Even with all of his powers, Superman still couldn't save this movie. Here are the shocking behind-the-scenes details on the disaster of Superman IV. The Internet Movie Database includes plot outline, user comments, ratings, and cast overview. Adventures of Superman is an American television series based on comic book characters and concepts created in 1938 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Superman Returns is a video game based on the movie of the same name, It was developed by EA Tiburon and published by Electronic Arts in conjunction with Warner Bros.

Swing back to Drew's Script-O-Rama afterwords for more free scripts! SUPERMAN LIVES Written by Kevin Smith WARNER BROS. Provides full cast and crew list, external reviews, plot summary, memorable quotes, merchandising links, filming locations, photo gallery and discussion board.

Adventures of Superman (TV series)Adventures of Superman is an American television series based on comic book characters and concepts created in 1. Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The show was the first television series to feature Superman and began filming in 1. California on RKO- Pathé stages and the RKO Forty Acres back lot.

It was sponsored by cereal manufacturer Kellogg's. The show, which was produced for first- run television syndication rather than a network, has disputed first and last air dates, but they are generally accepted as September 1. April 2. 8, 1. 95. The show's first two seasons (episodes 1–5. Superman was not shown in color until 1.

George Reeves played Clark Kent/Superman, with Jack Larson as Jimmy Olsen, John Hamilton as Perry White, and Robert Shayne as Inspector Henderson. Phyllis Coates played Lois Lane in the first season, with Noel Neill stepping into the role in the second (1. Superman battles crooks, gangsters, and other villains in the fictional city of Metropolis while masquerading "off- duty" as Daily Planet reporter Clark Kent. Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, Clark's colleagues at the office, often find themselves in dangerous situations which can only be resolved with Superman's timely intervention.[citation needed]Its opening theme is known as The Superman March. In 1. 98. 7, selected episodes of the show were released to video.

In 2. 00. 6, the series became available in its entirety on DVD. The feature film. Hollywoodland was released in 2. George Reeves. Production[edit]In 1. California exhibitor and B- movie producer Robert L.

Lippert released a 5. George Reeves and Phyllis Coates called Superman and the Mole Men with a script by Robert Maxwell (as Richard Fielding) and direction by Lee Sholem. The film prompted the first television season to go into production in August/September of the same year. The series discontinued production, however, and remained unaired until September 1. Kellogg's agreed to sponsor the show, as the company had previously done with the Superman radio series.

The success of the series came as a complete surprise to the cast. The initial feature film, Superman and the Mole Men, was subsequently edited into a two- part story called "The Unknown People" and was televised late in the first season, the only multi- part story of the series. After the first season's filming was completed, actress Phyllis Coates made other commitments and did not return as Lois Lane for the second season. Noel Neill (who had played the character in both Columbia theatrical serials) stepped into the role, and remained until the series' cancellation. The core cast thereafter remained intact with Phillips Tead occasionally joining the regulars in the last seasons as the eccentric recurring character Professor Pepperwinkle. To promote and advertise the show, cast members Reeves, Hamilton, and Larson were able to gain extra money by appearing in Kellogg's commercials during the second season.

However, Noel Neill was never approached for these because sponsors worried that scenes of Clark Kent having breakfast with Lois Lane would be too suggestive. From the beginning, the series was filmed like a movie serial with principals wearing the same costumes throughout the show to expedite out- of- sequence shooting schedules and save budgetary costs. For instance, all scenes that took place in the "Perry White Office" set would be filmed back to back, for future placement in various episodes, which was often confusing to the actors.

Money was further saved by using Clark's office as Lois's office with a simple change of wall hangings, thus dispensing with additional set construction. Other scenic short- cuts were employed. In the last seasons, for example, few exterior location shoots were conducted, with episodes being filmed almost entirely in the studio.

Reeves's red- blue- and- yellow Superman costume was originally brown- gray- and- white so that it would photograph in appropriate gray tones on black- and- white film. After two seasons the producers began filming the show in color, a rarity for the time. Filming of the color episodes began in late 1.

Because of the added cost of filming in color, the producers cut the number of episodes per season in half. Each 2. 6- week season would feature 1. The monochrome prints of the color episodes also had to be treated so that there would be a somewhat similar contrast in the colors of Reeves's new costume to the one from the earlier seasons (with the contrast increasing each season), as the gray tones of the blue and red colors would otherwise have been rendered nearly indistinguishable. Throughout the last 5. Producer Whitney Ellsworth later admitted: "Sometimes there was just garbage in the rushes, but we were often forced to use what we had, rather than relight the set and go again."[4]Black- and- white seasons, 1. Phyllis Coates, like George Reeves, was a popular lead in B features of the period.

