Superman: The Movie (1978) 18 Things You Never Knew

[@rixx46]

FUN FACT #19: I worked on the Canadian location filming. The football shot from the canon was made of wood. I kept it for years. A few years ago, I sold it at a prop auction (along with some set photos and a few other bits and pieces) for over $10,000!!!

[@stevehammond8541]

Goddammit. He did not fly backwards and reverse the earth's rotation. He exceeded the speed of light, thus traveling back in time, thus making it "appear" the earth rotated backwards.

[@danlove12k]

One thing I know is that Christopher Reeve was the best Superman ever 😅

[@christopherramon-reid2000]

The man on the train (with young Lois) is Kirk Allyn the first actor to play Superman. He’s pictured @5:47. I wish you gave him credit in this. He is often overlooked and forgotten.

[@candjim]

I remember my mum and dad took me to see Superman way back in 1978. It was such a magical movie experience ❤

[@RobertSchroeder-f9c]

When I was in 7th grade My then teacher took three of us to see Superman the movie as a reward for doing better in class.

[@LaurieKing0623]

I did not see this movie years later since I was 3 yrs old when it came out. When I saw it plus Superman II, I loved Christopher Reeves as my all-time fav actor. I was only miles away when Christopher Reeves accident, it hurt me so much . I cried when he died. I miss him so much.

[@antonnym214]

Brando. Here's a good example of the fact that if they are crazy and a nobody, they're just crazy, but if they are crazy and rich or famous, then they're eccentric.

[@leonardvicari2857]

I love superman I saw it at the age of 12 in 1978

[@EclecticDD]

You have me beat. I saw it in the theater, but I was only 6.

[@TheEdorizo]

I was 3 my birthday was 2 days later

[@joemurphy2177]

One question. Was Brando such a box office draw that he was worth the astronomical fee. Because if they had got a lesser known actor 'Jor El' could have returned in the second film along with superman's mother

[@andrewlex2240]

Christopher Reeve Forever!!!!!

[@russellkellett9535]

There was nothing you said that I didn't already know

[@fargodavilleitnotd6729]

The first time my Dad took me to see a movie, there was two in my lifetime, this one and ET, both great experiences and times I could never forget, Christopher Reeve will always be Superman RIP

[@CoMorbiditty]

I remember my first was Sound of Music, I also saw ET. I agree. Christopher Reeve will always be superman. No one measures up to his presence.

[@Rob_1776]

I liked Superman, The Movie! But I like 2 and 3 better! Yes I said 3 as well!

[@carterjlward7447]

Superman did NOT reverse the earth's rotation. Why does everyone say this? It was a visual representation of the fact that he was traveling backwards through time. That's why it stops and starts going the other way. Superman turns around and heads the other way, not to get the earth spinning in the right direction, but because he traveled to the past, technically, so he had to travel forward to the point that he left. May not be scientifically accurate or adhere to Einstein. But it was a way to show time travel. Reversing the earth's rotation, would just kill everyone, as they still moved forward through time. I saw this when I was 5 years old and Even then, I didn't think he did anything to the earth itself.

[@richardhuskey8560]

Thank you for making this video I was suffering from insomnia this video put me right to sleep.

[@christopherramon-reid2000]

Hackman also wanted to play Luthor with a mustache.

[@dinomonzon7493]

I much prefer 1978's Superman: The Movie and 1981's Superman II over the recent Man of Steel. Richard Donner, unlike Snyder showed Respect for the source material- casting actors who looked the part and who acted like their DC Comics counterparts, especially Chris Reeve. Margot Kidder's Lois Lane looked the part, is attractive, yet doesn't act like an entitled 'tough gal'. Glen Ford's Pa Kent was truer to the comics compared to Man of Steel's, the former acted like a real dad, the latter treats Clark as if he were an X-Men mutant. Plus Marlon Brando's Jor-El telling Clark in the Fortress of Solitude of Earth's people- "They can be a great people, Kal-El. They wish to be. All they lack is the light to show them the way. It is for this reason, and, above all, their capacity for good, that I sent them you: my only son." trumps Russel Crowe's Jor El in Man of Steel.

