Sound too good to be true? Ultimately it would prove to be just that but judging from the evidence presented above it would appear the Salkind’s last Super-Hurrah would either be the perfect send-off for one series, or indeed, the initiation of another.
In the twenty years it would take to get the Man of Tomorrow back on the silver screen, this second attempt (following Cannon’s doomed Superman V) has arguably been overlooked in favour of subsequent treatments and the controversy surrounding Tim Burton’s ultimately aborted Superman Lives.
Given the calibre of creative talent name-checked in the documentation accompanying the first draft of the script, (dated 1990, second pic) among them tenured Super-Producer Robert Simmonds, Star Wars effects guru Richard Edlund (accompanied by Boss Films) along with a $40 Million budget and Alexander Salkind’s typical flair for marketing, (selling the movie to numerous parties overseas before a director or star were attached) it seems apparent the quality of the first three pictures was going to be at least maintained, maybe even surpassed.
Despite the ambiguity concerning Reeve’s return (third pic), only a year later the man himself affirmed his commitment to the project (click here) after his reservations to return were nullified by the involvement of the Salkinds. The choices of director were also intriguing – Phillip Noyce (Patriot Games) and Steve Herek (BiIl & Ted’s Excellent Adventure) filming a script by an experienced television writer with a great affinity and familiarity with the character (Cary Bates).
So with the momentum building and money changing hands just how and why did the project stall? To date there is no one clear answer. Any concerns that the series may have had its day were certainly not reflected in the obvious worldwide interest and WB’s full backing to initiate a vast merchandising campaign. Those seeking a more exhaustive account should go here and check out this great article by Rennie Cowan but in the final analysis only Ilya Salkind himself presumably knows the absolute truth of it. Its a question SUPERMANIA would someday love to put to him…
Many thanks to SUPERMANIA’s latest contributor for his valued submission of both articles (top one from the October 1992 issue of Hollywood Reporter)
Now approaching forty years later it seems unlikely in the extreme that between the industry and fans in the internet age any pop culture material remains undiscovered.
Imagine the excitement then, on the rare occasion something like the modest example above surfaces and challenges that perception, making you wonder if we’ve even scraped the surface –
While this set of six (four shown) unmarked, unpublished 10×8 prints may be slight variations of more common stills, the second shot (of Christoher Reeve first flight in the Fortress at Shepperton Studios) and fourth of Valerie Perrine as Eve Teschmacher to my knowledge are world firsts and SUPERMANIA is proud to showcase them here..!
Even on a freezing cold December night, with an almost incomprehensible screen bigger than three football pitches obscured between car wiper blades in torrential rain, the magic was still present.
For just beyond the giant wall of the paddock tank onto which Superman: The Movie was being projected, the world-famous 007 Stage was visible, providing the unique experience of watching scenes that were filmed years ago only yards away from where we sat.
The Pinewood Drive-In was a short lived endeavour but a fascinating one. Parked on a backlot that was once the site of Metropolis, Midvale (and indeed Gotham City) an impressive number of cars amassed before the screen and tuned to the exclusive radio station for sound. A shared experience for hardcore fans making for an incredible night…
From the top, ticket, exclusive map (with handwritten directions to the drive-in site) and visitors leaflet…
When the long term loan of the incredible Superman costume display from the Propstore Of London was over, the London Film Museum required fresh Superhero items to exhibit.
While nothing could ever compete with the splendid ‘Hall Of Superheroes’, (the Michael Keaton Batman/Returns suit also returning to its owner) the former Movieum nevertheless sourced a new (albeit curious) menagerie of props to fill the gap until its eventual closure of the South Bank site last year.
These extraordinary shots from the flickr album of givingnot@rocketmail.com depict a group of objects pertaining to be from the original Superman series hastily assembled against a somewhat underacheived backdrop (top pic).
The first prop (second pic) hanging from the ceiling is apparently a large flying miniature of Christopher Reeve (although there was no signage to verify this as a production used or made piece) in appropriate condition for its age but sporting a baggy costume and what appears to be short PVC cape.
The second mystery is the giant upper portion of a magnificent rendering of the Statue Of Liberty. Again, with no signage to which picture this was attributed there is no way to verify its use or authenticity (Superman IV’s torn away cape shot??) although the build quality definitely suggests screen used.
Lastly, there thankfully could be no doubt regarding the provenance of what would be proven as a legitimate prop from Superman IV: The Quest For Peace. In remarkable condition given its age and materials used, the baby Kal-El starship is notable for being the only item on show to feature signage, albeit misleading and inaccurate.
The current whereabouts of these pieces is sadly unknown. With the London Film Museum becoming a a permanent display of Bond Vehicles over in its Covent Garden site (see the last Superman item to be exhibited there here) its doubtful they will be seen again for some time. If anybody can update SUPERMANIA as to the fate of these props, feel free to get in touch..!
This latest vintage addition to the SUPERMANIA collection has the distinction of being preserved for all eternity on a special AKAI videocassette (for high fidelity sound and picture!) released in 1992.
Beneath its fragile cardboard slipcase (with obligatory flipped deleted scene still on the rear) lurks an unmarked VHS tape, the contents of which are the longest available European cut of the film at 89 minutes in fullscreen with Danish subtitles and an AKAI logo in place of the standard Cannon/Warner intro card.
A perfect accompaniment for the tape is the Dutch theatrical release poster from the archive (bottom pic) which text translates; ‘The greatest adventure of all time, soon in theatres – Christopher Reeve is back in Superman IV…
