Not only was Christopher Reeve the best Superman, he was by far the best Clark Kent.

@DarkSylvia

2 ай бұрын

You nailed it. That's where Henry Cavil fell short. He wasn't a convincing Clark Kent at all.

@billolsen4360

2 ай бұрын

Reeve's comic sense was invaluable to this. Something that films based on Batman, etc. never could.

@flaggerify

2 ай бұрын

Not sure about that. His Kent is a bit of a caricature.

@acmcdesign

2 ай бұрын

I recently read that when he was Superman on the set all the woman would be ga-ga, but when he walked through as Clark Kent he got zero attention.

@samuraiwarriorsunite

2 ай бұрын

Christopher Reeve is still the only Clark Kent who make me even remotely believe he wasn't Superman. He was, and is, the best.

R.I.P Christopher Reeve. He will always be Superman to me.

@jooei2810

2 ай бұрын

He is the only Superman for me!

@fynnthefox9078

2 ай бұрын

Reeve IS Superman. Definitive.

Superman II is definitely worth a watch. It's still one of my favorite comic-book movies to this day.

@brockbaby

2 ай бұрын

The action kicks up and it was my fav as a child.

@jenniferri7735

2 ай бұрын

ABSOLUTELY

@bfdidc6604

2 ай бұрын

Superman II. And Megamind if they haven't seen it yet. And also Deathtrap (1982) if anyone wants to see more of Christopher Reeve.

@rafaelrosario5331

2 ай бұрын

The Donner cut please?

@weepingscorpion8739

2 ай бұрын

@@rafaelrosario5331 The Donner Cut is nice but I always think it's worth watching the theatrical release first.

"It's too good to be true! He's 6'4", has black hair, blue eyes, doesn't smoke, doesn't drink and tells the truth!" Her line delivery of this was PERFECT!!

@ScooterBond1970

2 ай бұрын

"That's Clark, nice!" -Lois

Christopher Reeve is phenomenal in this role. The scene where he takes off the glasses and considers telling Lois his identity is the perfect explanation of why the glasses work. You can see him transform from Clark Kent into Superman. His posture changes, he looks more confident, and his voice gets deeper. It's more than just the glasses, he's a different person. Aside from that, there's the psychology of it. Superman has all this power and doesn't wear a mask. People don't expect to see him in everyday mundane life. They probably just assume he's Superman all the time. When they look at Clark they don't even consider that he could be Superman. He hides in plain sight and Christopher Reeve's acting sells that. He's playing two different characters in his performance.

@alangarde2928

2 ай бұрын

That scene was the first time I appreciated how much physicality actors put into their roles, not just voice and facial expressions. He totally sold it and transformed.

@SciTrekMan

2 ай бұрын

Clark and Superman also part their hair on the opposite side of each other

@hectorlanzo8295

2 ай бұрын

Believe it or not, the cristal was never a green color. In the Teather version of the movie,the cristal is Sky blue in color. But when the format of movie was changed to VHS somehow the color changed to a green. And it stayed that way even when the format of the movie was changed to DVD.

@hectorlanzo8295

2 ай бұрын

Also, the scene of the helicopter falling, and all the scenes of destructions & cars crashes on the San Francisco briged and the destruction of the Dam were all done with miniatures.

The difference between Clark and Superman is an absolute brilliant performance by Christopher Reeve.

“That’s me when I find a dog”. She’s a keeper.

@edwardsadler3348

2 ай бұрын

😅😂

Superman the movie was the first big budget superhero movie, at a time when NO ONE would put a superhero on the movie screen.

@trhansen3244

2 ай бұрын

True, though they did put Spider-Man in a few made for tv movies. Some believe it was the success of those tv movies that finally encouraged a big screen Superman.

@bfdidc6604

2 ай бұрын

@@trhansen3244 And there's Batman (1966), to which very few people have reacted.

@jessquinn6106

2 ай бұрын

The first Superman movie was in 1948, Batman 1939, The Phantom 1943, And these were during WW2 when food and products were scarce

@deathmetal271

2 ай бұрын

jessquinn6106 those were serials

@jessquinn6106

2 ай бұрын

@@deathmetal271 Still, they were movies.

This is the film which started the big screen superhero film genre. Without Superman the Movie, there would be no DCEU or MCU.

Superman at his core is a symbol of hope. This film captures that beautifully.

@radicalreactions1633

2 ай бұрын

That's why it's the ONLY CINEMATIC SUPERMAN.

@user-be7tc2bd6e

2 ай бұрын

In Man of Steel,Zor-El wanted Superman to be the bridge between the Kryptonian race and the human race,his father told him this in the film.He said humanity would join him in the air,they'd fumble,but,one day....

@JoeThornhill

2 ай бұрын

This movie *did* state that the 'S' isn't for Superman, It's his families coat of arms, right? Thus explaining all the other members of the council having different symbols?

@user-be7tc2bd6e

2 ай бұрын

@@JoeThornhill You are absolutely correct,amigo. And the Superman comics followed suit also by including this nice touch into the Superman mythos.

@davidgradwell8830

2 ай бұрын

@@user-be7tc2bd6e All the incarnations of Superman have cross-pollinated with each other over the decades. Legend holds that Kryptonite was created for the 1940s radio show as a way to give Bud Collyer (Superman/Clark) a vacation. On the show, Superman was laid low for a few weeks at the mercy of crooks who imprisoned him with a chunk of Kryptonite. It fell to his best friends--Batman and Robin--to solve the mystery of Superman's disappearance and rescue him. The Superman show became the Batman show for a little while. Then, Bud Collyer returned from vacation. Batman saved Superman, returned to Gotham City and all was well. Then, kryptonite began to appear in the comics--and the mythology.

