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1
00:00:18,540 --> 00:00:19,820
-Look--
-Up in the sky.
2
00:00:20,020 --> 00:00:21,220
-It's a bird.
-It's a plane.
3
00:00:21,460 --> 00:00:23,460
It's, it's--
4
00:00:23,860 --> 00:00:27,860
Superman, Superman, Superman,
Superman, Superman!
5
00:00:28,140 --> 00:00:29,260
You wanted to see me?
6
00:00:40,500 --> 00:00:42,980
He was the world's
first comic-book superhero.
7
00:00:44,260 --> 00:00:47,700
The fearless man
in blue tights with a red cape...
8
00:00:47,900 --> 00:00:50,460
...and an S stretched
boldly across his chest.
9
00:00:53,580 --> 00:00:59,020
My dad would give a dime to buy
every new issue of Superman.
10
00:00:59,220 --> 00:01:01,620
Superman made
a big impact on me. . .
11
00:01:01,820 --> 00:01:04,060
. . .and I guess on most of the people
who read them.
12
00:01:04,260 --> 00:01:07,460
For more than 60 years,
Superman has been everything.
13
00:01:08,100 --> 00:01:13,060
From a comic book to a cartoon,
to a movie star.
14
00:01:13,260 --> 00:01:15,860
Easy, miss, I've got you.
15
00:01:16,060 --> 00:01:18,780
Everybody when they talk about
Superman as part of their childhood. . .
16
00:01:18,980 --> 00:01:20,780
. . .glows about why it's
such a great character.
17
00:01:22,140 --> 00:01:24,460
Look, Superman.
18
00:01:24,860 --> 00:01:29,980
I first saw Superman on television,
in George Reeves' TV series.
19
00:01:30,180 --> 00:01:32,380
I just loved it.
20
00:01:32,580 --> 00:01:34,740
I guess it was the idea of flying.
21
00:01:34,980 --> 00:01:38,140
George Reeves would run up
and bounce out the window.
22
00:01:38,340 --> 00:01:42,300
I would try to mimic that.
I mean who didn't?
23
00:01:42,500 --> 00:01:46,540
Some have seen Superman
as a mythic symbol of hope...
24
00:01:47,180 --> 00:01:50,580
...strength and moral certainty...
25
00:01:50,780 --> 00:01:55,180
... while others would simply call him
a pop-culture phenomenon.
26
00:01:55,380 --> 00:01:59,300
-It's not like I asked to be famous.
-Yeah, well, it's the price you pay.
27
00:01:59,500 --> 00:02:02,180
Throughout his history, heirs found
himself in touch with the times...
28
00:02:04,060 --> 00:02:06,340
...and occasionally out of fashion.
29
00:02:06,860 --> 00:02:08,500
Forget it, Superman,
you just do your thing.
30
00:02:08,700 --> 00:02:10,020
Right on.
31
00:02:10,220 --> 00:02:12,500
Lois is in danger.
I'm going to split.
32
00:02:12,700 --> 00:02:15,380
But Superman continues to endure...
33
00:02:15,580 --> 00:02:19,380
...as generation after generation
have come to know him.
34
00:02:19,820 --> 00:02:22,300
I watched the Justice League
cartoon on television.
35
00:02:22,500 --> 00:02:25,140
That was really my exposure
to Superman.
36
00:02:25,380 --> 00:02:28,220
Thank you for flying
Superman Airlines.
37
00:02:28,780 --> 00:02:32,220
And with its new generation,
Superman continues to challenge...
38
00:02:32,420 --> 00:02:36,420
...our collective notion
of what it means to be a hero.
39
00:02:36,620 --> 00:02:38,020
There is always a time for heroes.
40
00:02:38,220 --> 00:02:39,860
It's the spirit of Superman.
41
00:02:40,060 --> 00:02:41,980
Someone that people can aspire to be.
42
00:02:43,460 --> 00:02:47,500
The guy down the street
wanted to be a sports jock.
43
00:02:48,300 --> 00:02:50,740
I wanted to save Metropolis.
44
00:02:51,740 --> 00:02:54,980
It's about having a hero
who swoops down and saves you. . .
45
00:02:55,180 --> 00:02:57,780
. . .who looks pretty good too.
46
00:02:58,420 --> 00:03:01,940
He enables you to do everything humanly
possible that we all wanted to do.
47
00:03:02,140 --> 00:03:03,820
It's the greatest fantasy in the world.
48
00:03:20,140 --> 00:03:24,300
According to the comic books,
Superman began life as baby Kal-El.
49
00:03:25,340 --> 00:03:28,140
Born on the distant planet of Krypton.
50
00:03:28,340 --> 00:03:29,980
But Superman
was actually conceived...
51
00:03:30,180 --> 00:03:32,500
...in the imaginations
of two teenage boys...
52
00:03:32,700 --> 00:03:34,580
...from Cleveland, Ohio.
53
00:03:34,780 --> 00:03:38,700
Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster...
54
00:03:38,900 --> 00:03:42,380
...both the sons of Jewish immigrants.
55
00:03:42,580 --> 00:03:45,780
When they met at
Glenville High School in 1931...
56
00:03:45,780 --> 00:03:48,140
... the two teenagers were shy loners
with a shared interest...
57
00:03:49,940 --> 00:03:51,900
...in adventure, science-fiction
pulp magazines...
58
00:03:54,540 --> 00:03:55,740
...and comic strips.
59
00:03:58,340 --> 00:04:00,620
Jerry wrote articles
for his school newspaper.
60
00:04:00,820 --> 00:04:04,700
Joe was an artist who enjoyed
illustrating Jerry's work.
61
00:04:04,940 --> 00:04:07,820
A powerful partnership was forged.
62
00:04:08,020 --> 00:04:09,500
They were about 16 years ode.
63
00:04:09,700 --> 00:04:12,660
They just connected
and came up with this idea.
64
00:04:12,860 --> 00:04:15,180
Jerry would write stories,
Joe would draw them. . .
65
00:04:15,380 --> 00:04:17,660
. . .and they would try to make it
as comic-strip guys.
66
00:04:19,020 --> 00:04:21,660
comic artists at that time were
celebrities and miIIionaires.
67
00:04:21,860 --> 00:04:25,180
But Jerry and Joe's dreams
of fame and fortune collided...
68
00:04:25,380 --> 00:04:30,060
. . . with the economic despair and political
uncertainty of the Great Depression.
69
00:04:31,460 --> 00:04:32,820
A time when Americans
questioned...
70
00:04:33,020 --> 00:04:36,660
... whether their way of life
could even survive.
71
00:04:39,300 --> 00:04:43,020
In 1932 Jerry and Joe
created a mail-order periodical...
72
00:04:43,220 --> 00:04:45,700
... they called Science Fiction.
73
00:04:47,100 --> 00:04:54,260
It was just a little mimeographed
periodical about 8 or 10 pages.
74
00:04:55,620 --> 00:04:59,860
And inside it was the story caIIed
''Reign of the Superman. ''
75
00:05:02,660 --> 00:05:07,660
Appearing in January of 1933 the
''Reign of the Superman'' told the story...
76
00:05:07,860 --> 00:05:09,820
...of a bald madman
who tries to use...
77
00:05:10,020 --> 00:05:12,460
...his telepathic abilities
to conquer the world.
78
00:05:14,220 --> 00:05:16,300
The character's name came
from the word coined...
79
00:05:16,540 --> 00:05:20,100
...by German philosopher Friedrich
Nietzsche some 50 years earlier.
80
00:05:22,540 --> 00:05:24,260
A few months after the story
was published...
81
00:05:24,460 --> 00:05:26,580
...Jerry Siegel began to rethink
the concept.
82
00:05:30,180 --> 00:05:32,460
What if the Superman
he and Joe had created...
83
00:05:32,660 --> 00:05:36,100
... was a force for good
instead of evil?
84
00:05:36,300 --> 00:05:40,340
And instead of telepathic abilities,
what if his powers were physical...
85
00:05:40,540 --> 00:05:44,780
...just like Hercules, Samson and all
of the other legendary strongmen...
86
00:05:46,140 --> 00:05:48,180
... they had read about
and tried to emulate.
87
00:05:51,100 --> 00:05:54,060
Wouldn't this character be perfect to
star in a daily newspaper comic strip?
88
00:05:54,260 --> 00:05:55,900
They did it in a night in Cleveland.
89
00:05:56,140 --> 00:05:58,820
They kept running to each other's
houses that hot night in Cleveland.
90
00:06:00,420 --> 00:06:03,060
Neither could seep.
Joe Shuster would draw pictures. . .
91
00:06:03,260 --> 00:06:05,220
. . .as Jerry came up with ideas.
92
00:06:06,060 --> 00:06:11,340
Over the next few weeks, Jerry and Joe
continued to refine their concept.
93
00:06:12,260 --> 00:06:15,220
They made Superman a refugee
from a distant planet.
94
00:06:16,580 --> 00:06:20,100
Clothed him in a muscle-defining
outfit of a circus acrobat...
95
00:06:20,300 --> 00:06:22,540
...and gave him a secret identity...
96
00:06:22,740 --> 00:06:27,180
...as a mild-mannered newspaper
reporter named Clark Kent.
97
00:06:27,380 --> 00:06:30,820
Superman had the dual identity.
You know Zorro had had it. . .
98
00:06:30,820 --> 00:06:32,300
. . .the Scarlet Pimpernel had it.
99
00:06:32,500 --> 00:06:35,940
It was important to
the whole Superman mythos.
100
00:06:36,420 --> 00:06:40,180
Him working as a newspaper reporter so
that he can know what was going on. . .
101
00:06:40,380 --> 00:06:43,060
. . .and where his abilities were needed.
102
00:06:44,820 --> 00:06:46,940
Drawing from both
pop culture and myth...
103
00:06:47,140 --> 00:06:50,980
...Jerry and Joe created something
original, even visionary.
104
00:06:52,940 --> 00:06:54,980
And every major newspaper
editor and publisher...
105
00:06:55,180 --> 00:06:57,420
... wasted no time in rejecting it.
106
00:06:58,780 --> 00:07:01,420
The editors mostly said things like,
''It looks too juvenile. ''
107
00:07:01,620 --> 00:07:04,060
Who wants to read about this guy
in tights and a cape. . .
108
00:07:04,260 --> 00:07:08,420
. . .who's jumping around like a flea
and bouncing busiest off his chest.
109
00:07:10,100 --> 00:07:12,660
By 1935, Jerry and Joe managed
to find steady work...
110
00:07:14,540 --> 00:07:16,020
...in the new medium of comic books...
111
00:07:16,220 --> 00:07:19,100
... which expanded on many
of the characters and situations found...
112
00:07:19,300 --> 00:07:21,380
...in the shorter daily newspaper strips.
113
00:07:22,740 --> 00:07:26,420
They churned out hundreds of routine
tales featuring swashbucklers...
114
00:07:26,620 --> 00:07:28,780
... vampire-hunters, and private eyes.
115
00:07:30,460 --> 00:07:33,500
All for a fledging company
called National Allied publishing...
116
00:07:33,740 --> 00:07:36,220
...later to be known simply as DC...
117
00:07:36,420 --> 00:07:39,540
...after one of its early successes,
Detective comics.
118
00:07:41,580 --> 00:07:45,020
By 1938, DC was preparing
a new anthology comic book...
119
00:07:45,220 --> 00:07:46,500
... that needed a lead feature.
120
00:07:47,860 --> 00:07:49,460
Fortunately for Jerry and Joe...
121
00:07:49,660 --> 00:07:53,340
... the company decided to take
a chance on Superman.
122
00:07:56,180 --> 00:08:00,020
That spring, Action comics #1
hit the newsstand.
123
00:08:01,380 --> 00:08:03,780
It featured a full-color cover. . .
124
00:08:03,980 --> 00:08:09,580
...boasted 68 pages of content
and sold for a dime.
125
00:08:09,780 --> 00:08:14,500
At a time when an average American
worker made less than $ 25 a week.
126
00:08:14,700 --> 00:08:17,900
In that first issue,
Superman didn't fly.
127
00:08:18,100 --> 00:08:23,100
Instead, he leaped
from skyscraper to skyscraper.
128
00:08:23,340 --> 00:08:26,460
He was also not as strong
as he would later become.
129
00:08:26,660 --> 00:08:29,820
But what he lacked in powers,
he more than made up for in attitude.
130
00:08:31,420 --> 00:08:34,500
Tackling problems ripped from
Depression-era headlines.
131
00:08:34,780 --> 00:08:36,860
In 1938, we're a nation
on the verge of war. . .
132
00:08:39,420 --> 00:08:42,820
. . .we are a nation that is new to this
concept of urbanization and urban crime. . .
133
00:08:44,300 --> 00:08:46,540
. . .and Superman was originally
a social crusader.
134
00:08:47,900 --> 00:08:51,300
He was beating up mine owners
who were mistreating their employees.
135
00:08:54,060 --> 00:08:56,300
He was razing
defective buildings in Metropolis.
136
00:08:56,500 --> 00:08:58,660
Action comics was a success.
137
00:08:58,860 --> 00:09:03,100
And over the next years, Superman
developed a large and loyal following.
138
00:09:03,300 --> 00:09:06,940
But as much as he resonated
with the public, so did his alter ego...
139
00:09:07,140 --> 00:09:09,060
. . .the timid reporter, Clark Kent.
140
00:09:09,980 --> 00:09:11,780
It's not the Ubermensch (German translation of Superman).
141
00:09:12,140 --> 00:09:16,620
It's not the Germanic idea of the
Superman, the superior man of Nietzsche.
142
00:09:16,820 --> 00:09:18,860
This is the greatness
of the meek, the miId.
143
00:09:20,380 --> 00:09:23,940
Superman estabIished
the idea of somebody. . .
144
00:09:24,180 --> 00:09:27,620
. . .who seems to be a meek, ordinary,
average person. . .
145
00:09:28,980 --> 00:09:31,860
. . .and is really a superhero.
146
00:09:33,220 --> 00:09:37,580
And it was a formula that virtually every
superhero owes a debt to even today.
147
00:09:37,780 --> 00:09:39,740
In January, 1939...
148
00:09:39,940 --> 00:09:45,140
...Superman made the leap from comic
book to newspaper comic strip.
149
00:09:45,340 --> 00:09:51,060
And soon 20 million Americans
thrilled to his adventures every day.
150
00:09:52,580 --> 00:09:55,540
That summer, DC took an even bolder
marketing strategy with the character...
151
00:09:55,780 --> 00:09:58,380
...by featuring their superhero
in his very own comic book.
152
00:09:59,860 --> 00:10:01,580
Superman became so popular
that they said:
153
00:10:02,980 --> 00:10:05,420
''Why don't we create a comic book
just about that character?''
154
00:10:05,620 --> 00:10:06,900
Which back then was very unusual.
155
00:10:09,580 --> 00:10:12,380
Superman #1 one sold more
than a million copies.
156
00:10:12,580 --> 00:10:16,940
And by the end of the year,
the Man of Steel was everywhere.
157
00:10:18,580 --> 00:10:21,740
He was at the New York world's Fair
played by actor Ray Middleton.
158
00:10:21,980 --> 00:10:24,940
And he was at
the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade...
159
00:10:25,140 --> 00:10:27,980
. . .impersonated by a balloon.
160
00:10:28,460 --> 00:10:32,340
Now seen as a symbol of hope
to a struggling nation...
161
00:10:32,540 --> 00:10:35,300
...Superman was bigger
and more powerful...
162
00:10:35,500 --> 00:10:38,900
... than even his creators
could have imagined.
163
00:10:42,380 --> 00:10:43,620
Look, up in the sky.
164
00:10:43,820 --> 00:10:46,940
It's a bird,
it's a plane, it's Superman.
165
00:10:48,100 --> 00:10:50,380
On February 12, 1940...
166
00:10:50,580 --> 00:10:53,860
. . .The Adventures of Superman debuted
on radio stations across America.
167
00:10:55,940 --> 00:10:57,140
Yes, it's Superman.
168
00:10:57,340 --> 00:10:59,460
Today, as we begin
the Man of Steel's new adventure. . .
169
00:11:00,940 --> 00:11:03,900
. . .a cunning trap is being set
for the girI reporter, Lois Lane.
170
00:11:05,020 --> 00:11:08,940
Within a year an estimated 20 million
listeners were tuning in.
171
00:11:09,140 --> 00:11:12,380
Now, for the first time,
comic-book fans could hear...
172
00:11:13,740 --> 00:11:15,380
... what a Superman story sounded like.
173
00:11:15,660 --> 00:11:17,580
We didn't have television
but, boy. . .
174
00:11:17,660 --> 00:11:22,380
I mean you know you'd stare at that Atwater Kent (radio),
or that little dial, and you were there.
175
00:11:22,580 --> 00:11:24,980
I mean, it's the theater of the mind.
176
00:11:25,180 --> 00:11:27,140
Hey! that roof's
gonna fall in a second!
177
00:11:27,380 --> 00:11:30,140
I'II just wrap my cape
around these two like this--
178
00:11:30,340 --> 00:11:32,700
Here comes that roof.
179
00:11:36,060 --> 00:11:40,460
The dual role of Superman and Clark Kent
was played by Clayton Bud Collyer...
180
00:11:40,660 --> 00:11:44,780
. . . who would perform the characters
in over 2,000 programs.
181
00:11:44,980 --> 00:11:47,900
He got the concept of doing
clark up in sort of his tenor voice:
182
00:11:49,260 --> 00:11:51,700
''This looks like a job for Superman. ''
183
00:11:53,060 --> 00:11:54,420
This is a job for Superman.
184
00:11:55,620 --> 00:11:57,580
The radio-show writers
added plot devices...
185
00:11:57,780 --> 00:12:00,380
... that became part
of the DC universe.
186
00:12:02,980 --> 00:12:04,860
Superman didnn't just leap
over buildings, he flew.
187
00:12:05,060 --> 00:12:07,740
Up, up and away.
188
00:12:09,620 --> 00:12:13,620
The writers also changed the name
of the Daily Star to the Daily planet. . .
189
00:12:13,820 --> 00:12:17,300
...and the name of editor
George Taylor to perry White.
190
00:12:17,500 --> 00:12:19,820
-Mr. White, I'd like to thank you.
-Let it go, Kent.
191
00:12:20,020 --> 00:12:21,980
You get a story
and you get a job.
192
00:12:23,340 --> 00:12:25,780
They made copy boy and cub
reporter Jimmy Olsen a key member...
193
00:12:25,980 --> 00:12:27,300
...of Superman's supporting cast.
194
00:12:27,500 --> 00:12:30,980
And get this, Miss Lane, Mr. White
gave me all the buried treasure.
195
00:12:31,180 --> 00:12:32,860
It comes to almost 10,000 dollars.
196
00:12:33,060 --> 00:12:35,780
And it was on radio
that Kryptonite was introduced...
197
00:12:35,980 --> 00:12:40,340
...as the only substance powerful enough
to harm the Man of Steel.
198
00:12:40,540 --> 00:12:43,260
Superman discovered to his horror
that if he approached. . .
199
00:12:43,460 --> 00:12:46,580
. . .within a distance of 10 feet
of the strange green glowing meteor. . .
200
00:12:46,780 --> 00:12:49,180
. . .he lost all his strength.
201
00:12:49,420 --> 00:12:54,660
The 1940 radio show also fueled interest
in a shower of Superman merchandise...
202
00:12:54,860 --> 00:12:56,700
... that exploded onto the marketplace.
203
00:12:56,900 --> 00:12:59,060
There are probably only
two characters on the planet. . .
204
00:13:00,580 --> 00:13:03,860
...that you could peg its popuIarity
to its merchandising.
205
00:13:04,060 --> 00:13:06,980
And that's Mickey Mouse
and Superman.
206
00:13:17,420 --> 00:13:20,660
More precious than a Superman toy
was membership...
207
00:13:20,860 --> 00:13:23,780
...in the Superman of America Club
founded in 1939.
208
00:13:26,540 --> 00:13:27,940
You had to keep
sending in coupons. . .
209
00:13:28,140 --> 00:13:30,580
. . .cut from Action Comics
untiI you got this patch.
210
00:13:30,780 --> 00:13:32,540
You see it says Action Comics.
211
00:13:32,740 --> 00:13:34,260
This is from the very first year.
212
00:13:34,460 --> 00:13:38,860
And there were very, very few sampIes
of this particuIar patch known.
213
00:13:46,100 --> 00:13:48,340
As Americans questioned
whether to get involved...
214
00:13:48,540 --> 00:13:52,020
...in the escalating world war overseas,
Superman became...
215
00:13:53,540 --> 00:13:56,260
. . .even more of a symbol of moral
goodness and social responsibility.
216
00:13:56,460 --> 00:13:59,540
In later years, the radio show even took
on the controversial topic of racism...
217
00:14:00,900 --> 00:14:03,660
...by having Superman fight
the Ku Klux Klan.
218
00:14:04,500 --> 00:14:07,420
We're a great secret society
pIedged to purify America.
219
00:14:07,620 --> 00:14:09,660
One race, one religion, one color.
220
00:14:09,860 --> 00:14:14,260
I don't get it. America's got
aII kinds of religions and colors.
221
00:14:14,260 --> 00:14:17,060
Superman's appeal
transcended nationality.
222
00:14:17,260 --> 00:14:21,860
After all, in many ways, Superman
was the ultimate American immigrant.
223
00:14:23,460 --> 00:14:26,660
Irish kids, Hungarian kids, German kids,
Italian kids, back kids, Jewish kids. . .
224
00:14:29,340 --> 00:14:30,620
. . .were connecting to Superman.
225
00:14:30,820 --> 00:14:33,700
Superman became every kid's fantasy.
226
00:14:33,900 --> 00:14:36,500
I came to America at about 8 1/2 years
of age. I wasn't born here.
227
00:14:37,900 --> 00:14:39,060
I was born in Israeli.
228
00:14:39,260 --> 00:14:42,700
Superman was the great longing
of these immigrants to fit into society. . .
229
00:14:44,180 --> 00:14:46,060
. . .and to aspire to greatness.
230
00:14:46,820 --> 00:14:48,060
Up in the sky. Look.
231
00:14:48,260 --> 00:14:49,980
-It's a bird.
-It's a plane.
232
00:14:50,180 --> 00:14:51,780
It's Superman.
233
00:14:51,980 --> 00:14:53,940
Just three years after
his debut in the comics...
