2000’s before apparently being taken down, though that is not confirmed.  Despite the above images appearing on other Super-Websites, these original on-set 5×7 prints are from a collection taken by a crew member and passed on to me – more incredible pictures to follow in future posts!!

The original waxwork of Christopher Reeve’s Superman was given pride of place in the exit stairwell of London’s Madame Tussauds for many years after its introduction in 1979.  The figure was suspended mid-air in a dramatic flying pose and had strobe lighting and a strategically placed fan to billow out the cape.  Concrete rubble was distributed around a hole in the floor to create the effect of Superman bursting up through the ground and the effect was quite breathtaking, at least to my teenage self and all the other kids who stood around it yelling ‘Look! Its Superman! Christopher Reeve!!”

While the likeness was probably not as well-realised as the elaborate display across the pond (at the Movieland Wax Museum) and the hair somewhat flat, the costume had clearly been made as per the originals (supplied by Bermans & Nathans) to include a lightweight cape for movement.  By the early 2000’s however, time and wear had taken its toll and like many Superman Movie costumes, the colour had faded dramatically and so a replica costume was produced for the figures relocation to the ‘Movie Room’, (bottom pic) where it would reside until the figure was retired sometime after 2010.  If any Superfans out there have any more images of the figure (prior to the costume switch) I’d love to hear from you..!