Behind The (Deleted) Scenes – Lois Leaps…

Presenting rare images taken from the shooting of Superman II in New York City during 1977 depicting Lois leap of faith from Perry White’s office window at the Daily Planet in an effort to expose Clark Kent.

Director Richard Donner and Cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth position Margot Kidder on the fruit stand for her close-ups after Clark breaks her fall using his Super-Breath.  Actress/Stuntwoman Ellen Bry (seen conferring with Kidder, third pic) would go on to land her own superhero later that year with an appearance in the Amazing Spider-Man TV series starring Nicholas Hammond.

This excised opening scene was only recently restored for the DVD release of Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, (Screencapture bottom pic), a product of decades of fan campaigning that I never thought would see the light of day…

 

Jor-El’s Cinematic Demise..?

Despite being over thirty years old Richard Donner’s Superman: The Movie offers something new on every watch –

Eagle eyed SuperFan Paul Hernandez has gone one better, however and found the ultimate of blink-and-you’ll-miss-it revelations – the death of Jor-El.  Quite how this has evaded detection until now is anybody’s guess but the movie delivers surprises to this day…

 

As Rao Rises…

Early concepts of either the Krypton landscape or the Fortress of Solitude under the rays of the Red Sun.

Above, a detailed rendering of Earth’s Moon from a large set of Dovemead Ltd. Art Dept. Production ephemera acquired from the Propstore of London, these transparencies chart the evolution of John Barry’s world of Crystalline as portrayed in the finished picture…

 

The Crystal Mask…

Acquired from the Propstore Of London and nestled amongst a bulk lot of Superman: The Movie production ephemera, come these unseen treasures from the Dovemead Ltd. Art Dept.

These never-before-published contact sheets depict early studies of Marlon Brando’s Jor-El for his appearance on Krypton and later in the Fortress Of Solitude. The sheet with the Crystal mask is arguably the best study of the prop to date while the final print chronicles Brando’s first day on-set…