It has been a big year for the Man of Steel. The year 2013 marked the 75th anniversary of Superman’s debut (in Action Comics issue #1), a new movie was made starring Henry Cavill and directed by Zack Snyder, and, of course, it represents the 35th anniversary of the release of the classic cinematic adventure starring Christopher Reeve and directed by Richard Donner. The Digital Bits celebrates the occasion with a look back at Superman: The Movie ’s opening weekend and features a reflective interview with some Superman authorities. [Read on here...]

THE ORIGINAL ENGAGEMENTS

Today, you’ll believe a man can fly. Nothing you have ever seen or heard, no comic book, television program or motion picture could ever prepare you for this reality. This is a brilliant cast in an unforgettable story. The awesome technology of modern films brings you someone to believe in.

So trumpeted newspapers across the United States and Canada in their splashy advertisements published Friday, December 15, 1978. Superman opened in about 500 theaters and grossed $7.5 million over its inaugural weekend, one of the most successful openings the industry had seen to that point. (Adjusted for inflation, the opening weekend brought in about $27 million.) Ultimately, the movie’s domestic box-office performance topped $130 million (about $475 million adjusted for inflation) during an era when a $100 million gross was impressive and a sign of a genuine blockbuster.

For historical record, to reminisce, and to compare and contrast its launch with that of contemporary event movies, listed below are the North American movie theaters that played Superman during its initial release wave. Hundreds of additional engagements (not listed) commenced in the weeks following the opening.

STATE/PROVINCE

City – chain THEATER NAME (Dolby presentation format, if applicable)

A note about 70-millimeter presentations: For its domestic theatrical release, Warner Bros. struck about two dozen large-format 70mm blow-up prints which featured a special six-track magnetic Dolby stereophonic sound mix. Although they have been cited in the opening-weekend list below, the majority of these deluxe prints were actually completed too late by the film lab to be delivered to their respective theaters in time for opening weekend.

ALABAMA

No theaters in Alabama opened Superman on December 15, 1978.

ALASKA

No theaters in Alaska opened Superman on December 15, 1978.

ALBERTA

Calgary – Famous Players CALGARY PLACE 1 & 2

Edmonton – Famous Players PARAMOUNT

ARIZONA

Phoenix – Mann CHRIS-TOWN 5 ( Dolby Stereo )

) Scottsdale – Plitt EL CAMINO ( Dolby Stereo )

) Tucson – Mann BUENA VISTA TWIN (Dolby Stereo)

ARKANSAS

Fayetteville – Malco RAZORBACK TWIN ( Dolby Stereo )

) Fort Smith – United Artists MINITEK CINEMAS 1 & 2

Jonesboro – Malco MALCO 5 ( Dolby Stereo )

) Little Rock – United Artists CINEMA 150 (Dolby Stereo)

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Surrey – Famous Players GUILDFORD 1 & 2

Vancouver – Famous Players CAPITOL 6

Victoria – Famous Players CORONET

CALIFORNIA

Bakersfield – General Cinema Corporation VALLEY PLAZA CINEMA I & II

Berkeley – United Artists CINEMA 4

Capitola – Kindair 41st AVENUE PLAYHOUSE 3 ( Dolby Stereo )

) Cerritos – United Artists CERRITOS MALL TWIN

Costa Mesa – Mann SOUTH COAST PLAZA TRIPLEX ( 70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo )

) Covina – Mann FOX TRIPLEX

Fairfield – AMERICANA TWIN

Fresno – Festival Enterprises FESTIVAL CINEMAS ( Dolby Stereo )

) Glendale – United Artists CAPITOL

Hayward – Festival Enterprises FESTIVAL CINEMAS ( Dolby Stereo )

) La Habra – American Multi-Cinema FASHION SQUARE 4

Larkspur – Festival Enterprises FESTIVAL CINEMAS ( Dolby Stereo )

) Los Angeles (Hollywood) – Mann CHINESE ( 70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo )

) Los Angeles (Studio City) – Mann STUDIO

Los Angeles (Westwood Village) – Mann NATIONAL ( 70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo )

) Los Angeles (Woodland Hills) – United Artists WARNER CENTER 6 ( 70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo )

) Marina del Rey – United Artists CINEMA 6

Menlo Park – West Side Valley PARK

Modesto – Festival Enterprises FESTIVAL CINEMAS ( Dolby Stereo )

) Montclair – Sterling Recreation Organization MONTCLAIR TRIPLEX ( Dolby Stereo )

) Monterey – Kindair CINEMA 70 ( Dolby Stereo )

) Napa – Blair RIVERPARK TWIN ( Dolby Stereo )

) Palm Springs – Metropolitan CAMELOT TWIN ( Dolby Stereo )

) Pasadena – Mann ACADEMY ( Dolby Stereo )

) Redondo Beach – General Cinema Corporation SOUTH BAY CINEMA I-II-III-IV

Riverside – United Artists TYLER MALL CINEMA 4

Sacramento – Plitt CAPITOL 1-2

Salinas – Kindair NORTHRIDGE 4 ( Dolby Stereo )

) San Bernardino – General Cinema Corporation INLAND CINEMA I & II

San Diego – Mann CINEMA 21 ( 70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo )

) San Francisco – Plitt NORTHPOINT ( 70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo )

) San Jose – Mann TOWN & COUNTRY ( 70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo )

) San Mateo – General Cinema Corporation HILLSDALE CINEMA I & II

Santa Barbara – Metropolitan GRANADA ( Dolby Stereo )

) Santa Rosa – United Artists CINEMAS 6

Stockton – Festival Enterprises FESTIVAL CINEMAS ( Dolby Stereo )

) Ventura – Mann FOX

Visalia – General Cinema Corporation SEQUOIA MALL CINEMA I-II-III

Walnut Creek – Festival Enterprises FESTIVAL CINEMAS ( Dolby Stereo )

) Westminster – Edwards CINEMA WEST 4 (Dolby Stereo)

COLORADO

Boulder – Mann BOULDER

Colorado Springs – United Artists CINEMA 150

Denver – Mann CENTURY 21 ( 70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo )

) Fort Collins – Mann FOX

Pueblo – Commonwealth COOPER

CONNECTICUT

Danbury – RKO Century PALACE TRIPLEX

East Hartford – Redstone SHOWCASE CINEMAS ( Dolby Stereo )

) Groton – United Artists CINEMA 1 & 2

Meriden – General Cinema Corporation MERIDEN MALL CINEMA I & II

Norwich – RKO Century PALACE TWIN

Orange – Redstone SHOWCASE CINEMAS ( Dolby Stereo )