For the TV series, Reeves asked that Coates receive equal star billing. Coates created a sharp, strong- willed Lois Lane, an enterprising reporter who tries to out- scoop Clark Kent. Jack Larson's Jimmy Olsen is a Daily Planet intern, often investigating some wrongdoing and usually being caught by the villains. He usually receives help from Superman in the nick of time. In the noir- like early episodes, Superman himself is seen as a semi- mysterious presence, unknown to many of the crooks ("Who's the guy in the circus suit?" asks a villain in "The Riddle of the Chinese Jade"). Eventually, all the crooks knew exactly who he was (often with the bug- eyed exclamation "SOOPAH- man!" when he first appeared).

The first season's episodes usually featured action- packed, dark, gritty, and often violent story lines in which Superman fought gangsters and crime lords. Many characters met their deaths in these episodes, some of them shown on screen. When it came time to reassemble the cast and crew for filming the second season, Phyllis Coates was no longer available, having committed herself to another project. The producers then hired Noel Neill and gave her secondary billing with Larson, Hamilton, and Shayne. Neill's portrayal was more accessible to the younger television audience, sweeter and more sympathetic than the efficient, hard- as- nails Coates characterization.

Bob Maxwell, whose episodes in the first season verged on the macabre, left the show (going on to produce Lassie in 1. Whitney Ellsworth, already working on the show as an uncredited associate producer and story editor during the initial season, became Superman producer in 1. The second- season shows were still fairly serious in nature, retaining the film- noir/crime drama qualities while steering more in a science fiction direction, with Ellsworth tempering the violence significantly. With most of the villains becoming comic bunglers less likely to frighten the show's juvenile viewers and only some occasional deaths, usually off- screen, Kellogg's gave its full approval to Ellsworth's approach and the show remained a success. Sentimental or humorous stories were more in evidence than in the first season.

A large portion of the stories, however, dealt with Superman's personal issues, such as his memory loss in "Panic in the Sky". Color seasons, 1. With the color seasons, the show began to take on the lighthearted, whimsical tone of the Superman comic books of the 1. The villains were often caricatured, Runyonesque gangsters played with tongue in cheek. Violence on the show was toned down further.

The only gunfire that occurred was aimed at Superman, and of course the bullets bounced off. Superman was less likely to engage in fisticuffs with the villains. On occasions when Superman did use physical force, he would take crooks out in a single karate- style chop or, if he happened to have two criminals in hand, banging their heads together. More often than not, the villains were likely to knock themselves out fleeing Superman. Watch How About You... 4Shared.

Shocking Things You Never Knew About Superman IVDespite its much- maligned reputation, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1. Silver Screen with the lofty expectation of saving the Man of Steel’s movie franchise. But most critics and fans were still reeling from the failed venture of the previous installment in the series Superman III (1. Richard Pryor. Actor Christopher Reeve, who played the Last Son of Krypton, came up with a story concept he believed in and thought was truly viable. He was hopeful the fourth installment could match the genius of Superman: The Movie (1. But much like a meteor show full of Kryptonite, an innumerable amount of obstacles were on the horizon to derail his auspicious intentions. The Quest for Peace celebrates its 3.

July 2. 4, so in honor of the occasion here are 1. Shocking Things You Never Knew About The Disastrous Superman IV. Reeve’s Love/Hate For The Movie. Christopher Reeve was more than a little resentful of the unorthodox path Richard Lester took the franchise on with Superman III, but as time passed the actor started to warm up to the idea of donning the red and blue tights again. Reeve met with executives at Warner Bros. Cannon Films about a story outline he himself conceived, in which Superman was compelled to intervene in the nuclear arms race. The suits loved the idea.

And the fact that the Man of Steel was going to return to movie theaters seemingly assured lucrative profits for all involved. Reeve had the added incentive of promised financial backing for his upcoming film Street Smart (1. During his behind- the- scenes interviews, and the press junket that followed, Reeve championed the movie. But after the film faltered at the box office both commercially and critically, Reeve was quick to pile on with his own criticisms. He thought the movie severely damaged his career and even told the United Kingdom’s The Morning that “The first two [Superman movies] were for the time capsule, III and IV it’s like ‘thank you very much – goodbye.’”1. Chaotic Casting. As poorly as Superman IV performed in theaters, can you imagine Gene Hackman and Margot Kidder not appearing in the film? Hackman was noticeably absent from Superman III, and the actor had no intentions of reprising his role as Lex Luthor after the studios had treated director Richard Donner so badly while making Superman: The Movie and Superman II (1.