[@nyceflix]

Brando calling Cary, "Rocky" throughout the shoot is hilarious.

[@nicknumber1512]

It's his version of Farm Boy.

[@alm2187]

Ah. So this explains why he reverses time in Superman II: the Donner Cut. I always interpreted that he does it twice.

[@brorjordas1979]

One awesome movie.

[@stephenmorgan6930]

Apparently, the first time that highly reflective clothing technique was used was for Slade's video of Far Far Away in 1974.

[@CheapestBigSpender]

The biggest fact, Patrick Wayne was originally Superman, but had to drop out when his father, John Wayne got ill before his death. Then Christopher Reeves got the role

[@CoMorbiditty]

You will believe a man can fly. That quote was from the advertisements. I remember it well. Christopher Reeve, was such a beautiful person, and had the chiseled look of Adonis. The day he fell off the horse, my heart broke. Marlon Brando needed to be given a massive dose of reality. What a jerk. The soundtrack to Superman, was my favourite. OMG cant believe it was 1977

[@westmcgee9320]

So far, it’s stuff from every behind-the-scenes extra from the past discs.

[@alm2187]

Wow! 4:59 seems almost portentous of similar events ~20 years later! Kevin Smith spoke of consulting for an adaptation of Superman's death arc in comics. I never got straight whose script he read, but that screenwriter was pushing some bizarre alternative concept. Clark was promising Lois he would try to relate to humanity more as one of us. I'm sure it was weird in other ways as well. KS pronounced the screenplay to be "really quite bad." He said the best thing for this Death of Superman movie was simply to not make it. He impressed execs by demonstrating this was more important to him than an ongoing paycheck. Glad enough that movie never happened. Then again this outlook on things landed Smith the job of writing a whole new script. That version would seem to have had some promise. It was mired by producer meddling, though. Search the story of the requisite giant spider.

[@kryptonson]

Lois's father on the train was played by the original Superman actor from the 1940's serieals too.

[@cliffcorson4000]

one little known item at one point, the Smallville part of the filming was to take place in Metropolis, Illinois. several buildings were constructed to hold props and materials. However, the mayor of the town hearing that the actors were "Union" went on to refuse to allow filming in the town. The expected economy boost for the town was expected to be in the 10+ million mark as DC had already had an agreement with the town over usage of the Superman name Metropolis, along with several local police/fire units would in turn be used in the movie "U S Marshals"

[@NightShade671]

I knew some of these things, like the fact that the woman in the train was the original Lois Lane.

[@magicjim1]

I hate titles of videos that tell me they are going to teach me things I don't know. How do they know what I do and do not know

[@jonathanswift2251]

Regarding the balcony scene where Clark Superman switches to Clark without a cut: I actually figured that out myself. Reeve as Superman is slightly more grainy and fuzzy than Kidder is.

[@karlepaul6632]

I wonder how the movie would have ended had they not done the whole reverse Earth rotation bit and kept it for the ending of Superman II (as seen in the Donner Cut)🤔

[@stevehammond8541]

He did not fly backwards and reverse the earth's rotation. He exceeded the speed of light, thus traveling back in time, thus making it "appear" the earth rotated backwards.

[@TheLionAndTheLamb777]

​@@stevehammond8541 I've been arguing this since I remember even seeing the film as a kid in the 80's on vhs.

[@adrianvanleeuwen]

Marlon Brando is so over-rated in the industry. They should have saved the money. They could have picked so many other actors to play this role. Lois and Clark and Lex are the real stars of the film and the trailers would have been enough to draw in the crowds. "Watch a man who can fly!" was enough with the new effects, plus the romance with Lois would draw in crowds.

[@dudeonthemoon3290]

The thing is, it’s all about being humble and wow I’m very disappointed. I never delve into Brandios movie history but obviously I knew he was well respected and regarded by Hollywood for his time which is respectable but you are right he was overrated for his actions. Like wow he sounds so full of himself and rude. Yeah it’s cool he plays Jor-El but after finding out about how he was behind the scenes I don’t think he deserves the praise he got. So yeah. I guess he is overrated in the respect aspect. Too bad.

