Famous names of moviedom are plentiful in this epic film

Press, 20 December 1978, Page 14

Famous names of moviedom are plentiful in this epic film

vision of the futuristic marvels of the planet Krypton, Brando began a lengthy monologue, expressing his certainty that his world was doomed and his agony at sending his infant son to the safety of planet Earth. “When he finished, there was stunned, respectful silence.” continues Donner. “That first take is the scene you will see in the picture. Anothe: ‘take’ would have been superfluous.”

Gene Hackman, who won his Oscar as Popeye. the compulsive narc in “The French Connection.” is seen as Lex Luthor. the evil genius who pits his cunning against Superman’s strength. For Gene Hackman, whc believes that variety is the spice of an acting career Superman was a “romp.” “I don’t know why they thought of me: I’m not sure I would have thought of me,” remarks the cha-meleon-like Oscar winner. “But Lex Luthor was the best time I’ve had on a movie set in years. Someone once said that the villains have all the fun,’ and Luthor is the ultimate villain.

“He’s a real estate i wheeler-dealer with a prediliction for waterfront property, . . like Australia. From his luxurious lair in the bowels of the earth beneath Metropolis, he concocts the most bizarre, yet weirdiv logical supercrime in historv.”

Cast! g the crucial role of Superman presented the film's creators with a subtle, and deep challenge. First, as Ilya Salkind pointed out, the actor chosen would have to create two distinctively different characterizations: “Disguised as Clark Kent, a reporter for the Metropolis Daily Planet, he is meek, mild-mannered and totally inept in moments of danger. His writing may some day win a

Pulitzer. But alone with Lois Land; whom he secretly loves, he is awkward and speechless. “Which makes him just the opposite of Superman, who can fly, vault sky-

scrapers, out-muscle locomotives, start fires with a glare, freeze deserts with his breath, peer through any substance except lead and shrug off grenades, all of which he

does in a never-ending battle against crime.” The dual personality, adds Salkind, is what has made Superman such a great legend. “Almost all of us see something of Clark Kent in ourselves and something of what we would like to be in Superman,” he points out. Capturing that conflicting persona on screen, adds director Richard Donner, meant threading a thin line between illusion

and reality. “We knew we had to avoid the trap which so many movies, sired by comic strips, have fallen into — parody or outright 'camp? That approach would have achieved what scores of villians, including the unspeakably evil Lex Luthor himself, have failed to do — destroy Superman. “Of course, the movie is bigger than life,” he continues, “but amidst the most incredible adventures, the characters have reality. Even more important, is is a reality to the characters themselves. Superman is a comedy, a love story, an adventure, and its own thing. “But it is not a sendup." The credibility — it was agreed — would begin with the actor who took the Superman/Clark Kent role. “The first temptation,” admits Ilya Salkind, “was to go with the biggest star name we could find. We approached or were approached by just about every leading man in Hollywood and abroad. “But if we had cast a well-known star, as he soared over the city of Metropolis, you would never have been able to forget his star personality. It would always have been the star up there — not Superman.” Instead, after three months of speculation and rumour, the moviemakers tanned Christopher Reeve, who was brought to them by casting director, Lynn Stalmaster. Reeve’s description as an “unknown” isn’t quite true to the facts. At the age of twen-ty-four, Reeve had worked more than ten years as a professional actor. including a stint on Broadway and on tour opposite Katharine Hepburn in the play, “A Matter of Gravity." Typically, he was auditioning for a commercial when the summons came to fly to England (by plane! and test for Superman. Also typically, the news that he had won the role came from a startling source. During the drive back to Heathrow Airport, the studio chauffeur casually told him. “in case you don't know yet. you’re in. You’re Superman.' ” How the driver knew was a mvstery to Reeve but Donner iater explained. “There wasn’t a person on the set that day who didn’t know immediately he had the part.” Now began months of arduous preparation for the role, under actor-

athlete - Dave Prowse who played Darth Vader in “Star Wars.” “I thought I was in good shape,” Reeve recalls. “But by the time we went before the cameras, I was ready to challenge Muhammad Ali.” Included in the regimen were two hours daily lifting weights, 90 minutes on the trampoline, roadwork in the morning, and a