The ad slogan for the film was "You'll believe a man can fly." But the real feat of this film, and Reeve's portrayal, is "You'll believe Superman can disguise himself as Clark Kent."

@gallendugall8913

2 ай бұрын

Explains why Batman is that world's greatest detective - everyone else is oblivious!

@trhansen3244

2 ай бұрын

@@gallendugall8913 What? Nonsense. Lieutenant Columbo is the world's greatest detective. Then Sherlock Holmes. Then Barnaby Jones. Thomas Magnum. And the very underappreciated Spenser!

@LeonardoG1981

2 ай бұрын

People keep saying that about how people didn't noticed that Clark Kent was Superman, but there have been many famous people who have lost look alike contests when they went as themselves: Dolly Parton Robert Downy jr. Charles Chaplin Just to name a few.

@toodlescae

2 ай бұрын

That scene in Lois' apartment is extraordinary acting.

@TheSsjJoker

2 ай бұрын

@@trhansen3244sorry bud, rules are rules Worlds greatest Detective is one of many Titles for The Batman

This is how I see Superman. Christopher Reeve was pretty much the comic book come to life in this movie. I was 17 when this came out and immediately had a crush on Christopher Reeve. Before this we only had the old b&w tv show with George Reeves as Superman where it was glaringly obvious he was *not* flying. There was also no difference between his persona as Superman and Clark Kent which was why no one could believe that people didn't realize they were the same person. Christopher Reeve absolutely made it believable that no one realized it. The little girl on the train is Lois Lane and the woman playing her mother is the actress who played Lois Lane in the old tv show. The trick with making it believable is Christopher Reeve presenting 2 men with distinctly different personalities, mannerisms, posture and even the pitch and tone of voice between Clark and Superman is different.

@tonyclements1147

2 ай бұрын

Exactly. Reeve used his posture and voice along with the clumsiness quite well to sell the fact that CK and Kal’el are two different people.

@jordanparker5949

2 ай бұрын

Not all of the George Reeves Superman was in black and white. Quite a bit in color.

@toodlescae

2 ай бұрын

@@jordanparker5949 yeah I forgot that it eventually went to color. Been a lot of years since I watched it.

@SJHFoto

Ай бұрын

I actually always liked the Kirk Alyn serials of the 40s over the George Reeves TV show of the 50s. But you are corret-they didn't even try to make him fly-it switched to a cartoon for his flying scenes

@SJHFoto

Ай бұрын

@@jordanparker5949 Jordan, in a way you are correct. Only the first couple seasons were B & W. But in a way, you are wrong since back then only about 8% of televisions in the US were colour TVs (and even less in Canada) so the people actually watching then saw it in B & W

While filming, Christopher Reeve walked into the studio cafeteria for lunch, in full Superman costume, hair etc. The eyes of every woman were glued onto him the entire time. Another time he walked into the cafeteria as Clark Kent. He was completely ignored.

@shirw

2 ай бұрын

Well, to be fair, maybe it was the red underroos. 😂

@trhansen3244

2 ай бұрын

@@shirw Superman just does not look right without the red briefs.

@stevejoshua9536

2 ай бұрын

And who witnessed all of this ?

@VolatileSupernova

2 ай бұрын

I'm not saying this didn't happen, but I've heard the same story about Viggo Mortensen, Christian Bale, and like three other actors, it's such a trope. That being said I love that moment when Reeves takes the glasses off and stands up taller and you can see the transition from bumbling reporter to Superman.

@kenjisparks

2 ай бұрын

​@@stevejoshua9536 presumably the people who were there. You could probably look it up for specifics.

A big thumbs up not only for a great film but for watching it correctly, with a child's eyes. You didn't compare it to another film or anything from Disney. Neither of you complained that the special effects were dated. I saw this in a theater in 1978 and the idea of seeing Superman was thrilling and the film delivered, it never forgot that the source material was a comic. Kudos on your reactions. The sequal answers some of your questions. As a side note Superman's step father was the great actor Glen Ford who starred in so many great films. The woman on the train with the daughter is the original Lois Lane from the 1952-1958 TV show.

@SJHFoto

Ай бұрын

She actually was Lois Lane even before the TV show-she first portrayed the character in the 40s serials with Kirk Alyn. I grew up with a videostore that had ALL the old serials, so I rented the double VHS of them all the time. I actually like the Kirk Alyn stuff better than the George Reeves show since there were better villains (Lex Luthor and the Spiderlady)

I saw this in the theater when it premiered. Christopher Reeves is the OG. He made us believe that a man could fly.

@dan1216

2 ай бұрын

Reeve

@SJHFoto

Ай бұрын

Does "OG" mean original? If so, there were 2 actors who portrayed Superman in live action before him-Kirk Alyn in the 40s, and George Reeves in the 50s (Actually Alyn, and Noel Neill (Lois Lane) had a cameo in this as the parents of the little girl (who was supposed to be Lois) who saw Clark running by the train)

@dzl8596

Ай бұрын

@@SJHFoto OG meaning he was the best.