) Stamford – Cinema Circuit STAMFORD

Stratford – Perakos HI-WAY CINEMA 1 & 2

Trumbull – United Artists TRUMBULL

Waterbury – General Cinema Corporation NAUGATUCK VALEY MALL CINEMA I-II-III-IV

Westport – Nutmeg FINE ARTS I & II

DELAWARE

Wilmington – Budco CONCORD MALL TWIN

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Washington – General Cinema Corporation JENIFER CINEMA I & II (Dolby Stereo)

FLORIDA

Altamonte Springs – General Cinema Corporation ALTAMONTE CINEMA I & II

Clearwater – Plitt SUNSHINE MALL TWIN

Coral Gables – General Cinema Corporation RIVIERA CINEMA I & II

Daytona Beach – General Cinema Corporation BELLAIR PLAZA CINEMA I & II

Fort Lauderdale – General Cinema Corporation 16TH STREET

Fort Lauderdale – General Cinema Corporation SUNRISE CINEMA I-II-III

Fort Myers – Plitt PLAZA

Gainesville – Wometco PLAZA TWIN ( Dolby Stereo )

) Hialeah – General Cinema Corporation HIALEAH CINEMA I-II-III

Hollywood – Plitt FLORIDA TWIN

Jacksonville – Plitt REGENCY TWIN ( Dolby Stereo )

) Kendale Lakes – Wometco KENDALE LAKES TRIPLE ( Dolby Stereo )

) Lakeland – Plitt POLK

Merritt Island – Kent BARN TWIN

Miami – General Cinema Corporation WESTCHESTER CINEMA I & II

North Miami Beach – General Cinema Corporation 170th STREET CINEMA I & II

North Palm Beach – Budco TWIN CITY CINEMAS

Ocala – Plitt SPRINGS TWIN

Orange Park – Plitt KINGSLEY TWIN

Orlando – Plitt PLAZA TWIN

Pensacola – Plitt PLAZA TWIN

Pompano Beach – General Cinema Corporation POMPANO CINEMA I & II

St. Petersburg – Plitt PLAZA TWIN

Sarasota – Plitt PLAZA TWIN

Satellite Beach – Kent SATELLITE TWIN

Tallahassee – Fairlane-Litchfield CAPITOL CINEMAS

Tampa – Budco FLORILAND TWIN

Tampa – Plitt HILLSBORO 1-2-3 ( Dolby Stereo )

) West Palm Beach – General Cinema Corporation CINEMA 70 I-II-III

GEORGIA

Athens – Plitt PALACE 1-2

Atlanta – General Cinema Corporation AKERS MILL SQUARE CINEMA I-II-III-IV

Augusta – Plitt IMPERIAL

College Park – Storey NATIONAL TRIPLE ( Dolby Stereo )

) Columbus – Plitt PLAZA 1-2 ( Dolby Stereo )

) Doraville – Septum BUFORD HIGHWAY TWIN ( Dolby Stereo )

) Fayetteville – FAYETTE

Gainesville – Thompson BLUE RIDGE CINEMAS III ( Dolby Stereo )

) Savannah – Weis CINEMA CENTRE ( Dolby Stereo )

) Stone Mountain – Plitt STONEMONT 1-2 (Dolby Stereo)

HAWAII

Honolulu – Consolidated WAIKIKI 3

IDAHO

Boise – Commonwealth FAIRVU

ILLINOIS

Aurora – WEST PLAZA CINEMA I-II-III

Barrington – CATLOW

Belleville – Bloomer Amusement Company CINEMA ( 70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo )

) Bloomington – General Cinema Corporation EASTLAND CINEMA I-II-III

Calumet City – Plitt RIVER OAKS 1-2-3-4 ( Dolby Stereo )

) Carbondale – Mann EAST GATE

Carpentersville – General Cinema Corporation MEADOWDALE CINEMA I-II-III-IV-V

Champaign – Kerasotes ORPHEUM

Chicago – General Cinema Corporation FORD CITY CINEMA I-II-III ( Dolby Stereo )

) Chicago – Plitt ESQUIRE ( 70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo )

) Chicago – Plitt GATEWAY

Crest Hill – Plitt HILLCREST ( Dolby Stereo )

) Crystal Lake – Rhyan SHOWPLACE 5 ( Dolby Stereo )

) Decatur – General Cinema Corporation NORTHGATE MALL CINEMA I-II-III

Matteson – General Cinema Corporation LINCOLN MALL CINEMA I-II-III ( Dolby Stereo )

) Milan – Redstone SHOWCASE CINEMAS ( Dolby Stereo )

) Niles – Fink GOLF MILL 1-2-3 ( Dolby Stereo )

) Northbrook – Center EDENS 1-2 ( 70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo )

) Oak Brook – Plitt OAKBROOK ( 70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo )

) Orland Park – Plitt ORLAND SQUARE 1-2-3-4 ( Dolby Stereo )

) Peoria – Plitt MADISON

Rockford – Plitt MIDWAY

Round Lake Beach – Plitt ROUND LAKE 1-2

Schaumburg – Plitt WOODFIELD 1-2-3-4 ( 70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo )

) Springfield – Mann TOWN & COUNTRY

Waukegan – Plitt GENESEE

INDIANA

Anderson – General Cinema Corporation MOUNDS MALL CINEMA I & II

Bloomington – General Cinema Corporation COLLEGE MALL CINEMA I-II-III

Evansville – Koewler EAST PARK CINEMAS

Evansville – Stieler NORTH PARK CINEMAS ( Dolby Stereo )

) Fort Wayne – Mallers-Spirou HOLIDAY 1 & 2 ( Dolby Stereo )

) Greenwood – General Cinema Corporation GREENWOOD PARK CINEMA I-II-III

Indianapolis – General Cinema Corporation GLENDALE CINEMA I-II-III-IV-V ( Dolby Stereo )

) Kokomo – General Cinema Corporation KOKOMO MALL CINEMA I-II-III

Lafayette – LAFAYETTE

Merrillville – General Cinema Corporation SOUTHLAKE CINEMA I-II-III-IV

Michigan City – General Cinema Corporation MICHIGAN CITY CINEMA I-II-III-IV

Mishawaka – Plitt TOWN & COUNTRY 1-2 ( Dolby Stereo )

) Muncie – General Cinema Corporation NORTHWEST PLAZA CINEMA I-II-III

Richmond – Kerasotes SIDEWALK ( Dolby Stereo )

) Terre Haute – General Cinema Corporation TOWNE SOUTH PLAZA CINEMA I-II-III

IOWA

No theaters in Iowa opened Superman on December 15, 1978.