234
00:14:55,300 --> 00:14:57,980
...Superman also became
a movie star.
235
00:14:58,300 --> 00:15:00,300
In 1941, the Fleischer Studios...
236
00:15:00,500 --> 00:15:03,180
...famous for their Popeye
and Betty Boop cartoons...
237
00:15:03,380 --> 00:15:08,500
...produced the first of 17
animated theatrical shorts.
238
00:15:21,740 --> 00:15:25,180
I don't believe it. He isn't human.
239
00:15:33,220 --> 00:15:38,900
For the first time ever,
audiences could now see Superman fly.
240
00:15:41,140 --> 00:15:44,740
Once again, Bud Collyer provided
the voice of the Man of Steel.
241
00:15:44,940 --> 00:15:47,580
This is a job for Superman.
242
00:15:47,820 --> 00:15:52,700
While radio actress Joan Alexander
played feisty girl reporter Lois Lane.
243
00:15:53,020 --> 00:15:55,300
What have you done with the jewels?
244
00:15:55,500 --> 00:15:57,420
You�� I read about it
in tomorrow's paper.
245
00:15:57,900 --> 00:16:01,700
Lois was one of the really strong female
characters where she would go out. . .
246
00:16:03,100 --> 00:16:06,380
. . .and do whatever to get at the truth,
and nothing stopped her.
247
00:16:09,180 --> 00:16:12,380
-city editor.
-Look, chief, the panic's on.
248
00:16:12,380 --> 00:16:14,220
The thing's gone haywire.
249
00:16:15,940 --> 00:16:17,860
Using a process called "Rotoscoping"...
250
00:16:18,100 --> 00:16:21,340
...in which live-action models
were traced one frame at a time...
251
00:16:21,540 --> 00:16:25,140
... the Superman cartoons set
a new standard for excellence...
252
00:16:25,380 --> 00:16:28,820
...and were even rewarded
with an Oscar nomination.
253
00:16:33,100 --> 00:16:36,700
But as moviegoers thrilled
to Superman's animated adventures...
254
00:16:36,900 --> 00:16:39,940
...a deadly force was preparing
to attack America.
255
00:16:40,140 --> 00:16:46,540
And not even the Man of Steel
could stop it.
256
00:16:46,540 --> 00:16:50,620
December 7th, 1941
257
00:16:50,820 --> 00:16:54,180
A date which wail live in infamy.
258
00:16:56,580 --> 00:16:59,300
With the United States' entry
into World War II...
259
00:16:59,500 --> 00:17:02,420
...comic-book villainy gave way to a
real-life battle between good and evil.
260
00:17:05,060 --> 00:17:08,740
As American men and women
left their families to fight overseas...
261
00:17:08,940 --> 00:17:11,820
...DC Comics struggled
to find a way for Superman...
262
00:17:12,020 --> 00:17:14,300
... to provide moral support
for the Allies.
263
00:17:19,580 --> 00:17:20,780
There were some cool covers.
264
00:17:22,340 --> 00:17:24,100
The story almost never touched
on the war.
265
00:17:24,300 --> 00:17:26,700
In Superman stories where he
saves the world's problem. . .
266
00:17:26,900 --> 00:17:28,740
. . .the problem's still there
the next morning.
267
00:17:32,540 --> 00:17:34,420
It was a wise choice.
Sending Superman overseas. . .
268
00:17:36,020 --> 00:17:38,340
. . .could wipe out the Nazi menace
in an afternoon.
269
00:17:39,700 --> 00:17:43,100
But it was viewed as disrespectful
to the honest, genuine effort. . .
270
00:17:43,300 --> 00:17:45,660
...that was being made
over there by the Allies. . .
271
00:17:45,860 --> 00:17:48,620
...to have a costumed character run in
and just fix everything.
272
00:17:49,980 --> 00:17:53,300
During the war, Superman
was often featured in the comics...
273
00:17:53,500 --> 00:17:56,460
...dealing body blows
to Hitler and Hirohito.
274
00:17:56,660 --> 00:17:58,100
It was a time of moral certainty.
275
00:18:00,140 --> 00:18:02,740
One in which enemies of the day were
depicted as two-dimensional...
276
00:18:02,940 --> 00:18:04,180
...in more ways than one.
277
00:18:06,020 --> 00:18:08,300
America's favorite superhero
cheered on the troops...
278
00:18:08,500 --> 00:18:10,860
...and urged folks to buy war bonds
and recycle scrap paper.
279
00:18:14,620 --> 00:18:17,660
Ironically, this recycling campaign
helped make vintage Superman comics...
280
00:18:17,860 --> 00:18:20,420
...a rare and valuable commodity.
281
00:18:24,020 --> 00:18:26,380
The end of World War II
would mark a new chapter...
282
00:18:26,580 --> 00:18:28,380
...in the evolution of the Man of Steel.
283
00:18:28,580 --> 00:18:31,340
Like the country that created him,
Superman now seemed invincible.
284
00:18:33,020 --> 00:18:35,780
Stronger even than the invention
that ended the war, the atomic bomb.
285
00:18:38,580 --> 00:18:41,420
As GIs came home
and began raising families...
286
00:18:41,620 --> 00:18:44,780
...DC readers could also follow
the character's teenage adventures...
287
00:18:46,140 --> 00:18:50,300
...as Superbly, the obedient adopted
son of loving Earth parents, the Kent's...
288
00:18:50,500 --> 00:18:53,380
... who live in the idyllic town
of Smallville.
289
00:18:54,980 --> 00:18:58,620
This chapter in Superman's history had
also been chronicled in a 1942 novel...
290
00:19:00,020 --> 00:19:03,140
... written by George Loather,
a key contributor to the radio show.
291
00:19:03,340 --> 00:19:06,780
It's a very conservative era.
It's very respectful of authority.
292
00:19:06,980 --> 00:19:10,500
And Superman therefore went
from being a crusader of social causes...
293
00:19:10,700 --> 00:19:12,260
. . .to a symbol of the social order.
294
00:19:12,460 --> 00:19:15,020
He became the quintessential
big blue boy scout.
295
00:19:18,500 --> 00:19:21,540
On movie screens, the Man of Steel
also got a fresh makeover...
296
00:19:21,740 --> 00:19:25,820
...in a 15-chapter serial
produced by Columbia Pictures.
297
00:19:26,060 --> 00:19:32,260
That track flier races through here
and she's loaded to the hit.
298
00:19:32,260 --> 00:19:35,420
This looks like a job for Superman.
299
00:19:36,740 --> 00:19:38,860
The films were made
on a shoestring budget...
300
00:19:39,060 --> 00:19:42,500
...and were intended to entertain
children during Saturday matinees.
301
00:19:42,700 --> 00:19:47,020
Former movie cowboy Kirk Allen
was an exuberant Man of Steel--
302
00:19:47,220 --> 00:19:48,780
Get that man to the police.
303
00:19:48,980 --> 00:19:52,260
Turn the reducer ray over to proper
authorities and I'II round up the others.
304
00:19:52,460 --> 00:19:55,020
--and a very mild-mannered
Clark Kent.
305
00:19:55,180 --> 00:19:57,540
-I'm going out for a while.
-But things may pop here.
306
00:19:57,740 --> 00:19:59,260
I'll be back in time.
307
00:19:59,460 --> 00:20:04,020
I just want to get the reaction of the man
on the street when the news is fished.
308
00:20:04,220 --> 00:20:09,420
Actress Noel Neill became the screen's
first flesh-and-blood Lois Lane.
309
00:20:09,620 --> 00:20:11,940
-Lois!
-Yes?
310
00:20:12,900 --> 00:20:15,980
-It's Jimmy, can I come in?
-It's, ''May I come in'' . . .
311
00:20:16,180 --> 00:20:18,020
...and the answer is yes, you're in.
312
00:20:18,260 --> 00:20:20,060
My dad was this newspaperman.
313
00:20:20,260 --> 00:20:23,980
He said, ''I never see anybody going
around with a pad, pencil or anything.
314
00:20:25,740 --> 00:20:27,620
He's running, getting
in trouble and it'' . . . .
315
00:20:27,820 --> 00:20:31,500
-You're wanted.
-What goes on here?
316
00:20:31,700 --> 00:20:34,300
-Heidi, Miss Lane.
-It's Dr. Hackett, he's on the hot list.
317
00:20:34,500 --> 00:20:35,740
-can you identify him?
-Yes.
318
00:20:35,940 --> 00:20:37,140
Good enough for me.
319
00:20:37,340 --> 00:20:38,540
The serial inspired...
320
00:20:38,740 --> 00:20:40,900
...an equally successful sequel:
Atom Man vs. Superman.
321
00:20:42,940 --> 00:20:46,300
Here, audiences were introduced
to the villainous Luthor...
322
00:20:46,500 --> 00:20:50,340
...not yet Lex Luthor,
played by Lyle Talbot.
323
00:20:50,540 --> 00:20:52,820
They think I'm buffing.
I'll show them.
324
00:20:53,020 --> 00:20:56,260
I'll destroy the bridge
and then all of Metropolis.
325
00:20:56,500 --> 00:20:58,540
Luthor had become well-known
to comic book readers...
326
00:20:59,940 --> 00:21:01,500
...as the Man of Steel's archenemy.
327
00:21:02,860 --> 00:21:04,940
The mad scientist was
a fitting bogyman for an age...
328
00:21:05,140 --> 00:21:07,100
...living under the threat of
atomic annihilation.
329
00:21:09,620 --> 00:21:15,620
In the Kirk Allen Superman serials, you
don't actually see him fly. It's animation.
330
00:21:15,820 --> 00:21:18,780
Up, up and away.
331
00:21:20,540 --> 00:21:23,500
I have talked to people who to this day
remember being disappointed. . .
332
00:21:24,860 --> 00:21:28,180
. . .that they didn't really see Superman
fly and that it was a cartoon.
333
00:21:28,540 --> 00:21:30,700
Return to your office.
334
00:21:32,980 --> 00:21:36,060
By the end of the 1940s,
Superman had become an American icon.
335
00:21:40,620 --> 00:21:44,500
And after triumphing in everything
from comic books and radio dramas,,,
336
00:21:44,700 --> 00:21:48,500
... to merchandising and movies,
the Man of Steel was about to conquer...
337
00:21:48,700 --> 00:21:52,500
... the most exciting new technology
of the day.
338
00:21:56,540 --> 00:21:59,900
In November of 1951 the feature
film Superman and the Mole Men...
339
00:22:01,300 --> 00:22:03,700
...premiered in theaters
across America.
340
00:22:03,900 --> 00:22:07,860
The low-budget movie starred
a new Superman, George Reeves...
341
00:22:08,060 --> 00:22:11,620
... who was joined
by Phyllis Coates as Lois Lane.
342
00:22:11,940 --> 00:22:15,260
Now Listen to me, all of you. You don't
know anything about these creatures.
343
00:22:15,460 --> 00:22:18,300
What they are or where they come from.
But here's the man that can tell you.
344
00:22:18,660 --> 00:22:21,940
The story concerned the fear
that infects a small town...
345
00:22:22,180 --> 00:22:23,780
... whose inhabitants
come face-to-face...
346
00:22:23,980 --> 00:22:26,740
... with gnome-like visitors
from the depths of the Earth.
347
00:22:30,060 --> 00:22:32,420
As Superman comes
to the creature's rescue...
348
00:22:32,620 --> 00:22:34,700
... the audience is given
a lesson in tolerance...
349
00:22:34,900 --> 00:22:39,180
...a timely theme during
the politically paranoid 1950s.
350
00:22:41,260 --> 00:22:43,340
You're not going to shoot
those little creatures.
351
00:22:43,540 --> 00:22:45,740
In the first piece,
they haven't done you any harm.
352
00:22:45,940 --> 00:22:48,100
In the second piece,
they may be radioactive.
353
00:22:48,300 --> 00:22:52,260
If they fall in the reservoir,
they may contaminate the water supply.
354
00:22:55,700 --> 00:22:58,340
Save your time and ammunition,
Benson.
355
00:22:59,260 --> 00:23:03,700
Shot on a dusty backlit in Culver
City, California, in just 12 days...
356
00:23:04,220 --> 00:23:06,380
... the movie was a box-office success.
357
00:23:06,740 --> 00:23:09,660
It also helped launch a bigger project
already in production.
358
00:23:09,860 --> 00:23:12,300
A Superman series
for the young medium of television.
359
00:23:14,060 --> 00:23:15,940
Faster than a speeding bullet.
360
00:23:16,780 --> 00:23:19,340
More powerful than a Locomotive.
361
00:23:20,580 --> 00:23:23,820
Able to leap tall buildings
at a single bound.
362
00:23:23,820 --> 00:23:25,660
-Look, up in the sky.
-It's a bird.
363
00:23:25,900 --> 00:23:27,700
-It's a plane.
-It's Superman.
364
00:23:28,140 --> 00:23:33,140
In the Adventures of Superman, George
Reeves returned as the Man of Steel...
365
00:23:33,340 --> 00:23:35,980
...and so did Phyllis Coates
as Lois Lane.
366
00:23:36,380 --> 00:23:39,820
Largest ruby in the world, stolen three
years ago from the London Museum.
367
00:23:40,020 --> 00:23:41,980
-What a story.
-Thanks to Kent here.
368
00:23:42,180 --> 00:23:43,620
And to Superman.
369
00:23:43,860 --> 00:23:46,900
Like I always say, two heads
are better than one.
370
00:23:47,460 --> 00:23:49,740
Classically trained
at the Pasadena playhouse,,,
371
00:23:49,940 --> 00:23:53,820
,,,Reeves first came to the attention
of movie audiences in 1939,,,
372
00:23:54,020 --> 00:23:57,220
... when he appeared as one of the
Tarlatan twins in the epic production...
373
00:23:57,220 --> 00:23:59,100
...of Gone with the Wind.
374
00:23:59,340 --> 00:24:03,860
But after World War II, Reeves' career
had come to a virtual standstill.
375
00:24:04,060 --> 00:24:06,180
The 38-year-old shared
his frustration...
376
00:24:06,380 --> 00:24:11,300
... with fellow Superman actor
Jack Larson, cast as Jimmy Olsen.
377
00:24:11,620 --> 00:24:13,460
The first time George
and I met, I said. . .
378
00:24:13,660 --> 00:24:16,380
. . .how good he was
in so proudly We hail!...
379
00:24:16,980 --> 00:24:19,860
. . .which was a star-making route,
and he said, ''Yes.
380
00:24:20,100 --> 00:24:24,460
And if the director, Mark Sandwich,
who was a mentor to me, hadn't died. . .
381
00:24:26,020 --> 00:24:27,940
. . .while I was away in the Army. . .
382
00:24:28,140 --> 00:24:32,500
. . .I wouldn't be sitting here
in this monkey suit today. ''
383
00:24:34,700 --> 00:24:39,420
That's the only time ever I heard
him say anything negative. . .
384
00:24:39,620 --> 00:24:41,500
. . .about being Superman.
385
00:24:42,180 --> 00:24:43,740
As I understand it. . .
386
00:24:43,940 --> 00:24:45,500
. . .you want to go in the roller coaster?
387
00:24:45,700 --> 00:24:47,940
And the merry-go-round,
and the Ferris wheel.
388
00:24:48,140 --> 00:24:49,540
AII right.
389
00:24:50,060 --> 00:24:51,500
Targeted mainly at children...
390
00:24:51,700 --> 00:24:54,140
... the Adventures of Superman
premiered in syndication...
391
00:24:54,380 --> 00:24:59,700
...on September 19, 1952,
and became an instant hit.
392
00:25:01,580 --> 00:25:03,900
But I don't understand.
Why did he do this?
393
00:25:04,500 --> 00:25:07,900
There's a deposit of hydroxide in that
cave. I just Yearned this in Washington.
394
00:25:08,100 --> 00:25:10,020
What is this hay--? Hydro--?
395
00:25:10,220 --> 00:25:14,420
Hydroxide, it's a rare mineral
used in making the hydrogen bomb.
396
00:25:16,500 --> 00:25:19,980
I first saw Superman on television,
the George Reeves TV series.
397
00:25:20,220 --> 00:25:23,540
And I just went mad for it.
I just loved it.
398
00:25:23,740 --> 00:25:26,220
Superman, you're wonderful.
How did you know we were in trouble?
399
00:25:26,420 --> 00:25:27,580
A little bird told me.
400
00:25:27,780 --> 00:25:30,540
I bet you the little bird's name
was Clark Kent.
401
00:25:31,940 --> 00:25:34,980
Before the show started, I would
immediately run into the bathroom. . .
402
00:25:35,740 --> 00:25:39,380
. . .and grab the largest towel
and wrap it around my neck.
403
00:25:39,580 --> 00:25:41,500
And when he few through the air. . .
404
00:25:41,700 --> 00:25:46,180
. . .George Reeves,
I dove off my bed just like him.
405
00:25:46,380 --> 00:25:49,580
I was first exposed to Superman
when I was about 2 or 3 years old. . .
406
00:25:49,580 --> 00:25:51,420
. . .through the
George Reeves television series.
407
00:25:52,860 --> 00:25:55,260
Superman was a huge influence
on why I wanted to be an actor.
408
00:25:55,460 --> 00:25:58,860
I just loved that television series
so much.
409
00:25:59,060 --> 00:26:00,060
Jimmy, are you all right?
410
00:26:00,260 --> 00:26:03,020
Yeah, I guess so, my legs
are a little weak, that's all.
411
00:26:03,220 --> 00:26:04,500
That was a close one.
412
00:26:04,700 --> 00:26:07,060
Jim, a word of advice:
413
00:26:07,260 --> 00:26:10,540
-After this, keep out of peoples' safes.
-You bet.
414
00:26:10,740 --> 00:26:13,220
He's a terrific guy
and a totally accomplished actor.
415
00:26:13,780 --> 00:26:17,020
His Clark Kent was wonderfully
reviewed in the New York Times.
416
00:26:17,220 --> 00:26:20,540
They said how the depth
of his performance. . .
417
00:26:20,740 --> 00:26:25,900
. . .had a bit of sadness, Loneliness,
mystery as Clark Kent.
418
00:26:26,100 --> 00:26:27,540
Most of the show's lighter moments...
419
00:26:27,740 --> 00:26:31,700
...came from Jack Larson's
appealing performance as Jimmy Olsen.
420
00:26:32,900 --> 00:26:37,180
-My ankle.
-Let me give you a hand.
421
00:26:38,140 --> 00:26:40,260
I was waiting on the pier
for Miss Lane. . .
422
00:26:40,460 --> 00:26:42,700
. . .to interview Denise Dario,
the French movie star.
423
00:26:42,900 --> 00:26:45,180
Sorry you missed her.
They say she's very pretty.
424
00:26:45,380 --> 00:26:48,100
Right now you're prettier to me
than all the movie stars in the world.
425
00:26:49,140 --> 00:26:51,460
Larson's popularity even led to
a new DC comic book...
426
00:26:51,660 --> 00:26:52,820
...Superman's pal Jimmy Olsen.
427
00:26:55,100 --> 00:26:57,060
It was followed by a book
starring Lois Lane.
428
00:26:58,620 --> 00:27:01,900
DC looked at Jimmy Olsen
and Lois Lane to appeal. . .
429
00:27:02,100 --> 00:27:04,340
. . .to young boys and young girls.
430
00:27:04,820 --> 00:27:07,300
They could see themselves
not as Superman. . .
431
00:27:07,500 --> 00:27:09,580
. . .but they thought of themselves
as Superman's friend.
432
00:27:11,180 --> 00:27:13,620
But not everyone
loved the Man of Steel.
433
00:27:13,820 --> 00:27:17,340
In fact, one outspoken psychiatrist,
Dr. Fredric Wertham...
434
00:27:17,540 --> 00:27:20,460
,,,considered Superman un-American.
435
00:27:22,020 --> 00:27:23,860
In his 1954 book,
Seduction of the Innocent...
436
00:27:24,060 --> 00:27:27,180
... Wertham waged an incendiary war
on comic books...
437
00:27:27,380 --> 00:27:30,660
...and called
the Man of Steel a fascist.
438
00:27:31,300 --> 00:27:33,580
Wertham was a star witness
at the Senate investigation...
439
00:27:33,780 --> 00:27:35,220
...into popular media...
440
00:27:35,420 --> 00:27:38,500
...and its alleged responsibility
for juvenile delinquency...
441
00:27:38,700 --> 00:27:41,140
... which was on the rise
across America.
442
00:27:41,380 --> 00:27:44,940
Wertham's message, echoed
by other witnesses, sent shock waves...
443
00:27:46,300 --> 00:27:48,060
... through the anxious
comic-book industry...
444
00:27:48,260 --> 00:27:49,900
...and threatened its very existence.
445
00:27:51,500 --> 00:27:54,380
Fortunately, Wertham's attack
on Superman...
446
00:27:54,580 --> 00:27:58,020
...bounced off the Man of Steel
like so many bullets.
447
00:27:58,220 --> 00:28:00,980
Here was a hero
who represented all people. . .
448
00:28:02,380 --> 00:28:05,260
. . .not white, not back,
not women, not men. Everybody.
449
00:28:07,300 --> 00:28:09,580
The Adventures of Superman
soared into its third season.
450
00:28:09,780 --> 00:28:11,260
It benefited from a bigger budget.
451
00:28:11,460 --> 00:28:14,300
One that allowed for the series
to be filmed in color.
452
00:28:14,500 --> 00:28:17,580
Inspector, I think you'll find a lot of missing
people in the basement of that house.
453
00:28:17,780 --> 00:28:19,460
-Where's Clark?
-Yes, where is he?
454
00:28:19,660 --> 00:28:21,460
Where he usually is.
455
00:28:21,820 --> 00:28:25,740
By now, there was also a new Lois Lane
in the person of Noel Neill,,,
456
00:28:25,980 --> 00:28:29,140
... who'd been a favorite with audiences
in the Kirk Allen serials.
457
00:28:29,380 --> 00:28:31,860
I'm tired Clark.
Think I'II rest here a minute.
458
00:28:32,060 --> 00:28:34,660
That's a good idea, Lois.
I'II go ahead and scout around a bit.
459
00:28:34,860 --> 00:28:37,940
-You wait right here.
-Okay, don't get Lost.
460
00:28:38,300 --> 00:28:39,580
I always got from the kids:
461
00:28:39,780 --> 00:28:41,620
''Why don't you know
that Clark and Superman. . .
