ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

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Today is the 79th anniversary of the first Superman comic, so here are a few trivia items about this, ummm . . . less-than-perfect third Superman movie.
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~ In his autobiography, Richard Pryor admitted that he thought the screenplay for this movie was terrible, and he only accepted the role because he was offered five million dollars for it.

Note from me: Wow, it's tough to say no to five million dollars. We all wished he had . . . but it would have been very touch.

~ After Margot Kidder expressed her disgust about the firing of Richard Donner to the producers, her role was cut to twelve lines, and less than five minutes of screentime, but Ilya Salkind says Margot's claim is untrue. On the 2006 Superman III DVD commentary, Ilya states that there was little need for Lois Lane in this movie, since her and Superman's relationship ended at the end of Superman II (1980).

Note from me: Well, duh! If they wanted to cut Margot out of the movie, first they would cut her out of the story! And for the record, Superman's relationship with Lois Lane does not end at any time in the Superman universe.





~ Annette O'Toole (Lana Lang) would later play the role of Martha Kent on Smallville (2001).

Note from me: I saw a bonus feature on a Smallville DVD which showed Annette stating that when she was hired to play Martha in that series, the produces didn't know she'd already been in a Superman movie!

~ Christopher Reeve threatened not to return for this film, in protest of the treatment of Richard Donner, and also because he hated the script. With the film already in pre-production, the producers scrambled to find an actor to play Superman. John Travolta was approached, but declined.

Jeff Bridges and Kurt Russell were also considered, but were also not interested. Finally, with filming a few days away from beginning, the Salkinds settled on Tony Danza in the role of Clark Kent a.k.a. Superman.

Richard Lester was mortified with the casting of Danza, and pleaded for Reeve to return. Reeve eventually agreed, under the condition that he could make numerous changes to the script. The producers agreed, and Christopher Reeve reprized his role as Superman.

Note from me: Golly, folks, I think Mr. Lester was mistaken about this! Tony Danza would have been just SWELL as Superman. Gee whiz, don't he look like he was just born for the role!


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~ Christopher Reeve was not happy with the film, and, as with the fourth, often expressed in later interviews that he hated how this film turned out. The experience and final product was so bad that he initially swore off ever playing the role again, only to be persuaded to make Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) in exchange for more input on the script.

Note from me: Ah, but that didn't turn out so well either, did it.

~ The scenes in which Superman straightens the Leaning Tower of Pisa and then leans it back in the end were originally planned for Superman II (1980).

Note from me: Naturally there's nothing illogical about this idea, since the Leaning Tower of Pisa can be pushed upright and then back into a leaning position without affecting it's foundation in any way. Right?

Right . . .





~ Annette O'Toole (Lana Lang) and Margot Kidder (Lois Lane), meet for the first time in this movie. Both actresses, would reunite during two episodes of Smallville (2001) in 2004. At that point, O'Toole was playing Martha Kent, and Margot Kidder as Bridgette Crosby. The character was a supposed love interest for Dr. Virgil Swan (Christopher Reeve).

Note from me: In the immortal words of a certain soap opera, "Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives."
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Pow]

Yep, this Superman outing for the third time was indeed a stinker...and the fourth movie would be just as well.

Robert Vaughn is a fine actor, but his villainous turn here is a bore. Pryor was a brilliant comedian but there never should have been a comic element in the Superman movies in the first place.

The master computer was a terrific looking prop stuck in a dismal, silly movie.

[Bud Brewster]

[Bud Brewster]

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If you've forgotten how bad this movie was, watch the trailer to refresh your memory.

____________ New Superman III Trailer (2013)


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And yet, here's what I realized today.

The Christopher Reeve movies went from great to terrible, and during that downward trend we were all increasingly disappointed by each one.

But here's the odd thing, guys. I've watched all the recent Superman movies, and I'm just not impressed with any of them. They just didn't have the imagination, the flare, or the sheer pizazz of the Marvel movies!

So, as bad as some of the older Superman movies are, a big part of why we don't like them is because the first one set the bar really high, and the second one was flawed by the change in directors which turned it from quasi-camp to total camp. and it ruined what it could have been.

The ones which followed continued the downward slide until there was nothing left for us to take seriously.

But the newer Superman movies take themselves SO seriously they're just not fun to watch. Compare those unsuccessful efforts to Iron Man and The Avengers.

I rest my case.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Pow]

Bud, your comment regarding the chain-of-command during the production of a film reminded me of one of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite films.

The scene is at the opera house for the grand singing debut of Charles Foster Kane's wife who can't sing a lick.
But Kane is obsessed & fanatical to make her into a star.

So the audience is watching her,she's singing terribly,and the camera does a slow pan from the stage and up into the overhead rafters. Standing on the rafter are two blue collar workman who are looking down at the performance.

They look at one another and one pinches his nose to indicate what a stinker.

[Gord Green]

I don't think he could show you WHO'S THE BOSS !
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There comes a time, thief, when gold loses its lustre, and the gems cease to sparkle, and the throne room becomes a prison; and all that is left is a father's love for his child.

[Gord Green]

[Bud Brewster]

_________ Superman vs. Supercomputer (1983)


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IMDB has two more interesting trivia items for this production.
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~ Richard Pryor was said to have been cast because of comments he made during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962). During an interview segment, Pryor told Carson that he wanted to be in a "Superman" movie. He later claimed that he was joking, but the film's producers thought that he was serious about it.

Note from me: Be careful what you say on Johnny Carson!

~ A routine of Richard Pryor's, often included in "best of" CDs, is a skit called "SuperN*gger" about a black Superman who is disguised as a janitor working for "The Daily Planet".

Note from me: That's a funny idea . . . but it could uses a title change.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)