The thing with the glasses and stuff. It's not just the glasses, it's the whole act. Clark Kent is so clumsy and awkward and nerdy. Superman is strong, confident, composed. Also, Henry Cavill played Superman. He stood under a batman v superman billboard with his face on it in NYC, in a superman t-shirt and glasses. Not a single person realised it was him.

@Logan_Baron

2 ай бұрын

And I always notice how hardly anyone looks Clark in the face more than briefly. Mostly from the persona he puts on to be uninteresting to them.

@radicalreactions1633

2 ай бұрын

Cavill DID NOT play Superman, he played Bizarro/Ultraman, learn the difference.

@ShuffleUpandDeal32

2 ай бұрын

@@radicalreactions1633 Last I checked it was Superman

@treetopjones737

2 ай бұрын

A phone booth to change clothes - a glass walled box in public. SMH

@eq1373

2 ай бұрын

​@@ShuffleUpandDeal32that character was NOT Superman

15:46 A "dude ranch" is a tourist-focused cattle ranch (i.e. where the actual cattle business is second to tourists pretending to be cowboys). I believe the Billy Crystal film City Slickers (1991) takes place at one.

@JohnnyMan316

2 ай бұрын

Very popular in the 70's. I visited one w/ my family as a child. It has since died down, but there are still some out there.

John Williams' incredible and iconic score really elevates this movie to where it needed to be. My 11 year old self was completely blown away by this, and by Star Wars the previous year!

The tagline for this movie was "You will believe a man can fly." Over 40 years later, thanks largely to Christopher Reeve's amazing portrayal of Kal-El, I still believe.

I love this movie, The effects may be dated nowadays, but it's still one of the best superhero movies. And it really captured what makes the Caped Crusader so beloved. Christopher Reeves is the definitive Superman in my opinion.

@wampa25

2 ай бұрын

The Caped Crusader is Batman

@jlhanlon1980

2 ай бұрын

I actually think the helicopter scene is still one of the greatest scenes ever for a superhero intro. I also think it looks pretty realistic, there are a couple of things here and there with a green screen, but that scene is flawless to me.

@TayannaStudios

2 ай бұрын

@@jlhanlon1980 Agreed.

@clairemendoza8082

2 ай бұрын

@DanGamingFan2846 Smallville is one of my favorite TV shows and Christopher praised Tom’s portrayal of CK. ❤️❤️

@trhansen3244

2 ай бұрын

@@wampa25 I think you are right. I think they called Superman the Big Blue Cheese.

An actor the level of Ned Beatty takes a small part and makes it classic. Instant character establishment. Not only does he try to steal from a blind man, but he fails as well 🤣 "Otis... burg...?"

@trhansen3244

2 ай бұрын

This film is filled with Oscar caliber performances. Beatty, Hackman, Ford and of course Christopher Reeve.

@chrispittman8854

2 ай бұрын

@@trhansen3244 "Little 'souvenir' from the 'old home town?'"

@fiddiehacked

2 ай бұрын

Ned Beatty was amazing. Comedy, drama, leading man, villain, supporting cast - I'm amazed he never picked up an Oscar, Emmy, or Tony!

@chrispittman8854

2 ай бұрын

@@fiddiehacked "Network." 😳 Amazing.

@SJHFoto

Ай бұрын

Sadly, he died fairly recently

Superman 2 is a great sequel and will fulfil your questions & concerns. I saw this at the cinema when I was a child... it was amazing for its time. The scene where superman gets upset at Louis's death gives me goose bumps to this day. Christopher was made for this role... so sad what happened to him.

@SJHFoto

Ай бұрын

I saw the last 3 Christopher Reeve movies in the theatre too! I actually never got the hate for III, although IV is a tough one to praise

None of today’s superhero movies would be possible without this film. Remember, no CGI. Christopher Reeve is the penultimate Superman. Story, writing and direction are all superb. Yes, watch Superman II. Fun sequel.

@winedarkemperor

2 ай бұрын

I'm curious, if Christopher Reeve is in second place for you, who's your top Superman?

@dggydddy59

2 ай бұрын

​@@winedarkemperorThat's what I was going to say. Who's the ultimate Superman then?

@courtneywallace871

2 ай бұрын

@@winedarkemperor Showing my ignorance of the definition. Sorry.

@billolsen4360

2 ай бұрын

I hate most CGI, especially the films like the lame "300." They're just cartoons for "adults?" on the cheap.

@brandonflorida1092

2 ай бұрын

George Reeves is the ultimate Superman.

He didn't change like magic, he just did it so fast we didn't see it ..

The key to understanding this movie is that when it was made, Superman as a character was more well-known from the 50s TV series than from the comics, and the movie is based mainly on the TV series continuity. I've seen articles from comics fandom that complain the movie makers seemed to have never even looked at a comic book, and that's pretty much right: they looked at the TV series instead. Though I love the comics, I don't actually consider this a flaw: the movie was serving what was at the time the larger fandom. On Superman breaking Jor-el's rule: he wasn't breaking a magical rule resulting in magical consequences, he was deciding which father he would follow: Jor-el or Jonathan Kent. By choosing Jonathan, he decided what sort of hero he'd be. (In the comics some years later, he would face this same choice and say "It may have been Krypton that gave me powers, but it was Earth that made me Superman.")

@brandonflorida1092

2 ай бұрын

The 50s series was awesome.

The time ending was for the sequel, but they were over time for this movie, and needed an ending. So, he moved the end of the second movie to end the first movie. You all should watch the second film. It’s tremendous and addresses a lot of loose ends in the first movie.