462
00:28:41,820 --> 00:28:46,140
. . .they're the same person
wearing a pair of those darn eyeglasses. ''
463
00:28:46,540 --> 00:28:49,860
And I said,
''I don't want to lose my job. ''
464
00:28:51,220 --> 00:28:52,540
The TV series,
like the franchise...
465
00:28:53,940 --> 00:28:57,860
...fell under the watchful eye
of DC Comics Editorial Director...
466
00:28:58,060 --> 00:28:59,540
... Whitney Ellsworth.
467
00:28:59,740 --> 00:29:03,780
Ellsworth crafted a code of conduct
for all of DC's heroes,,,
468
00:29:03,980 --> 00:29:06,540
...including a ban against killing
and excessive violence.
469
00:29:07,820 --> 00:29:11,860
It was a move designed to protect DC
from further attacks by critics.
470
00:29:13,380 --> 00:29:16,660
For the TV series, Ellsworth collaborated
with the show's sponsor, Kellogg's...
471
00:29:16,860 --> 00:29:19,700
... to make sure the program was
on budget and patently inoffensive.
472
00:29:21,500 --> 00:29:23,540
Get these better-than-ever
puffs of wheat.
473
00:29:23,780 --> 00:29:26,740
They're sugar-toasted
and candy-sweet.
474
00:29:26,940 --> 00:29:32,980
Klieg's are seeing cereals for children
so they wanted to keep our show ''nice. ''
475
00:29:34,340 --> 00:29:37,140
Ellsworth also vetoed the idea
of letting Noel Neill appear...
476
00:29:38,540 --> 00:29:41,220
...in Kellogg's commercials
that featured her fellow cast members...
477
00:29:41,420 --> 00:29:43,540
...enjoying a hearty breakfast.
478
00:29:43,740 --> 00:29:45,940
And I kept saying,
''Aren't I going to do any?''
479
00:29:46,140 --> 00:29:50,140
And they said, ''Oh, well, we don't
feel that you should be sitting. . .
480
00:29:50,340 --> 00:29:54,660
. . .at a breakfast table having cereal
with Jimmy Olsen or Clark Kent. . .
481
00:29:54,860 --> 00:29:57,260
. . .because that's just wrong. ''
482
00:29:57,580 --> 00:30:01,220
Ironically, the idea of Clark and Jimmy
waking up to breakfast together,,,
483
00:30:01,420 --> 00:30:04,100
,,,didn't seem to raise any eyebrows.
484
00:30:04,780 --> 00:30:07,580
Oh, good, you're both here. Now,
we have an important assignment and I--
485
00:30:07,780 --> 00:30:09,540
chief, can't it wait till after breakfast?
486
00:30:09,740 --> 00:30:11,500
News can't wait, Kent,
you know that.
487
00:30:11,700 --> 00:30:14,100
-Now then--
-Not even for new Sugar Smacks, chief?
488
00:30:14,300 --> 00:30:16,180
Now, I say we have this important--
489
00:30:16,380 --> 00:30:18,660
Why, yes, don't mind if I do.
490
00:30:20,780 --> 00:30:24,580
Over the next five years, the popularity
of the Adventures of Superman. . .
491
00:30:24,780 --> 00:30:27,500
...continued undiminished.
492
00:30:28,060 --> 00:30:31,260
Ms. Lane, wail you please release Jimmy
and the good professor, here.
493
00:30:31,260 --> 00:30:32,700
I have to go catch those crooks.
494
00:30:32,900 --> 00:30:35,500
The props might have been
on the flimsy side.
495
00:30:39,900 --> 00:30:42,980
And some of the situations
may have been a bit bizarre.
496
00:30:49,820 --> 00:30:54,020
But it didn't matter. Kids around
the world couldn't get enough.
497
00:30:54,220 --> 00:30:56,620
And much of the credit
belonged to George Reeves...
498
00:30:56,820 --> 00:31:01,500
... who anchored the often outlandish
stories with his natural charm.
499
00:31:01,700 --> 00:31:02,980
What was that?
500
00:31:03,180 --> 00:31:06,940
Oh, just the usual hired thugs
in the usual powerful back sedan.
501
00:31:07,140 --> 00:31:08,340
But never mind, I'll get them.
502
00:31:08,540 --> 00:31:10,100
-Are you all right?
-I'm all right.
503
00:31:10,300 --> 00:31:11,380
What's going on here?
504
00:31:11,580 --> 00:31:13,660
I was cruising by in my car
and heard the shooting.
505
00:31:14,100 --> 00:31:16,300
It's quite all right, inspector.
Miss Lane is unharmed.
506
00:31:16,500 --> 00:31:19,140
I looked up to him as a kid.
So many other people did.
507
00:31:19,340 --> 00:31:22,460
George Reeves
would have made a great dad.
508
00:31:22,660 --> 00:31:27,300
You wanted to help people and that's
what I call being real super, Bobby.
509
00:31:27,500 --> 00:31:28,740
George was a noble. . .
510
00:31:30,100 --> 00:31:31,300
-. . .person.
-Southern gentleman.
511
00:31:31,500 --> 00:31:33,020
-He was a gentleman.
-He was wonderful.
512
00:31:33,220 --> 00:31:36,020
And he always had a sign up
on his dressing room:
513
00:31:36,220 --> 00:31:38,820
''Honest George,
the people's friend. ''
514
00:31:41,420 --> 00:31:43,100
Reeves gave every episode his all...
515
00:31:43,300 --> 00:31:46,980
...especially when it came
to his character's famous entrances.
516
00:31:49,460 --> 00:31:51,580
-Superman!
-Am I glad to see you.
517
00:31:51,820 --> 00:31:54,020
Gooey, Superman, you could have
come in through the door.
518
00:31:54,220 --> 00:31:58,020
-This seemed a little more spectacular.
-George took the walls very seriously.
519
00:31:58,220 --> 00:32:01,140
He liked to come through, and he liked
them to pop out everywhere.
520
00:32:06,500 --> 00:32:08,300
My word, it's Superman.
521
00:32:08,540 --> 00:32:11,940
George made the entrances he did
because he fell once.
522
00:32:12,180 --> 00:32:15,020
In one of the very first shows,
they were flying him in like Peter Pan. . .
523
00:32:15,220 --> 00:32:18,260
. . .and the wire broke, and he fell
and he said, ''That's it.
524
00:32:18,460 --> 00:32:22,020
Peter Pan flies, my Superman
doesn't fly on wires. ''
525
00:32:23,180 --> 00:32:27,420
And when he would do his entrances,
there would be a bar...
526
00:32:27,620 --> 00:32:31,420
. . .and George would jump,
grab the bar and come in.
527
00:32:31,620 --> 00:32:33,460
Did you find it?
Did you find Carborium-X?
528
00:32:33,660 --> 00:32:34,940
I hope so, professor.
529
00:32:37,020 --> 00:32:42,780
Special effects were quite primitive,
but his entrances and exits are buffo.
530
00:32:43,660 --> 00:32:47,780
That moment in the end of the episode
where Lois would be criticizing Clark. . .
531
00:32:48,020 --> 00:32:51,500
. . .and George would Look to us and say,
''well, I did my best, Lois.
532
00:32:51,700 --> 00:32:55,700
After all you can't expect me
to be a Superman. ''
533
00:32:55,900 --> 00:33:00,100
well, all I can say is, if it weren't
for Superman, I wouldn't be here.
534
00:33:00,300 --> 00:33:03,500
And it was like breaking
the fourth wall. We know.
535
00:33:03,500 --> 00:33:06,140
Nobody else knows, just us.
536
00:33:06,500 --> 00:33:08,340
And when I tell you to look, you Look.
537
00:33:08,540 --> 00:33:11,740
You're going to see
your favorite television star.
538
00:33:11,740 --> 00:33:14,340
Look, Superman.
539
00:33:14,540 --> 00:33:18,140
But Lois Lane wasn't the only redhead
in Superman's life.
540
00:33:18,340 --> 00:33:21,020
In 1957, George Reeves
guest-starred...
541
00:33:21,220 --> 00:33:24,180
...on America's number one
prime-time show, I Love Lucy.
542
00:33:25,540 --> 00:33:28,260
well, Superman, that was
a wonderful thing you did.
543
00:33:28,460 --> 00:33:31,980
Oh, Ricky, it was my pleasure.
I'm only sorry I didn't get to meet Lucy.
544
00:33:32,180 --> 00:33:34,860
-I've heard so much about her.
-Yeah, well I don't know.
545
00:33:35,060 --> 00:33:36,260
Where is Lucy, Ethel?
546
00:33:36,460 --> 00:33:40,060
Oh, she? I be here in a minute.
She's out on the edge.
547
00:33:40,300 --> 00:33:41,820
-Out on the edge!
-Out on the edge!
548
00:33:42,540 --> 00:33:46,420
By the end of the 1950s,
Reeves was desperate to move on...
549
00:33:46,620 --> 00:33:48,900
,,,from the role that had made him
a household name.
550
00:33:49,140 --> 00:33:52,620
Of all the crazy things that you've done
in the 15 years that we've been married.
551
00:33:53,180 --> 00:33:56,860
Ricardo, you mean to say that
you've been married to her for 15 years.
552
00:33:57,060 --> 00:33:58,340
Yeah, 15 years.
553
00:33:58,540 --> 00:34:00,940
And they call me Superman.
554
00:34:02,620 --> 00:34:06,740
George was typed-playing Superman
and he could get another job...
555
00:34:06,940 --> 00:34:09,420
. . .except on I Love Lucy
playing Superman.
556
00:34:09,860 --> 00:34:11,900
And it was awful for him.
557
00:34:12,100 --> 00:34:14,060
Reeves was also frustrated
by Superman's...
558
00:34:14,260 --> 00:34:15,900
...unorthodox production schedule...
559
00:34:16,100 --> 00:34:20,380
... which had the actors waiting months
or even a year between episodes.
560
00:34:20,580 --> 00:34:24,140
But in May of 1959,
the actors seemed upbeat...
561
00:34:24,340 --> 00:34:26,820
... when told that cast and crew
would be reunited...
562
00:34:27,020 --> 00:34:28,780
... to film a seventh season.
563
00:34:29,260 --> 00:34:32,300
George was happy as a bug
and looking forward to working.
564
00:34:32,500 --> 00:34:34,860
''No'' he said,
''I'm going to try directing. . .
565
00:34:35,060 --> 00:34:39,020
... because I'm getting a little old
to be running around in my underwear. ''
566
00:34:39,220 --> 00:34:42,420
well, three days later,
this girl called and said:
567
00:34:42,620 --> 00:34:45,500
''Did you hear
what happened to George?''
568
00:34:48,340 --> 00:34:51,180
On the morning
of June 16, 1959...
569
00:34:51,380 --> 00:34:54,540
...a nation awoke
to read a shocking headline.
570
00:34:54,740 --> 00:34:57,300
Superman had killed himself.
571
00:34:57,500 --> 00:34:59,220
I was in Europe at the time. . .
572
00:34:59,420 --> 00:35:01,460
. . .and there were headlines
from all over the world.
573
00:35:01,660 --> 00:35:06,140
people sent me all this stuff
saying George had committed suicide.
574
00:35:06,500 --> 00:35:09,420
I believed it.
I still believe it.
575
00:35:09,660 --> 00:35:13,260
I said, ''Oh, no, no, no. ''
And I called Mr. Ellsworth immediately.
576
00:35:13,460 --> 00:35:15,580
And he said, ''well, he's dead. ''
577
00:35:18,580 --> 00:35:22,220
The headline said,
''Superman kills self. ''
578
00:35:22,420 --> 00:35:24,860
How? Why? You know,
we've seen him in so many episodes.
579
00:35:25,060 --> 00:35:26,940
The bullets bounce off him.
580
00:35:28,300 --> 00:35:30,620
At that age, you're trying
to figure out, you know, death. . .
581
00:35:32,340 --> 00:35:34,380
. . .what does it mean?
I didn't know anybody who died.
582
00:35:34,580 --> 00:35:37,620
It was just wrenching beyond belief.
583
00:35:39,860 --> 00:35:42,140
The story I'd heard
was that he was murdered.
584
00:35:42,340 --> 00:35:45,180
Shot or something.
And then the story changed.
585
00:35:45,380 --> 00:35:49,940
And I'd heard that he tried to fly one day
and flew out the window and then died.
586
00:35:51,660 --> 00:35:54,580
On the day he died,
Reeves had been drinking heavily.
587
00:35:54,780 --> 00:35:57,340
But according to reports,
no fingerprints...
588
00:35:57,500 --> 00:36:00,860
...not even his own,
were found on the gun.
589
00:36:01,060 --> 00:36:02,740
Throughout the decades
that followed...
590
00:36:02,940 --> 00:36:05,260
... the circumstances
of the 45-year-old actor's death...
591
00:36:05,460 --> 00:36:09,340
,,,have remained one of Hollywood's
most morbid mysteries.
592
00:36:09,540 --> 00:36:12,700
Nevertheless, one detail was certain.
593
00:36:12,900 --> 00:36:17,820
For millions of fans,
Superman was dead.
594
00:36:23,460 --> 00:36:27,420
With the death of George Reeves,
the fate of the entire Superman empire...
595
00:36:27,620 --> 00:36:30,740
...seemed at risk
for the first time in its history.
596
00:36:32,860 --> 00:36:35,740
A new series focusing
on Superman's pal Jimmy Olsen...
597
00:36:35,940 --> 00:36:38,620
... was considered, but abandoned.
598
00:36:39,460 --> 00:36:43,140
producer Whitney Ellsworth
also tried to create a kid-friendly...
599
00:36:43,340 --> 00:36:47,700
...and actor-safe spin-off in the form of
The Adventures of Super Pup.
600
00:36:47,700 --> 00:36:49,340
Faster than the speediest jet.
601
00:36:49,540 --> 00:36:51,740
More powerful
than the mightiest rocket.
602
00:36:51,940 --> 00:36:55,180
Abide to fey around the world faster
than you can say ''Super Pup. ''
603
00:36:55,380 --> 00:36:59,980
And only you and I know
that Super Pup is really Bark Bent. . .
604
00:37:00,180 --> 00:37:02,140
. . .star reporter for the Daily Bugle.
605
00:37:03,260 --> 00:37:05,460
Filmed on the sets
of the George Reeves series...
606
00:37:05,660 --> 00:37:08,300
... this strange premise
featured the Superman characters...
607
00:37:08,500 --> 00:37:13,020
,,,as dogs and other animals
played by little people wearing masks.
608
00:37:13,220 --> 00:37:18,260
I just wanted to tell you what a fine
job I think you and Pamela did. . .
609
00:37:18,500 --> 00:37:21,780
...in helping the police
put professor Sheep-dip in jail.
610
00:37:22,500 --> 00:37:25,220
We could never have done it
without the help of Super Pup.
611
00:37:25,420 --> 00:37:26,900
Oh, it was nothing.
612
00:37:27,100 --> 00:37:28,700
Why are you taking the bow. . .
613
00:37:28,900 --> 00:37:31,980
-. . .if you think you're no Super Pup?
-Me?
614
00:37:32,180 --> 00:37:36,100
well, anyway, it'll be a long time before
professor Sheep-dip gets out of jail.
615
00:37:36,500 --> 00:37:40,780
Not surprisingly, the concept
never got beyond this rarely-seen pilot...
616
00:37:40,980 --> 00:37:42,540
... which was never broadcast.
617
00:37:42,740 --> 00:37:45,180
-Take one.
-Hello there.
618
00:37:45,420 --> 00:37:49,500
A Superboy pilot starring John Rockwell
as the teenage Clark Kent...
619
00:37:49,700 --> 00:37:52,060
... was also attempted
but never found a sponsor.
620
00:37:52,300 --> 00:37:54,540
B1 take two.
621
00:37:54,780 --> 00:37:55,940
You know, it's a funny thing.
622
00:37:56,180 --> 00:37:59,660
Whenever you're around,
Clark seems to, well, vanish.
623
00:37:59,860 --> 00:38:03,180
What's funny about that?
I guess he's got problems of his own.
624
00:38:03,380 --> 00:38:05,500
And I don't suppose
it's remotely possible. . .
625
00:38:05,700 --> 00:38:08,580
. . .that there could be any close
connection between you and Mr. Kent.
626
00:38:08,780 --> 00:38:11,740
Look, Lana, if you want to persist
in some ridiculous idea. . .
627
00:38:11,940 --> 00:38:14,020
. . .that I'm Clark Kent,
well, that's your business.
628
00:38:14,220 --> 00:38:16,460
Now, I don't have time to discuss it.
629
00:38:16,660 --> 00:38:19,300
Now will you or won't you
do as I ask?
630
00:38:19,540 --> 00:38:20,740
Of course I will, Superboy.
631
00:38:22,340 --> 00:38:24,500
Fortunately for DC Comics,
the death of George Reeves,,,
632
00:38:24,700 --> 00:38:27,380
...had little impact
on Superman's comic-book sales...
633
00:38:27,580 --> 00:38:30,540
...partly because the comics were
different from the television show.
634
00:38:30,740 --> 00:38:33,140
Thank God for the comic books.
I kept reading them.
635
00:38:33,380 --> 00:38:34,500
I still had Superman.
636
00:38:35,940 --> 00:38:39,060
I just didn't have this flesh-and-blood
guy I could look up to anymore.
637
00:38:39,260 --> 00:38:43,420
Throughout the 1950s,
DC editor Mort Weisinger and his staff,,,
638
00:38:43,620 --> 00:38:47,100
,,,began creating a vast mythology
for the Man of Steel.
639
00:38:48,460 --> 00:38:51,660
By 1958, there were seven
different Superman titles,,,
640
00:38:51,860 --> 00:38:54,780
...collectively selling
nearly four million copies a month.
641
00:38:54,980 --> 00:38:57,540
Mort Weisinger really built
the breadth of the mythology.
642
00:38:58,900 --> 00:39:01,580
He was the one who wanted us to know
stories about Superman's robot. . .
643
00:39:01,780 --> 00:39:03,380
. . .stories about the return to Krypton. . .
644
00:39:03,500 --> 00:39:06,540
. . .so you would learn
Superman's ancestors.
645
00:39:06,740 --> 00:39:09,940
Readers learned of Kryptonian villains
released from the Phantom Zone.
646
00:39:10,540 --> 00:39:14,620
The Kryptonian city of Candor,
shrunken by the alien Brainiac.
647
00:39:14,820 --> 00:39:17,780
And the cube-shaped planet
of the Bizarros.
648
00:39:18,260 --> 00:39:19,780
There was Beppo, the Super-Monkey.
649
00:39:19,980 --> 00:39:23,180
Comet, the Super-Horse,
Krypto, the Super-Dog.
650
00:39:23,180 --> 00:39:25,580
It seemed like every month or so. . .
651
00:39:25,940 --> 00:39:28,780
. . .there were just new concepts
being introduced.
652
00:39:28,980 --> 00:39:31,100
Green Kryptonite.
Red Kryptonite.
653
00:39:31,300 --> 00:39:35,100
Blue, White, Jewel Kryptonite.
654
00:39:35,540 --> 00:39:37,940
There was Superman's mermaid
ex-girlfriend...
655
00:39:38,140 --> 00:39:40,620
...and even a teenage cousin,
Supergirl.
656
00:39:40,980 --> 00:39:44,540
''Great guns, it's a flying girl.
It must be an illusion. ''
657
00:39:44,740 --> 00:39:47,580
''No, Superman, it's me,
and I have all your powers. ''
658
00:39:48,940 --> 00:39:50,180
Action Comics #252.
659
00:39:51,420 --> 00:39:54,580
In the comics, Superman
was now so all-powerful...
660
00:39:54,780 --> 00:39:58,660
...so invincible that writers struggled
to create stories for him.
661
00:39:58,860 --> 00:40:02,700
I mean, at one point, he blew out a star
like you blow out a candle.
662
00:40:04,060 --> 00:40:06,660
well, if a guy can do that. . .
663
00:40:06,980 --> 00:40:10,820
. . .how are you going to get conflict
into the story, exactly?
664
00:40:12,300 --> 00:40:14,140
One solution was to make
Superman's conflicts...
665
00:40:14,340 --> 00:40:16,460
...less physical
and more emotional.
666
00:40:16,660 --> 00:40:18,620
can you get married?
can you have children?
667
00:40:18,820 --> 00:40:20,220
can you have any kind of normal Life?
668
00:40:21,580 --> 00:40:24,180
It just breaks my heart to think
that the guy who saves everybody. . .
669
00:40:24,380 --> 00:40:26,460
. . .can't enjoy his Life.
670
00:40:28,900 --> 00:40:30,820
But no matter what conflicts
he faced...
671
00:40:31,060 --> 00:40:34,860
...Superman reflected the same
unwavering optimism of his readers.
672
00:40:35,060 --> 00:40:37,540
And as the 1960s dawned
Superman seemed completely in-tune...
673
00:40:39,660 --> 00:40:40,820
... with a hopeful new decade...
674
00:40:41,020 --> 00:40:43,580
...symbolized by the election
of a vigorous...
675
00:40:43,780 --> 00:40:48,580
... young president who promised a future
of space exploration and social justice.
676
00:40:49,020 --> 00:40:51,460
We choose to go to the moon.
677
00:40:52,660 --> 00:40:57,300
One Superman comic written in 1963,
even suggested a friendship,,,
678
00:40:57,540 --> 00:41:01,780
...between the American president
and the Kryptonian crime-fighter.
679
00:41:02,580 --> 00:41:05,020
The comic was set to go to press
that November...
680
00:41:05,220 --> 00:41:08,180
...just as shots
rang out in Dallas, Texas.
681
00:41:10,540 --> 00:41:11,820
Shooting in the motorcade--
682
00:41:12,020 --> 00:41:15,220
At the age of 46,
John F. Kennedy was dead.
683
00:41:15,420 --> 00:41:20,300
And his assassination shattered
the dreams of a new frontier.
684
00:41:21,140 --> 00:41:24,220
Another generation grew disillusioned.
685
00:41:30,540 --> 00:41:36,100
Institutions, traditions, convictions
all became candidates for radical change.
686
00:41:36,300 --> 00:41:38,300
And change they did.
687
00:41:39,940 --> 00:41:42,260
A decade that began
with great optimism...
