The sole survivor of the doomed planet Krypton!
Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap buildings in a single bound!
Look up at the sky - is it a bird, is it a plane?
No, it’s Superman – and he’s back! Justin Camilleri examines the history of everyone’s favourite superhero.
When Superman debuted in 1938, the only published newspaper comic strips were the adventures of Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers. The hitch is that these were only read by children. Superman became a phenomenon, as everyone read about his adventures as they unfolded each week. What made Superman so unique was his superpowers, which were a novelty to readers of pulp fiction. The Son of Krypton was initially the brainchild of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, two American literary science-fiction enthusiasts from Cleveland, Ohio, who wanted to make it big in the publishing world. It was a match made in heaven - Shuster made the drawings and Siegel did the writing. Although initially, they garnered no interest from publishers or newspaper syndicates, this did not deter them from coming up with their own science-fiction hero. For weeks, Siegel and Schuster drew bundles of newspaper strips, and in June 1938, they finally unveiled their creation - Superman. Inspired by Edgar Rice Burrough’s Tarzan, the Man of Steel was launched in the first issue of Action Comics, published by (DC) Detective Comics. Becoming an instant hit, Superman would revolutionise the medium of comic strip books by creating a new fantasy genre embracing numerous costumed superheroes. This became known as the Golden Age of Comic Books and the rest is history…
Superman on TV
The 1940s saw a series of visually stunning Superman cartoons from the Max Fleischer studios, but anyone who was young in the 50s and 60s will remember the classic Warner Bros The Adventures of Superman TV series starring George Reeves.
The series became a landmark in 50s television for its intro before each episode: “Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.” When offered the role of the Man of Steel, Reeves was reluctant at first to take the role. Back in the early 50s, George underestimated the power of television, thinking few would see his work. Little did he know that he would become a national celebrity. Reeves’ popularity soared so much that it often led to embarrassing situations for the actor, with so many children wanting to test his super powers by physically assaulting him. In one instance, a youngster came up to him with a loaded gun and said that he was going to shoot bullets off Superman's chest!
Initially, Reeves first appeared as the Superman character in 1951 in the pilot episode Superman and the Mole Men. The series was then broadcast from the autumn of 1952 through to the spring of 1958. In addition to appearing as Superman in a series of 104 episodes, Reeves starred as the Man of Steel in an episode of I Love Lucy in 1956, and in a Government promotional feature, entitled Stamp Day for Superman. In this advert, Superman catches some crooks and tells youngsters why they should invest in government bonds.
Despite a 90s revival in the Superman TV franchise - Lois & Clark starring Teri Hatcher (Desperate Housewives) together with Dean Cain, and 2001’s Smallville starring Tom Welling - none can ever surpass the cult status of the Reeves series.
The Movies
The tagline on the movie poster was “You’ll believe a man can fly”. Directed by Richard Donner (Lethal Weapon) and produced by father and son Alexander and Ilya Salkind, Superman:The Movie was released in the U.S at Christmas in 1978. It starred a then unknown Christopher Reeve, made a name out of Margot Kidder as Lois Lane, and hosted an array of veteran actors that included Gene Hackman, Marlon Brando, Glenn Ford and Jackie Cooper. Superman became Warner Bros’ highest-grossing film,taking around $300 million by 1980 at the box office. It’s no secret that the success of the script was down to Mario Puzo, author of The Godfather.
Superman, to this day, is memorable for composer John Williams’ (Jaws) immortal orchestral score coupled with probably the longest credit list in history. The opening scenes featured a teaser guaranteeing a sequel was inevitable, with Marlon Brando as Jor-El (Superman’s father) sealing the fate of General Zod (Terence Stamp), forever banishing him and his foot soldiers to the phantom zone (or revolving space glass!).
At the time of its release, critics were divided; while Variety hailed it as “a wonderful, chuckling, preposterously exciting fantasy,” the New Yorker said, “It is cheesy-looking with a plot that never seems to get started.”
Despite the mixed reviews, the Salkinds had a huge success on their hands. The groundwork was laid for another huge hit, Superman II, thanks to the chemistry between the leads, and the epic visual sets like the Fortress of Solitude, that shimmered all throughout the movie thanks to internationally acclaimed set designer, Peter Howitt.
Possibly one of the best sequels to come out of Hollywood alongside The Godfather Part II, Terminator II and Aliens, Superman II was a much more action-orientated movie than its predecessor, and showed a different side to Superman, who wants to become human in order to stay with the woman he loves.
While Superman/Clark Kent falls deeply in love with Lois Lane and renounces his super powers, Krypton’s enemy, General Zod, and his minions are freed from the Phantom Zone and wreak havoc on Planet Earth.
25 years later, the stunning battle sequences do not seem at all outdated, as Superman takes on General Zod on the streets of Metropolis. Cars get smashed and skyscrapers are toppled, but we know deep down that the Man of Steel will save the day. R2D2 creator and special effects guru, Tony Dyson, who currently resides in Malta, designed the cars specifically for this sequence, where Zod’s henchmen repeatedly throw vehicles at Superman.
After the success of the first two movies, Superman III (originally titled Superman vs Superman) seemed inevitable. But this time there was no Lex Luthor, and Margot Kidder (Lois Lane) was reduced to five minutes of screen time.
Robert Vaughn (The Magnificent Seven) played the criminal mastermind, Webster, and Richard Pryor was cast as Gus, the computer genius, for comic effect. Released in 1983, Superman III was a commercial disappointment with veteran film critic Leonard Maltin calling it “an appalling sequel” due to the lack of thrills it gave in comparison with the first two movies, and the lack of a potential villain that could top Hackman’s Lex Luthor.
1987’s Superman IV made up for the third film’s weaknesses. Heavily influenced by the world events that were happening at the time, the movie was subtitled The Quest for Peace. Penned by Christopher Reeve, this time the movie focused on Superman ridding the word of nuclear weapons. The movie features memorable moments as Lex Luthor (Hackman) steals a hair of Superman's head from a museum and uses it to create Nuclear Man, a super villain that gets energy from the Sun. Superman IV has fun creating an action-packed extravaganza, as the two foes clash in many different parts of the world.
Superman, in turn, performs many spectacular visual feats for the audience by saving the Statue of Liberty, cooling off a volcanic eruption at Mount Etna and rebuilding the demolished Great Wall of China.
The two leads, Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder, never did a film that could top the popularity and success they shared in the Superman series. Reeve would take part in Merchant-Ivory’s Remains of the Day alongside Anthony Hopkins, and star in the acclaimed TV series The Great Escape II, but unfortunately he was only remembered as the Man of Steel.
Margot Kidder, funnily enough, used her image of Lois Lane, the damsel in distress, to her advantage, as she would later play similar roles in other movies. One example is Trenchcoat, filmed in Malta, where Kidder played a mystery writer being pursued by terrorists through Malta’s piazzas.
Superman Returns is set five years after the events of Superman II. After a lengthy gestation, in which director Tim Burton was at one stage involved, it’s become the most eagerly awaited comic strip blockbuster for many years. Now it has Bryan Singer of X-Men fame on board, expectations are high. But can Brandon Routh ever supplant our memories of the Reeves, George and Christopher? Only time will tell…
|