KANSAS

Overland Park – Dickinson GLENWOOD I & II ( Dolby Stereo )

) Topeka – Dickinson DICKINSON

Wichita – Commonwealth CREST (Dolby Stereo)

KENTUCKY

Ashland – Mid States MIDTOWN CINEMAS 1-2 ( Dolby Stereo )

) Florence – Mid States FLORENCE CINEMAS 6 ( Dolby Stereo )

) Lexington – Mid States NORTHPARK CINEMAS 6 ( Dolby Stereo )

) Lexington – Mid States SOUTHPARK CINEMAS 6 ( Dolby Stereo )

) Louisville – Redstone SHOWCASE CINEMAS ( Dolby Stereo )

) Owensboro – Malco PLAZA TWIN (Dolby Stereo)

LOUISIANA

No theaters in Louisiana opened Superman on December 15, 1978.

MAINE

Brewer – Cinema Centers BREWER CINEMA CENTER IV

South Portland – General Cinema Corporation MAINE MALL CINEMA I-II-III

MANITOBA

Winnipeg – Famous Players METROPOLITAN

MARYLAND

Baltimore – Jack Fruchtman HIPPODROME

Dundalk – Jack Fruchtman NORTHPOINT PLAZA

Frederick – Interstate FREDERICK TOWNE MALL CINEMAS 1 & 2

Glen Burnie – General Cinema Corporation HARUNDALE CINEMA I & II

Greenbelt – Showcase BELTWAY PLAZA

Hagerstown – Interstate LONG MEADOW CINEMAS

Joppatowne – Jack Fruchtman JOPPATOWNE

La Vale – Broumas CENTER

Landover – Neighborhood LANDOVER 6

Oxon Hill – Showcase OXON HILL

Rockville – Showcase PIKE

Salisbury – Rechir & Cohen WORLD TWIN

Towson – Rappaport HILLENDALE

Woodlawn – General Cinema Corporation SECURITY MALL CINEMA I & II

MASSACHUSETTS

Acton – ACTON TWIN

Boston – Sack CINEMA 57 TWIN ( 70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo )

) Brockton – General Cinema Corporation WESTGATE MALL CINEMA I-II-III-IV-V

Brookline – Redstone CLEVELAND CIRCLE 1-2-3 ( Dolby Stereo )

) Danvers – Sack LIBERTY TREE MALL 1-2

Dedham – Redstone SHOWCASE CINEMAS ( Dolby Stereo )

) Fall River – Interstate CENTER TWIN

Framingham – General Cinema Corporation SHOPPERS WORLD CINEMA I-II-III-IV-V

Hanover – General Cinema Corporation HANOVER MALL CINEMA I-II-III-IV

Hyannis – Interstate CAPE COD MALL CINEMA CENTRE 3 ( Dolby Stereo )

) Lawrence – Redstone SHOWCASE CINEMAS ( Dolby Stereo )

) Leominster – Sack LEOMINSTER CINEMAS

Milford – Interstate MILFORD CINEMAS 1-2 ( Dolby Stereo )

) North Dartmouth – General Cinema Corporation NORTH DARTMOUTH MALL CINEMA I-II-III-IV

Raynham – Hallmark CHALET

Seekonk – Redstone SHOWCASE CINEMAS ( Dolby Stereo )

) West Springfield – Redstone SHOWCASE CINEMAS ( Dolby Stereo )

) Woburn – Redstone SHOWCASE CINEMAS ( Dolby Stereo )

) Worcester – Redstone SHOWCASE CINEMAS (Dolby Stereo)

MICHIGAN

Ann Arbor – Mann FOX VILLAGE TWIN

Battle Creek – Butterfield TOWNE CINEMAS ( Dolby Stereo )

) Bloomfield Hills – Redstone SHOWCASE CINEMAS

Dearborn – Nicholas George WESTBORN

Flint – Plitt EASTLAND MALL

Harper Woods – Redstone BEACON EAST TWIN

Kalamazoo – General Cinema Corporation MAPLE HILL CINEMA I-II-III

Lansing – Mann SPARTAN TRIPLEX

Livonia – Nicholas George MAI KAI ( 70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo )

) Roseville – General Cinema Corporation MACOMB MALL CINEMA I-II-III

Saginaw – Goodrich QUAD

Southfield – Nicholas George AMERICANA COMPLEX ( 70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo )

) Southgate – Nicholas George SOUTHGATE TRIPLEX ( Dolby Stereo )

) Sterling Heights – Redstone SHOWCASE CINEMAS ( Dolby Stereo )

) Wyoming – Loeks STUDIO 28 SIXPLEX

MINNESOTA

Bloomington – General Cinema Corporation SOUTHTOWN ( 70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo )

) Brooklyn Center – Plitt BROOKDALE ( Dolby Stereo )

) Duluth – Plitt NORSHOR

Roseville – General Cinema Corporation HAR-MAR CINEMA I-II-III

MISSISSIPPI

Biloxi – Ogden-Perry EDGEWATER PLAZA CINEMA IV

Hattiesburg – Ogden-Perry BROADACRES CINEMA IV

MISSOURI

Columbia – Commonwealth CINEMA ( Dolby Stereo )

) Hazelwood – Mid-America VILLAGE

Kansas City – American Multi-Cinema EMPIRE 4

Richmond Heights – Mid-America ESQUIRE 4

Springfield – Mann CENTURY 21

Sunset Hills – Mann MARK TWAIN (Dolby Stereo)

MONTANA

Missoula – Mann FOX

NEBRASKA

Omaha – Mann FOX TWIN

NEVADA

Las Vegas – Mann FOX ( Dolby Stereo )

) Reno – Mann CINEMA

NEW BRUNSWICK

No theaters in New Brunswick opened Superman on December 15, 1978.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Bedford – General Cinema Corporation BEDFORD MALL CINEMA I & II

Concord – Cantin CONCORD

Nashua – General Cinema Corporation NASHUA MALL CINEMA I & II

Newington – Sonderling Broadcasting Corporation CINE 1,2,3,4

NEW JERSEY

Bricktown – Music Makers MALL TRIPLEX ( Dolby Stereo )

) Cedar Grove – CINEMA 23 ( Dolby Stereo )

) Clifton – ALLWOOD ( Dolby Stereo )

) East Brunswick – United Artists TURNPIKE INDOOR/OUTDOOR TWIN

Edgewater – United Artists SHOWBOAT QUAD

Freehold – Music Makers FREEHOLD TWIN

Hackettstown – MALL

Hanover – General Cinema Corporation MORRIS COUNTY MALL CINEMA I & II

Jersey City – General Cinema Corporation HUDSON PLAZA CINEMA I & II

Middletown – United Artists THE MOVIES AT MIDDLETOWN

Northfield – Milgram TILTON TWIN

Oakland – OAKLAND TWIN

Ocean – General Cinema Corporation SEAVIEW SQUARE CINEMA I & II

Paramus – Century PARAMUS TWIN ( Dolby Stereo )

) Parsippany – Loews TWIN

Princeton – Budco PRINCE TWIN

Raritan – General Cinema Corporation SOMERVILLE CIRCLE CINEMA I & II ( Dolby Stereo )