688
00:41:42,460 --> 00:41:45,380
... was marked by race riots,
political protest...
689
00:41:45,580 --> 00:41:48,900
...and militant activism
against the Vietnam War.
690
00:41:49,740 --> 00:41:54,580
paper heroes like Superman
now seemed irrelevant, even silly.
691
00:41:54,980 --> 00:41:58,500
It was a time of, you know, long-haired
hippie freaks running the streets.
692
00:41:59,860 --> 00:42:02,420
And Superman was still,
like the agent of the status quo.
693
00:42:03,700 --> 00:42:05,660
cape Kennedy could be next.
694
00:42:05,860 --> 00:42:11,140
This is a job for Superman.
Up, up and away!
695
00:42:17,540 --> 00:42:19,780
He made me see stars that time.
696
00:42:21,740 --> 00:42:24,620
In 1966, DC's number-two hero,
Batman, came to television...
697
00:42:25,980 --> 00:42:29,740
...as a straight-faced parody
of comic-book heroes.
698
00:42:29,900 --> 00:42:35,700
It was part of a resurgence,
if you will, in pop art.
699
00:42:35,700 --> 00:42:40,980
And we were adding our slice
of the cultural pie.
700
00:42:41,180 --> 00:42:44,820
We had the comic balloons
and the sounds like ''zap'' . . .
701
00:42:45,060 --> 00:42:47,700
. . . ''barroom,'' ''crunch,'' and so on.
702
00:42:47,900 --> 00:42:50,460
-Ringside table, Batman?
-Just looking, thanks.
703
00:42:50,700 --> 00:42:53,580
I'll stand at the bar.
I should wish to attract attention.
704
00:42:55,700 --> 00:42:58,820
The same year that Bat mania gripped the
country, Superman landed on Broadway...
705
00:43:00,380 --> 00:43:01,860
...in a musical comedy.
706
00:43:03,340 --> 00:43:06,100
It's a Bird. . .It's a plane. . .It's Superman
boasted a talented cast...
707
00:43:06,300 --> 00:43:08,500
...direction by the legendary
Hal Prince...
708
00:43:08,700 --> 00:43:12,260
...and songs by the team
who'd earlier written "Bye Bye Birdie."
709
00:43:12,500 --> 00:43:16,740
But the tongue-in-cape spoof
closed after 128 performances.
710
00:43:18,500 --> 00:43:21,420
Although it did resurface
as a 1975 television special...
711
00:43:21,620 --> 00:43:24,420
...starring David Wilson
and Lesley Ann Warren.
712
00:43:25,740 --> 00:43:29,460
-Not so fast.
-Oh, Superman, you're wonderful.
713
00:43:29,660 --> 00:43:31,100
I just got a call from ABC (network) that said:
714
00:43:31,540 --> 00:43:34,980
''could you give us a musical
for the late night?''
715
00:43:35,180 --> 00:43:36,340
That was 1:30 at night.
716
00:43:36,540 --> 00:43:39,420
The whole thing was shot in four days
with a couple of cameras.
717
00:43:39,820 --> 00:43:42,300
Hi there, America,
and friendly nations everywhere.
718
00:43:42,500 --> 00:43:44,580
Glad we could get together.
719
00:43:44,940 --> 00:43:47,140
Come on, paw!
Let's go, bam!
720
00:43:47,340 --> 00:43:50,060
I need a little exercise
Take that, paw!
721
00:43:50,260 --> 00:43:52,620
And that, oink!
Let's see what you can do
722
00:43:52,820 --> 00:43:54,780
The man that played Superman
is David Wilson.
723
00:43:54,980 --> 00:43:57,860
He was wonderful to work with and
we had a Little crush on each other. . .
724
00:43:59,220 --> 00:44:02,380
. . .which was perfect.
It worked out well for the piece.
725
00:44:03,020 --> 00:44:07,180
-Oh, Superman, you're terrific.
-Yeah, I know.
726
00:44:07,380 --> 00:44:10,940
He wasn't a dancer and that was,
you know, that drove him crazy.
727
00:44:11,140 --> 00:44:14,380
You know, putting on those tights
and leaping across the stage.
728
00:44:14,580 --> 00:44:18,940
I mean, he was like, not thrived
about that, but he was a great sport.
729
00:44:19,580 --> 00:44:23,740
Good night, sweet dreams
So sorry to mess up your plans
730
00:44:23,980 --> 00:44:27,620
But now you know
Splat, paw!
731
00:44:27,820 --> 00:44:30,180
Don't fool around
732
00:44:30,380 --> 00:44:36,940
Wham, sow, with Superman
733
00:44:49,020 --> 00:44:50,820
I really don't think it did well.
734
00:44:51,180 --> 00:44:55,380
The reviews in the paper were kind
of okay, but I would have no idea. . .
735
00:44:55,580 --> 00:44:58,180
. . .how it did number-wise,
or who came in, who turned in.
736
00:44:58,380 --> 00:45:00,140
I don't think a heir of a Iota of people.
737
00:45:01,900 --> 00:45:05,540
By the 1970"s the future looked bleak
for the Man of Steel...
738
00:45:05,740 --> 00:45:08,220
...and it seemed the world's
most powerful superhero...
739
00:45:08,420 --> 00:45:10,700
... was, at best, a fond memory...
740
00:45:12,300 --> 00:45:14,060
...or a figure of fun.
741
00:45:14,300 --> 00:45:17,660
Everyone knows that you can leap
tall buildings in a single bound.
742
00:45:17,860 --> 00:45:20,700
Certainly we all have heard that you
are more powerful than a locomotive.
743
00:45:20,940 --> 00:45:22,620
-I love a good race with a chow-chow.
-I'm sure.
744
00:45:22,820 --> 00:45:25,900
-Faster than a speeding bullet?
-Are you kidding? I'm ten times faster. . .
745
00:45:26,100 --> 00:45:28,660
than a speeding bullet
-I have a pistol here, Superman.
746
00:45:28,900 --> 00:45:31,380
-Bullet race, huh?
-And I would like to test it out if I can.
747
00:45:31,580 --> 00:45:33,300
Okay, any time you're ready.
748
00:45:34,180 --> 00:45:35,660
Superman?
749
00:45:36,900 --> 00:45:40,780
As comic-book sales plummeted,
DC eagerly brought in a new editor...
750
00:45:40,980 --> 00:45:42,180
...Julius Schwartz.
751
00:45:42,380 --> 00:45:44,540
Schwartz encouraged
a new generation of writers...
752
00:45:44,740 --> 00:45:46,940
...raised on Superman to update...
753
00:45:47,140 --> 00:45:50,700
...and reexamine the character,
with intriguing, if mixed results.
754
00:45:51,420 --> 00:45:53,660
Julius Schwartz
was not a great Superman fan.
755
00:45:53,900 --> 00:45:57,820
He felt kids didn't pay attention
to newspapers anymore.
756
00:45:58,020 --> 00:46:00,900
So maybe we should make Clark
a television reporter, and it didn't stick.
757
00:46:00,980 --> 00:46:04,420
perhaps it's because
it makes Clark more glamorous. . .
758
00:46:04,620 --> 00:46:06,540
. . .than he ought to be, somehow.
759
00:46:08,100 --> 00:46:10,980
Under Schwartz? direction,
Superman became more introspective.
760
00:46:11,500 --> 00:46:13,140
And Lois Lane received
a feminist makeover.
761
00:46:13,340 --> 00:46:14,860
We almost went too far
the other way. . .
762
00:46:16,220 --> 00:46:19,820
. . .in that she just became a really bitchy,
cynical female character. . .
763
00:46:21,300 --> 00:46:26,540
. . .that I don't think Superman
would fail in love with.
764
00:46:26,540 --> 00:46:28,700
As the Vietnam War escalated,
and political scandals,,,
765
00:46:30,100 --> 00:46:32,780
...and presidential resignations
brought a nation to its knees...
766
00:46:33,500 --> 00:46:34,580
well, I am not a crook.
767
00:46:35,940 --> 00:46:38,520
...Broadway musicals like Jesus Christ
Superstar and Godspeed. . .
768
00:46:39,620 --> 00:46:41,860
...reflected a rekindled interest
in spirituality.
769
00:46:43,460 --> 00:46:47,020
Superman was now seen
in pop culture and in the comics...
770
00:46:47,220 --> 00:46:52,020
...not just as a superhero,
but as a secular messiah.
771
00:46:52,420 --> 00:46:55,780
There's definitely an allegory,
a Judeo-Christian allegory. . .
772
00:46:55,980 --> 00:46:58,140
. . .that's happening
in the mythology of Superman. . .
773
00:46:58,340 --> 00:47:01,140
. . .right up to the fact
that he descends from the heavens.
774
00:47:01,180 --> 00:47:04,580
They took an Old Testament story,
which is Moses. . .
775
00:47:04,820 --> 00:47:07,780
. . .whose mother and father were about
to be killed by the Egyptians. . .
776
00:47:07,980 --> 00:47:09,180
...in this case it was Krypton.
777
00:47:11,140 --> 00:47:13,180
And just like Moses
went down the Nile. . .
778
00:47:13,380 --> 00:47:16,500
. . .and he landed on Earth
as an immigrant. . .
779
00:47:16,700 --> 00:47:18,300
. . .and was adopted.
780
00:47:18,500 --> 00:47:21,700
I don't think Superman
becomes a substitute for religion.
781
00:47:21,700 --> 00:47:23,420
I think he becomes a substitute
for mythology.
782
00:47:25,020 --> 00:47:27,580
Superman is the mythology of a hero.
This is what a hero can do.
783
00:47:27,740 --> 00:47:30,380
This is perhaps what you can do
if you choose to be a hero.
784
00:47:30,580 --> 00:47:32,860
There is morality in that,
that's very important.
785
00:47:33,220 --> 00:47:36,940
Unfortunately, making Superman
comics more socially relevant...
786
00:47:37,140 --> 00:47:38,380
,,,didn't make them more popular.
787
00:47:44,060 --> 00:47:47,540
And even the success of Saturday morning
incarnations like the Super Friends. . .
788
00:47:47,900 --> 00:47:52,620
...could't dispel the notion that
Superman's best years might be behind him.
789
00:47:53,100 --> 00:47:56,220
I can't break the grip.
I'm powerless.
790
00:47:56,420 --> 00:47:58,220
help!
help me, someone.
791
00:47:58,420 --> 00:47:59,860
I think Superman needs help.
792
00:48:00,380 --> 00:48:03,540
help! please, help.
I can't hold up much Longer.
793
00:48:05,460 --> 00:48:08,860
But although heroes may fall
and their powers fade,,,
794
00:48:09,060 --> 00:48:11,260
,,, they always come back fighting.
795
00:48:11,460 --> 00:48:14,900
And thanks to a combination
of talent and good timing,,,
796
00:48:15,500 --> 00:48:19,820
... the Man of Steel was about to
experience a remarkable resurrection.
797
00:48:28,300 --> 00:48:31,900
Superman was losing popularity
in his native country.
798
00:48:32,460 --> 00:48:37,500
But ironically, he was about to be revived
by a Russian-Mexican movie producer...
799
00:48:37,580 --> 00:48:39,340
,,,living in Paris.
800
00:48:40,860 --> 00:48:44,140
I was waking in front of a cinema
that had Zorro playing...
801
00:48:44,340 --> 00:48:46,420
. . .with a French star
called Alain Delon.
802
00:48:46,500 --> 00:48:48,740
And two days after,
I had dinner with my father. . .
803
00:48:48,940 --> 00:48:52,020
. . .and I said,
''Why don't we do Superman?''
804
00:48:52,620 --> 00:48:56,660
By 1974, Ilya Salkind
and his father, Alexander...
805
00:48:56,660 --> 00:49:01,460
...had enjoyed acclaim producing films
like their star-studded remake...
806
00:49:01,460 --> 00:49:04,820
...of The Three Musketeers
and its equally popular sequel.
807
00:49:05,140 --> 00:49:08,860
Though Alexander was unfamiliar
with the character of Superman,,,
808
00:49:09,060 --> 00:49:11,940
...his 28-year-old son envisioned
an epic blockbuster...
809
00:49:12,140 --> 00:49:15,260
...unlike any film ever made before.
810
00:49:15,460 --> 00:49:19,940
I said, ''We got to do something
that is serious, that is big. ''
811
00:49:22,900 --> 00:49:25,780
After securing 40 million dollars
in financing,,,
812
00:49:25,980 --> 00:49:31,220
... the Salkinds hired Godfather author and
screenwriter Mario Puzo to pen the script.
813
00:49:32,460 --> 00:49:36,140
I come to the office one day
and there's Mario Puzo in the Library. . .
814
00:49:36,500 --> 00:49:40,020
. . .Looking through old Superman stories.
So they introduced me to him.
815
00:49:40,340 --> 00:49:43,180
Carry Bates, another writer,
and I spent two days sitting. . .
816
00:49:43,380 --> 00:49:45,260
. . .smoking Havana cigars with Mario. . .
817
00:49:45,460 --> 00:49:48,420
. . .in the conference room
and taking about who Superman was.
818
00:49:48,660 --> 00:49:50,780
And his eyes started to shine
and he said:
819
00:49:50,980 --> 00:49:53,180
''Wow, this is a Greek tragedy. ''
820
00:49:53,380 --> 00:49:58,180
By getting Mario Puzo, of course
the movie immediately started to exist.
821
00:49:58,660 --> 00:50:01,500
Just as they had done with the
Three Musketeers and its sequel...
822
00:50:01,700 --> 00:50:03,220
... the Salkinds intended to film...
823
00:50:03,420 --> 00:50:07,220
... two mammoth Superman films
at the same time.
824
00:50:07,420 --> 00:50:11,300
To direct the challenging project,
the producers chose Richard Donner...
825
00:50:11,500 --> 00:50:13,260
...hot off the hit thriller, The Omen.
826
00:50:13,980 --> 00:50:17,020
Donner also saw Superman as an epic.
827
00:50:17,140 --> 00:50:19,260
But he felt that the script,
now tackled by four writers...
828
00:50:19,260 --> 00:50:22,300
... was too jokey and cynical.
829
00:50:22,500 --> 00:50:27,300
I said, ''This is Superman.
This is, you know, apple pie, Americana. ''
830
00:50:27,300 --> 00:50:32,300
It was a part of American history. And
to me it had its own sense of reality.
831
00:50:32,500 --> 00:50:35,660
It's own verision of altitude,
and the mission was to keep it straight.
832
00:50:35,700 --> 00:50:40,140
To polish the script, Donner
enlisted writer Tom Mankiewicz...
833
00:50:40,340 --> 00:50:42,700
... who was no stranger to adventure
and fantasy...
834
00:50:42,900 --> 00:50:45,700
...having co-written
three James Bond films.
835
00:50:45,900 --> 00:50:48,380
Dick said,
''We can't be smarter than the material.
836
00:50:49,740 --> 00:50:51,180
We have to get inside the material. ''
837
00:50:51,380 --> 00:50:54,140
Of course there's funny stuff.
Lex Luthor is a funny guy.
838
00:50:54,340 --> 00:50:56,500
Of course this man can fly.
Of course.
839
00:50:56,700 --> 00:51:00,540
But if you root for these two kids,
if you want them to get together. . .
840
00:51:00,740 --> 00:51:03,620
...if we make the love story work,
the whole movie works.
841
00:51:04,140 --> 00:51:06,980
playing the part of Superman's
nemesis Lex Luthor...
842
00:51:07,180 --> 00:51:09,740
... would be Academy Award winner
Gene Hackman...
843
00:51:09,940 --> 00:51:12,500
... who brought wit and humor
to what had previously been...
844
00:51:12,660 --> 00:51:14,420
...a two-dimensional role.
845
00:51:14,860 --> 00:51:17,020
Bye-bye, California.
846
00:51:17,220 --> 00:51:19,380
Hello, new West coast,
my West coast.
847
00:51:24,380 --> 00:51:27,220
To play Superman's
Kryptonian father Jor-El...
848
00:51:27,460 --> 00:51:33,300
...Ilya Salkind chose the Godfather
himself, acting legend Marlon Brando.
849
00:51:33,500 --> 00:51:36,100
Now, Brando, at this point,
was the greatest star in the world.
850
00:51:36,300 --> 00:51:37,980
This was after Godfather.
851
00:51:38,180 --> 00:51:43,300
This was like literally
getting Gods for Jor-El.
852
00:51:46,820 --> 00:51:50,180
For the Man of Steel, Salkind
and Donner resisted the temptation...
853
00:51:50,380 --> 00:51:52,660
... to cast a box-office name.
854
00:51:52,860 --> 00:51:56,340
They felt strongly that the part
required a newcomer...
855
00:51:56,540 --> 00:52:00,620
...provided that established stars
would be showcased in supporting roles.
856
00:52:00,860 --> 00:52:05,020
I just couldn't see Redford
or any of those guys in blue tights...
857
00:52:05,220 --> 00:52:09,020
. . .flying around New York and being, ''Oh,
there's Robert Redford,'' not Superman.
858
00:52:09,220 --> 00:52:10,940
So I really wanted an unknown.
859
00:52:11,140 --> 00:52:14,420
It can't be Jon Vogt in a Superman suit
or Burt Reynolds in a Superman suit.
860
00:52:14,620 --> 00:52:17,660
When Superman comes on the screen,
he has to be Superman.
861
00:52:20,780 --> 00:52:26,100
Over the next weeks, dozens of actors
were considered and screen tested.
862
00:52:26,620 --> 00:52:29,900
I mean, we were going completely nuts
to get the right guy.
863
00:52:30,000 --> 00:52:32,280
It's all over, Luthor.
You're coming with me.
864
00:52:32,520 --> 00:52:35,080
We even tested the dentist
of my first ex-wife.
865
00:52:35,280 --> 00:52:38,080
It's too late.
The rocket is already on its way. . .
866
00:52:38,280 --> 00:52:40,480
. . .and even you can't fly fast
enough to stop it.
867
00:52:40,680 --> 00:52:43,600
I won't have to fly anywhere. Not after
you tell me where the controls are.
868
00:52:43,800 --> 00:52:45,600
controls?
Who's got controls?
869
00:52:46,200 --> 00:52:49,080
I've traced the signals to this room.
Now, you tell me.
870
00:52:49,280 --> 00:52:51,640
I don't know where they are,
I swear.
871
00:52:51,880 --> 00:52:53,440
That's a print.
872
00:52:53,640 --> 00:52:57,480
I was in New York, to see whoever was
available in New York and Chicago. . .
873
00:52:57,680 --> 00:53:00,480
. . .and one of the kids that came in
was Christopher Reeve.
874
00:53:00,680 --> 00:53:03,320
And a tall, skinny. . . .
As a matter of fact. . .
875
00:53:03,520 --> 00:53:06,280
. . .he had this big sweater on
to make him look twice as big.
876
00:53:06,480 --> 00:53:08,880
But we talked and he was just
this fascinating kid. . .
877
00:53:09,080 --> 00:53:10,280
. . .who was very, very bright.
878
00:53:10,480 --> 00:53:13,560
He had a handle on the character.
It was a good handle.
879
00:53:13,760 --> 00:53:15,160
Very pure, very clean.
880
00:53:15,360 --> 00:53:17,320
The 25-year-old Juilliard graduate...
881
00:53:17,520 --> 00:53:20,200
...eagerly traveled to London
for a screen test.
882
00:53:20,400 --> 00:53:21,880
He was so nervous, testing. . .
883
00:53:22,080 --> 00:53:25,200
. . .that I remember that you could see
the sweat stains under the armpits.
884
00:53:25,400 --> 00:53:30,560
But he hopped off the edge
onto Lois' balcony and said:
885
00:53:30,760 --> 00:53:31,720
Good evening, Miss Lane.
886
00:53:31,920 --> 00:53:35,680
And as he started to do the scene,
it was just so clear.
887
00:53:36,320 --> 00:53:38,600
Thank you very much
for finding the time for this interview.
888
00:53:38,800 --> 00:53:40,720
I realize there must be
many questions about me. . .
889
00:53:40,920 --> 00:53:42,680
. . .the world would like to know
the answers to.
890
00:53:42,880 --> 00:53:46,360
So it's become important to me
to have close relations with the press.
891
00:53:48,040 --> 00:53:50,520
You really shouldn't smoke,
you know.
892
00:53:50,720 --> 00:53:53,960
-Lung cancer?
-well, not yet, thank goodness.
893
00:53:54,360 --> 00:53:56,920
Chris had the self-confidence,
self-assurance.
894
00:53:58,280 --> 00:54:01,480
He knew that he was destined
for big things. . .
895
00:54:01,480 --> 00:54:05,120
. . .and I think he thought
this was part of the way to get there.
896
00:54:05,320 --> 00:54:06,360
Why are you here?
897
00:54:07,000 --> 00:54:11,240
Yes, I'm here to fight for truth,
for justice and the American way.
898
00:54:12,800 --> 00:54:15,720
For the role of Lois Lane,
Donner needed an actress...
899
00:54:15,920 --> 00:54:20,000
... with the right mix of steely
determination and romantic vulnerability.
900
00:54:20,920 --> 00:54:24,280
Numerous actresses were tested,
including Ann Archer.
901
00:54:24,480 --> 00:54:25,640
Superman.
902
00:54:25,840 --> 00:54:27,200
Stockyard Channing.
903
00:54:27,400 --> 00:54:30,080
No, no. please, please, don't move.
I mean, just don't go anywhere.
904
00:54:30,280 --> 00:54:32,360
I mean, move if you want to,
just don't fly away.
905
00:54:32,560 --> 00:54:33,880
Deborah Raffin.
906
00:54:34,080 --> 00:54:35,400
Where do you hail from?
907
00:54:35,840 --> 00:54:37,400
And Lesley Ann Warren.
908
00:54:37,600 --> 00:54:39,600
Test 54, take 1 .
pick up.
909
00:54:39,960 --> 00:54:41,840
Alright, right where you were.
Action!
910
00:54:42,080 --> 00:54:44,520
Oh, would you like. . .
911
00:54:44,720 --> 00:54:46,440
. . .a cookie?
912
00:54:46,680 --> 00:54:48,840
-Oh, what kind?
-Macaroons.
913
00:54:49,080 --> 00:54:52,400
I was actually a little nervous
about carrying over...
914
00:54:52,760 --> 00:54:55,920
...what I had done in the musical special
into this piece...
915
00:54:56,120 --> 00:54:57,600
. . .because I wanted to make sure. . .
