Look, Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman Page #7

that had Zorro playing...

. . .with a French star

called Alain Delon.

And two days after,

I had dinner with my father. . .

. . .and I said,

''Why don't we do Superman?''

By 1974, Ilya Salkind

and his father, Alexander...

...had enjoyed acclaim producing films

like their star-studded remake...

...of The Three Musketeers

and its equally popular sequel.

Though Alexander was unfamiliar

with the character of Superman,,,

...his 28-year-old son envisioned

an epic blockbuster...

...unlike any film ever made before.

I said, ''We got to do something

that is serious, that is big. ''

After securing 40 million dollars

in financing,,,

... the Salkinds hired Godfather author and

screenwriter Mario Puzo to pen the script.

I come to the office one day

and there's Mario Puzo in the Library. . .

. . .Looking through old Superman stories.

So they introduced me to him.

Carry Bates, another writer,

and I spent two days sitting. . .

. . .smoking Havana cigars with Mario. . .

. . .in the conference room

and taking about who Superman was.

And his eyes started to shine

and he said:

''Wow, this is a Greek tragedy. ''

By getting Mario Puzo, of course

the movie immediately started to exist.

Just as they had done with the

Three Musketeers and its sequel...

... the Salkinds intended to film...

... two mammoth Superman films

at the same time.

To direct the challenging project,

the producers chose Richard Donner...

...hot off the hit thriller, The Omen.

Donner also saw Superman as an epic.

But he felt that the script,

now tackled by four writers...

... was too jokey and cynical.

I said, ''This is Superman.

This is, you know, apple pie, Americana. ''

It was a part of American history. And

to me it had its own sense of reality.

It's own verision of altitude,

and the mission was to keep it straight.

To polish the script, Donner

enlisted writer Tom Mankiewicz...

... who was no stranger to adventure

and fantasy...

...having co-written

three James Bond films.

Dick said,

''We can't be smarter than the material.

We have to get inside the material. ''

Of course there's funny stuff.

Lex Luthor is a funny guy.

Of course this man can fly.

Of course.

But if you root for these two kids,

if you want them to get together. . .

...if we make the love story work,

the whole movie works.

playing the part of Superman's

nemesis Lex Luthor...

... would be Academy Award winner

Gene Hackman...

... who brought wit and humor

to what had previously been...

...a two-dimensional role.

Bye-bye, California.

Hello, new West coast,

my West coast.

To play Superman's

Kryptonian father Jor-El...

...Ilya Salkind chose the Godfather

himself, acting legend Marlon Brando.

Now, Brando, at this point,

was the greatest star in the world.

This was after Godfather.

This was like literally

getting Gods for Jor-El.

For the Man of Steel, Salkind

and Donner resisted the temptation...

... to cast a box-office name.

They felt strongly that the part

required a newcomer...

...provided that established stars

would be showcased in supporting roles.

I just couldn't see Redford

or any of those guys in blue tights...

. . .flying around New York and being, ''Oh,

there's Robert Redford,'' not Superman.

So I really wanted an unknown.

It can't be Jon Vogt in a Superman suit

or Burt Reynolds in a Superman suit.

When Superman comes on the screen,

he has to be Superman.

Over the next weeks, dozens of actors

were considered and screen tested.

I mean, we were going completely nuts

to get the right guy.

It's all over, Luthor.

You're coming with me.

We even tested the dentist

of my first ex-wife.

It's too late.

The rocket is already on its way. . .

. . .and even you can't fly fast

enough to stop it.

I won't have to fly anywhere. Not after

you tell me where the controls are.

controls?

Who's got controls?

I've traced the signals to this room.

Now, you tell me.

I don't know where they are,

I swear.

That's a print.

I was in New York, to see whoever was

available in New York and Chicago. . .

. . .and one of the kids that came in

was Christopher Reeve.

And a tall, skinny. . . .

As a matter of fact. . .

. . .he had this big sweater on

to make him look twice as big.

But we talked and he was just

this fascinating kid. . .

. . .who was very, very bright.

He had a handle on the character.

It was a good handle.

Very pure, very clean.

The 25-year-old Juilliard graduate...

...eagerly traveled to London

for a screen test.

He was so nervous, testing. . .

. . .that I remember that you could see

the sweat stains under the armpits.

But he hopped off the edge

onto Lois' balcony and said:

Good evening, Miss Lane.

And as he started to do the scene,

it was just so clear.

Thank you very much

for finding the time for this interview.

I realize there must be

many questions about me. . .

. . .the world would like to know

the answers to.

So it's become important to me

to have close relations with the press.

You really shouldn't smoke,

you know.

-Lung cancer?

-well, not yet, thank goodness.

Chris had the self-confidence,

self-assurance.

He knew that he was destined

for big things. . .

. . .and I think he thought

this was part of the way to get there.

Why are you here?

Yes, I'm here to fight for truth,

for justice and the American way.

For the role of Lois Lane,

Donner needed an actress...

... with the right mix of steely

determination and romantic vulnerability.

Numerous actresses were tested,

including Ann Archer.

Superman.

Stockyard Channing.

No, no. please, please, don't move.

I mean, just don't go anywhere.

I mean, move if you want to,

just don't fly away.

Deborah Raffin.

Where do you hail from?

And Lesley Ann Warren.

Test 54, take 1 .

pick up.

Alright, right where you were.

Action!

Oh, would you like. . .

. . .a cookie?

-Oh, what kind?

-Macaroons.

I was actually a little nervous

about carrying over...

...what I had done in the musical special

into this piece...

. . .because I wanted to make sure. . .

. . .that I wasn't bringing the largeness

that a musical requires.

-How about a glass of wine?

-I never drink when I fly.

You never drink when you fly.

-Is it true, you can see through anything?

-pretty much.

-And you are totality impervious to pain.

-well, so far.

What color underwear am I wearing?

What color underwear am I wearing?

-What color underwear am I wearing?

-pink.

Do you like pink?

-Do you like pink?

-I like pink very much, Lois.

-You could take a ride with me.

-You mean, I would fly?

This is utterly fantastic.

This is incredible.

Clark said you were rigged with wires.

-Like Peter Pan?

-Peter Pan flew with children, Lois.

In a fairy tale.

Ultimately Canadian Margot Kidder

won the part.

Donner had been impressed

by her unique chemistry with Reeve...

...and her creative approach

to the role.

Take 6.

What color underwear am I wearing?

pink.

Lois was one way with Superman. . .

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