) Secaucus – Loews QUAD ( Dolby Stereo )

) South Plainfield – United Artists MIDDLESEX MALL TWIN

Toms River – General Cinema Corporation OCEAN COUNTY MALL CINEMA I-II-III

Totowa – United Artists CINEMA 46 TRIPLEX ( Dolby Stereo )

) Watchung – General Cinema Corporation BLUE STAR CINEMA I-II-III

West Orange – General Cinema Corporation ESSEX GREEN CINEMA I & II

Westmont – Milgram WESTMONT

Westwood – United Artists PASCACK

NEW MEXICO

Albuquerque – Commonwealth HILAND (Dolby Stereo)

NEW YORK

Amherst – General Cinema Corporation BOULEVARD MALL CINEMA I-II-III

Babylon – United Artists BABYLON

Big Flats – General Cinema Corporation CINEMA I & II ON THE MALL

Cheektowaga – General Cinema Corporation THRUWAY MALL CINEMA I-II-III

Colonie – Mann FOX COLONIE TWIN

DeWitt – CinemaNational CINEMA EAST ( Dolby Stereo )

) East Meadow – United Artists MEADOWBROOK QUAD

Garden City – Century ROOSEVELT FIELD

Gates – General Cinema Corporation WESTMAR PLAZA CINEMA I & II

Great Neck – United Artists SQUIRE

Henrietta – General Cinema Corporation TODD MART PLAZA CINEMA I & II

Huntington – Century SHORE TWIN ( Dolby Stereo )

) Hyde Park – ROOSEVELT

Johnson City – CinemaNational OAKDALE MALL CINEMAS

Kingston – KINGSTON TWIN

Liverpool – CinemaNational BAYBERRY

Massapequa – United Artists THE MOVIES AT SUNRISE MALL

Middletown – CinemaNational CINEMA

Mohegan Lake – General Cinema Corporation WESTCHESTER MALL CINEMA I-II-III

Mount Kisco – Lesser MT. KISCO TWIN

Nanuet – CinemaNational MALL

New Hartford – CinemaNational CINEMA NEW HARTFORD

New Rochelle – Century MALL

New Windsor – Cinecom SQUIRE

New York (Bronx) – Loews AMERICAN TWIN

New York (Bronx) – United Artists VALENTINE

New York (Brooklyn) – Century KINGS PLAZA TWIN ( Dolby Stereo )

) New York (Brooklyn) – Century KINGSWAY TWIN

New York (Brooklyn) – Golden BENSON TWIN ( Dolby Stereo )

) New York (Brooklyn) – Interboro HARBOR

New York (Brooklyn) – Loews METROPOLITAN

New York (Brooklyn) – RKO Stanley Warner KENMORE QUAD ( Dolby Stereo )

) New York (Manhattan) – Cinema 5 MURRAY HILL ( 70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo )

) New York (Manhattan) – Loews ASTOR PLAZA ( 70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo )

) New York (Manhattan) – Loews ORPHEUM ( 70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo )

) New York (Queens) – Century PROSPECT TWIN ( Dolby Stereo )

) New York (Queens) – Loews BAY TERRACE TWIN

New York (Queens) – United Artists ASTORIA QUAD

New York (Queens) – United Artists CROSSBAY TWIN

New York (Queens) – United Artists MIDWAY QUAD

New York (Staten Island) – Mann FOX PLAZA TWIN

New York (Staten Island) – United Artists ISLAND TWIN

Olean – Manos OLEAN CENTER MALL CINEMAS III

Patchogue – United Artists PATCHOGUE

Rockville Centre – Century FANTASY

Schenectady – CinemaNational MOHAWK MALL CINEMAS

Smithtown – United Artists SMITHTOWN

Southampton – United Artists SOUTHAMPTON

Suffern – Venturini LAFAYETTE

Watertown – Interstate STATEWAY PLAZA CINEMA CENTRE 3

West Seneca – General Cinema Corporation SENECA MALL CINEMA I & II

Yonkers – General Cinema Corporation CENTRAL PLAZA CINEMA I & II

NEWFOUNDLAND

No theaters in Newfoundland opened Superman on December 15, 1978.

NORTH CAROLINA

Asheville – Irvin-Fuller MERRIMON TWIN ( Dolby Stereo )

) Cary – Fairlane-Litchfield IMPERIAL IV ( Dolby Stereo )

) Chapel Hill – Plitt CAROLINA TWIN

Charlotte – General Cinema Corporation CHARLOTTETOWN CINEMA I-II-III

Charlotte – Plitt TRYON MALL 1 & 2

Durham – Martin NORTHGATE TWIN

Fayetteville – General Cinema Corporation CROSS CREEK MALL CINEMA I-II-III

Goldsboro – Stewart & Everett BERKELEY CINEMA 1 & 2

Greensboro – Plitt TERRACE 1 & 2

Raleigh – Plitt CARDINAL 1 & 2 ( Dolby Stereo )

) Wilmington – Stewart & Everett OLEANDER CINEMA 1 & 2

Winston-Salem – General Cinema Corporation HANES MALL CINEMA I-II-III-IV

NORTH DAKOTA

No theaters in North Dakota opened Superman on December 15, 1978.

NOVA SCOTIA

Halifax – Famous Players PARAMOUNT

OHIO

Akron – General Cinema Corporation CHAPEL HILL MALL CINEMA I-II-III

Akron – National AKRON SQUARE CINE 6

Canton – General Cinema Corporation MELLETT MALL CINEMA I & II

Cincinnati – Mid States CAROUSEL CINEMAS 1-2 ( Dolby Stereo )

) Cincinnati – Mid States NORTHGATE CINEMAS 5 ( Dolby Stereo )

) Columbus – General Cinema Corporation TOWN & COUNTRY CINEMA I & II

Columbus – General Cinema Corporation UNIVERSITY CITY CINEMA I & II

Columbus – Mid States CONTINENT CINEMAS 4 ( Dolby Stereo )

) Dayton – Chakeres DAYTON MALL CINEMAS 1-2-3-4 ( Dolby Stereo )

) Fairborn – Chakeres FAIRBORN TWIN

Fairview Park – National FAIRVIEW TWIN

Hamilton – CINEMA WEST

Lima – AMERICAN MALL CINEMA I & II

Mayfield Heights – General Cinema Corporation MAYLAND CINEMA I & II

Mentor – General Cinema Corporation MENTOR MALL CINEMA I-II-III

North Randall – General Cinema Corporation RANDALL PARK CINEMA I-II-III

Ontario – General Cinema Corporation RICHLAND MALL CINEMA I-II-III

Parma – General Cinema Corporation PARAMTOWN CINEMA I-II-III

Springfield – General Cinema Corporation UPPER VALLEY CINEMA I-II-III

Toledo – Redstone SHOWCASE CINEMAS ( Dolby Stereo )