The power house of John Williams and The London Symphony Orchestra.

31:00 No Superman wasn't reading her mind. That was just her inner dialogue.

@justwondering5651

2 ай бұрын

It's actually the lyrics to the song being played in the background. Can You Read My Mind (1979) by Maureen McGovern.

Superman's first appearance always involves a plane/heli/spaceship and Lois is always the one that names him.

I love that you are watching some older movies! I just watched your reactions to Wizard of Oz and as always, it was really fun to watch. I'm looking forward to this reaction as well.

@nickreacts6394

2 ай бұрын

Yeah we really enjoy checking out older movies, the vibe/ pace is different in a special way. Hope you enjoy!

The Superman symbol isn't an S, It's his family crest. On Krypton we see everyone wearing their own family crest.

@Lethgar_Smith

2 ай бұрын

retcon

@Falcun21

2 ай бұрын

@@Lethgar_Smith It was a Kryptonian symbol all the way back in the Silver Age, but this movie was the first time it was shown as a Family Crest.

@davewhitmore1958

2 ай бұрын

@@Lethgar_Smith New to comics?

@jsharp3165

2 ай бұрын

@@Lethgar_Smith This movie is the retcon.

@bobbuethe1477

2 ай бұрын

This was the first time it was shown as a Kryptonian symbol. In the comics, from Superman's first appearance in 1938 up until his reboot in the 1980s, it was only meant to be an S.

Christopher Reeve has been the only person thus far to capture both Clark and Kal-El. This is my favorite Superman movie and my favorite superhero movie of all time.

@Falcun21

2 ай бұрын

Wrong. Christoper invented this type of Clark. The clumsy, goofy, cowardly Clark was created by him to differentiate the two for this movie. Golden and Silver Age Clark were not clumsy, they were just "mild-mannered" which for their time meant that they were not aggressive, macho men ready to throw fists. Clark would stand his ground until the confrontation started to get physical and then he would back down to avoid revealing his secret. Watch George Reeves portray late Golden Age Superman in the Adventures of Superman, his Clark was not a tough guy, but he wasn't a coward or klutz either. Christopher was portraying what is known as Bronze Age Superman, or as some call him, Pre-Crisis Superman, which was just a continuation of Silver Age Superman with some slight changes to his origin to keep Superman's age current. Golden Age Superman was born in 1909 so was 29 in 1938 so in 1970 would be 61. (Bronze Age began in 1970). Chris Reeve's Superman was 30 in 1978, so he was born in 1948 and it took him two and a half years to get to Earth so he arrived in 1950-ish, which was just 6 years before Silver Age began. Dean Cain captured Post-Crisis Superman/Clark perfectly, because he played Clark as the man and Superman was just a persona he adopted, as he said in the show, "Superman is what I can do, Clark is who I am," directly opposite to Chris Reeve having Superman be the real being and Clark the disguise. Henry Cavill portrayed early Golden Age Superman/Clark as he was more aggressive as Clark, but not to the point of getting physical and he would lash out in anger like Clark did against Ludlow's truck. His Superman was still discovering just how powerful he truly was and both Cavill's and Golden Age Superman were not readily accepting by the law.

@jlhanlon1980

2 ай бұрын

Who tf are you to tell me I'm wrong, there are only very few morons around that have that ideology that you have still. He definitely was able to portray a separate character and that separate character was a character in Superman history, more so than even Heath Ledger's Joker so get off my back with your bs.

@stacyhanlon3640

2 ай бұрын

​@@Falcun21 you are wrong, there has been a bumbling Clark interpretations in Superman's canon. I don't know why you would call someone wrong like you're the end all, know it all of Superman. Regardless of your OPINION, he definitely was able to portray 2 different characters, whereas none of the others have been able to make it seem different, they just seem like the same person, 🙄.

@jlhanlon1980

2 ай бұрын

​​@@Falcun21 you're just basing this all on the issue with Cary Grant and "Bringing Up Baby," but regardless of how you feel, there definitely has been a bumbling Clark in history. Besides, a mild mannered person not doing anything at the sign of danger, turning into Superman when needed, is exactly what he portrayed. My statement was, he's the only one to be able to portray different people, the others just felt like the same person basically So, it doesn't negate anything that I've said. I actually like Cavil too, but no Clark Kent has felt this BELIEVABLY different than Superman, except for this version. There's also been a version of Superman that could morph his face, which made it hard to detect he was Clark. The original Superman only could jump an 1/8th of a mile. Should we deny the radio serial for giving Superman that power, just because it's not in the comics originally? Should we get rid of the Fortress of Solitude because it came from this movie. You think you're the only one that knows Superman's history and characterization?

@jlhanlon1980

2 ай бұрын

​@@Falcun21 mild mannered definition : (of a person) gentle and not given to extremes of emotion. Pretty sure that's what Christopher Reeve portrayed, and regardless of how you feel about his clumsiness, that added to the effect, which made it seem like 2 different people.

Christopher Reeve was a real life Superman too. He was a good person. Also, the scene where he and Louis fly is one of the most beautiful moments in cinema for me to this day. The music and imagery can make a grown man cry. They didn’t have to take the source material as seriously as they did, but they went all in! This film is a piece of art!

Jor-El warned his son to not interfere with history (time), as such great power can be seductive. With great power comes great responsibility. Kal-El may have averted being corrupted this time, but the next time may not be as good.

