Look, Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman Page #8

. . .just cockeyed, a little girl

and kind of phony baloney. . .

. . .because she could

fold her head together. . .

. . .enough to think

when she was around him.

-Do you like pink?

-I like pink very much, Lois.

And just sort of dismissive and curt

when she was with Clark--

Seventy-six take 2.

It's not my fault you put

yourself down all the time.

-Oh, yeah, how?

-For starters, Look, you're slouching.

Stand up straight.

Here.

There, stand up.

That's better.

And I was very conscious

of doing that...

... because I was very conscious

around that time...

...of my revolting tendency to do that

around men in my own real life.

Clark said that you

were rigged with wires. . .

. . .like Peter Pan.

Peter Pan few with children, Lois.

In a fairy tale.

print it.

When production began at

Pinewood Studios in England...

... two facts became apparent:

The film would be the most ambitious

comic-book movie ever made.

And shooting it

would be next to impossible.

Especially difficult were

the film's crucial flying sequences.

flying-- It certainly wasn't

romantic to do it...

. . .because you're hanging 50 feet up

from a sound stage. . .

...in an extremely uncomfortable

leather harness...

...that's cutting into your armpits

and your everything else.

We'd be whirled back and forth

across the ceiling on these wires. . .

...and I would be smashing

into Chris in midair.

In those days, because there was

no computers there were--

It was hard effects.

You had to-- practically

had to do it in the camera.

There were a few optical houses,

but things were limited.

You had to convince the audience

a man could fly.

At one point, somebody dropped

a clapper board on the wire...

. . .and cut off the electric current.

And we quickly went:

And were hanging upside down

held in only by our safety belts...

...and Christopher actually did this.

He reached out, in character,

and held the pole.

As if he was going to hold us both

up from gravity.

And afterwards, I went,

''Chris, do you know what you did?''

And he went, ''Oh, yeah. ''

And I said, ''I think you're just

a little too much in character.

This is going too far. ''

The production presented

countless logistical challenges.

Locations stretched

from the sound stages of London...

... to farmlands in rural Canada...

... to evoke Superman's

three separate worlds...

...of Krypton, Smallville

and Metropolis.

The film is very much a three-act play.

On Krypton,

everything was shot through fog.

And people spoke

in almost Shakespearean Language.

And I wrote everybody the same way.

My friends, you know me

to be neither rash nor impulsive.

I am not given

to wide unsupported statements.

And I tell you that we must

evacuate this planet immediately.

When we go to young Clark growing up,

it becomes like Andrew Wythe.

It's sepia colors

and everybody is ''pa'' and ''Ma. ''

And there's one thing I do know, son,

and that is you are here for a reason.

And then all of a sudden, you hit

Metropolis and the jokes start flying.

Clark Kent may seem

like just a mild-mannered reporter. . .

. . .but listen, not only does he know

how to treat his editor in chief. . .

. . .with the proper respect, not only does

he have a snappy, punchy, prose style. . .

. . .but he is, in my 40 years

in this business. . .

. . .the fastest typist I've ever seen.

Excuse me, Miss Lane.

You could tell in the first hour. . .

. . .it was going to be one of the most

pleasurable experiences. . .

. . .that, that-- That as an actor

I hadn't gone through.

I was surprised to hear Chris

hadn't all that much acting experience. . .

... because he was so professional.

Also, unlike a lot of actors,

he was so well-mannered.

Not at all, I'd say it's been swell.

-Swell?

-Yeah.

You know, Clark. . .

. . .there are very few people left

in the world. . .

. . .who feel comfortable

saying that word?

-What word?

-Swell.

really? I always thought

it was kind of natural.

I'm sorry.

-Clark?

-Don't worry. It's all right.

Chris was very specific about Clark

never behaving like Superman.

Lois, I think maybe you better.

Lois, what are you doing?

Clark's shoulders are held differently

and his walk is different.

Then there's this wonderful, confident

upright being that Superman has. . .

. . .and he strides in a certain way.

Good evening, Miss Lane.

Oh, hi.

Chris was a very earnest young man. . .

. . .and he did very much fee obligated

to the myth, to the movie.

He worked really, really, really hard.

Is it true that you can

see through anything?

Yes, I can, pretty much.

And that you're totally impervious

to pain?

well, so far.

What color underwear am I wearing?

pink.

Do you like pink?

I like pink very much, Lois.

But as the production dragged on...

... the mood on the set

was far from relaxed.

The movie's special effects

and flying scenes pushed the film...

,,,far over schedule and over budget.

Tensions rose between

Richard Donner and the Salkinds...

...and by the end of production,

they were barely speaking.

The tension started to escalate. . .

. . .because of course the budget

was going completely out of control.

It was everybody's fault and nobody. . .

. . .because there were so many things

that were new that had never been done.

After shooting more than 70 percent

of the movie's intended sequel,,,

... the decision was made to focus

entirely on finishing the first film...

...and hope for the best.

Take, take, cut, great.

On December 10th, 1978,

more than 40 years...

...after the publication

of Action comics #1...

. . .Superman:
The Movie was unveiled

at a gala premiere in Washington, D. C.

Enhanced by Academy Award winner

John Williams' stirring score...

,,, the film impressed even its creators.

When Superman comes up

on the screen. . .

. . .all of a sudden

the music went, ''Superman. ''

It actually said--

I heard it say, ''Superman. ''

Easy, miss, I've got you.

You've got me? Who's got you?

I was blown away by the movie.

I absolutely felt in love

with the movie.

Head over heels in love

with the movie. . .

. . .which was kind of amazing. . .

. . .because I thought all the way

through it I was just screwing up.

My good friend, Pierre, said

that I would never make the guy fly.

And after 120 million dollars,

we made him fly.

Superman:
The Movie

took in a staggering...

...300 million dollars worldwide...

...making it one of the most popular

and successful films of the 1970s.

Christopher Reeve

had become a movie star.

The film inspired a new wave

of Superman merchandise.

From toys to hit records.

The sequel was inevitable.

And fortunately, most of Superman II

was already shot.

But by now, the creative differences

between Richard Donner...

...and the Salkinds

seemed irreconcilable.

So the producers turned to

The Three Musketeers director...

...Richard Lester to finish production.

I believe this is your floor.

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