) Trotwood – Mid States SALEM MALL CINEMAS 4 ( Dolby Stereo )

) Wheelersburg – Lancaster WHEELERSBURG TRIPLEX (Dolby Stereo)

OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma City – Commonwealth FRENCH MARKET TWIN

Oklahoma City – Commonwealth REDING 4

Tulsa – Mann FOX TWIN

ONTARIO

Hamilton – Famous Players CENTURY

Kingston – Famous Players CAPITOL 4

Kitchener – Premier LYRIC

London – Famous Players CENTURY 1 & 2

Mississauga – Famous Players SQUARE ONE 7

Oshawa – Famous Players OSHAWA CENTRE

Ottawa – Famous Players NELSON

St. Catharines – Famous Players PEN CENTRE

Toronto – Famous Players CEDARBRAE 6

Toronto – Famous Players HOLLYWOOD TWIN

Toronto – Famous Players IMPERIAL 6

Windsor – 20th Century VANITY

OREGON

Beaverton – Luxury Theatres WESTGATE TRI-CINEMA ( 70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo )

) Eugene – Luxury Theatres MCDONALD

Portland – Luxury Theatres EASTGATE TRI-CINEMA (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)

PENNSYLVANIA

Altoona – Manos LOGAN VALLEY MALL CINEMA I-II-III-IV

Ardmore – Budco SUBURBAN

Bensalem – American Multi-Cinema PREMIERE TWIN

Charleroi – Manos COYLE

Connellsville – Manos LAUREL MALL

Doylestown – Budco BARN 5

Du Bois – Manos DU BOIS MALL CINEMAS III

Easton – SamEric EASTON TWIN

Erie – General Cinema Corporation MILLCREEK MALL CINEMA I-II-III

Exton – Budco EXTON TWIN

Greensburg – General Cinema Corporation GREENGATE MALL CINEMA I-II-III

Harrisburg – SamEric TWIN EAST PARK CENTER

Hazleton – Cinecom CHURCH HILL TWIN

Indiana – Manos INDIANA

Johnstown – ACT I & II

King of Prussia – General Cinema Corporation VALLEY FORGE CINEMA I & II

Lancaster – Budco WONDERLAND 3

Lebanon – Fox FOX

Monaca – General Cinema Corporation BEAVER VALLEY MALL CINEMA I-II-III

Monroeville – Redstone SHOWCASE CINEMAS EAST ( Dolby Stereo )

) North Wales – Budco 309 TWIN

Philadelphia – Milgram FOX ( 70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo )

) Pittsburgh – Cinemette FULTON

Reading – Fox FOX NORTH ( Dolby Stereo )

) Robinson – Redstone SHOWCASE CINEMAS WEST

Scranton – General Cinema Corporation VIEWMONT MALL CINEMA I-II-III

Springfield – Budco SPRINGFIELD TWIN

State College – Cinemette GARDEN

Stroudsburg – Music Makers STROUD MALL TRIPLEX ( Dolby Stereo )

) Whitehall – General Cinema Corporation LEHIGH VALLEY MALL CINEMA I-II-III

Wilkes-Barre – General Cinema Corporation WYOMING VALLEY MALL CINEMA I-II-III-IV-V

York – Budco YORK TWIN

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

No theaters in Prince Edward Island opened Superman on December 15, 1978.

QUEBEC

No theaters in Quebec opened Superman on December 15, 1978.

RHODE ISLAND

Newport – SSC OPERA HOUSE

SASKATCHEWAN

Regina – Famous Players METROPOLITAN

Saskatoon – Famous Players PARAMOUNT

SOUTH CAROLINA

Charleston – Plitt ULTRAVISION 1 & 2

Columbia – Irvin-Fuller DUTCH SQUARE TWIN

Columbia – Irvin-Fuller SPRING VALLEY 4 ( Dolby Stereo )

) Greenville – Plitt GREENVILLE MALL 1 & 2 ( Dolby Stereo )

) North Charleston – General Cinema Corporation CHARLES TOWNE SQUARE CINEMA I & II

Spartanburg – Irvin-Fuller HILLCREST TWIN

SOUTH DAKOTA

No theaters in South Dakota opened Superman on December 15, 1978.

TENNESSEE

Antioch – Consolidated HICKORY HOLLOW MALL 1-2-3

Chattanooga – Martin SHOWCASE 1 & 2

Goodlettsville – Consolidated CINEMA 4 NORTH

Jackson – Malco PARAMOUNT

Knoxville – Plitt CEDAR BLUFF 1 & 2

Memphis – Malco MEMPHIAN

Memphis – Malco RIDGEWAY QUARTET ( Dolby Stereo )

) Nashville – Consolidated CINEMA 4 SOUTH

Nashville – Martin BELCOURT TWIN (Dolby Stereo)

TEXAS

Abilene – General Cinema Corporation WESTGATE CINEMA I & II

Amarillo – Mann FOX TWIN

Arlington – Texas Cinema Corporation CINEMA 4 ( Dolby Stereo )

) Austin – Mann FOX TRIPLEX

Baytown – Tercar BAY PLAZA 1 & 2

Beaumont – General Cinema Corporation GATEWAY CINEMA I & II

Brownsville – Plitt MAJESTIC TWIN

College Station – Plitt CINEMA TWIN

Corpus Christi – Mann NATIONAL TWIN

Dallas – General Cinema Corporation NORTHPARK CINEMA I & II ( 70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo )

) Dallas – General Cinema Corporation RED BIRD MALL CINEMA I-II-III-IV

Denton – Plitt CINEMA

El Paso – Mann FOX TWIN

Fort Worth – Plitt RIDGLEA ( Dolby Stereo )

) Friendswood – General Cinema Corporation BAYBROOK MALL CINEMA I-II-III-IV

Galveston – General Cinema Corporation GALVEZ PLAZA CINEMA I-II-III

Harlingen – Plitt CINEMA TRIPLE

Houston – General Cinema Corporation GULFGATE CINEMA I & II

Houston – General Cinema Corporation MEYERLAND PLAZA CINEMA I-II-III

Houston – General Cinema Corporation NORTHLINE CINEMA I & II

Houston – Plitt WOODLAKE 1-2-3

Hurst – Plitt BELAIRE 1 & 2

Irving – General Cinema Corporation IRVING MALL CINEMA I-II-III

Lake Jackson – LAKE I & II ( Dolby Stereo )

) Laredo – THE MOVIES

Lubbock – Noret SHOWPLACE 6 ( Dolby Stereo )

) McAllen – Plitt CINEMA TWIN

Midland – United Artists CINE 4 ( Dolby Stereo )

) Odessa – United Artists WINWOOD TWIN ( Dolby Stereo )