[@Imgoodphelps]

Yeah he got over big time

[@billywall7752]

Brando gave a Super hero movie much needed credibility. Like him or not, Brando was/is considered one of the greatest actors of all time and having him in Superman The Movie was a big deal.

[@Valitzu777]

I dont understand your first reveal... was lex luther (gene hackman) bald, by shaving, or wearing a bald cap??

[@sureshmukhi2316]

They should have made Marlon Brando an offer he can't refuse. 😉

[@kerry-j4m]

This guy was beyond-GREEDY-tho. LOL. RIP : Mr Brando

[@TheGemini5]

I see what you did there! LOL

[@sureshmukhi2316]

@@TheGemini5 thank you!! Finally!! 👍

[@russellkellett9535]

I knew it all

[@acb9896]

Noo Kew Lerr...

[@petermcgill1315]

Damn! The video finished before the 20 things I didn’t know. I hate that!

[@jonathanswift2251]

6:57 Dustin Hoffman was 5'5" with a slight frame -- his rather considerable proboscis, dark brown eyes and nasal delivery would have made a terrific Superman! Just like in the comics. Almost as good casting as Jamie Bell as Ben Grimm! That was the best! A 5'6' skinny blonde Brit as Reddish-Brown haired, large, stocky ex-Football Player (north American Football) ethnic New Yorker Ben Grimm! I actually feel about casting Muhammed Ali as Superman they way I felt casting Michael B. Jordan as Johnny Storm. They are physically built like the characters they play. And Jordan had that cocky, wise-guy attitude Storm had in the comics. Perhaps Ali could have played Superman humbly as well toning down his public persona. And Sam Jackson kills it as Nick Fury. They are just a different ethnicity, but embody the essence of the character. Jamie Bell as Ben Grimm WTF????

[@terrycolnar6162]

Superman is white. They ruined honeymooners doin that big of a dramatic change

[@alm2187]

Looking at that smile at 2:30 (and keep watching 3 seconds), I have to wonder if he wouldn't be cast more aptly as father of Jack Napier. 😁

[@BETMARKonTube]

6:55 I don't think *Dustin Offman* and *Al Pacino* would had fit the role properly, not even after a year of lifting. Mostly because of the face and their usual "not friendly" attitude. *Steve McQueen* and *Robert Redford* would be good and *Paul Newman* probably perfect. ... but *Muhammad Ali* ? Seriously? They wouldn't try such a stunt for the Man of Steel in 2020 (and they LOVE to do those kind of things in this decade), imagine in the 70's.

[@robertt9342]

I agree that Ali would never have been cast, but they were far more likely to do stuff like that back then because they didn’t have the loud and whiny fan base crying about wokeness.

[@coleenwilliams6656]

Noel Neill played Lois Lane in the Superman serial films starring Kirk Alyn, not the TV series the Adventures of Superman (which starred Phyllis Coates playing Lois)

[@alm2187]

Good catch! Odd mistake for this vid. This quick history also breezes past the part about their dialogue. I believe the theatrical release just has little girl on the train shaking mother awake to point out the super-fast boy. Then it cuts away so it's unclear what she makes of him. These two could be nameless extras who are there to show that Clark's powers don't always escape the average person's notice. The full take shows that mother missed the incredible sight, so daughter describes what she witnessed. Mother replies "Lois Lane, you have a writer's gift for invention!" Before extended cuts came in-vogue, It was an Easter egg for those in the know. 🤓

[@RobertDibbell]

Actually, Phyllis Coates only played Lois in the first session. Noel Neill played season 2 through the end.

[@raoularmagnac2037]

​@alm2187 Also in that scene Lois' dad was played by Kirk Alyn. He was the same actor who played Superman in the serial.

[@MagnumMuscle1000]

Kidder was a bad choice. I never liked her even as a kid.

[@whiterabbit1632]

Brando was Hollywood's biggest waste of money.

[@alm2187]

You'd think Brando would want to play Jor-El as a baguette. 🥖 Intuitively, wife Lara would be the bagel. 🥯 🤗