Superman (1978)

Country of Origin: USA / UK
Year of Production: 1978
Running Times: 143 mins 151 mins (2000 restoration) 182 mins (ABC television version - 1981) 188 mins (KCOP television version, Los Angeles - 1994)
Format: Technicolor 35mm 70mm (blow-up)
Ratio: Panavision (anamorphic) 2.35:1
Sound: Dolby 70 mm 6-Track

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Dovemead for International Film Production / An Alexander Salkind Presentation
Production Executive: Geoffrey Helman
Executive Producer: Ilya Salkind
Co-Executive Producer: Alyssa Cartegena (uncredited)
Producers: Pierre Spengler, Alexander Salkind, Richard Lester (uncredited)
Associate Producer: Charles F. Greenlaw

SCRIPT
Script: Mario Puzo, David Newman, Leslie Newman, Robert Benton
Story: Mario Puzo
Creative Consutant: Tom Mankiewicz
Additional Special Material: Norman Enfield
Characters: Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster

DIRECTION
Director: Richard Donner
2nd Unit Directors: David Tomblin, John Glen, John Barry, David Lane, Robert Lynn, Peter Duffell

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Geoffrey Unsworth
Additional Photography: Alex Thompson, Jack Atcheler
Additional Photography (New Mexico): Robert E. Collins
Additional Photography (Alberta): Reginald Morris
Additional Photography (New York): Sol Negrin
Aerial Photography: Peter Allwork
Wescam Photography: Ronald Goodman

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Chief Editor: Stuart Baird
Editor: Michael Ellis

MUSIC
Music: John Williams
Songs: Leslie Bricusse (Can You Read My Mind?); Rick Davies, Roger Hodgson (Give a Little Bit)
Songs Performed By: Margot Kidder (Can You Read My Mind?); Supertramp (Give a Little Bit); The Platters (Only You); Bill Haley and The Comets (Rock Around the Clock (Theatrical version only))

SOUND
Sound Mixers: Gordon K. McCallum, Roy Charman, Norman Bolland, Brian Marshall

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Sylvia Croft, Graham Freeborn, Kay Freeborn, Nick Maley (uncredited), Basil Newall (uncredited), Connie Reeve, Phil Rhodes
Make Up (USA): Louis Lane
Make Up (Canada): Jamie Brown
Hair: Cathy Kevany, Patricia McDermott, Stella Rivers, Joan White
Hair (USA): Darby Halpin
Hair (Canada): Iloe Elliott
Costume Designers: Jerry R. Allen, Yvonne Blake

SPECIAL MAKE UP EFFECTS
Creative Supervisor of Make Up and Special Visuals: Stuart Freeborn

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Creative Supervisor and Director of Special Effects: Colin Chilvers
Special Effects: George Gibbs
Special Effects (New Mexico): Robert MacDonald
Zoptic Special Effects: Zoran Perisic
Flying Unit Coordinator: Dominic Fulford

VISUAL EFFECTS
Creative Director of Process Photography: Denys N. Coop
Creative Supervisor of Mattes and Composities: Les Bowie
Travelling Matte Supervisor: Dennis Bartlett

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: John Barry
Art Directors: Ernest Archer, Philip Bennet, Bill Brodie, Stuart Craig, Leslie Dilley, Norman Dorme, Maurice Fowler, Stan Jolley, Tony Reading, Norman Reynolds, Gene Rudolf
Set Designer: Steve Cooper

CASTING
Casting: Lynn Stalmaster
Casting (UK): Mary Selway

STUNTS
Stunt Coordinators: Vic Armstrong, Alf Joint
Stunt Coordinator (New York): Alex Stevens

CAST
Marlon Brando (Jor-El)
Gene Hackman (Lex Luthor)
Christopher Reeve (Superman / Clark Kent)
Ned Beatty (Otis)
Jackie Cooper (Perry White)
Glenn Ford (Pa Kent)
Trevor Howard (1st Elder)
Margot Kidder (Lois Lane)
Jack O'Halloran (Non)
Valerie Perrine (Eve Teschmacher)
Maria Schell (Vond-Ah)
Terence Stamp (General Zod)
Phyllis Thaxter (Ma Kent)
Susannah York (Lara)
Jeff East (young Clark Kent)
Marc McClure (Jimmy Olsen)
Sarah Douglas (Ursa)
Harry Andrews (2nd Elder)
Vass Anderson (3rd Elder)
John Hollis (4th Elder)
James Garbutt (5th Elder)
Michael Gover (6th Elder)
David Neal (7th Elder)
William Russell (8th Elder)
Penelope Lee (9th Elder)
John Stuart (10th Elder)
Alan Cullen (11th Elder)
Lee Quigley (baby Kal-El)
Aaron Smolinski (baby Clark Kent)
Diane Sherry (Lana Lang)

PLOT SUMMARY

With his home world Krypton on the edge of destruction, scientist Jor-El packs his infant son off in a spacecraft, hoping that he will reach Earth and safety. The boy, Kal-El, has tremendous physical strength and agility and, later, the power of flight thanks to the effects of Earth's yellow sun. Brought up by the kindly Ma and Pa Kent, the young boy grows up to become Clark Kent, shy and bumbling reporter for the Metropolis newspaper The Daily Planet. But he has a secret identity - as costumed crime fighter Superman who tackles genius super villain Lex Luthor.