916
00:54:57,800 --> 00:55:00,840
. . .that I wasn't bringing the largeness
that a musical requires.
917
00:55:01,280 --> 00:55:04,240
-How about a glass of wine?
-I never drink when I fly.
918
00:55:04,440 --> 00:55:07,280
You never drink when you fly.
919
00:55:08,120 --> 00:55:10,880
-Is it true, you can see through anything?
-pretty much.
920
00:55:11,200 --> 00:55:15,080
-And you are totality impervious to pain.
-well, so far.
921
00:55:15,280 --> 00:55:16,920
What color underwear am I wearing?
922
00:55:17,160 --> 00:55:18,240
What color underwear am I wearing?
923
00:55:18,440 --> 00:55:21,360
-What color underwear am I wearing?
-pink.
924
00:55:21,560 --> 00:55:23,680
Do you like pink?
925
00:55:24,280 --> 00:55:28,120
-Do you like pink?
-I like pink very much, Lois.
926
00:55:28,320 --> 00:55:31,040
-You could take a ride with me.
-You mean, I would fly?
927
00:55:31,280 --> 00:55:32,800
This is utterly fantastic.
928
00:55:33,040 --> 00:55:34,560
This is incredible.
929
00:55:37,360 --> 00:55:39,320
Clark said you were rigged with wires.
930
00:55:40,280 --> 00:55:42,640
-Like Peter Pan?
-Peter Pan flew with children, Lois.
931
00:55:43,240 --> 00:55:44,320
In a fairy tale.
932
00:55:45,560 --> 00:55:49,040
Ultimately Canadian Margot Kidder
won the part.
933
00:55:49,240 --> 00:55:52,280
Donner had been impressed
by her unique chemistry with Reeve...
934
00:55:52,480 --> 00:55:54,360
...and her creative approach
to the role.
935
00:55:54,560 --> 00:55:55,880
Take 6.
936
00:55:56,080 --> 00:56:00,120
What color underwear am I wearing?
937
00:56:00,360 --> 00:56:01,600
pink.
938
00:56:02,200 --> 00:56:05,360
Lois was one way with Superman. . .
939
00:56:05,760 --> 00:56:09,440
. . .just cockeyed, a little girl
and kind of phony baloney. . .
940
00:56:09,640 --> 00:56:11,560
. . .because she could
fold her head together. . .
941
00:56:11,760 --> 00:56:13,600
. . .enough to think
when she was around him.
942
00:56:13,800 --> 00:56:18,320
-Do you like pink?
-I like pink very much, Lois.
943
00:56:19,960 --> 00:56:23,600
And just sort of dismissive and curt
when she was with Clark--
944
00:56:23,800 --> 00:56:25,280
Seventy-six take 2.
945
00:56:25,640 --> 00:56:28,000
It's not my fault you put
yourself down all the time.
946
00:56:28,200 --> 00:56:31,640
-Oh, yeah, how?
-For starters, Look, you're slouching.
947
00:56:31,840 --> 00:56:33,680
Stand up straight.
Here.
948
00:56:33,880 --> 00:56:35,880
There, stand up.
That's better.
949
00:56:36,320 --> 00:56:38,880
And I was very conscious
of doing that...
950
00:56:39,080 --> 00:56:42,160
... because I was very conscious
around that time...
951
00:56:42,360 --> 00:56:48,200
...of my revolting tendency to do that
around men in my own real life.
952
00:56:48,560 --> 00:56:53,360
Clark said that you
were rigged with wires. . .
953
00:56:53,840 --> 00:56:55,600
. . .like Peter Pan.
954
00:56:55,800 --> 00:57:00,240
Peter Pan few with children, Lois.
In a fairy tale.
955
00:57:02,320 --> 00:57:03,480
print it.
956
00:57:06,240 --> 00:57:09,000
When production began at
Pinewood Studios in England...
957
00:57:09,200 --> 00:57:10,880
... two facts became apparent:
958
00:57:11,080 --> 00:57:14,040
The film would be the most ambitious
comic-book movie ever made.
959
00:57:15,160 --> 00:57:18,200
And shooting it
would be next to impossible.
960
00:57:28,000 --> 00:57:31,720
Especially difficult were
the film's crucial flying sequences.
961
00:57:31,920 --> 00:57:34,360
flying-- It certainly wasn't
romantic to do it...
962
00:57:34,560 --> 00:57:38,880
. . .because you're hanging 50 feet up
from a sound stage. . .
963
00:57:39,080 --> 00:57:41,880
...in an extremely uncomfortable
leather harness...
964
00:57:42,080 --> 00:57:44,800
...that's cutting into your armpits
and your everything else.
965
00:57:45,040 --> 00:57:48,720
We'd be whirled back and forth
across the ceiling on these wires. . .
966
00:57:48,920 --> 00:57:52,160
...and I would be smashing
into Chris in midair.
967
00:57:52,160 --> 00:57:54,600
In those days, because there was
no computers there were--
968
00:57:54,800 --> 00:57:56,400
It was hard effects.
969
00:57:56,880 --> 00:57:58,840
You had to-- practically
had to do it in the camera.
970
00:57:59,040 --> 00:58:02,240
There were a few optical houses,
but things were limited.
971
00:58:02,440 --> 00:58:05,640
You had to convince the audience
a man could fly.
972
00:58:05,640 --> 00:58:09,080
At one point, somebody dropped
a clapper board on the wire...
973
00:58:09,280 --> 00:58:12,680
. . .and cut off the electric current.
And we quickly went:
974
00:58:12,880 --> 00:58:17,120
And were hanging upside down
held in only by our safety belts...
975
00:58:17,320 --> 00:58:19,440
...and Christopher actually did this.
976
00:58:19,640 --> 00:58:24,520
He reached out, in character,
and held the pole.
977
00:58:24,720 --> 00:58:27,920
As if he was going to hold us both
up from gravity.
978
00:58:27,920 --> 00:58:30,840
And afterwards, I went,
''Chris, do you know what you did?''
979
00:58:31,040 --> 00:58:32,400
And he went, ''Oh, yeah. ''
980
00:58:32,640 --> 00:58:35,120
And I said, ''I think you're just
a little too much in character.
981
00:58:35,320 --> 00:58:36,560
This is going too far. ''
982
00:58:41,080 --> 00:58:44,560
The production presented
countless logistical challenges.
983
00:58:44,920 --> 00:58:47,720
Locations stretched
from the sound stages of London...
984
00:58:47,920 --> 00:58:50,040
... to farmlands in rural Canada...
985
00:58:50,240 --> 00:58:52,400
... to evoke Superman's
three separate worlds...
986
00:58:52,600 --> 00:58:56,360
...of Krypton, Smallville
and Metropolis.
987
00:58:56,640 --> 00:58:59,400
The film is very much a three-act play.
988
00:59:06,040 --> 00:59:07,960
On Krypton,
everything was shot through fog.
989
00:59:08,160 --> 00:59:12,120
And people spoke
in almost Shakespearean Language.
990
00:59:12,320 --> 00:59:14,680
And I wrote everybody the same way.
991
00:59:15,960 --> 00:59:19,840
My friends, you know me
to be neither rash nor impulsive.
992
00:59:20,400 --> 00:59:25,200
I am not given
to wide unsupported statements.
993
00:59:25,520 --> 00:59:29,480
And I tell you that we must
evacuate this planet immediately.
994
00:59:31,360 --> 00:59:35,360
When we go to young Clark growing up,
it becomes like Andrew Wythe.
995
00:59:42,920 --> 00:59:46,440
It's sepia colors
and everybody is ''pa'' and ''Ma. ''
996
00:59:46,920 --> 00:59:52,120
And there's one thing I do know, son,
and that is you are here for a reason.
997
00:59:55,560 --> 00:59:59,840
And then all of a sudden, you hit
Metropolis and the jokes start flying.
998
01:00:00,080 --> 01:00:02,640
Clark Kent may seem
like just a mild-mannered reporter. . .
999
01:00:02,840 --> 01:00:05,720
. . .but listen, not only does he know
how to treat his editor in chief. . .
1000
01:00:05,920 --> 01:00:09,680
. . .with the proper respect, not only does
he have a snappy, punchy, prose style. . .
1001
01:00:09,880 --> 01:00:11,720
. . .but he is, in my 40 years
in this business. . .
1002
01:00:11,920 --> 01:00:13,440
. . .the fastest typist I've ever seen.
1003
01:00:13,880 --> 01:00:15,080
Excuse me, Miss Lane.
1004
01:00:15,280 --> 01:00:16,760
You could tell in the first hour. . .
1005
01:00:18,160 --> 01:00:21,320
. . .it was going to be one of the most
pleasurable experiences. . .
1006
01:00:21,520 --> 01:00:23,920
. . .that, that-- That as an actor
I hadn't gone through.
1007
01:00:24,560 --> 01:00:30,000
I was surprised to hear Chris
hadn't all that much acting experience. . .
1008
01:00:30,240 --> 01:00:32,320
... because he was so professional.
1009
01:00:32,520 --> 01:00:36,240
Also, unlike a lot of actors,
he was so well-mannered.
1010
01:00:36,840 --> 01:00:38,360
Not at all, I'd say it's been swell.
1011
01:00:38,560 --> 01:00:40,960
-Swell?
-Yeah.
1012
01:00:42,040 --> 01:00:43,800
You know, Clark. . .
1013
01:00:44,640 --> 01:00:46,600
. . .there are very few people left
in the world. . .
1014
01:00:46,800 --> 01:00:48,960
. . .who feel comfortable
saying that word?
1015
01:00:49,160 --> 01:00:50,440
-What word?
-Swell.
1016
01:00:50,640 --> 01:00:53,000
really? I always thought
it was kind of natural.
1017
01:00:55,000 --> 01:00:56,400
I'm sorry.
1018
01:00:56,600 --> 01:00:58,400
-Clark?
-Don't worry. It's all right.
1019
01:00:58,640 --> 01:01:03,520
Chris was very specific about Clark
never behaving like Superman.
1020
01:01:04,000 --> 01:01:06,320
Lois, I think maybe you better.
1021
01:01:10,640 --> 01:01:12,320
Lois, what are you doing?
1022
01:01:12,520 --> 01:01:16,960
Clark's shoulders are held differently
and his walk is different.
1023
01:01:22,040 --> 01:01:28,360
Then there's this wonderful, confident
upright being that Superman has. . .
1024
01:01:28,560 --> 01:01:30,800
. . .and he strides in a certain way.
1025
01:01:31,000 --> 01:01:32,880
Good evening, Miss Lane.
1026
01:01:35,440 --> 01:01:36,680
Oh, hi.
1027
01:01:36,920 --> 01:01:38,680
Chris was a very earnest young man. . .
1028
01:01:39,320 --> 01:01:42,800
. . .and he did very much fee obligated
to the myth, to the movie.
1029
01:01:43,000 --> 01:01:45,480
He worked really, really, really hard.
1030
01:01:45,680 --> 01:01:51,600
Is it true that you can
see through anything?
1031
01:01:51,800 --> 01:01:54,160
Yes, I can, pretty much.
1032
01:01:54,360 --> 01:01:58,080
And that you're totally impervious
to pain?
1033
01:01:58,280 --> 01:01:59,960
well, so far.
1034
01:02:01,080 --> 01:02:03,120
What color underwear am I wearing?
1035
01:02:03,880 --> 01:02:04,840
pink.
1036
01:02:05,040 --> 01:02:06,000
Do you like pink?
1037
01:02:11,520 --> 01:02:13,240
I like pink very much, Lois.
1038
01:02:14,920 --> 01:02:16,880
But as the production dragged on...
1039
01:02:17,080 --> 01:02:19,520
... the mood on the set
was far from relaxed.
1040
01:02:20,920 --> 01:02:23,400
The movie's special effects
and flying scenes pushed the film...
1041
01:02:23,600 --> 01:02:26,960
,,,far over schedule and over budget.
1042
01:02:27,440 --> 01:02:30,280
Tensions rose between
Richard Donner and the Salkinds...
1043
01:02:30,520 --> 01:02:34,280
...and by the end of production,
they were barely speaking.
1044
01:02:34,520 --> 01:02:36,520
The tension started to escalate. . .
1045
01:02:36,760 --> 01:02:40,080
. . .because of course the budget
was going completely out of control.
1046
01:02:40,480 --> 01:02:43,680
It was everybody's fault and nobody. . .
1047
01:02:43,920 --> 01:02:48,280
. . .because there were so many things
that were new that had never been done.
1048
01:02:48,840 --> 01:02:52,880
After shooting more than 70 percent
of the movie's intended sequel,,,
1049
01:02:53,120 --> 01:02:57,080
... the decision was made to focus
entirely on finishing the first film...
1050
01:02:57,320 --> 01:02:58,880
...and hope for the best.
1051
01:02:59,120 --> 01:03:00,400
Take, take, cut, great.
1052
01:03:06,960 --> 01:03:10,080
On December 10th, 1978,
more than 40 years...
1053
01:03:10,360 --> 01:03:13,240
...after the publication
of Action comics #1...
1054
01:03:13,560 --> 01:03:18,560
. . .Superman: The Movie was unveiled
at a gala premiere in Washington, D. C.
1055
01:03:19,040 --> 01:03:22,760
Enhanced by Academy Award winner
John Williams' stirring score...
1056
01:03:22,960 --> 01:03:26,680
,,, the film impressed even its creators.
1057
01:03:28,720 --> 01:03:30,480
When Superman comes up
on the screen. . .
1058
01:03:30,680 --> 01:03:33,760
. . .all of a sudden
the music went, ''Superman. ''
1059
01:03:35,120 --> 01:03:37,760
It actually said--
I heard it say, ''Superman. ''
1060
01:03:43,400 --> 01:03:45,560
Easy, miss, I've got you.
1061
01:03:45,760 --> 01:03:48,040
You've got me? Who's got you?
1062
01:03:48,240 --> 01:03:49,480
I was blown away by the movie.
1063
01:03:49,840 --> 01:03:52,920
I absolutely felt in love
with the movie.
1064
01:03:53,600 --> 01:03:56,400
Head over heels in love
with the movie. . .
1065
01:03:58,160 --> 01:03:59,560
. . .which was kind of amazing. . .
1066
01:03:59,760 --> 01:04:03,360
. . .because I thought all the way
through it I was just screwing up.
1067
01:04:07,320 --> 01:04:10,360
My good friend, Pierre, said
that I would never make the guy fly.
1068
01:04:11,760 --> 01:04:14,880
And after 120 million dollars,
we made him fly.
1069
01:04:16,320 --> 01:04:17,840
Superman: The Movie
took in a staggering...
1070
01:04:19,240 --> 01:04:20,200
...300 million dollars worldwide...
1071
01:04:22,720 --> 01:04:25,520
...making it one of the most popular
and successful films of the 1970s.
1072
01:04:25,720 --> 01:04:28,160
Christopher Reeve
had become a movie star.
1073
01:04:30,760 --> 01:04:32,920
The film inspired a new wave
of Superman merchandise.
1074
01:04:33,440 --> 01:04:36,800
From toys to hit records.
1075
01:04:36,800 --> 01:04:38,480
The sequel was inevitable.
1076
01:04:38,680 --> 01:04:42,600
And fortunately, most of Superman II
was already shot.
1077
01:04:44,760 --> 01:04:47,600
But by now, the creative differences
between Richard Donner...
1078
01:04:47,800 --> 01:04:50,240
...and the Salkinds
seemed irreconcilable.
1079
01:04:50,480 --> 01:04:52,880
So the producers turned to
The Three Musketeers director...
1080
01:04:53,080 --> 01:04:55,720
...Richard Lester to finish production.
1081
01:05:01,920 --> 01:05:03,200
I believe this is your floor.
1082
01:05:03,640 --> 01:05:06,880
Lester brought his trademark wit
and comic flair to the project...
1083
01:05:07,280 --> 01:05:10,320
,,,and delighted moviegoers
with dynamic action scenes.
1084
01:05:10,520 --> 01:05:12,280
Superman?
1085
01:05:13,920 --> 01:05:17,400
But some fans and critics voiced
concern that the Man of Steel...
1086
01:05:17,600 --> 01:05:19,520
... was beginning to get lost
in the mayhem.
1087
01:05:22,920 --> 01:05:26,280
Audiences were also divided
over the choice to have Clark Kent...
1088
01:05:26,520 --> 01:05:29,720
...reveal his true identity to Lois Lane.
1089
01:05:31,320 --> 01:05:32,480
Clark?
1090
01:05:33,640 --> 01:05:36,600
-No, no, no. It's okay.
-Let me see your hand. Give it to me.
1091
01:05:36,800 --> 01:05:39,240
-No, no. It's all right, Lois.
-Let me Look at it.
1092
01:05:41,040 --> 01:05:44,600
-You are Superman.
-Lois, come on, don't be s--
1093
01:05:57,480 --> 01:06:00,800
Even more outrageous
was the sight of Superman...
1094
01:06:01,000 --> 01:06:05,520
...enjoying a sexy sleepover
with Lois in the Fortress of Solitude.
1095
01:06:06,640 --> 01:06:09,440
I'm going to go change into something
more comfortable.
1096
01:06:12,560 --> 01:06:14,160
I think people were horrified.
1097
01:06:14,400 --> 01:06:18,640
I think, were I
to revisit that process now. . .
1098
01:06:18,840 --> 01:06:20,120
. . .I would think,
''You know what?
1099
01:06:20,320 --> 01:06:22,720
She wasn't supposed to sleep
with Superman. ''
1100
01:06:23,120 --> 01:06:26,800
I would come down
with the prudes on that one.
1101
01:06:29,360 --> 01:06:32,480
Superman II
was another box-office triumph...
1102
01:06:32,680 --> 01:06:34,680
...earning over 120 million
dollars worldwide.
1103
01:06:37,040 --> 01:06:39,880
The Salkinds quickly prepared
another sequel.
1104
01:06:40,120 --> 01:06:42,560
Once again,
with Richard Lester at the helm.
1105
01:06:42,920 --> 01:06:45,880
Instead of helping others, all the four
of you want to do is help yourselves.
1106
01:06:46,080 --> 01:06:50,680
Superman III co-starred Hollywood's
reigning comic actor, Richard Pryor...
1107
01:06:50,880 --> 01:06:54,040
...as Gus Gorman,
a bumbling computer programmer--
1108
01:06:54,360 --> 01:06:55,640
Wait, wait a minute.
1109
01:06:56,000 --> 01:07:00,880
--who is forced against his will to build
a machine to destroy the Man of Steel.
1110
01:07:01,080 --> 01:07:02,880
Superman, no!
1111
01:07:10,400 --> 01:07:13,040
It works, so real.
It works.
1112
01:07:14,360 --> 01:07:16,960
Most of the film's emotion
came from its subplot,,,
1113
01:07:17,200 --> 01:07:21,240
...in which Clark Kent makes a nostalgic
pilgrimage back to Smallville.
1114
01:07:21,760 --> 01:07:26,360
There he rekindles his boyhood crush
on local girl Lana Lang...
1115
01:07:26,560 --> 01:07:28,120
...played by Annette O'Toole.
1116
01:07:28,320 --> 01:07:32,520
Do you know how lucky you are
to live in Metropolis? The Big Apricot.
1117
01:07:32,720 --> 01:07:37,080
-well, Lana you could--
-That's easy to say. But how? What about Ricky?
1118
01:07:37,280 --> 01:07:39,960
-Ricky?
-My Little boy.
1119
01:07:40,200 --> 01:07:42,320
-You? Oh, that's great.
-Yeah.
1120
01:07:42,680 --> 01:07:45,600
I was big into Superman,
Betty and Veronica and Archie.
1121
01:07:45,800 --> 01:07:47,600
Those were my favorites.
And I loved Lana Lang.
1122
01:07:48,000 --> 01:07:51,200
I was like Betty more than Veronica
and Lana more than Lois.
1123
01:07:51,400 --> 01:07:53,560
I don't know why. Because
they were underdogs, I guess.
1124
01:07:53,760 --> 01:07:57,760
So when I got to play Lana,
it was like. . .it was huge.
1125
01:07:57,960 --> 01:07:59,200
It was such a big deal to me.
1126
01:07:59,400 --> 01:08:00,360
This is nice.
1127
01:08:00,560 --> 01:08:03,520
For most of the production, O'Toole
did her scenes with Christopher Reeve...
1128
01:08:03,720 --> 01:08:05,480
... when he was portraying Clark Kent.
1129
01:08:06,920 --> 01:08:10,720
Something that made her first sight
of the actor in his Superman costume,,,
1130
01:08:10,920 --> 01:08:12,560
...all the more astonishing.
1131
01:08:13,280 --> 01:08:15,560
Lana, I think I'll just go see
if Ricky is all right.
1132
01:08:15,760 --> 01:08:17,120
-Are you okay?
-Yeah.
1133
01:08:17,680 --> 01:08:21,120
I worked with him quite a while
as Clark Kent. . .
1134
01:08:21,320 --> 01:08:23,400
. . .and I was on the set one day. . .
1135
01:08:24,560 --> 01:08:26,720
...and he was doing another scene
as Superman.
1136
01:08:32,120 --> 01:08:34,680
And I hear this voice say,
''Hello, Annette. ''
1137
01:08:36,040 --> 01:08:37,000
-There you go.
-Ricky.
1138
01:08:37,200 --> 01:08:39,240
He's all right, but you should have
him checked by a doctor.
1139
01:08:39,440 --> 01:08:44,480
And I turned around and it seemed
to me as if I looked up at a mountain.
1140
01:08:44,680 --> 01:08:48,000
I looked up at this man and it was him.
I get chills thinking about it.
1141
01:08:48,600 --> 01:08:51,800
-Oh, I'm Lana Lang and this is Ricky.
-Nice to meet you.
1142
01:08:51,800 --> 01:08:56,520
Because this was the Superman
of my youth, of my childhood.
1143
01:08:56,760 --> 01:09:00,320
He wasn't Clark Kent, he wasn't Chris.
He was Superman.
1144
01:09:02,120 --> 01:09:05,600
Written to showcase Richard Pryor's
unique comedic abilities--
1145
01:09:05,800 --> 01:09:07,880
Watch the trees.
1146
01:09:08,160 --> 01:09:11,400
--Superman III
was ultimately a disappointment...
1147
01:09:11,400 --> 01:09:13,200
...for fans of the first two films.