) Port Arthur – Gulf States PARK PLAZA TWIN

Richardson – General Cinema Corporation RICHARDSON SQUARE CINEMA I-II-III

San Angelo – Noret VILLAGE CINEMA 1 & 2

San Antonio – Santikos CENTURY SOUTH 6 ( Dolby Stereo )

) San Antonio – Santikos NORTHWEST 6 ( Dolby Stereo )

) Sherman – United Artists SHER-DEN MALL CINEMA 1 & 2

Temple – Texas Cinema Corporation CINEMA 6 ( Dolby Stereo )

) Texas City – TRADEWINDS 1 & 2 ( Dolby Stereo )

) Tyler – Plitt TYLER

Waco – Plitt 25TH STREET

Wichita Falls – Plitt WICHITA

UTAH

Provo – Mann FOX

Salt Lake City – Mann VILLA ( Dolby Stereo )

) South Ogden – Plitt WILSHIRE 1-2-3

VERMONT

South Burlington – CinemaNational CENTURY PLAZA 1 & 2

VIRGINIA

No theaters in Virginia opened Superman on December 15, 1978.

WASHINGTON

Bellevue – Sterling Recreation Organization JOHN DANZ ( Dolby Stereo )

) Everett – General Cinema Corporation EVERETT MALL CINEMA I-II-III

Lynnwood – Sterling Recreation Organization LYNN 4

Olympia – Luxury Theatres STATE TRI-CINEMA

Seattle – Sterling Recreation Organization LAKE CITY ( Dolby Stereo )

) Spokane – Sterling Recreation Organization STATE ( Dolby Stereo )

) Tacoma – Sterling Recreation Organization TACOMA MALL TWIN ( Dolby Stereo )

) Tukwila – Sterling Recreation Organization LEWIS & CLARK 3 (Dolby Stereo)

WEST VIRGINIA

Charleston – CAPITOL

Huntington – Greater Huntington CINEMA ( Dolby Stereo )

) Vienna – General Cinema Corporation GRAND CENTRAL CINEMA I & II

WISCONSIN

Brookfield – General Cinema Corporation BROOKFIELD SQUARE CINEMA I & II

Green Bay – Standard BAY 3 ( Dolby Stereo )

) Madison – General Cinema Corporation EAST TOWNE MALL CINEMA I & II

Madison – Madison 20th Century HILLDALE ( Dolby Stereo )

) Milwaukee – Capitol MILL ROAD 4-PLEX ( Dolby Stereo )

) Milwaukee – United Artists SOUTHGATE

Racine – General Cinema Corporation CINEMA I & II

WYOMING

No theaters in Wyoming opened Superman on December 15, 1978.

THE INTERVIEW

Mike Matessino is a Soundtrack Producer and Film Music Preservationist. He was involved with the Superman soundtrack CDs released in 2000 and 2008. Other soundtrack projects have included Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Poltergeist, 1941, The Star Wars Trilogy, and many others. While with Sharpline Arts he produced numerous documentaries and supplemental material for LaserDisc, DVD and Blu-ray Disc releases, including Alien, The Sound of Music, and The Thing.

Bruce Scivally is the author of Superman on Film, Television, Radio & Broadway (McFarland, 2006). He has also written Billion Dollar Batman: A History of the Caped Crusader on Film, Radio and Television from 10¢ Comic Book to Global Icon (Henry Gray, 2011) and (with John Cork) James Bond: The Legacy (Abrams, 2002). He also has written and produced numerous documentaries and featurettes that have appeared as supplemental material on LaserDisc, DVD and Blu-ray Disc, including several of the Charlie Chan, James Bond, and Pink Panther releases. He teaches screenwriting, film production and cinema history and theory at the Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago and Columbia College.

Michael Coate (The Digital Bits): In what way is Superman worthy of celebration on its 35th anniversary?

Mike Matessino: Superman remains a great, groundbreaking movie that is highly entertaining and beautifully made. It’s a true classic. This anniversary also aligns with the 75th anniversary of the character and next year is the centennial of Superman’s creators, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The 1978 movie falls right in the middle of the character’s history and crystallizes, if you’ll pardon the pun, all of his mythology.

Bruce Scivally: It seems that when you go to the multiplexes now, half the movies in theaters, and certainly the highest-grossers, are films based on comic books. That is a phenomenon that began with Richard Donner’s Superman. Before 1978, there was a general consensus that – with movie serials having died out in the 1950s – the place for superheroes was television. This was cemented by the success of the Superman TV series in the 1950s, and Batman in the late 1960s. In the 1970s, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man and The Hulk came to prime-time TV, and there were TV-movie pilots for other heroes, like Captain America and Doctor Strange. Plus, a live-action Captain Marvel had a successful run on Saturday mornings. So when Ilya Salkind proposed the idea of Superman as a big-budget, star-studded feature film, it was – at the time – a very radical idea. And I truly believe that if Superman had failed at the box-office, we wouldn’t have all the Marvel and DC Comics-inspired films flooding theaters now.

Coate: How is Superman significant within the comic book/superhero film genres?

Matessino: Obviously Superman: The Movie is the template for every comic book superhero movie that followed. Prior to that, what immediately came to people’s minds was the 1960s Batman TV series. The 1978 film walked a fine line, incorporating just enough campy humor but treating the character seriously and depicting the world as a real one.

Scivally: Superman took a comic book subject and treated it with respect. After the campy 1960s Batman, that was a big deal. But, as creative consultant Tom Mankiewicz once said to me, the safe and easy way to do a superhero movie is to stand outside of it and make fun of it. What is more difficult – and more interesting – is to get inside the material and treat it with respect. While he was rewriting Superman for Richard Donner, the watchword was “verisimilitude” – they had to make it seem like it could actually happen. This was later reflected in the ad-line for the movie: “You’ll believe a man can fly.”

Coate: Were you a fan of the Superman character prior to seeing the 1978 movie?

Matessino: I wasn’t a comic book reader as a kid, but the George Reeves TV series was re-run in syndication constantly and the character also appeared on Saturday morning cartoons at the time, and I was a faithful watcher of both.

Scivally: Some of my earliest memories are of watching George Reeves in reruns of The Adventures of Superman. From as far back as I can remember, I was captivated by Superman. I think the character has enormous appeal for children, because when you are small and powerless, the ultimate fantasy is to be bigger and stronger, if not smarter, than everyone else. Throw in flying and bullets bouncing off your chest, and that’s just way cool.

Coate: Can you recall your reaction to the first time you saw the 1978 Superman movie?

Matessino: I loved the movie immediately and what I associate with my overall “reaction” is the beginning of the picture… the opening of a curtain, the black-and-white comic book prologue, and then the incredible impact when the screen widens, the colorful animated credits fly past you and John Williams’ theme starts thundering in Dolby Stereo. It was so theatrical and it felt that this is what going to the movies was all about.