This and its even better sequel are still the yardsticks by which all superhero movies must be judged. The cast is outstanding, particularly Reeve in the title role and the ever wonderful Hackman as the villainous Lex Luthor, and the effects are still amazing. There's not much of a story, but as an introduction to the big screen incarnation of the last son of Krypton it's a massively enjoyable spectacle that has worn well and will no doubt continue to be at near the pinnacle of achievement in superhero cinema for many years to come.

UK
Theatrical Distributor: Warner Brothers
Video Distributor: Warner Brothers Home Video

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Warner Brothers
Video Distributor: Warner Brothers Home Video
Laserdisc Distributor: Warner Home Video (12030 A/B); Warner Home Video (1013 LV)
DVD Distributor: Warner Home Video (1013; includes - audio commentary by Richard Donner and Tom Mankiewicz; isolated music score; 4 behind-the-scenes documentaries (The Magic Behind the Cape; Making Superman: Filming the Legend; Screen Tests; Taking Flight: The Development of Superman); Superman and Lois Lane screen tests; audio outtakes (alternate score cues for 8 sequences); 2 deleted scenes)

Argentina
Rating: Atp

Australia
Rating: PG

Chile
Rating: TE

Finland
Rating: K-12

France
Rating: U

Norway
Rating: 11; 12

Sweden
Rating: 11

UK
Rating: PG

USA
Rating: PG (for peril, some mild sensuality and language)

West Germany
Rating: 6

1978
British Society of Cinematographers
Best Cinematography Award (Geoffrey Unsworth) - nominated

1979
Academy Awards, USA
Special Achievement Award - Les Bowie, Colin Chilvers, Denys N. Coop, Roy Field, Derek Meddings, Zoran Perisic - for visual fffects) - winner
Best Film Editing (Stuart Baird) - nominated
Best Music, Original Score (John Williams) - nominated
Best Sound (Roy Chapman, Graham V. Hartstone, Nicolas Le Messurier, Gordon K. McCallum) - nominated

Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, USA
Saturn Award: Best Actress (Margot Kidder) - winner
Saturn Award: Best Music (John Williams) - winner
Saturn Award: Best Production Design (John Barry) - winner
Saturn Award: Best Science Fiction Film - winner
Saturn Award: Best Special Effects (Colin Chilvers) - winner
Saturn Award: Best Actor (Christopher Reeve) - nominated
Saturn Award: Best Costumes (Yvonne Blake, Richard Bruno) - nominated
Saturn Award: Best Director (Richard Donner) - nominated
Saturn Award: Best Supporting Actress (Valerie Perrine) - nominated

American Cinema Editors, USA
Eddie: Best Edited Feature Film (Stuart Baird) - nominated

British Academy Awards
BAFTA Film Award: Best Newcomer (Christopher Reeve) - winner
BAFTA Film Award: Best Cinematography (Geoffrey Unsworth) - nominated
BAFTA Film Award: Best Production Design / Art Direction (John Barry) - nominated
BAFTA Film Award: Best Sound (Norman Bolland, Roy Chapman, Stan Fiferman, John Foster, Pat Foster, Chris Greenham, Mike Hopkins, Chris Large, Brian Marshall, Gordon K. McCallum, Peter Pennell, Richard Raguse, Charles Schmitz) - nominated
BAFTA Film Award: Best Supporting Actor (Gene Hackman) - nominated

Golden Globes, USA
Best Original Score - Motion Picture (John Williams) - nominated

Golden Screen, Germany
Golden Screen - winner

Hugo Awards
Dramatic Presentation - winner

Writers Guild of America, USA
WGA Screen Award: Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium (Robert Benton, David Newman, Leslie Newman, Mario Puzo) - nominated

1980
Grammy Awards
Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special (John Williams) - winner

2001
Video Premiere Awards
Best Overall New Extra Features, Library Title (Paul Hemstreet, Michael Thau, Jonathan Gaines) - winner

1977
March
Day Unknown: UK - filming begins

1978
October
Day Unknown: UK - filming begins

December
15: USA - theatrical release

1979
January
26: West Germany - theatrical release

February
2: Finland - theatrical release
15: Netherlands - theatrical release
19: Sweden - theatrical release

2000
February
22: Iceland - video release

2001
May
1: USA - DVD release (Warner Home Video (1013))

2002
February
28: USA - television broadcast (on STARZ4)

You'll Believe a Man Can Fly!

Superman: The Movie
Superman: el film - Spanish title
Supermann - Norwegian title
Super-Homem - Portugese title
Stålmannen - Swedish title

SEQUELS
Superman II (1980)
Superman III (1983)
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
Here's Looking at You, Warner Bros. (1991)
Hollywoodism: Jews, Movies, and the American Dream (1998)
Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994)

SEE ALSO
Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993)
The New Batman / Superman Adventures (1997)
Smallville (2001)
Supergirl (1984)
Superman (1988)
Superman (1996)
Superboy (1988)

MAGAZINES

Halls of Horror no.27 p.27 (UK)
note

TV Times 24 December 1982 - 7 January 1983 (UK)
credits, review

aircraft, american football, arctic, brooklyn bridge, comic into film, crime fighters, dc comics, earthquakes, end of the world, flying, golden gate bridge, heart attacks, helicopters, ice, invulnerability, journalists, lasers, missiles, newspaper editors, nuclear terrorism, nuclear weapons, police, radiation, sabotage, secret headquarters, secret identities, skyscrapers, statue of liberty, subways, super villains, superheroes, superman, teenagers, telephone boxes, trains

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009