1148
01:09:16,280 --> 01:09:18,440
-Gesundheit.
-Thank you.
1149
01:09:18,520 --> 01:09:23,840
And although it opened to strong
box office, reviews were often harsh.
1150
01:09:25,400 --> 01:09:29,760
Faring worse was the Salkinds's next
foray into the comic-book universe...
1151
01:09:30,080 --> 01:09:34,600
...Supergirl starred Helen Slater
as Kal-El's Kryptonian cousin.
1152
01:09:35,040 --> 01:09:36,880
The movie crashed at the box office.
1153
01:09:36,880 --> 01:09:40,400
I said,
''I don't want to do Superman IV. ''
1154
01:09:40,600 --> 01:09:44,840
So then, we were able to sell the rights
for an option to Cannon (Group Inc.). . .
1155
01:09:46,440 --> 01:09:50,520
. . .and Chris Reeve had the original idea
for the story and came back.
1156
01:09:50,720 --> 01:09:55,200
Directed by Sidney J. Furies,
Superman IV: The Quest for peace. . .
1157
01:09:55,400 --> 01:09:56,960
...showed the Man of Steel...
1158
01:09:57,160 --> 01:09:59,640
... tackling the real-world problem
of nuclear disarmament.
1159
01:10:00,040 --> 01:10:05,320
Effective immediately, I'm going to rid
our planet of all nuclear weapons.
1160
01:10:06,320 --> 01:10:10,520
But despite the best of intentions,
Superman IV delivered a bomb,,,
1161
01:10:10,760 --> 01:10:12,720
,,,in more ways than one.
1162
01:10:15,520 --> 01:10:18,760
Many critics thought the film
was more tiresome than topical.
1163
01:10:19,520 --> 01:10:21,000
And for the first time...
1164
01:10:21,240 --> 01:10:25,880
...a Christopher Reeve Superman movie
failed both critically and commercially.
1165
01:10:26,120 --> 01:10:29,160
You can't make a good movie out of
a bad script and it simply didn't work. . .
1166
01:10:29,360 --> 01:10:32,600
. . .and fly flat on its face,
but I thought its ambitions were good.
1167
01:10:32,800 --> 01:10:34,880
I would say that if there's one film. . .
1168
01:10:35,080 --> 01:10:38,280
. . .that killed Superman at that point
it was Superman IV.
1169
01:10:38,280 --> 01:10:40,920
Superman III
made 100 million dollars. . .
1170
01:10:41,120 --> 01:10:44,520
...Superman IV
killed the franchise, sadly enough.
1171
01:10:44,960 --> 01:10:47,520
I never saw Superman--
Was there a Superman IV?
1172
01:10:48,880 --> 01:10:50,480
I didn't even see that one.
1173
01:10:51,200 --> 01:10:54,080
Superman IV marked the final time
that Christopher Reeve...
1174
01:10:54,280 --> 01:10:55,520
,,,appeared as the Man of Steel.
1175
01:10:56,560 --> 01:11:02,120
What began as one of the hottest movie
series of all had now simply burned out.
1176
01:11:06,880 --> 01:11:11,280
By the mid- 1980s it was obvious
that Superman was in desperate need...
1177
01:11:11,480 --> 01:11:13,160
...of a makeover.
1178
01:11:13,360 --> 01:11:15,920
Comic-book readers
weren't just kids anymore.
1179
01:11:16,120 --> 01:11:20,800
Many were now adults and for them
Superman seemed too clean-cut.
1180
01:11:21,000 --> 01:11:23,560
They demanded their heroes
have dimension...
1181
01:11:23,760 --> 01:11:27,840
...depth and decidedly
human problems.
1182
01:11:31,280 --> 01:11:34,480
In 1986, DC Comics hired
writer-artist John Byrne...
1183
01:11:34,480 --> 01:11:35,960
... to reinvigorate their franchise.
1184
01:11:37,600 --> 01:11:41,240
Byrne purged the Superman universe
of its more outlandish elements.
1185
01:11:42,040 --> 01:11:45,760
Kal-El was once more the last survivor
of a lost world.
1186
01:11:45,960 --> 01:11:48,680
His costume
was no longer indestructible.
1187
01:11:48,880 --> 01:11:51,320
Our idea of what a strong man
was at that point. . .
1188
01:11:51,520 --> 01:11:53,600
. . .was no longer the circus acrobats.
1189
01:11:53,600 --> 01:11:56,080
before he was Arnold Schwarzenegger.
1190
01:11:56,280 --> 01:11:59,800
well, Byrne gave Superman
that bulked-up physique.
1191
01:12:01,880 --> 01:12:05,000
In this new reality,
Superman's archenemy, Lex Luthor...
1192
01:12:05,200 --> 01:12:07,640
... was no longer a mad scientist
but an evil billionaire.
1193
01:12:10,200 --> 01:12:12,400
That was definitely a reaction
to what was going on. . .
1194
01:12:12,600 --> 01:12:14,840
. . .in Corporate America in the '80s.
1195
01:12:15,080 --> 01:12:18,040
Lex Luthor's personality
is basically the same. . .
1196
01:12:19,440 --> 01:12:23,000
. . .but you can identify with
a businessman type screwing you. . .
1197
01:12:23,200 --> 01:12:27,880
. . .or your favorite character, as opposed
to a mad scientist, which really was. . .
1198
01:12:28,080 --> 01:12:30,400
. . .by the '80s
a little bit of a hackneyed idea.
1199
01:12:31,280 --> 01:12:34,640
But when Byrne left the Superman
books, sales declined once again.
1200
01:12:37,160 --> 01:12:38,760
By the end of the decade...
1201
01:12:38,960 --> 01:12:43,240
...DC's Batman had eclipsed
the Man of Steel in popularity.
1202
01:12:45,560 --> 01:12:48,760
Superman's stories say the world
will get to be a better piece.
1203
01:12:50,160 --> 01:12:52,200
It can happen, we have it within us.
1204
01:12:52,400 --> 01:12:57,280
Batman's is more of an unending
struggle to just stay in the same piece.
1205
01:12:59,240 --> 01:13:02,840
Although Superman's 50th birthday
was celebrated in the media...
1206
01:13:03,040 --> 01:13:05,760
...Batman was now considered
the coolest crime fighter in comics...
1207
01:13:05,960 --> 01:13:07,080
...and at the movies...
1208
01:13:08,440 --> 01:13:11,240
... thanks to Tim Burton's
Dark Knight-inspired film.
1209
01:13:11,440 --> 01:13:16,400
Once again, Superman had been left
behind in a changing culture.
1210
01:13:16,600 --> 01:13:20,960
The Man of Tomorrow
now seemed like yesterday's news.
1211
01:13:25,040 --> 01:13:27,480
In 1988, Alexander and Ilya Salkind...
1212
01:13:27,680 --> 01:13:30,600
...brought their troubled
film franchise to television.
1213
01:13:32,920 --> 01:13:34,680
In the form of
The Adventures of Superboy.
1214
01:13:36,920 --> 01:13:40,600
After a rocky start in the ratings,
the series took off when newcomer...
1215
01:13:40,800 --> 01:13:44,960
... Gerard Christopher replaced John
Hayes Newton as the Boy of Steel.
1216
01:13:54,520 --> 01:13:55,720
Who did this?
1217
01:13:55,920 --> 01:13:58,320
This was Superboy,
so I could do it a little bit differently. . .
1218
01:13:59,680 --> 01:14:02,760
. . .but it had to be on the same track
as what Christopher Reeve had done.
1219
01:14:07,640 --> 01:14:08,800
George Reeves did it.
1220
01:14:09,040 --> 01:14:11,600
He was somebody I could relate
to as much because he was older.
1221
01:14:12,000 --> 01:14:15,360
Christopher Reeve, what he did just
seemed to be more the way to go with it.
1222
01:14:19,840 --> 01:14:22,920
One of the first things I did is, they
put me in this tremendous sound stage. . .
1223
01:14:23,120 --> 01:14:25,600
. . .about 300 feet long. They made
me fly from one end to other.
1224
01:14:25,800 --> 01:14:27,920
And I remember being on a crane
with nothing under me.
1225
01:14:28,480 --> 01:14:32,080
And I have to tell you, I was never afraid
because it was just a cool thing to do.
1226
01:14:32,280 --> 01:14:33,400
I mean, you're Superman.
1227
01:14:33,600 --> 01:14:35,280
I must speak with Superboy.
1228
01:14:35,840 --> 01:14:40,000
There is a terrible, a terrible evil in your
midst, an evil that you must fight.
1229
01:14:40,240 --> 01:14:43,400
I did three episodes of the Superboy
television series with Gerard Christopher. . .
1230
01:14:44,760 --> 01:14:46,000
. . .as Superboy and that was cool.
1231
01:14:46,240 --> 01:14:49,800
I played this evil genius, kind of
a Luthor type, named Tommy Puck.
1232
01:14:50,320 --> 01:14:52,200
Nobody calls me a symp.
1233
01:14:52,440 --> 01:14:55,560
I was bad. I was really bad.
I was a nasty, mean guy.
1234
01:14:55,760 --> 01:14:59,160
I would very much like to conduct some
experiments on Superboy's cadaver.
1235
01:14:59,360 --> 01:15:02,160
It was good.
You had to be there.
1236
01:15:03,720 --> 01:15:07,360
While Superboy flew through
the airwaves of syndication...
1237
01:15:07,560 --> 01:15:10,800
... the editors at DC were once again
struggling to make Superman relevant...
1238
01:15:12,200 --> 01:15:14,960
...both to male
and female comic book readers.
1239
01:15:15,200 --> 01:15:16,880
In 1990, they reached
a momentous decision.
1240
01:15:19,440 --> 01:15:21,600
After half a century
of romantic banter...
1241
01:15:21,800 --> 01:15:23,880
...between Lois Lane
and her caped colleague...
1242
01:15:23,880 --> 01:15:29,160
...DC decided it was time for the pair to
take their relationship to the next step.
1243
01:15:29,360 --> 01:15:35,600
Clark Kent would propose to Lois
and reveal his true identity.
1244
01:15:35,840 --> 01:15:40,480
That came from the writing team
and myself being a little tired...
1245
01:15:40,680 --> 01:15:42,400
...of Lois not figuring it out.
1246
01:15:43,760 --> 01:15:46,440
I mean, it was starting
to make her look a little stupid.
1247
01:15:46,640 --> 01:15:49,480
And you can't be a top reporter
and be stupid.
1248
01:15:49,840 --> 01:15:52,320
I got to ink the engagement.
1249
01:15:52,520 --> 01:15:56,440
And so this is Lois showing Jimmy
for the first time her rock. . .
1250
01:15:56,840 --> 01:15:58,360
. . .and announcing her engagement.
1251
01:15:58,720 --> 01:16:03,200
You can kinda see how I took
some major liberties on this page.
1252
01:16:03,200 --> 01:16:08,320
This is my wife. This is me, you know,
a little, a couple of pounds lighter. . .
1253
01:16:08,520 --> 01:16:12,360
. . .and this is Elvis and Priscilla.
So that was very cool.
1254
01:16:13,360 --> 01:16:18,040
Hardcore fans were stunned.
But the superhero's popularity soared...
1255
01:16:18,240 --> 01:16:20,280
... with young female readers.
1256
01:16:20,480 --> 01:16:25,400
He is prince charming in a cape, the
dark-haired, blue-eyed, handsome. . .
1257
01:16:25,400 --> 01:16:29,080
. . .ripped-abs man
who you feel safe with. . .
1258
01:16:29,280 --> 01:16:32,200
. . .and he can fly you
to Hong Kong for dinner.
1259
01:16:34,040 --> 01:16:36,880
But before Lois and Superman
walked down the aisle,,,
1260
01:16:38,360 --> 01:16:42,960
... the wedding ceremony would
be delayed by a funeral.
1261
01:16:42,960 --> 01:16:46,160
The world was taking Superman
for granted.
1262
01:16:46,160 --> 01:16:49,840
We literally said, ''Let's show the world
what it would be like without Superman. ''
1263
01:16:53,560 --> 01:16:58,000
In Superman issue number 75,
the unthinkable finally happened.
1264
01:16:59,520 --> 01:17:04,680
The Man of Steel was beaten to death
by the monster called Doomsday.
1265
01:17:11,000 --> 01:17:16,960
In less than two weeks, fans and
collectors bought nearly 3 million copies.
1266
01:17:18,800 --> 01:17:20,120
No one at DC honestly thought. . .
1267
01:17:20,360 --> 01:17:22,800
. . .we were going to kill Superman forever.
As luck would have it. . .
1268
01:17:24,160 --> 01:17:27,480
. . .the day that ''The Death of Superman''
comic hit the newsstands. . .
1269
01:17:27,720 --> 01:17:30,920
... nothing else happened in the world.
1270
01:17:32,920 --> 01:17:34,120
It hit the wire services. . .
1271
01:17:34,320 --> 01:17:37,960
. . .and it was a huge, huge, gigantic
cultural touchstone moment.
1272
01:17:38,160 --> 01:17:40,880
And the guys at DC
are now freaking out, like:
1273
01:17:41,080 --> 01:17:42,800
''Oh, God, what do we do now?''
1274
01:17:43,000 --> 01:17:46,840
For us it was just going to be the next
story and the world really reacted.
1275
01:17:47,080 --> 01:17:50,120
The real world acted the way
the characters acted in the story.
1276
01:17:50,320 --> 01:17:51,440
They were shocked. . .
1277
01:17:51,640 --> 01:17:56,200
. . .and sad and worried, ''What would
the world be like without Superman?''
1278
01:17:56,400 --> 01:17:59,600
They played it off quite well. They kept
him out of the comics for a few months. . .
1279
01:17:59,800 --> 01:18:02,080
. . .and dealt with what the world
would really be like. . .
1280
01:18:02,280 --> 01:18:05,440
. . .if Superman suddenly didn't exist
and built up that need for him again. . .
1281
01:18:05,640 --> 01:18:09,120
. . .so his triumphant return marked
a whole new era for Superman.
1282
01:18:09,320 --> 01:18:13,560
I have four different creative teams
on the character at the time.
1283
01:18:13,760 --> 01:18:17,560
And they all had a different idea
about how to bring Superman back.
1284
01:18:17,760 --> 01:18:21,720
Eventually, we just said,
''Let's do them all. ''
1285
01:18:22,840 --> 01:18:25,760
We always knew that the real Superman
was not one of those four.
1286
01:18:25,960 --> 01:18:27,240
And that he was going to come back.
1287
01:18:28,600 --> 01:18:31,560
But the Man of Steel
wasn't just resurrected in the comics.
1288
01:18:31,760 --> 01:18:35,080
1993 also saw his return
to television...
1289
01:18:35,280 --> 01:18:38,160
... this time in a romantic comedy.
1290
01:18:39,520 --> 01:18:42,200
Lois & Clark:
The New Adventures of Superman. . .
1291
01:18:42,400 --> 01:18:44,840
...starred Dean Cain
and Teri Hatcher.
1292
01:18:45,360 --> 01:18:49,320
In this incarnation, the emphasis
was placed not on the Man of Steel...
1293
01:18:49,520 --> 01:18:52,000
...but on his alter ego Clark Kent.
1294
01:18:52,240 --> 01:18:53,560
This is Clark Kent,
in the newsroom.
1295
01:18:54,920 --> 01:18:57,200
In Lois & Clark,
it was Clark Kent playing Superman.
1296
01:18:57,440 --> 01:18:59,840
I think I need some kind of outfit.
1297
01:19:00,080 --> 01:19:03,280
You know, like a disguise I could wear
when things like that explosion happen.
1298
01:19:03,280 --> 01:19:06,400
The idea we had while
we were shooting the show was. . .
1299
01:19:06,600 --> 01:19:08,360
. . .that clark Kent is the main guy. . .
1300
01:19:08,560 --> 01:19:12,120
. . .and then he becomes Superman
as an invented character.
1301
01:19:12,320 --> 01:19:15,960
And that's where we differed from a lot
of the films and such in the past.
1302
01:19:16,680 --> 01:19:18,200
What do you think?
1303
01:19:18,400 --> 01:19:21,360
One thing's for sure,
nobody's going to look at your face.
1304
01:19:21,560 --> 01:19:22,760
Mom.
1305
01:19:22,960 --> 01:19:26,240
well, they don't call them tights
for nothing.
1306
01:19:28,440 --> 01:19:33,120
Never before had the situations
between Lois, Clark and Superman,,,
1307
01:19:33,320 --> 01:19:35,160
,,,been so deliberately sexy.
1308
01:19:35,360 --> 01:19:37,080
All you have to do is look up.
1309
01:19:38,560 --> 01:19:42,720
Lois & Clark's focus on romance
was mirrored in the Superman comics.
1310
01:19:42,920 --> 01:19:48,800
And in October 1996,
after a courtship of nearly 60 years...
1311
01:19:50,200 --> 01:19:52,880
,,,Lois Lane became Mrs. Clark Kent.
1312
01:19:54,400 --> 01:19:55,640
We did ''The Wedding Album. ''
1313
01:19:55,640 --> 01:19:59,160
And so this was the book
that they had past, present. . .
1314
01:19:59,360 --> 01:20:02,280
...you know, everybody that ever worked
on Superman that was still around...
1315
01:20:02,480 --> 01:20:05,720
. . .and able to hold a pencil
or pen, work on.
1316
01:20:06,000 --> 01:20:08,480
The wedding issue sparked
a bump in sales...
1317
01:20:08,680 --> 01:20:11,720
...but many Superman fans
just couldn't accept the idea...
1318
01:20:11,920 --> 01:20:16,400
...of their hero being domesticated
by marriage.
1319
01:20:16,400 --> 01:20:18,480
We still have a good debate
on that in the office.
1320
01:20:18,680 --> 01:20:22,440
There's a lot of people on the
creative staff who'd like to find a way. . .
1321
01:20:22,640 --> 01:20:25,000
. . .to have him wake up one morning
and that just be a dream.
1322
01:20:25,960 --> 01:20:29,840
TV's Lois & Clark also married off
its title characters.
1323
01:20:30,040 --> 01:20:34,520
But shortly after the ceremony,
ratings began to fall,,,
1324
01:20:34,520 --> 01:20:36,720
...and the series was cancelled
after four seasons.
1325
01:20:36,920 --> 01:20:40,560
I wanted us to push it to the next level
and let them have children. . .
1326
01:20:40,760 --> 01:20:44,880
. . .and get crazy and explore new territory
and see what those children would be.
1327
01:20:45,080 --> 01:20:47,560
It opens up this whole new realm
of Superman lore. . .
1328
01:20:47,760 --> 01:20:50,160
. . .and we didn't really get to do that.
1329
01:20:53,880 --> 01:20:56,600
But by the time Lois & Clark
was canceled...
1330
01:20:56,800 --> 01:21:00,680
...Superman fans had been dealt
a far greater blow.
1331
01:21:00,960 --> 01:21:06,600
On May 27, 1995, the actor who had
embodied their hero for a generation...
1332
01:21:06,800 --> 01:21:10,040
...became the victim
of a horrible accident.
1333
01:21:12,240 --> 01:21:14,040
Christopher Reeve had been
critically injured...
1334
01:21:14,240 --> 01:21:16,720
... while riding a horse in an exhibition.
1335
01:21:19,320 --> 01:21:24,000
His spine was injured and his body
was paralyzed from the neck down.
1336
01:21:25,600 --> 01:21:28,400
Almost immediately there were rumors
of a Superman curse,,,
1337
01:21:28,600 --> 01:21:30,640
...as Christopher Reeve's
tragic accident...
1338
01:21:30,840 --> 01:21:33,960
... was now linked
with George Reeves' death.
1339
01:21:34,280 --> 01:21:37,800
The irony isn't lost on everybody
that here is this person who played. . .
1340
01:21:38,000 --> 01:21:40,920
. . .the most powerful man on Earth
in the most vulnerable. . .
1341
01:21:41,120 --> 01:21:42,920
. . .and weakest position
he could possibly be in.
1342
01:21:43,120 --> 01:21:46,040
But that's where he showed
such incredible strength.
1343
01:21:49,040 --> 01:21:51,160
Surprisingly, instead of validating
a Superman curse,,,
1344
01:21:51,360 --> 01:21:55,000
,,,Reeve's accident would do much
to redeem Superman's legacy.
1345
01:21:55,200 --> 01:21:58,560
The actor became
a tireless activist for spinal research.
1346
01:21:58,880 --> 01:22:02,480
His courage and optimism
reminded people around the world...
1347
01:22:02,680 --> 01:22:06,240
... that human beings could be
as courageous and influential...
1348
01:22:06,440 --> 01:22:09,120
...as any superhero.
1349
01:22:20,840 --> 01:22:22,880
On September 6, 1996...
1350
01:22:23,120 --> 01:22:25,760
... Warner Bros. Animation Division
joined forces with DC Comics...
1351
01:22:25,960 --> 01:22:28,640
... to produce an ambitious
new Saturday morning...
1352
01:22:28,840 --> 01:22:31,880
...Superman cartoon series
for the WB network.
1353
01:22:32,080 --> 01:22:33,840
Superman: The Animated Series. . .
1354
01:22:34,040 --> 01:22:36,880
...stylishly updated
the classic art direction featured...
1355
01:22:37,080 --> 01:22:41,200
...in the landmark Fleischer cartoons
of the 1940s.
1356
01:22:42,560 --> 01:22:45,600
The Fleischer cartoons are
phenomenal-looking but not a lot of story.
1357
01:22:45,800 --> 01:22:48,480
I definitely think that the Superman
animated show. . .
1358
01:22:48,680 --> 01:22:51,040
. . .was just strong written material.
1359
01:22:51,240 --> 01:22:56,000
And if they shot them as movies people
would always think Superman was cool.
1360
01:22:59,080 --> 01:23:02,720
The series' success later paved the way
for another animated TV hit...
1361
01:23:04,320 --> 01:23:06,520
...Justice League Unlimited,
which brought an edge...
1362
01:23:06,760 --> 01:23:08,640
... to the former Super Friends.
1363
01:23:14,800 --> 01:23:17,720
In the year 2000
as a new millennium dawned...
1364
01:23:17,960 --> 01:23:21,240
...DC Comics consented
to let the WB network give...
1365
01:23:21,440 --> 01:23:25,440
... their superhero franchise
an even more innovative interpretation.
