In continuation of this post documenting the original Superman costume exhibited in Planet Hollywood, Orlando, the images above show that by 2002 the display had been removed from its flying pose the ceiling of the Downtown Disney seating area and relocated to the restaurant lobby.
Having presumably accumulated years of dust and dirt from its years suspended in the open, the costume was in all probability cleaned before being remounted on an unsuitably thin silver mannequin looking worn and considerably faded. While the new display was given an optimum position in the walkway, the new surround (a broken brick wall diorama and chains) lacked the impact of its former home and its plexiglass tube made it almost impossible to photograph. The sign was also changed from the classic Planet Hollywood tag to a garish one mounted at the mannequin’s feet.
As we now know, this costume was the former property of Producer Ilya Salkind, who, retaining it after production of Superman III had used it to audition John Haymes Newton as Superboy as well as in the series itself (also filmed in Orlando) before donating it to the Planet Hollywood chain when it opened in 1994. As was customary in PH restaurants, the memorabilia on display was circulated throughout the sites to keep the decor fresh. Most of the items on show were originals, however some (in the case of Stallone’s props from Demolition Man and Schwarzennegger’s Terminator) were produced in limited numbers just for display. Many of the props and costumes would also be retired if the were damaged or became tatty.
For example, when Planet Hollywood reopened in the newly-renamed Disney Springs in 2017, the Superman costume was given its own gallery space at the top of the entrance stairwell, but was noticeably different than before – in fact it had been replaced by a replica and passed off as the real thing – something the chain was becoming more prone to after standards slipped since its bankruptcy in 2000.
As for the fate of the original Salkind costume, its whereabouts was a mystery for years until fans recently spotted it featuring in the Planet Hollywood Resort, Las Vegas – in the appropriately named ‘Superman Penthouse Suite’ on the 28th floor where it remains to this day…
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