Scivally: I wish I could say I was ecstatic, but it’s a little more complicated than that. From the time I first heard about the film, I followed its progress through magazines like Starlog and Fantastic Films and little blurbs in the entertainment columns of newspapers. There were rumors that the producers were pulling out all the stops and had developed a new kind of 3-D system that would make it seem like Superman was flying right out of the screen. By the time I got to the theater – and I went with a group of my high school friends – I was so filled with the hype that there was no way ANY movie could live up to it, so it was a bit of a disappointment. I also wasn’t bowled over by Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor, or the overall campy tone of the modern-day Metropolis scenes. Having gotten over that initial letdown, however, the film really grew on me in subsequent viewings, and now when I watch it I feel it’s just about perfect. One of the things that experience taught me, however, is to avoid, as much as possible, all hype for a movie until I’ve seen it.

Coate: Compare and contrast Christopher Reeve's performance with that of other actors who have portrayed the character of Superman. Was Christopher Reeve the best Superman?

Matessino: I think all of the actors who’ve portrayed Superman over the years were well chosen in the sense that each had an instinct about what the character meant for the time in which each played the role. Christopher Reeve was the first one to plausibly deal with the conceit of why no one could recognize that Clark Kent was Superman with glasses on. He played Clark exactly like what he would really be… a farm boy totally overwhelmed by the big city. It didn’t feel like something he was doing just to conceal his identity. It therefore felt relatable. It tapped into that sense we all have that there is an ideal, confident, balanced person inside each of us.

Scivally: Looking at the actors who have portrayed Superman on film and TV, Kirk Alyn was pretty much a stock serial hero, without a lot of shadings to his portrayal – but then the serials never had characters who were more than one or two-dimensional. George Reeves gave two performances as Superman. In the first couple of seasons, his Superman is a tough crime-fighter. In the later seasons – the ones made after Dr. Frederick Wertham’s notorious attack on comic books – he’s a much jollier, affable Superman. His portrayal of Clark Kent softened as well, though there was never much differentiation between his Kent and his Superman; his early Kent was a tough, no-nonsense reporter who would have been at home in a Humphrey Bogart crime thriller. Looking back at the shows now, George Reeves’ Superman is like a surrogate parent, with Lois and Jimmy his children that he has to keep in check and keep rescuing from trouble. It was a pretty innocent portrayal for a much more innocent time. There wouldn’t be another major live-action portrayal (outside of TV commercials) until Christopher Reeve twenty years later. By that time, the country had experienced the Vietnam War and Watergate, so the wide-eyed innocent approach wouldn’t have resonated with a much more cynical, jaded era. Consequently, Christopher Reeve – under Donner’s direction – gave more shadings to Clark Kent and Superman. For the first time, audiences could see a hint of sadness and loneliness in the character, and Reeve made a much greater effort to play Kent and Superman as different individuals, which helps sell the illusion that Lois Lane wouldn’t be able to see past the whole eyeglasses-as-disguise bit. While his Superman is a confident charmer, his Clark Kent is a shy, bumbling Jimmy Stewart type. Or, as Reeve put it, his Kent is a put-on, a reflection of the way the alien Kal-El (Superman) sees us.

Coate: Between the original theatrical release, television broadcasts and the numerous home-video releases of Superman, which cut/version do you feel is the best?

Matessino: I think that the original theatrical release – with its original sound mix only – is nearly perfect. The extended TV cut is interesting because we get to see what else was shot and it serves its own purpose, but I think all the right editorial decisions were made in creating the theatrical cut. The one piece of added footage I wish they’d kept is the one that shows Superman’s attempt to catch the eastbound missile head on, only to establish that its avoidance system prevents him from doing so. The movie establishes that Metropolis is basically New York with a name change, and therefore the geography is unclear when Superman leaves Metropolis and ends up BEHIND the eastbound missile. They may have cut that material because the visual effect was unsatisfactory, but it also unfortunately necessitated the abrupt cutting of the music score there.

Scivally: I’m always a fan of sticking to the original presentation, so I prefer the original theatrical cut. The same goes for Superman II – despite the much-heralded Donner Cut, I still feel the original Donner/Lester hybrid is superior.

Coate: How significant is John Wiliams' score?

Matessino: The importance of the music cannot be understated. I’ve said this before, but the genius of this work is that Williams didn’t just score the movie at hand, he scored the entire Superman myth. His main theme can be applied to every incarnation of the character that preceded it, and it kept getting used through the ’80s and on into Superman Returns and even Smallville. You listen to the score and you get the whole Superman story… Krypton, Smallville, Metropolis, his relationship with Lois Lane, villains, and heroic action. The score itself communicates all the basics of the story.

Scivally: How significant is John Williams’ score? That’s like asking, how significant is oxygen? John Williams is a certifiable genius, whose music has lifted many a movie into a higher realm. His Superman Theme captures the essence of the character beautifully, and the rest of the score – even Margot Kidder’s awkward spoken word love poem – is outstanding.

Coate: Where does the Superman score rank among John Williams' body of work?

Matessino: Superman is certainly one of John Williams’ most indelible works. Obviously the main theme is masterful, but so is the love theme. It’s romantic but very modern, very cosmopolitan. His choices for scoring the Krypton and Smallville sequences are incredibly sensitive and on target. The score came in the midst of a very prolific period that included the original Star Wars trilogy and his first projects with Steven Spielberg, and Superman certainly stands equally among them. It remains one of my favorites of his entire body of work.

Scivally: It’s in my Top Three, along with Star Wars and Dracula (1979).

Coate: There have been numerous Superman soundtrack albums released. What are the pros and cons of each release?

Matessino: All the releases have merit. In 1978 we originally got a very generous double LP set, but which still left off some of the major pieces of the score, notably the music for Superman’s first appearance when he rescues Lois from the crashed helicopter. When that album came out on CD, two tracks were dropped on the U.S. version, so it was necessary to track down the Japanese release to get the complete album. In the late ‘90s the score was re-recorded, so it was great to have another take on it, and shortly after that came the Rhino 2-CD set that I worked on, which featured a lot of music that had not been previously released. I later got to revisit the material in 2007, which was after new source elements turned up. That came out as part of a box set which did very well and is the best sounding version of the original film’s score.

Coate: Superman was made in a mixture of styles and tone, particularly with respect to the direction, acting and cinematography. Is this an asset or detriment to the overall effectiveness of the movie?

Matessino: It works for me because that’s the character’s experience. We’re introduced to his place of origin, a truly alien world and then his life experience, which is rural Americana and then the world’s biggest, most bustling city. This is contrasted by the villain Lex Luthor, who is arrogant and feels in control of that world. The changes in tone and photographic approach reflect this. Life changes its look and its tone, after all. It made the movie feel more real and relatable.