1366
01:23:28,760 --> 01:23:30,800
What's happening, Jonathan?
1367
01:23:38,840 --> 01:23:43,040
Smallville would tell the story of
Superman's boyhood on a farm...
1368
01:23:43,240 --> 01:23:45,160
...in rural Kansas.
1369
01:23:45,520 --> 01:23:47,000
John Schneider and Annette O "Toole...
1370
01:23:47,200 --> 01:23:50,720
... were cast as a young
Jonathan and Martha Kent.
1371
01:23:51,680 --> 01:23:54,160
Sweetheart, we can't keep him.
1372
01:23:54,360 --> 01:23:57,480
What? I we say?
We found him in a field?
1373
01:23:57,680 --> 01:23:59,800
We didn't find him.
1374
01:24:00,800 --> 01:24:02,520
He found us.
1375
01:24:03,120 --> 01:24:06,880
What DC had toad us was Superman
is who he is because of his parents. . .
1376
01:24:08,280 --> 01:24:09,680
. . .which struck us
and we decided. . .
1377
01:24:09,880 --> 01:24:11,880
. . .to make the parents
as opposed to grandparents.
1378
01:24:12,120 --> 01:24:14,880
So we made them younger so that
they would have more interaction. . .
1379
01:24:15,080 --> 01:24:16,600
. . .you know, and more of a presence.
1380
01:24:16,800 --> 01:24:19,360
They cast me and they
didn't really realize it at first. . .
1381
01:24:19,520 --> 01:24:21,040
...that I had been in Superman III.
1382
01:24:21,240 --> 01:24:22,960
I went and just talked
to them about doing it.
1383
01:24:24,360 --> 01:24:26,720
I was taking a lot about Superman
and they thought:
1384
01:24:26,920 --> 01:24:28,720
''well, she knows a lot about this. ''
1385
01:24:28,920 --> 01:24:31,240
And I said, ''You know, I did play Lana. ''
1386
01:24:31,440 --> 01:24:33,880
He said, ''What? well, then,
you've got to do it. ''
1387
01:24:34,080 --> 01:24:35,720
I said, ''well, I guess I have to. ''
1388
01:24:35,920 --> 01:24:37,800
She actually was a much bigger fan
than we were.
1389
01:24:38,000 --> 01:24:40,480
She knew much-- She knew all
the history. It was incredible.
1390
01:24:40,680 --> 01:24:43,720
It was like Bible-quoting with a nun.
It was a little scary.
1391
01:24:44,560 --> 01:24:47,960
In the series, Clark Kent, played
by Tom Welling, would be depicted...
1392
01:24:48,160 --> 01:24:51,280
...as a confused teenager
just on the verge...
1393
01:24:51,480 --> 01:24:55,200
...of developing superpowers
and his dual identity.
1394
01:24:55,400 --> 01:24:57,320
It's time, son.
1395
01:24:59,120 --> 01:25:00,840
Time for what?
1396
01:25:02,800 --> 01:25:04,520
The truth.
1397
01:25:05,640 --> 01:25:09,320
Your real parents weren't
exactly from around here.
1398
01:25:11,160 --> 01:25:13,720
Why didn't you tell me
about this before?
1399
01:25:14,920 --> 01:25:18,480
-We wanted to protect you.
-protect me from what?
1400
01:25:18,680 --> 01:25:20,720
You should have toad me.
1401
01:25:21,360 --> 01:25:22,680
Clark.
1402
01:25:22,880 --> 01:25:24,000
Clark!
1403
01:25:26,480 --> 01:25:29,240
To distinguish their Superman
from earlier portrayals,,,
1404
01:25:29,440 --> 01:25:34,280
... the series' producers promised
viewers no tights, no flights.
1405
01:25:35,720 --> 01:25:38,960
We said, ''We don't want to do Superboy,
we don't want to have the suit. ''
1406
01:25:39,200 --> 01:25:41,120
-Lois & Clark had just gone off the air. . .
-Yeah.
1407
01:25:41,320 --> 01:25:45,040
. . .and that point in time superheroes
were sort of stir not cool.
1408
01:25:45,240 --> 01:25:46,520
-Right.
-So we thought this is. . . .
1409
01:25:46,720 --> 01:25:48,760
''How do we do Superman
in a fresh way?''
1410
01:25:49,120 --> 01:25:50,800
Kent, are you all right?
1411
01:25:51,000 --> 01:25:53,840
So we came up with the idea
of puberty with superpowers.
1412
01:25:58,080 --> 01:26:01,240
You know, the sort of the ultimate alien
and when you're a teenager. . .
1413
01:26:01,440 --> 01:26:03,120
. . .you feel alienated.
1414
01:26:03,320 --> 01:26:06,680
You guys, I can see through things.
How do you control that?
1415
01:26:06,960 --> 01:26:10,280
You got to practice, Clark. Your eyes
have muscles just like your legs.
1416
01:26:10,480 --> 01:26:12,480
Your mom is right, son.
1417
01:26:12,720 --> 01:26:15,280
All you have to do is
you have to figure out a way. . .
1418
01:26:15,480 --> 01:26:18,160
. . .to condition them so that
you don't get these random flashes.
1419
01:26:18,640 --> 01:26:20,280
That sounds great.
1420
01:26:20,520 --> 01:26:22,120
How am I going to do that?
1421
01:26:22,320 --> 01:26:25,560
There is no Superman in our show.
Superman doesn't exist.
1422
01:26:26,080 --> 01:26:27,520
We don't know what
he's going to become.
1423
01:26:27,720 --> 01:26:31,120
That's the whole idea of the show:
''How is he going to live in the world?
1424
01:26:31,320 --> 01:26:32,560
What is he going to be?
1425
01:26:32,760 --> 01:26:35,400
Will he have to keep
the secret forever?
1426
01:26:35,600 --> 01:26:37,560
Did it happen again?
1427
01:26:38,320 --> 01:26:39,640
Let's go home.
1428
01:26:41,240 --> 01:26:42,520
Let her go.
1429
01:26:44,480 --> 01:26:49,480
Smallville found a way to do Superman
without the costume, without the stuff. . .
1430
01:26:49,680 --> 01:26:52,760
. . .that people think are the normal
trappings of superhero stories.
1431
01:26:53,000 --> 01:26:56,040
And the character is stir a hero
as far as I'm concerned.
1432
01:26:56,280 --> 01:26:57,520
No.
1433
01:27:00,160 --> 01:27:04,560
To advertise the new series, the
WB devised a bold marketing strategy...
1434
01:27:04,760 --> 01:27:07,880
... that showed their
24-year-old star stripped to the waist...
1435
01:27:08,080 --> 01:27:09,640
...and tied to a post.
1436
01:27:09,840 --> 01:27:13,160
The startling image suggested
more than a passing similarity...
1437
01:27:13,400 --> 01:27:17,840
...between Clark Kent
and a crucified Jesus Christ.
1438
01:27:18,040 --> 01:27:20,720
-He's Christ-like.
-He's Christ-like. You see him three times.
1439
01:27:20,920 --> 01:27:23,880
You see him, you know, at birth, once
when he was in his teenage years. . .
1440
01:27:24,080 --> 01:27:28,040
. . .and then when he suddenly appears
at 30, ready to take on his mantle. . .
1441
01:27:28,240 --> 01:27:31,880
. . .and save the world. So I mean,
that it's all-- It's all through there.
1442
01:27:32,080 --> 01:27:34,440
-Yeah.
-We definitely heightened it.
1443
01:27:34,720 --> 01:27:36,800
But when we saw
that campaign we were shocked.
1444
01:27:37,000 --> 01:27:40,120
We thought, ''They're going to crucify us
for this,'' but it was really compelling.
1445
01:27:40,320 --> 01:27:42,440
And people remember that campaign.
1446
01:27:43,560 --> 01:27:45,320
help me.
1447
01:27:49,120 --> 01:27:54,680
But on September 11, 2001, one month
prior to the premiere of Smallville...
1448
01:27:54,880 --> 01:28:00,160
... the twin notions of truth
and justice were put to the ultimate test.
1449
01:28:00,800 --> 01:28:05,280
Within minutes, a powerful nation was
brought to its knees and the concept...
1450
01:28:05,520 --> 01:28:10,680
...of heroes and heroism
was stunningly redefined.
1451
01:28:13,840 --> 01:28:19,040
A lot that you see from September 11th
is a redefinition of what a hero is.
1452
01:28:19,400 --> 01:28:22,280
A lot of people used to throw that
term around very loosely prior to that.
1453
01:28:23,680 --> 01:28:26,720
A hero is a guy who scored the most
touchdowns, hit the most home runs.
1454
01:28:26,920 --> 01:28:30,800
But when you Look at the selflessness
and sacrifice that average people made. . .
1455
01:28:31,000 --> 01:28:35,200
. . .in an extraordinary time,
it forces you to go back and examine. . .
1456
01:28:35,400 --> 01:28:38,680
. . .how our heroes are supposed
to act and behave.
1457
01:28:40,840 --> 01:28:42,920
What we need is a sense of purpose
for our characters.
1458
01:28:43,120 --> 01:28:45,920
A reason for our characters
to be heroes.
1459
01:28:46,920 --> 01:28:50,720
How do we make these characters
do things that matter?
1460
01:28:51,000 --> 01:28:53,280
Superman is the greatest hero
we have.
1461
01:28:53,520 --> 01:28:55,160
He's our fireman in the DC Universe.
1462
01:28:55,360 --> 01:28:57,480
He sits and he waits to help others.
1463
01:28:57,680 --> 01:28:58,960
He doesn't pass judgment.
1464
01:28:59,160 --> 01:29:03,640
He helps fix that situation, then he goes
back and waits to be called again.
1465
01:29:04,160 --> 01:29:06,040
He's a person you know
you can always count on. . .
1466
01:29:06,240 --> 01:29:08,480
. . .to be there if you need him.
1467
01:29:12,640 --> 01:29:16,760
We shot Smallville in early 2001 and we
premiered them a month after 9/11
1468
01:29:17,040 --> 01:29:19,520
And all the press
before the show was all about:
1469
01:29:19,720 --> 01:29:21,760
''How can you take Superman
out of the suit?''
1470
01:29:22,000 --> 01:29:24,240
-And, you know, who cares--?
-Who cares about Superman?
1471
01:29:25,600 --> 01:29:28,000
And then after 9/11 , it was suddenly,
''America needs a hero. ''
1472
01:29:28,200 --> 01:29:31,240
So overnight, it's like,
it just fits the time.
1473
01:29:34,080 --> 01:29:38,400
SmallVille's premiere set
a new ratings record for the WB.
1474
01:29:38,600 --> 01:29:40,960
Over 8 million viewers.
1475
01:29:41,160 --> 01:29:44,560
And week after week,
audiences, including teenagers...
1476
01:29:44,760 --> 01:29:47,520
... who'd never read a comic book,
came back for more.
1477
01:29:48,000 --> 01:29:51,560
-Lex, what's going on?
-Get out of the way.
1478
01:29:54,200 --> 01:29:58,080
In the series, Superman's
arch nemesis, Lex Luthor...
1479
01:29:58,280 --> 01:30:02,720
...played by Michael Rosenbaum,
appeared as a boyhood friend of Clark's.
1480
01:30:03,080 --> 01:30:06,960
It was a nod to a 1960 Superboy story
that established...
1481
01:30:07,160 --> 01:30:11,400
... the two had once been friends in Smallville
before Luthor's twisted jealousy of Superboy...
1482
01:30:11,600 --> 01:30:14,280
...sent him down
the path of evil.
1483
01:30:14,720 --> 01:30:16,640
I'm sorry you got thrown
through that window.
1484
01:30:16,840 --> 01:30:20,000
-I promise I'm not a criminal mastermind.
-I know.
1485
01:30:20,200 --> 01:30:22,920
A criminal mastermind would
have worn a mask.
1486
01:30:23,160 --> 01:30:25,440
They get it.
They understand the mythology of it.
1487
01:30:25,640 --> 01:30:28,200
You know, They have this Luthor and Superman
character and they're friends.
1488
01:30:28,200 --> 01:30:31,200
You know, It's inevitable. It's fate that they'll be enemies.
1489
01:30:31,520 --> 01:30:34,200
We have a complicated relationship,
Clark.
1490
01:30:34,400 --> 01:30:37,720
My father wants me to believe
it's built on trust but it's not.
1491
01:30:37,960 --> 01:30:39,760
It's built on lies and deceit.
1492
01:30:39,960 --> 01:30:43,360
Any relationship
with that foundation is destined to fall.
1493
01:30:43,600 --> 01:30:45,000
Lucky we don't have that problem.
1494
01:30:45,360 --> 01:30:47,080
Lucky us.
1495
01:30:47,280 --> 01:30:51,720
They have the farm,
the iconic American values...
1496
01:30:51,920 --> 01:30:56,520
...whereas the Luthor character is raised
by an evil, wealthy man fated...
1497
01:30:56,720 --> 01:30:58,480
. . .to grow up to be
an evil, wealthy man.
1498
01:30:58,960 --> 01:31:00,400
What happened, Lex?
1499
01:31:00,600 --> 01:31:02,680
The two theories seem to be:
1500
01:31:02,880 --> 01:31:05,240
I either ran the plane into the ground
through incompetence. . .
1501
01:31:05,440 --> 01:31:07,760
. . .or did it deliberately
so that I could go back to Metropolis.
1502
01:31:08,240 --> 01:31:11,080
Your dad offered you a job in
Metropolis. Just tell people the truth.
1503
01:31:11,320 --> 01:31:13,520
Then I get stuck
with the incompetence rap.
1504
01:31:13,720 --> 01:31:16,160
Being reviled is the lesser evil.
1505
01:31:16,360 --> 01:31:19,120
Season one, the question
of that season would be, ''Who am I?''
1506
01:31:19,320 --> 01:31:21,680
You know, that's when he sort of
finds out where he's from. . .
1507
01:31:21,880 --> 01:31:24,800
. . .and sort of takes on his mantle
in Smallville.
1508
01:31:27,000 --> 01:31:30,640
Season two really became about,
''Where am I from?''
1509
01:31:30,840 --> 01:31:32,440
It became sort of the ultimate,
you know. . .
1510
01:31:32,640 --> 01:31:37,320
. . .adopted-child search
for his real parents.
1511
01:31:39,040 --> 01:31:40,240
What am I doing here?
1512
01:31:40,440 --> 01:31:43,160
Looking for answers, I assume.
1513
01:31:47,200 --> 01:31:49,120
Hello, Clark.
1514
01:31:50,280 --> 01:31:52,400
I've been expecting you.
1515
01:31:53,200 --> 01:31:56,640
In Smallville's second season,
Christopher Reeve made...
1516
01:31:56,880 --> 01:31:58,160
...an unforgettable appearance--
1517
01:31:58,360 --> 01:31:59,560
Activate screen.
1518
01:32:00,280 --> 01:32:04,560
--as the mysterious Dr. Virgil Swann,
a scientist who tells Clark...
1519
01:32:05,080 --> 01:32:07,080
...of his Kryptonian origins.
1520
01:32:07,280 --> 01:32:11,080
This says, ''This is Kal-El of Krypton. . .
1521
01:32:11,960 --> 01:32:14,600
. . .our infant son, our East hope.
1522
01:32:19,080 --> 01:32:21,160
please protect him
and deliver him from evil. ''
1523
01:32:22,280 --> 01:32:24,840
The episode was one of many
that reminded young viewers...
1524
01:32:25,080 --> 01:32:29,360
... that growing up, like being Superman,
involved tough choices.
1525
01:32:30,200 --> 01:32:31,400
Why me?
1526
01:32:31,800 --> 01:32:35,080
There must be a reason
why I was sent to this planet.
1527
01:32:35,080 --> 01:32:38,840
You won't find the answers
by looking to the stars.
1528
01:32:39,240 --> 01:32:42,040
It's a journey you? I have to take
by Looking inside yourself.
1529
01:32:43,360 --> 01:32:47,320
You must write
your own destiny, Kal-El.
1530
01:32:51,920 --> 01:32:53,640
Season three was the darkest season.
1531
01:32:53,840 --> 01:32:56,720
I think that was sort of Clark,
you know, the end of the season. . .
1532
01:32:56,920 --> 01:32:59,240
. . .he put on
the Red Kryptonite ring. . .
1533
01:32:59,440 --> 01:33:01,400
. . .which, in the show,
takes away his inhibitions.
1534
01:33:01,680 --> 01:33:04,360
Season four was
the last year in high school. . .
1535
01:33:04,560 --> 01:33:08,440
. . .and it was about sort of
putting away childish behavior. . .
1536
01:33:08,680 --> 01:33:11,320
. . .and sort of moving
towards your destiny.
1537
01:33:18,080 --> 01:33:22,480
But just as young Clark Kent was facing
his destiny in an uncertain future...
1538
01:33:22,680 --> 01:33:24,840
... the world was stunned
by another tragedy.
1539
01:33:27,360 --> 01:33:28,560
On October 10, 2004...
1540
01:33:28,760 --> 01:33:33,520
... Christopher Reeve died after his
nine-year battle with paralysis.
1541
01:33:34,400 --> 01:33:37,600
The actor's nobility
and optimism had suggested...
1542
01:33:37,600 --> 01:33:43,600
... that a man really could fly even if
fate had denied him the ability to walk.
1543
01:33:44,000 --> 01:33:46,040
The thing that was great
about Chris. . .
1544
01:33:46,240 --> 01:33:49,960
. . .is not that he was a hero
and something superhuman.
1545
01:33:51,360 --> 01:33:54,520
But that, in fact,
a very ordinary human. . .
1546
01:33:54,720 --> 01:34:01,040
. . .did these incredibly strong,
transcendent things.
1547
01:34:01,520 --> 01:34:05,600
Chris was a hero to a lot of people
in the last part of his life. . .
1548
01:34:07,400 --> 01:34:09,080
. . .and I admire him
enormously for that.
1549
01:34:09,280 --> 01:34:11,240
Chris is my Superman.
1550
01:34:12,440 --> 01:34:15,920
He was on this earth
for a lot of reasons.
1551
01:34:17,280 --> 01:34:19,520
He wasn't here just to be an actor.
1552
01:34:19,720 --> 01:34:21,640
He was Superman.
1553
01:34:22,000 --> 01:34:25,640
You won't find the answers
by looking to the stars.
1554
01:34:27,080 --> 01:34:30,960
It's a journey you? I have to take
by Looking inside yourself.
1555
01:34:31,960 --> 01:34:34,800
You must write your own destiny.
1556
01:34:40,000 --> 01:34:41,920
Boy, this is a great way
to see the country.
1557
01:34:42,120 --> 01:34:44,520
Yeah, it's amazing
how much you miss at super speed.
1558
01:34:44,720 --> 01:34:46,160
Yeah.
1559
01:34:46,680 --> 01:34:49,840
In 2004, comedian and Superman fan
Jerry Seinfeld...
1560
01:34:50,080 --> 01:34:51,280
...appeared with an animated...
1561
01:34:51,480 --> 01:34:54,560
...Man of Steel on a series of commercials
for the American Express company.
1562
01:34:54,760 --> 01:34:56,720
I want to hear this thing.
It's got surround sound.
1563
01:34:56,960 --> 01:34:58,320
I've always wanted that.
1564
01:34:58,520 --> 01:35:00,880
-You've got superheating.
-Yeah, but it's not surround sound.
1565
01:35:01,080 --> 01:35:02,720
I mean, surround sound.
1566
01:35:02,920 --> 01:35:05,280
It's like--
It's like you're there.
1567
01:35:06,040 --> 01:35:10,600
The success of the ads and the continued
popularity of Smallville suggested,,,
1568
01:35:10,800 --> 01:35:13,080
... that perhaps the time was right...
1569
01:35:13,280 --> 01:35:15,880
...for Superman to return
to movie screens as well.
1570
01:35:16,080 --> 01:35:17,840
Attempts to get a new film
off the ground...
1571
01:35:21,000 --> 01:35:23,440
...had brought new meaning
to the phrase, ""Never-ending battle. ""
1572
01:35:25,080 --> 01:35:27,120
Among those on the frontlines,
producer Jon peters...
1573
01:35:27,320 --> 01:35:29,600
...secured the rights to the property
in the early 1990s.
1574
01:35:29,800 --> 01:35:31,920
I knew that the character was hip.
1575
01:35:33,280 --> 01:35:35,480
Over 11 or 12 years, four
or five number-one records. . .
1576
01:35:35,680 --> 01:35:36,680
. . .all about Superman.
1577
01:35:37,120 --> 01:35:38,640
Superman. Superman.
Superman.
1578
01:35:38,880 --> 01:35:41,280
I kept going to the studio
and saying, ''They're dying for it.
1579
01:35:42,680 --> 01:35:45,600
They're writing songs about it. The kids
in the street have tattoos on them.
1580
01:35:45,840 --> 01:35:47,440
We've got to get it. ''
1581
01:35:49,840 --> 01:35:53,480
In trying to make Superman relevant
to a jaded new generation...
1582
01:35:53,680 --> 01:35:57,360
...producers tried to avoid
almost everything that had come before.
1583
01:35:57,560 --> 01:36:00,480
I always got the sense that some
of these other attempts didn't take off. . .
1584
01:36:02,120 --> 01:36:05,960
. . .because they weren't sticking true
to what Superman really was.
1585
01:36:06,160 --> 01:36:08,800
And no offense to the creators
who were involved in the stuff. . .
1586
01:36:09,000 --> 01:36:13,120
. . .but you don't give Superman
a back Latex suit with an ''S'' shied. . .
1587
01:36:13,320 --> 01:36:15,760
...that comes off and forms daggers
and things like that.
1588
01:36:15,960 --> 01:36:17,840
That's just not who Superman is.
1589
01:36:18,080 --> 01:36:23,200
The elements were, that I was
focusing on, were away from the heart.
1590
01:36:23,360 --> 01:36:27,080
It was more leaning
towards Star Wars in a sense, you know.
1591
01:36:27,280 --> 01:36:30,720
I didn't realize the human part of it.
1592
01:36:31,000 --> 01:36:33,000
I didn't have that.
1593
01:36:35,240 --> 01:36:37,600
But through the process,
Warner Bros. and DC executives...
1594
01:36:37,800 --> 01:36:40,600
... were encouraged by a string of
comic-book-inspired films...
1595
01:36:44,640 --> 01:36:46,600
... that were profitable
and critically acclaimed.
