Superman (released in theaters on Dec. 15, 1978) begins on the doomed planet Krypton, where scientist Jor-El (Marlon Brando) sends his infant son, Kal-El, to Earth just moments before the planet’s destruction.
The baby is found and adopted by kindly Kansas farmers Jonathan (Glenn Ford) and Martha Kent (Phyllis Thaxter), who name him Clark. As he grows up, Clark (Jeff East as a teen) discovers he possesses extraordinary powers, instilled with the mission to serve humanity.
Upon the death of his adoptive father, a heartbroken Clark travels to the Arctic, where he enters the Fortress of Solitude and learns his true heritage from the holographic wisdom of Jor-El. He emerges ready to embrace his destiny as Superman.
Clark Kent (Christopher Reeve) moves to Metropolis and adopts the mild-mannered persona of a reporter at the Daily Planet, where he works alongside the tough but charming Lois Lane (Margot Kidder), Jimmy Olsen (Marc McClure) and his editor, Perry White (Jackie Cooper).
Superman’s grand debut saves Lois from a helicopter crash, captivating the world.
His primary nemesis quickly emerges: the criminal genius Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman), aided by his bumbling henchman Otis (Ned Beatty) and his moll, Miss Teschmacher (Valerie Perrine).
Luthor devises a fiendish plot involving nuclear missiles aimed at the San Andreas Fault, designed to sink the West Coast and leave his secretly purchased land as the new beachfront property.
The climax forces Superman to choose between saving millions of lives and obeying the non-interference code of Krypton.
Terence Stamp and Sarah Douglas appear as the imprisoned Kryptonian villains Zod and Ursa, briefly glimpsed in the Phantom Zone.
Maria Schell, Trevor Howard and Susannah York round out the cast.
Directed by Richard Donner, Superman is a cinematic landmark that fundamentally changed the way superhero films were perceived. Donner’s guiding principle, often quoted as “verisimilitude,” was to treat the material seriously and infuse it with emotional resonance, making audiences believe in the incredible.
Superman‘s casting was instrumental to its success as Reeve, virtually unknown at the time, delivered two pitch-perfect performances: the bumbling sincerity of Clark Kent and the heroic majesty of Superman, establishing the gold standard for the character.
The signing of Brando for a salary of $3.7 million and 11.75% of the box office gross profits for just a few minutes of screen time lent the film immediate prestige.
Superman, which was the most expensive film ever made at the time with a budget of $55 million, premiered at The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, on December 10, 1978.
The film written by Mario Puzo, David Newman, Leslie Newman, and Robert Benton.
Superman was followed by Superman II, Superman III, and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.
Christopher Reeve in Superman (Photo/Warner Bros.)
Reception for Superman
Superman grossed $7.5 million on its opening weekend, finishing No. 1 at the box office.
The film would gross $300.5 million worldwide.
Roger Ebert gave Superman four out of four stars in his review.
Legacy
Superman was a massive critical and commercial success, earning a Special Achievement Academy Award for Visual Effects for its revolutionary visual effects. Its lasting legacy is its foundational influence on every subsequent superhero movie.
It established the character’s definitive origin story for a generation, perfectly blended humor and heart, and proved that comic book stories could be adapted into high-quality, epic cinema.
It set the stage for the modern blockbuster era, forever validating the phrase: “You’ll believe a man can fly.”