You two looked like you had so much fun watching this! That’s the charm of this groundbreaking classic.

Christopher Reeve was also good in Somewhere In Time (sad but good movie)

Superman II is just as good as this one. My brother and I grew up watching this movie and saw it in theaters when it first came out. It was a huge deal and a huge movie with lines around the block, waiting to buy tickets. This movie was the first of it's kind, the first major superhero movie to hit theaters. And at the time, the special effects were considered great. Christopher Reeve will always be Superman to me. His acting and his portrayal of Clark Kent was genius. I just don't feel that any of the other actors later on have been able to capture Superman and Clark Kent in the same way that Reeve did. RIP to the great Christopher Reeve.

When he changed time, he decided who's son he really is. He chose his earth father.

He's largely forgotten by you young whippersnappers, but Clark Kent's Earth father was played by Glenn Ford, who was a pretty big actor back in the day. And you talk about Brando being famous...so was Gene Hackman. He's absolutely a huge name in the history of cinema.

@torontomame

2 ай бұрын

Glenn Ford was in so many amazing films, but if I had to choose one favourite of his it would definitely be 1946's "Gilda".

“Priorities, lady!!” 😂 Funny, but she is proving she is selfish, too, by giving him the kiss before even taking the kryptonite chain off.

@jsharp3165

2 ай бұрын

Yeah she’s with Lex for a reason.

@deborahwilkerson5044

2 ай бұрын

Taking not giving a kiss

Yeah, you should see the sequel. It is a great continuation of the story and maybe they wrap up the Zod stuff from the beginning of this one.

I love when Perry White says “You got bags of humility.” 😂😂😅

@trhansen3244

2 ай бұрын

Humility is Joe Biden 's one fault.

I am so glad I watched your reaction to Superman. I saw it in theaters when it came out, then tv, VHS, laser disk, dvd, blue ray as well as digital on streaming service. Watching you two, if I might be excused for saying, are an adorable couple, seeing your glee and sincere appreciation for this movie has taken me back in time. I felt like a 10 year old watching it in theater again with you two as fellow movie goers sharing the emotions of, before CGI, believing a man could fly. Thank you so much for letting me tag along in this very special journey for me at least. May you live long, happy and successful lives.

@nickreacts6394

2 ай бұрын

Thank you so much! This is such a nice comment, and we wish you nothing but the best :)

I was 9 when this came out. It was perfect!!

The reason he's not recognised is because they don't know that it's a disguise. WE do, they don't. They don't know that throughout the day he dresses as a news reporter. They'd just see him as someone else altogether.

@celticson

2 ай бұрын

We all assume the disguise wouldn't work, because we all over-estimate peoples' face recognition skills.

@dr.burtgummerfan439

2 ай бұрын

"They'd just see him as someone else." (Airplane! joke)

i first saw this when i was 6 or 7 years old, and it wasn't until i was a teenager that i realized my fear of being buried alive comes from the scene with lois during the earthquake. so traumatizing.

A funny story about getting Gene Hackman (Lex Luthor) to shave off his mustache, which he was well known for up to that point. Richard Donner the director said, "I'll tell you what. If you shave off yours, I will shave off mine" and so he agreed. On the first day of shooting, Gene shows up with the mustache gone but he sees that Richard still has one, so he mentions it to him. Richard says, "Oh, right" and peals off his fake mustache...

This is my favorite movie of all time. Glad it still holds up for the younger folks!

The mother of the girl on the train was Lois Lane from the original Superman series....

@fiddiehacked

2 ай бұрын

Don't forget Jimmy too!

@moshabraf

2 ай бұрын

And the little girl is present day Lois👍

@nrkgalt

2 ай бұрын

The girl’s father was played by Kirk Allyn, who played Superman in a couple of movies in the 40s and 50s.

This movie has a tremendous script, one of my favorite scripts.

@trhansen3244

2 ай бұрын

Thank Tom Mankeweicz for bringing humor to Superman the Movie.

You are now watching the first of the legendary superhero movies. I saw this in the theater and it was amazing then. The movies tag line was "You will believe a man can fly". And we were amazed at how much it really looked like he was flying. So the emblem on his uniform isn't the Superman symbol...it's the family crest for the house of El. He is Jor-El and Superman's real name is Kal-El. The crystal created the Fortress of Solitude, his base and home away from home. So you definitely need to watch the next one, it's even better.

2:05 More on this: The producers getting Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman for this movie was the selling point for getting studio backing. Notice that they were the ones who were listed before the title; Christopher Reeve was an unknown Juilliard graduate with a few TV roles when this came out. 2:19 Richard Donner said in an interview that when he first saw the opening credits, the music was so perfect he practically heard the title “Superman” when it appeared. 22:46 I always say that this is the biggest giveaway that Superman is Clark Kent. They’re both huge nerds. 32:11 You didn’t show the actual transition from Clark to Superman, but you can see the whole change in his face, his body, his attitude. “That’s ACTING!” (And if you don’t get that reference, Google “SNL Master Thespian.”) 37:54 The tech in the foreground who does everything in this scene is John Ratzenberger, who’s been a character in just about every Pixar movie (notably Hamm in “Toy Story” and Mack in “Cars”), though you’re probably too young to know him as Cliff Clavin from “Cheers.”