1596
01:36:48,120 --> 01:36:51,480
Many felt their success was due to one
simple rule: Don't mess with the basics.
1597
01:36:51,680 --> 01:36:54,960
It was a philosophy shared by
the director who was finally signed...
1598
01:36:55,160 --> 01:36:58,360
... to bring Superman back to the screen,
Bryan Singer.
1599
01:36:59,760 --> 01:37:03,280
Singer had twice successfully brought
Marvel's X-Men to movie theaters.
1600
01:37:03,480 --> 01:37:08,360
And news of his involvement brought
a sigh of relief to Superman fans.
1601
01:37:08,560 --> 01:37:11,160
If you're in close-ups and then
you're seeing S's everywhere. . .
1602
01:37:11,400 --> 01:37:13,000
. . .I don't know if that's too much.
1603
01:37:13,200 --> 01:37:17,480
He can handle the smartest material and
help us connect with these characters. . .
1604
01:37:18,840 --> 01:37:21,160
. . .that have been, you know, beloved
for many, many years. . .
1605
01:37:21,360 --> 01:37:23,160
. . .by several different generations.
1606
01:37:23,360 --> 01:37:25,360
You're dealing
with a 70-year-old universe. . .
1607
01:37:26,760 --> 01:37:30,520
. . .with comic books and radio shows
and TV and a multiple of series. . .
1608
01:37:30,720 --> 01:37:32,520
. . .that will exist long after I'm gone.
1609
01:37:32,760 --> 01:37:35,440
So at some point you have to
just choose the things. . .
1610
01:37:35,640 --> 01:37:36,960
. . .that meant something to you.
1611
01:37:37,160 --> 01:37:39,840
He came in with the way
he wanted to make the movie.
1612
01:37:40,040 --> 01:37:43,000
It was so unbelievably
reliant and perfect.
1613
01:37:43,200 --> 01:37:45,080
It was like,
''I've been wrong for 12 years. ''
1614
01:37:45,280 --> 01:37:47,480
This is the right way to go.
1615
01:37:47,680 --> 01:37:50,360
To shape the story
under the codename Red Sun...
1616
01:37:50,800 --> 01:37:53,200
...Singer worked closely
with X-Men screenwriters...
1617
01:37:53,400 --> 01:37:55,360
...Michael Dougherty
and Dan Harris.
1618
01:37:55,560 --> 01:37:57,760
We want to contemporize
the character, at the same time. . .
1619
01:37:57,960 --> 01:38:00,360
. . .there's a gee-whiz quality
about Clark and about Superman. . .
1620
01:38:00,560 --> 01:38:01,760
. . .that you've got to maintain.
1621
01:38:02,000 --> 01:38:05,200
We feet like Donner did something
really, really right in the first one.
1622
01:38:05,200 --> 01:38:08,400
He created, essentially,
the superhero genre of films.
1623
01:38:08,600 --> 01:38:11,320
And so I think it is a matter
of us trying to kind of put. . .
1624
01:38:11,520 --> 01:38:14,840
. . .the Superman franchise back on track
and bringing it back. . .
1625
01:38:15,040 --> 01:38:16,520
. . .you know, to a new generation.
1626
01:38:18,000 --> 01:38:20,280
But one important question remained:
1627
01:38:20,600 --> 01:38:22,600
Who would play Superman?
1628
01:38:22,800 --> 01:38:26,720
Superman has to feel, Look
and sound as though. . .
1629
01:38:26,920 --> 01:38:31,360
. . .he has stepped out of your coercive
consciousness of who that character is.
1630
01:38:33,200 --> 01:38:35,480
Just as Richard Donner had done
three decades before...
1631
01:38:35,680 --> 01:38:38,480
...Bryan Singer decided
to cast a relative unknown:
1632
01:38:38,680 --> 01:38:41,400
24-year-old Brandon Roth.
1633
01:38:41,920 --> 01:38:44,160
camera, action.
1634
01:38:44,680 --> 01:38:46,440
Taxi.
1635
01:38:47,040 --> 01:38:49,240
well, maybe, you know,
saying goodbye was hard. . .
1636
01:38:49,440 --> 01:38:51,720
. . .because he wasn't sure
whether he was going to be gone. . .
1637
01:38:51,920 --> 01:38:54,240
. . .for a Little while or forever.
1638
01:38:54,440 --> 01:38:56,720
And maybe he had to go
and he wanted to say goodbye. . .
1639
01:38:56,960 --> 01:38:58,960
. . .but he could find
the guts to do it. . .
1640
01:38:59,200 --> 01:39:03,000
. . .because if he saw you
even for one East time. . . .
1641
01:39:03,200 --> 01:39:08,480
Or maybe he was afraid that
if he saw you just once. . .
1642
01:39:08,720 --> 01:39:10,880
. . .he would never be able to go.
1643
01:39:11,080 --> 01:39:12,720
He had height and breadth.
1644
01:39:12,960 --> 01:39:16,600
Then we almost knocked
into each other going out the front door.
1645
01:39:16,800 --> 01:39:19,240
Then I thought, ''Okay,
he's got Clark. '' And then I said:
1646
01:39:19,440 --> 01:39:22,480
''Are you afraid of the Superman curse?''
And he said, ''well, it could be worse.
1647
01:39:22,680 --> 01:39:25,320
I could not get the role
something terrible could happen to me. ''
1648
01:39:25,840 --> 01:39:28,040
I think I found my Superman.
1649
01:39:29,200 --> 01:39:31,920
With the fact that I came
from the small town in the Midwest--
1650
01:39:32,760 --> 01:39:35,120
Much like Clark actually did.
1651
01:39:35,480 --> 01:39:39,200
--makes a lot of difference
to my portrayal and who I am.
1652
01:39:39,400 --> 01:39:42,920
Bryan liked that I had Midwestern values,
you know, everybody has values. . .
1653
01:39:43,120 --> 01:39:45,520
. . .but the Midwest gets
a good rap for it.
1654
01:39:45,720 --> 01:39:47,680
And action.
1655
01:39:48,720 --> 01:39:53,240
He has to be able to embody
Clark Kent on the farm.
1656
01:39:53,440 --> 01:39:56,520
Clark Kent in the newsroom,
the bumbling Clark.
1657
01:39:56,720 --> 01:39:58,760
And then finally, Kal-El,
the last son the Krypton. . .
1658
01:39:58,960 --> 01:40:02,480
. . .with all the majesty and honesty and
virtue that you expect from Superman.
1659
01:40:02,680 --> 01:40:05,400
Brandon has those qualities
rather inherently.
1660
01:40:05,600 --> 01:40:08,520
It's great to wear the suit
when people bring their kids to set. . .
1661
01:40:08,720 --> 01:40:12,600
. . .and you just see, you know,
a kind of sparkle in their eye.
1662
01:40:12,800 --> 01:40:15,560
Not because of me,
but it's because it's Superman.
1663
01:40:16,440 --> 01:40:17,840
-Look in the sky, chief.
-It's a bird.
1664
01:40:18,040 --> 01:40:19,880
-It's a plane.
-No, Look it's--
1665
01:40:20,360 --> 01:40:22,200
You wanted to see me?
1666
01:40:22,400 --> 01:40:24,960
Joining Brandon Routh
would be an ensemble of actors...
1667
01:40:25,120 --> 01:40:28,600
... who seemed tailor-made
for their legendary roles.
1668
01:40:28,800 --> 01:40:32,600
Kate Bosworth would be the new
Lois Lane, now a working mom...
1669
01:40:32,800 --> 01:40:35,680
... whose career ambitions
and engagement to another man...
1670
01:40:35,880 --> 01:40:38,760
...are challenged by her love
for Superman.
1671
01:40:38,960 --> 01:40:41,080
I knew it was going to be
a tremendous chaining for me. . .
1672
01:40:41,280 --> 01:40:42,920
. . .because there's
a very fine balance. . .
1673
01:40:44,280 --> 01:40:47,760
. . .with playing somebody
who is a comic-book character.
1674
01:40:48,000 --> 01:40:50,480
You can either be much more
of a caricature. . .
1675
01:40:50,800 --> 01:40:52,680
. . .or you can be very, very realistic.
1676
01:40:52,880 --> 01:40:56,640
I wanted to stir have
that fun spunk that Lois Lane has.
1677
01:40:56,840 --> 01:41:00,040
But I also wanted to bring a heart to it
that everybody could relate to.
1678
01:41:00,280 --> 01:41:02,000
can I ask you something?
1679
01:41:02,200 --> 01:41:04,160
Have you ever met someone
and it's almost like. . .
1680
01:41:04,360 --> 01:41:07,720
. . .you were from totally different worlds,
but shared such a strong connection. . .
1681
01:41:07,920 --> 01:41:09,960
. . .you knew you were destined
to be with each other?
1682
01:41:10,160 --> 01:41:14,120
Then he just takes off, without explaining
why or without even saying goodbye.
1683
01:41:14,320 --> 01:41:17,720
Sounds cheesy, I know.
Taxi. Hey.
1684
01:41:21,320 --> 01:41:23,720
Thanks.
1685
01:41:24,680 --> 01:41:26,520
Frank Langella would bring
a new clarity...
1686
01:41:26,720 --> 01:41:29,520
... to the role of Daily planet
editor, Perry White.
1687
01:41:29,720 --> 01:41:32,040
I want to know it all, everything.
I want to see photos of him everywhere.
1688
01:41:35,440 --> 01:41:38,640
Does he still stand for truth? Justice?
All that stuff.
1689
01:41:38,640 --> 01:41:41,720
Sam Huntington would play
the ever eager Jimmy Olsen.
1690
01:41:41,920 --> 01:41:43,760
Jimmy is just a happy-go-lucky guy.
1691
01:41:44,000 --> 01:41:46,400
He's goofy and wants to make
people smile but I think he--
1692
01:41:47,800 --> 01:41:49,960
He wants to take a good picture
and do his job well.
1693
01:41:50,160 --> 01:41:53,040
Clark has been doing a Little
soul-searching. . .
1694
01:41:53,280 --> 01:41:54,680
. . .for the last coupe of years.
1695
01:41:54,880 --> 01:41:56,400
Must be tough coming back.
1696
01:41:56,800 --> 01:42:00,000
well, you know. Things change.
1697
01:42:01,640 --> 01:42:06,760
Kevin Spacey was cast as Superman's
diabolical arch nemesis Lex Luthor.
1698
01:42:07,720 --> 01:42:09,520
tell me everything.
1699
01:42:12,720 --> 01:42:14,760
And utilizing footage shot
for Superman: The Movie...
1700
01:42:14,960 --> 01:42:19,760
... the late Marlon Brando would return
as Superman's father, Jor-El.
1701
01:42:19,960 --> 01:42:24,600
Even though you've been raised as a
human being, you are not one of them.
1702
01:42:27,280 --> 01:42:30,560
They can be a great people, Kal-El.
They wish to be.
1703
01:42:31,240 --> 01:42:34,400
They only lack the Eight
to show the way.
1704
01:42:35,000 --> 01:42:38,120
In the film, Superman is forced
to find his place again...
1705
01:42:38,320 --> 01:42:40,720
...in a world that?
almost forgotten him.
1706
01:42:40,920 --> 01:42:44,120
It was a conflict
that resonated not only in the script...
1707
01:42:44,120 --> 01:42:46,960
...it also mirrored the many years
the caped superhero...
1708
01:42:47,200 --> 01:42:50,080
...had been out
of the pop-culture mainstream.
1709
01:42:50,280 --> 01:42:53,200
Superman has been off the Earth
for five years.
1710
01:42:53,440 --> 01:42:57,400
He returns and finds
that Lois Lane has moved on.
1711
01:42:57,640 --> 01:43:00,200
She has a fianc�� and they have a child.
1712
01:43:00,440 --> 01:43:03,480
And he's taken a bit off guard by this.
1713
01:43:03,680 --> 01:43:07,160
I see you've already met the munchkin.
Clark, Richard. Richard, Clark.
1714
01:43:07,360 --> 01:43:08,760
-Richard White.
-Hi.
1715
01:43:08,960 --> 01:43:11,440
well, it's great to finally meet you.
I've heard so much.
1716
01:43:11,640 --> 01:43:12,760
Oh, you have?
1717
01:43:12,960 --> 01:43:14,560
Yeah, Jimmy just won't
shut up about you.
1718
01:43:14,960 --> 01:43:17,840
The struggle of Superman is he wants
to have that semblance of real life. . .
1719
01:43:18,040 --> 01:43:21,240
. . .and of having Lois Lane,
of having a family, all those things.
1720
01:43:21,240 --> 01:43:23,400
They haven't seen each other
for five years. . .
1721
01:43:23,600 --> 01:43:25,280
. . .and she has moved on
with her Life.
1722
01:43:25,480 --> 01:43:27,400
She has everything you feel
when you have. . .
1723
01:43:27,600 --> 01:43:29,320
. . .a great love in your Life
come back. . .
1724
01:43:29,520 --> 01:43:30,960
. . .and everybody can relate to that.
1725
01:43:31,280 --> 01:43:33,520
-Were you in love with him?
-He was Superman.
1726
01:43:33,720 --> 01:43:36,120
Everyone was in love with him.
1727
01:43:37,440 --> 01:43:39,040
But were you?
1728
01:43:40,680 --> 01:43:42,480
Filmed at Fox Studios Australia...
1729
01:43:42,680 --> 01:43:46,880
. . .Superman Returns boasted a budget
of nearly $200 million...
1730
01:43:47,160 --> 01:43:51,360
...but for Bryan Singer,
more crucial than lavish sets or CGI...
1731
01:43:51,560 --> 01:43:52,760
... was making sure audiences...
1732
01:43:52,960 --> 01:43:55,760
...emotionally connected
with his characters.
1733
01:43:55,960 --> 01:43:58,240
Bryan's always quick to say
that he's not a comic-book fan.
1734
01:43:59,600 --> 01:44:02,720
That it's not the universe he grew up in.
He didn't read comic books as a child.
1735
01:44:02,960 --> 01:44:07,520
But what I think he recognizes is that
they deal with issues and emotions. . .
1736
01:44:07,760 --> 01:44:11,800
. . .that resonate with people in sort
of a very highly entertaining fashion.
1737
01:44:12,080 --> 01:44:16,560
well, you're back, and everyone
seems to be pretty happy about it.
1738
01:44:17,360 --> 01:44:18,640
Not everyone.
1739
01:44:19,680 --> 01:44:23,280
You can no longer get away with
just great CGs or great special effects.
1740
01:44:23,480 --> 01:44:24,680
You really need to have story.
1741
01:44:26,080 --> 01:44:28,880
You really need to have character,
relationship, emotion.
1742
01:44:29,080 --> 01:44:30,960
And it was very, very exciting
for me. . .
1743
01:44:31,160 --> 01:44:33,480
. . .to feel like we're on to
something very special.
1744
01:44:33,680 --> 01:44:35,960
Oh, my boy.
1745
01:44:36,160 --> 01:44:38,160
-Let me hear you say it, just once.
-You're insane.
1746
01:44:38,360 --> 01:44:41,680
No, not that.
No, the other thing.
1747
01:44:41,920 --> 01:44:43,200
-Superman will never--
-Wrong!
1748
01:44:44,400 --> 01:44:45,640
On June 30, 2006...
1749
01:44:47,000 --> 01:44:51,000
...audiences welcomed the return
of Superman to movie theaters.
1750
01:44:51,360 --> 01:44:54,800
The film also represented the return
of a dream...
1751
01:44:55,000 --> 01:44:59,360
...one born in the imaginations of
two young boys from Cleveland, Ohio...
1752
01:44:59,560 --> 01:45:02,920
...a dream destined
to change the world.
1753
01:45:06,800 --> 01:45:09,280
Since his debut in 1938...
1754
01:45:09,480 --> 01:45:13,600
... The Man of Steel
has survived and thrived...
1755
01:45:13,800 --> 01:45:17,680
...during decades of reinvention
and reinterpretation.
1756
01:45:23,280 --> 01:45:26,360
Superman has had
a very diverse history.
1757
01:45:28,440 --> 01:45:32,920
He has been used to market,
as propaganda material.
1758
01:45:33,120 --> 01:45:34,760
He's been in good television.
1759
01:45:34,960 --> 01:45:37,120
He's been in bad television.
1760
01:45:37,320 --> 01:45:40,760
He's been in good movies.
He's been in bad movies.
1761
01:45:41,160 --> 01:45:45,040
-You didn't succumb to the Kryptonite.
-I expected you to have it handy.
1762
01:45:45,280 --> 01:45:48,080
But the character Superman
has always been strong enough. . .
1763
01:45:48,320 --> 01:45:50,920
. . .to survive his own history.
1764
01:45:52,720 --> 01:45:56,160
I think the reason
Superman endures. . .
1765
01:45:56,360 --> 01:46:00,680
. . .is that it's the first character
that is an alien from outer space. . .
1766
01:46:00,920 --> 01:46:05,720
. . .who comes to save us
instead of to terrorize and defeat us.
1767
01:46:06,240 --> 01:46:09,920
Superman is the ultimate embodiment
of the American dream.
1768
01:46:10,120 --> 01:46:13,560
proof that an immigrant can come
to a new land...
1769
01:46:13,760 --> 01:46:16,680
...and achieve the greatest
in human potential.
1770
01:46:16,920 --> 01:46:19,240
He is charged to continually
see the good in people. . .
1771
01:46:19,440 --> 01:46:21,800
. . .and to keep on doing good
when others don't see it.
1772
01:46:22,240 --> 01:46:27,360
He does have this vulnerable, fumbling,
geeky side that everybody has.
1773
01:46:27,560 --> 01:46:31,000
And yet, he has this heroic,
strong appearance as well.
1774
01:46:31,200 --> 01:46:35,360
And it's something that people can
relate to and people can Look up to.
1775
01:46:36,920 --> 01:46:40,240
Battered by changing times
and changing tastes...
1776
01:46:40,440 --> 01:46:44,120
...Superman always seems to emerge
stronger than ever.
1777
01:46:45,080 --> 01:46:47,040
Superman will be around
for a long time. . .
1778
01:46:47,240 --> 01:46:50,880
. . .because it captures the imagination
of little boys and little girls.
1779
01:46:51,080 --> 01:46:54,120
-Does it make you dizzy?
-Oh, no. I Iove it.
1780
01:46:54,320 --> 01:46:56,960
Like my grandson,
running around in their capes. . .
1781
01:46:57,160 --> 01:47:01,560
. . .leaping off the backs of couches
and running to save people.
1782
01:47:02,200 --> 01:47:05,360
Without question,
Superman will do the right thing. . .
1783
01:47:05,560 --> 01:47:07,080
. . .because he's just the best.
1784
01:47:07,280 --> 01:47:08,600
At the end of the day, everyone--
1785
01:47:08,840 --> 01:47:12,320
Maybe they go on dates with Batman
but they want to live with Superman. . .
1786
01:47:12,520 --> 01:47:18,360
. . .because Superman is about
being the most virtuous man on Earth.
1787
01:47:18,720 --> 01:47:20,880
Superman is universal.
1788
01:47:21,200 --> 01:47:23,280
There isn't a country in the world
you can go to. . .
1789
01:47:23,480 --> 01:47:25,200
. . .that they don't know Superman.
1790
01:47:25,680 --> 01:47:27,520
Because with the problems of today. . .
1791
01:47:27,840 --> 01:47:29,880
. . .the world is in desperate need
of a hero.
1792
01:47:30,080 --> 01:47:33,400
Run for president Super,
because God knows we need you now.
1793
01:47:33,640 --> 01:47:35,120
Take him away.
1794
01:47:35,320 --> 01:47:38,160
I think most people do believe
in that kind of integrity and virtue.
1795
01:47:38,360 --> 01:47:39,920
They want to see goodness.
1796
01:47:40,120 --> 01:47:43,320
people have a deep need
to believe that it exists out there.
1797
01:47:43,560 --> 01:47:46,760
They can be a great people, Kal-El,
they wish to be.
1798
01:47:47,040 --> 01:47:50,080
They only lack the light
to show the way.
1799
01:47:50,960 --> 01:47:53,160
For this reason above all. . .
1800
01:47:53,360 --> 01:47:57,400
. . .I have sent them you, my only son.
1801
01:47:59,880 --> 01:48:01,560
Strong.
1802
01:48:02,440 --> 01:48:04,120
powerful.
1803
01:48:04,600 --> 01:48:06,560
Invincible.
1804
01:48:06,880 --> 01:48:10,760
Superman is a hero
worth looking up to.
1805
01:48:10,960 --> 01:48:14,720
And to find him, we need only...
1806
01:48:15,000 --> 01:48:17,360
...look up in the sky.
1807
01:48:55,080 --> 01:48:57,640
Who unplugged my typewriter?
1808
01:49:00,480 --> 01:49:03,520
It's wonderful
to meet a new Jimmy Olsen.
1809
01:49:08,400 --> 01:49:09,800
-Now, you? I Look at--
-No, no, no.
1810
01:49:10,000 --> 01:49:12,160
Superman, Look at me.
1811
01:49:14,080 --> 01:49:19,040
-I don't know where they are, I swear.
-Don't force me to do humanity a favor.
1812
01:49:19,240 --> 01:49:21,880
You overblown, deluded creep.
1813
01:49:25,400 --> 01:49:28,240
Look, will you quit leaving your
half-eaten sandwiches in the drawer.
1814
01:49:28,440 --> 01:49:29,680
They attract mice.
1815
01:49:33,120 --> 01:49:34,800
Stop it.
1816
01:49:43,040 --> 01:49:44,080
There it is.
1817
01:49:44,320 --> 01:49:49,080
They're Kellogg's new Sugar Smacks.
You'll like'em.
1818
01:49:49,400 --> 01:49:51,560
Did you ever feel. . .
1819
01:49:53,920 --> 01:49:56,960
. . .like you could
remember your lines?
1820
01:49:59,920 --> 01:50:06,160
I think that I shall never see
A poem as lovely as a tree
1821
01:50:06,600 --> 01:50:10,680
A tree whose branch is wide and strong
1822
01:50:11,520 --> 01:50:14,760
The Campton ladies sing this song
1823
01:50:17,720 --> 01:50:18,680
cut it.
1824
01:50:20,800 --> 01:50:27,440
Subtitles by ARAVIND B
[by_agentsmith@yahoo.com]
164885
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