Scivally: Despite the reservations I had on first seeing it, I can now appreciate the way the movie switches tones from the Krypton scenes to the Smallville scenes to the Metropolis scenes. If they had kept up the solemnity of the Krypton scenes throughout, the movie might have ended up being overly dark, as I feel today’s modern superhero movies are. And especially with Superman, who is a character who represents light and goodness and the best qualities we have inside us, audiences should be able to have some fun in the theater. Batman – that’s a different story.

Coate: This movie was made during an era where there were very few movies of its type being made. These days, it seems every other week a new superhero or comic book-inspired movie is released. What did Donner's Superman do well that its previous incarnations, sequels, imitators and reboots have not?

Matessino: For me, what Donner’s film did is reach beyond non-comic book readers to all potential viewers, young and old, and to everyone who enjoyed going to the movies. It didn’t require you to have any experience with the character prior to that. The other thing it did, rather boldly, was set it in the real world of the late 1970s. It was not really stylized in any way. What they shot on the streets of New York felt like the exact same city as Taxi Driver. The movie’s famous tagline was “You’ll believe a man can fly” and it delivered that not only through its groundbreaking effects but by placing Superman in a world that was familiar and that felt very real. Some of the latter day entries in the genre do this in their own way, but for me nothing comes close to the sense of realism that the first Superman achieved. Think about how hard it is to pull off a character in a costume like that and have an audience accept it. You can either make the world completely fantastic and stylized so that he doesn’t stand out…or you can do the tough work of figuring out how to get the script, the cast, the look and the tone exactly right so that this character can speak to a pimp before he stops a falling helicopter, and then crowds in the street applaud the arrival of a true hero.



Scivally: As I said earlier, Donner’s Superman was the first superhero movie to be made like a serious Hollywood epic. Prior to the late 1970s, if you set out to make a superhero film, it would be considered a “B” movie – at best – and be done with a small budget, like Warner Bros.’ previous Doc Savage film. Superman was a game changer. After Superman, studios realized that if they took these films seriously, so would audiences, and the box-office rewards could be astronomical. As a result, by the 1990s, there had been a flip-flop in film budgeting. Movies that – in the early 70s – would have been considered “B” films were now “A” films with “A” budgets, and films that would have been considered “A” movies were now being done as “B” films with smaller budgets, if at all. In terms of other Superman films, what Donner – and Tom Mankiewicz – got right is that Superman is, at heart, an innocent with super powers. Superman Returns and Man of Steel, in my estimation, were misfires, trying too hard to give a dark inner turmoil to the character. He ain’t Batman, but since The Dark Knight was, for a while, the second highest-grossing film in history, moviemakers keep trying to turn him into a conflicted Batman-type character.

Coate: Where does Superman rank among director Richard Donner's body of work?

Matessino: Donner would be lauded for the film even if he had not directed any others. But certainly it’s one of several for which he will be remembered along with The Omen, The Goonies and Lethal Weapon. He was obviously the perfect director for Superman and I think its success played a role in the longevity of the character.

Scivally: When I think of Richard Donner, three films immediately come to mind: The Omen, Superman and Lethal Weapon. For me, Superman is his best film.

Coate: Mike, what was the objective with the Superman CD soundtrack projects?

Matessino: The Rhino release came at a time when that label was putting out their own releases of scores that had pop culture impact. The goal with that release was to include as much previously unreleased music as we could find at the time. On the Film Score Monthly box set, we wanted to create a definitive collection of music from the four films featuring Christopher Reeve. The inclusion of Ron Jones’ music from the 1988 animated series (which used John Williams’ theme) turned it into an 8-disc set that encompassed a full decade of music for the character. The complete scores for Superman II and Superman III were part of it along with the first ever release of music for Superman IV, which was itself quite a revelation, a really epic work done by longtime Williams friend and collaborator Alexander Courage. The whole thing was a very satisfying project to work on and one of which I’m very proud.

Coate: Bruce, what was the objective with your Superman book?

Scivally: I wrote Superman on Film, Television, Radio and Broadway basically because I wanted an excuse to immerse myself in researching Superman on film and TV. In this instance, “researching” means watching all of the movies and TV shows again, which was a joy for me. But as I watched them, I began to see that each generation has its own interpretation of Superman, so in writing the book I tried to place the TV shows and films in a cultural context, while also cramming in as much detail as possible about the behind-the-scenes decisions that went into the making of them. And, at the time I began writing, there hadn’t yet been a book that looked at the totality of Superman in popular culture; there were books on the George Reeves series, and Kirk Alyn’s biography, and books about the Broadway show and the “lost” pilots for Superboy and Superpup, but there wasn’t a book that covered all of it in one volume. I’d like to revisit it in a couple of years, to write about the Superman films and TV incarnations that have come along since 2006.

Coate: What is the legacy of Superman, the character in general and the 1978 movie in particular?

Matessino: Superman is the ultimate immigrant story. When Superman flies over the Earth at the end of the picture, with that grand score playing, it's the character now claiming this place as his home. He has become fully part of a place that was originally foreign to him and has figured out his place in it. Of course it has overtones of the stories of Moses and Jesus and so it is overflowing with mythic resonance. All of that comes out in the 1978 film without it feeling heavy handed. It came out at the perfect time because prior to that things were campier and in later decades we moved toward making things darker and more complex. In the 1970s movies felt very real and yet it was acceptable at the time to put the tongue into the cheek here and there and have a little fun with it. But underneath it all is a basic story that we can all relate to that has to do with wondering about our origins, looking at our formative experiences, and figuring out a way to let the selfless, heroic part of ourselves express itself in our lives. If you had to pick one incarnation of Superman where all of this is codified definitively, it’s Superman: The Movie.

Scivally: As a character, Superman is a symbol of what is best about human character; he really does represent truth and justice, and at one time – when the phrase had only positive connotations – the American Way. Superman – the movie – was a major game-changer in Hollywood. And I do believe Ilya Salkind, its producer, should get credit for seeing that a comic book character, treated with respect, can connect with a mass audience. Had he not had that vision and pursued it, we wouldn’t have any of the superhero movies we have today; they’d still be “TV material.”

SOURCES/REFERENCES:

The information contained in this article was principally referenced from newspaper and film industry trade publications, reviews and theater advertisements.

SPECIAL THANKS:

Jerry Alexander, Al Alvarez, Neil S. Bulk, Raymond Caple, Nick DiMaggio, Bill Gabel, Steve Kraus, Bill Kretzel, Mark Lensenmayer, Mike Matessino, Tim O’Neill, Tim Reed, Bruce Scivally, John Stewart, Allen Swords, Joel Weide, Keith Wondra, Vince Young, and a very special thank-you to all of the librarians who helped with the research for this project.

- Michael Coate