Superman

1978
PG
2h 23m

IMDb RATING

7.4/10

191K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

Play trailer1:33

Superhero Urban Adventure Action Adventure Sci-Fi

An alien orphan is sent from his dying planet to Earth, where he grows up to become his adoptive home's first and greatest superhero.An alien orphan is sent from his dying planet to Earth, where he grows up to become his adoptive home's first and greatest superhero.An alien orphan is sent from his dying planet to Earth, where he grows up to become his adoptive home's first and greatest superhero.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.4/10

191K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

1,073

139

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 3 Oscars
- 19 wins & 23 nominations total

Trivia
According to Sir Roger Moore's autobiography, he witnessed Christopher Reeve walking through the canteen at Pinewood Studios in full Superman costume, oblivious to the swooning female admirers he left in his wake. When he did the same thing dressed as Clark Kent, no one paid any attention. Very interestingly, something similar happened with Harold Lloyd: when he wasn't filming movies and removed his iconic round glasses nobody paid attention to him at the point that no one recognized him as the famous actor he was. Lloyd was inspiration for Superman's alter ego Clark Kent, specially in the detail of the glasses to hide himself of the public eye in his civilian identity.

Goofs
(at around 44 mins) When Jor-El introduces himself in the Fortress of Solitude, he explains that by this time, he will have been dead for thousands of Earth years. Yet during his teaching during Kal's journey to Earth from Krypton (at around 21 mins), Jor-El refers to Einstein's theory of relativity, which wasn't formulated until long after the destruction of Krypton.

Quotes
Miss Teschmacher: It's too good to be true. He's 6' 4", has black hair, blue eyes, doesn't drink, doesn't smoke, and tells the truth.
Lex Luthor: Miss Teschmacher, some people can read "War and Peace" and come away thinking it's a simple adventure story. Others can read the ingredients on a chewing gum wrapper and unlock the secrets of the universe.
Miss Teschmacher: Lex, what has chewing gum got to do with the secrets of the universe?

Crazy credits
Next Year: "Superman II"

Alternate versions
The current DVD, in addition to containing the 2000 restored director's cut, has 2 deleted scenes (both of Lex' babies, and seen in the TV edits in their original context), and alternate audio scoring for 8 sequences (including an unreleased alternate pop version of Margot Kidder's "Can You Read My Mind"). The DVD has the 2000 restoration with the following additions / expansions (all of which were seen in previous expanded television versions):
Some added dialogue when Jor-El is talking with the council.
The council calls an "Executioner" to hunt and kill Jor-El to keep the rocket from launching.
Noel Neill and Kirk Alyn's speaking cameos on the train.
Little girl sees Clark running faster than train, parents call her Lois Lane.
In the kitchen Martha Kent takes out a box of Cheerios.
After rescuing Air Force One Superman returns to Fortress of Solitude and has a conversation with his father.
In Metropolis when the news of Superman comes out, Clark is a spectator. A stranger (played by an uncredited Richard Donner) comments "that'll be the day when a man can fly"; Clark grins.
While trying to get Luthor's lair Superman goes through machine guns, flame throwers, ice machines with Luthor taunting on loudspeaker.
The sequence with the Girl Scouts.

Connections
Edited into Superman II (1980)

Soundtracks
Can You Read My Mind
Music by John Williams
Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse
Performed by Margot Kidder

User reviews694

Review

Featured review

from childhood

It remains one of the most fascinating slices of my childhood. The fascination is the same. The same the emotion. And the believe than Christopher Reeves remains the best Superman. Sure, after decades, it could be seen as naive. But its freshness is yhe same. Like the noble moral message.