I love this comic called American Alien, where one of Clark’s friends says “you must never take your glasses off when you’re in ‘Clark mode!’” His response: “I do all the time. People say ‘hey, you look just like Superman!’”

@jsharp3165

2 ай бұрын

Exactly. The context keeps them from jumping to the conclusion that he IS Superman. I have a friend who looks just like Chris Noth. But since everyone around my friend assumes there’s no way Chris Noth would just be working a desk job and hanging out with them, they will never jump to the conclusion that he’s really Chris Noth. Even if he is!

It's nice to know that younger people love Christopher Reeve's performance, too. He's my favorite super hero - so wholesome, just like the comics originated. "I fight for truth, justice, and the American way." And he's the only Superman that actually makes a genuinely DIFFERENT character between Clark/Superman. All the others just have the glasses on and then off - CHRISTOPHER really wanted to lean hard on making a character that would make it be believable how people couldn't tell the difference between the two. Christopher was a classically trained actor at Julliard where he roomed with Robin Williams. After Christopher was paralyzed years later, Robin visited him in the hospital and helped Christopher believe he can go on living. One thing I know Christopher did to create Clark was study Cary Grant's character in Bringing Up Baby. That is a GREAT movie for you two to watch... have you heard of the movie genre called 'Screwball?' Well, it defines the genre.

FYI, each symbol represented a different family "House" Superman's stood for "Hope"

@bobbuethe1477

2 ай бұрын

The idea that it means "hope" was first introduced in 2003, in "Superman: Birthright" by Mark Waid.

@vilefly

2 ай бұрын

@@bobbuethe1477 However, it was Marlon Brando's idea that each house crest be shown on the other scientists' suits, along with him. At that point, it was not simply, an "S" anymore. Then he ran off into the sunset, naked, happy and rich.

@bobbuethe1477

2 ай бұрын

@@vilefly That's true. It was several years later when that idea finally made it into the comics.

@SaulofTarsis

2 ай бұрын

yes, but not the idea of each house having its separate symbol. the explanation later is now canon. i believe its definition 'expanded' through the years@@bobbuethe1477

I consider Superman 2 one of the best sequels in exitence, so check that out when you get a chance.

When young Clark was racing with the train, that little girl who was watching him through binoculars was a very young Lois Lane.

@williambanks2223

2 ай бұрын

And her grandmother sitting next to her was Lois Lane from the 1950s series.

One of my favorites, always loved Christopher Reeve's performance. ❤

The woman on the train with the kid that he runs by played Lois Lane on the original B&W TV Superman series .

@Falcun21

2 ай бұрын

Not just that, the man on the train, Lois' father was played by Kirk Alyn, the first Superman to ever be on screen.

This is the Superman i had a crush on.

superman is a great movie, i have almost seen all movies from the 70s and 80s, and even oldies, try the oldie FORBIDDEN PLANET with Leslie Nielsen, you wont be dissapointed and you will be surprised what they could achieve in that era

That famous theme music? By the great John Williams who did Star Wars and so many others. My favorite is his score for the 1979 Dracula with Frank Langella. 🦇 ❤

@trhansen3244

2 ай бұрын

Yes, he was on a roll. I always go and forth between Williams and Goldsmith as my favorite film composer.

was always in love with Chris Reeve. Brilliant actor & this is a classic film. Chris is sadly missed 😢💔

Hands down, this movie here has the best SUPERMAN ROAR ever in all SUPERMAN movies. We all know which part I'm talking bout. Yall keep up the GREAT WORK. I'm really glad yall gave this one a look. 💯🇺🇲😎

@brendag5263

2 ай бұрын

Yeah, that scene where he cries out after losing Lois Lane is chilling. Very good acting by Reeve.

@Redd21481

2 ай бұрын

@brendag5263 Right on ma'am that'll be the scene💯😎 if you got the surround sound all the bells and whistles crank it up on that scene.

That “little girl” who sees Clark running beside the train you wouldn’t believe who that was- that was Lois Lane. Yes the Lois lane.

@bobbuethe1477

2 ай бұрын

And the actors who played her parents were Noel Neill and Kirk Alyn, who played Lois and Superman in the 1948 movie serial. (Noel played Lois again in the 1950s "Adventures of Superman" TV series.)

Lex Luthor is Gene Hackman, the blind man in Young Frankenstein

@tigerbread78

Ай бұрын

No

Saw this in the biggest theater there was in my country and I just want to state a fact, Christopher Reeve was born to portray Superman, he is the embodiment of this iconic character through and through.

The whole disguise of just wearing glasses and being nerdy isn't far-fetched at all. Henry Cavell, the guy who played the new Superman in the man of steel and Justice League movies and Batman versus Superman. He wore a Superman shirt even and walked around Times Square during an event, with just a pair of glasses and no one recognized him. During an event

Yes, there is more for the second one. ❤❤❤

Christopher Reeve was able to fly without CGI. Of course, there was no CGI then.

@alittlebitgone

2 ай бұрын

There was CGI in movies when Superman came out, just not much of it. (Westworld & Star Wars both feature computer generated shots)

In May 1995 Christopher Reeve became paralyzed from the neck down when he sustained a severe cervical spinal injury in a horse-riding accident.

"You've got me...Who's got you?" One of my favorite lines in movie history.

The 'little girl' on the train was a young Lois Lane. The two who were playing her parents, were Noel Neal, TV's Lois Lane from the 1950s TV show and Kirk Alyn, the original Superman actor form the chapter serials of the 1940s.