> muscle-building high proi tein diet. Meanwhile Reeve was developing not only his biceps, but his interpretation of the dual role. I The caped hero, standing hands-on-hips as bullets 1 glanced off his chest, was ' only one aspect of Superman. i “But there is more to him than that,” says the young actor. “In a sense,

he is a stranger In a strange land, a solitary man with extra-terrestial powers, trying hard to fit into his adopted planet. “He has warmth and a fine sense of humour, even about his own superhuman strength.” The search for Superman/Clark Kent was matched in its intensity by the hunt for Lois ’ane. She had to be bright, spunky, pretty, and capable of projecting a fond indulgence with tne fumbling Clark and a zesty romance with his steely alter-ego. To the dismay of some of Hollywood’s best known actresses, and their agents, the nod finally went to Margot Kidder, who had been directed by some of the industry’s finest craftsmen, including Norman Jewison. Robert Altman, Brian de Palma ind now Richard Donner. Raised in a don’t-blink-ur-you’ll-miss-it mining town called Yellow Knife, in the far northwestern reaches of Quebec, Ms Kidder admits that she spent the first sixteen years of her life “fantasizing,” and the next thirteen realising her fantasies.

“There wasn’t much to do but daydream when I was growing up, so I imagined myself a princess or an heiress or a novie star.” She made her screen debut in “Gaily Gaily” for Jewison, followed by “Quackers Fortune Has a Cousin in the Bronx,” opposite Gene Wilder, “The Great Waldo Pepper” starring Robert Redford, and “The Reincarnation of Peter Proud.” But it took Superman to make her childhood dreams come true. She’s not only a movie star, she’s contemporary fantasy’s favourite heroine.

A distinguished international cast completes the roster of citizens from Krypton, Smallville and Metropolis. Susannah York, British academy Award winner, American “Oscar” nominee and “Best Actress” at the Cannes Film Festival

is the Man of Steel's real mother. Lara on Ktypton Glenn l ord and Phyllis Thaxter are the Kenis of Smallville. who — in lord's words — “try to give their amazing fosterson a normal American upbringing." Jackie Cooper, celebrating a fifty year screen career which began w hen he was a three-v ear-old scene stealer, is Pern White, no-nonsense editor of the Metropolis Daily Planet. Valerie Perrine, dressed to the nines, is Lex Luthor's fetching play ■ mate. “She's not really evil, just sort of dumb." says Valerie. “She can't resist Lex or his weird schemes.” Ned Beatty, nominated for an Academy Award for his performance as the coldly logical tycoon in “Network.” is Otis, dimwitted aide-de-crime to Lex Luthor. Maria Schell, winner of seven German “Oscars” and the flawless beauty of “The Brothers Karama zov." is Vond-Ah. a Kryp tonian scientist as brilliant as she is devious.

Trevor Howard and Harry Andrews, two of England's most enduring stars, are elders of the planet Krypton. Terence Stamp. “Oscar” nominee for his disturbing portrait of “The Collector,” is Superman's cunning adversary.

Jack O’Halloran, exheavyweight contender, is the Kryptonian heavy, Non, “who can be called a man only to the extent that he’s not an animal.” Sarah Douglas, from Shakespeare’s home, Strat-ford-on-Avon, is the super-villainess, Ursa. Marc McClure, the lovesick kid next door in “Freaky Friday,” is cub reporter Jimmy Olsen, the only one who “looks up” to Clark Kent. The behind-the-scenes credits have the same professional lustre.

Production designer John Barry came to Superman after winning an Academy Award for “Star Wars,” and in-dustry-wide acclaim for “A Clockwork Orange” and “Lucky Lady.” His favourite scene? "The

destruction of the planet Krypton, ft was one of those rare times when

everything we imagined would happen . . actually did.” The most challenging task? "Designing Superman’s Fortress of Solitude in the Arctic. It had to be like no other movie set in history.”