Kidder had also voiced her displeasure with how Donner was fired and only given credit for the first Superman film. And whether or not it was retribution for her comments, Kidder’s Lois Lane only appeared on the screen for five minutes in the second sequel. But Christopher Reeve’s creative presence in The Quest for Peace helped to lure his friend Hackman back into the fold. And despite their rather contentious relationship, Kidder also agreed to join Reeve in the picture. Superman film mainstays Jackie Cooper and Marc Mc.

Clure also returned as Perry White and Jimmy Olsen respectively. It Killed A Spider- Man Movie. The Cannon Group’s Spider Sense should have been tingling violently enough to shake the snowbanks right off of Mount Everest, but the executives just didn’t heed the warning signs or have the foresight to see the ominous clouds on the horizon. Even before The Quest for Peace was released, the powers that be at Cannon Films were in the midst of making a Spider- Man film to cash in on the success Superman IV was sure to become. Joseph Zito, who directed Friday the 1. The Final Chapter (1.

Albert Pyun (Masters of the Universe) took the helm. Both creative teams had high hopes for the fledgling project, as a young Tom Cruise was pursued to portray Peter Parker. Cannon also courted Lauren Bacall to take on Aunt May and Bob Hoskins to play Doctor Octopus. But Spider- Man would have had a better chance against the Green Goblin. Superman IV just made $1. United States. The loss was too much for Cannon to overcome and the studio eventually went bankrupt. Budget Cuts from Hell.

Cannon Films was already in dire financial trouble in the late 1. Superman film would help stabilize the turbulent situation. In conjunction with Warner Bros., the studios greenlit production on Superman IV in the hope of generating an enormous cash flow to keep Cannon afloat. Warner Bros. funded $3. Cannon only utilized $1. The Quest for Peace.

The film studio put the rest of the money into additional projects. Without the proper funding, massive cuts had to be made in Superman IV— and it was the special effects that felt the brunt of the burden. It was hard for audiences to take a film about a superhero seriously when they could clearly see the harness’ wires while he was flying. In another interesting move, Cannon cut 4.

Executives thought that with such a short duration, theater exhibitors would have a chance to show the film more times during the course of a day. This was done in hopes of generating even more income for the studio.

Cannon soon filed for bankruptcy. Lacy’s Cut Love Story. Screenwriter Mark Rosenthal revealed that among the casualties in the 4.

Superman IV was a significant love story between Clark Kent and Lacy Warfield (Mariel Hemingway). In the movie, as it finally played, Lacy was just flirtatious and primarily served as the new publisher’s daughter. While there were moments that remained in the picture – like the double date between Superman, Lois, Lacy, and Clark – the original cut of the film had Lacy aggressively pursuing Mr.

Kent. Lois Lane’s role was also significantly altered, as she seemed relegated to simply being a friend or sister figure for not only Clark but Superman, too. There was a very funny scene that was shot, but never made the final cut, in which Clark and Lacy were on an assignment to cover the nightlife in Metropolis.

It was a ploy by Miss Warfield to get Clark alone with her on a work date. Mr. Kent even used his super breath to push a couple across the dance floor for comedy relief. Sadly, most of Lacy and Clark’s love story hit the cutting room floor. Superman’s Super- Butt.

Christopher Reeve consistently showed up on set in exemplary physical shape in order to pull off the daunting task of wearing an adult- sized onesie. During the filming of Superman IV, Reeve’s flying harness was hidden beneath a much larger pair of red shorts than his usual costume allowed. The special effect’s trapping enlarged both the Man of Steel’s waist and the area around his derriere.

It was an unflattering look that unfortunately wasn’t cut from the final film. There was a particularly cringe- worthy moment when Superman looked over his shoulder, while flying, to see Nuclear Man absconding with the Statue of Liberty. That shot brought a whole new meaning to buns of steel. In the previous Superman films, a combination of camera angles, cuts and even the cape itself were used to shroud the harness. Sadly, no significant attempt was made in The Quest for Peace and it was quite noticeable in many of the other close- ups revolving around the flying sequences.

The Bizarro Nuclear Man. Originally, Superman IV was going to feature a much more recognizable villain for audiences to watch face off against the Man of Steel.

Christopher Reeve planned to portray both Superman and a Bizarro version of himself, but a similar approach had already been touched on in Superman III. Budget constraints eventually made it impossible, because the complex effect for producing the split- screen confrontation just wasn’t in the budget. So, the filmmakers hired actor Clive Mantle, who eventually portrayed Greatjon Umber on Game of Thrones, to play an early version of the new villain – Nuclear Man. Yes, he did bear a resemblance to Bizarro through the make- up and hairstyle, but the cheap special effects made the sequence where he fought Superman virtually unbearable to watch. In the end, Mark Pillow’s sun- drenched locks and muscular physique led to his casting and the film’s final version of Nuclear Man. Special Effects Nightmare.

Losing nearly $2.