@SJHFoto

Ай бұрын

Yes! I grew up watching those serials. I wish someone would react to those, but I think they are so far from the common perview that it probably won't happen

I wear glasses daily. People do not recognize me when I’m not wearing them. Even if I’m around them for hours at a time. It’s a real phenomenon.

my favorite after seeing this in the drive in is still when Superman rages and reverses time. I will never forget tha from age 8 to now it sticks with you.

something this movie got right that the new ones didn't was Johnathan Kent dying from a heart attack, something that Clark couldn't save him from to teach him that he couldn't save everyone

I noticed that the Mario Puzo name stuck out to you. He wrote The Godfather book and the screenplays for the movies, winning Oscars for the first 2 movies for adapted screenplay. He wrote the screenplay for the 1st 2 Superman movies

"Superman is what I can do. Clark is who I am."

@fiddiehacked

2 ай бұрын

Have you seen Pulp Fiction??

@Falcun21

2 ай бұрын

That's not this Superman. That's Post-Crisis Superman. Golden, Silver and Bronze Age Superman were all Superman is the real being and Clark is the disguise.

@Falcun21

2 ай бұрын

@@fiddiehacked Bill was talking about Golden, Silver and Bronze Age Superman seeing humanity as frail and weak, not Post-Crisis. Given Bill's age, he would not have likely been familiar with Post-Crisis Superman where Clark is the man and Superman is the disguise.

@munchkinmoonstone

Ай бұрын

That line was from Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman starring Dean Cain, another excellent Superman.

Superman 2 is the continuation of this movie. They were filmed simultaneously and originally intended to be a continuous storyline. However because of budgetary reasons it was decided to split them up into two movies. All of the loose ends from this film are tied up in the sequel.

This here is the definitive Superman movie made 47 years ago and it is real, no CGI!

He is not lying to her when he says “A friend.”

@trhansen3244

2 ай бұрын

At the same time he dropped some hints he wanted to be more than just friends. Pretty deceptive on his part.

Christopher Reeve was a Julliard-trained actor and came up with the physical and vocal differences between the two characters on his own. Being an actor first, he had to develop the Superman physique after being chosen for the role. He didn't want to wear any padding in his costume, so he gained over 20lbs before production started. Reeve also continued to bulk up through the first two sequels.

@timkeller2128

2 ай бұрын

I immediately wanted to point this out when I watched, but you beat me to it! 😊 So many people joke about how NO ONE would fall for Clark/Superman simply because of his glasses, but it isn’t that in this movie! Christopher Reeve was such a great actor that he could have pulled off the switcheroo WITHOUT using the glasses at all!

@radicalreactions1633

2 ай бұрын

He gained THIRTY POUNDS, and the character isn't two characters, it's TWO PERSONAS IN ONE.

Superman II will answer your questions. I was 6 when this movie came out. I even had the superman big wheel. Christopher Reeve will always be my favorite superman.

The best actor who played this superhero in theaters, in my opinion. R.I.P. Christopher Reeve, the eternal Superman, at least for me.

The two versions of the first sequel are named Superman II and Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut.

@trhansen3244

2 ай бұрын

I love the Donner Cut. Even as a kid I did not like the theatrical version.

@nickperkins8477

2 ай бұрын

@@trhansen3244 I always liked the theatrical version of the movie. But, when I was a young child, ABC aired a version of Superman II which is mostly what we now call “The Donner Cut,” except it was even better than “TDC.” Because it was a complete movie, a complete melding of Richard Donner and Richard Lester. Extended scenes. You can see many of those cut scenes here on KZread, now. But, there’s not a complete version of that film available in the United States. I think they offer it on DVD in England as Superman II: The International Version. That is the best possible version of the film.

@Phatooine

2 ай бұрын

​@@trhansen3244 The Donner cut ending sucked. It ruined the experience.

@trhansen3244

2 ай бұрын

@@Phatooine I bet you are a MAGA Trump Orange Hitler supporter!

The reason his parents stayed was because there wasn't enough time to build a big enough ship.

@jlhanlon1980

2 ай бұрын

The reason the parents stayed was because the council told them they should not leave to create a panic and so Jor-El said that neither I, nor Laura, will leave.

@jayharvey7043

2 ай бұрын

@jlhanlon1980 out of curiosity, where'd that come from, I got my info years ago from a comic, but I know different sources has different origins.

@nickreacts6394

2 ай бұрын

Ah ok that makes sense, only room for one and of course they saved their child

@maverick4you

2 ай бұрын

Jor-El promised he and wife would not leave Krypton which would have caused massive riots ppl begging for them to be saved also

@maverick4you

2 ай бұрын

Dude ranch is where animals are raised. The helpers/ranch workers live at the ranch

Thank you for reacting to the original Superman! This has been my favorite movie since childhood. Great reaction.

The Philadelphia Story (1940) is a fun, classic comedy. Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn. 3 of the biggest stars of their day

There are 4 movies Superman 2 is amazing

Nick and Quynh (i hope that is spelled right) reacting to classic Superman? Yes please!!! Can't believe you in particular had never seen this before, oh Nick! Still, better late than never, right!?!😅 This movie really was groundbreaking for the time, and was responsible for a resurgence of interest in superhero films and shows in the late 70s and 80s. Will always have very fond memories of this movie and the first sequel. The other two...meh. 3 wasnt bad, just not quite the same, and 4 was a total hot mess and bit of a joke. At any rate, can't wait to watch this. Cheers!!!😁 Edit, in regards to your question about the different symbols on the Kryptonian clothes in the beginning: What we know as the Superman symbol isn't really that, or even an S. It is the Kryptonian symbol for "hope", and was used by the El family line as their crest, basically coat of arms. That is what all the different symbols represent, the crests of different prominent family lines. Hope that helps. Cheers again!!

@nickreacts6394

2 ай бұрын

Thank you for explaining! And yes you spelled correctly :)

i'm reminded of this comic from years ago. lex luthor once spent billions of dollars to create a super computer with only one purpose: find out superman's secret identity. after months of work and calculations, the computer eventually gave him the answer: clark kent. luthor promptly had the computer dismantled and destoryed. his reason: he refused to believe that a being as powerful and godlike as superman would ever debase himself by pretending to be a bumbling reporter from the country. its not just the glasses that fools people. its his whole personality.

I saw this in the theater with my parents and I still love it. ✌🏻👩🏻‍🦰👍🏻

13:48 Jor-El's monologue is really inspiring. If you ever continue with the superman franchise in order up to the 2006 superman returns, you may hear those words again.

@trhansen3244

2 ай бұрын

Superman Returns is one of my favorite superhero films. Much better than Man of Steel.

@NimpanZ

2 ай бұрын

@@trhansen3244 Superman returns is a wonderful homage to these earlier superman movies. Man of steel didn't understand the essence of superman and therefore feels soulless.

@trhansen3244

2 ай бұрын

@@NimpanZ A perfect word to describe Man of Steel. Yes, it was soulless.

"They can be a Great people Kal-El. They wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for Good, I have sent them you. My only son." Such a wonderful, inspiring & profound line! (with a fair degree of Christian undertones IMO.) I absolutely LOVE it! That scene around the 32-minute mark shows how Christopher Reeves performance makes it ENTIRELY believable that people don't recognize that Clark IS Superman.

Glad you asked these questions. This film attempts to give a context to Superman's "S". On Krypton, each family has it's own identifying symbol, worn as an amulet. Jor El's symbol just happens to resemble what looks to us like the letter "S". The Krypton elders robes were made entirely of the same highly reflective material ordinarily used in narrow strips on firefighter's jackets. When a strong direct light is shone on it the camera reads it as being illuminated from within. On the set the fabric appeared simply as a dull gray. The little girl on the train is young Lois Lane. Her parents are played by Kirk Alyn, the first movie Superman in 1948 and Noel Neill, tv's Lois Lane in the '50s. By the way, though it's easy to miss, the glasses aren't the only difference. Superman combs his hair from left to right, Clark combs it from right to left.

30:53 The music playing in the background here is called "Can You Read My Mind?" and originally they wanted Margot Kidder (Lois) to sing it. But since, by her own admission, "cannot sing her way out of a paper bag", they kept it an instrumental and had her RECITE the lyrics...that's why it sounds lie she's reciting poetry.

Also, notice that Clark & Superman parted their hair on opposite sides of the head.

Clark's glasses are made from a material that distorts the way people see him, also the part in his hair is on the opposite side as Superman.

@icoborg

2 ай бұрын

nice try :D

@tracy4290

2 ай бұрын

@@icoborg I think the comics were all over the place about why Clark and Superman weren't linked, so this is just as reasonable as any other theory.

@Falcun21

2 ай бұрын

Clark wears his hair swept back and the to the right with a left side part; as Superman, his hair is still parted on the left, but it's not as slicked back and the swept back hair falls across his forehead forming the iconic S-curl. Reeve was the first one to switch the hair parts for Clark vs Superman, possibly because Reeve's own hair parted on the right. Cain's hair was worn loose and falling forward as Clark and swept back into a DA Pompadour as Superman, again, going with the actor's natural part. Routh's hair was parted on the right and falling over his forehead as Clark and swept back and to the left with a backwards S-curl as Superman. Cavill's Clark and Superman had right side parts with the hair swept back and left as Superman in MoS and BvS, but swept back and right with a left side part for Justice League (which is actually Cavill's natural part.) We don't know how Corenswet will wear his hair, but his natural part is on the left and his wave and curl already form an S-curl when his hair is rumpled, just like Cavill's for that matter. As to the glasses; Superman has un-naturally blue eyes and the glasses make them appear more gray. Holding one's jaw differently like Reeve does as Clark also changes his looks.

@bobbuethe1477

2 ай бұрын

@jayharvey7043 is more or less correct. In Superman #330 (the December 1978 issue), it was revealed that the special plastic lenses in Clark Kent's glasses had a hypnotic property that causes people to not recognize Clark as Superman. But there was much ridicule and criticism over that idea, so it was never mentioned in the comics again.

@jayharvey7043

2 ай бұрын

@bobbuethe1477 thanks for the info

the "white suits" at the begining was aluminum foil suits made for the film

26:51 Fun Fact: Perry White (the boss) was born in 1922 and he was a featured member of the "Our Gang" ensemble (similar to "The Little Rascals") from 1929 to 1931

@smichelle65

Ай бұрын

Jackie Cooper also holds the record for being the youngest actor ever (9 years old) to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Actor, for his role in 1931's "Skippy".

@SJHFoto

Ай бұрын

Another fun fact is that another member from the Little Rascals played Jimmy Olsen in the 40s serials (which was the first live action Superman)