Superman (1978)

Director:

Richard Donner

Writers:

Jerry Siegel (creator: Superman) &
Joe Shuster (creator: Superman) ...
(more)

Release Date:

15 December 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

You'll Believe a Man Can Fly!

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Comic Relief | Library | Family | Shot Back To Back | Child Full Frontal Nudity

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 10 wins & 14 nominations

Cast

Marlon Brando	...	Jor-El
Gene Hackman	...	Lex Luthor
Christopher Reeve	...	Superman / Clark Kent
Ned Beatty	...	Otis
Jackie Cooper	...	Perry White
Glenn Ford	...	Jonathan Kent
Trevor Howard	...	1st Elder
Margot Kidder	...	Lois Lane
Jack O'Halloran	...	Non
Valerie Perrine	...	Eve Teschmacher
Maria Schell	...	Vond-Ah
Terence Stamp	...	General Zod
Phyllis Thaxter	...	Martha Kent
Susannah York	...	Lara
Jeff East	...	Young Clark Kent
Marc McClure	...	Jimmy Olsen
Sarah Douglas	...	Ursa
Harry Andrews	...	2nd Elder
Vass Anderson	...	3rd Elder
John Hollis	...	4th Elder
James Garbutt	...	5th Elder
Michael Gover	...	6th Elder
David Neal	...	7th Elder
William Russell	...	8th Elder
Penelope Lee	...	9th Elder
John Stuart	...	10th Elder
Alan Cullen	...	11th Elder
Lee Quigley	...	Baby Kal-El (placed in capsule)
Aaron Smolinski	...	Baby Clark Kent
Diane Sherry	...	Lana Lang
Jeff Atcheson	...	Coach
Brad Flock	...	Football Player
David Petrou	...	Team Manager
Billy J. Mitchell	...	Editor #1
Robert Henderson	...	Editor #2
Larry Lamb	...	Reporter #1
James Brockington	...	Reporter #2
John Cassady	...	Reporter #3
John F. Parker	...	Reporter #4
Antony Scott	...	Reporter #5
Ray Evans	...	Reporter #6
Sue Shifrin	...	Reporter #7 (as Su Shifrin)
Miquel Brown	...	Reporter #8
Vincent Marzello	...	Copy Boy #1
Benjamin Feitelson	...	Copy Boy #2
Lise Hilboldt	...	Secretary #1
Leueen Willoughby	...	Secretary #2
Jill Ingham	...	Perry's Secretary
Pieter Stuyck	...	Window Cleaner
Rex Reed	...	Rex Reed
Weston Gavin	...	Mugger
Steve Kahan	...	Detective Armus (as Stephen Kahan)
Ray Hassett	...	Officer #2
Randy Jurgensen	...	Officer #3 (as Randy Jurgenson)
Matt Russo	...	News Vendor
Colin Skeaping	...	Pilot
Bo Rucker	...	Pimp
Paul Avery	...	TV Cameraman
David Baxt	...	Burglar
George Harris II	...	Patrolman Mooney
Michael Harrigan	...	Hood #1
John Cording	...	Hood #2
Raymond Thompson	...	Hood #3
Oz Clarke	...	Hood #4
Rex Everhart	...	Sergeant Dolan (as Rex Everhardt)
Jayne Tottman	...	Little Girl
Frank Lazarus	...	Air Force One Pilot
Brian Protheroe	...	Air Force One Co-Pilot
Lawrence Trimble	...	Crewman #1
Robert Whelan	...	Crewman #2
David Calder	...	Crewman #3
Norwich Duff	...	Newscaster #1 (as Norwick Duff)
Keith Alexander	...	Newscaster #2
Michael Ensign	...	Newscaster #3
Larry Hagman	...	Major
Paul Tuerpe	...	Sgt. Hayley
Graham McPherson	...	Lieutenant
David Yorston	...	Petty Officer
Robert O'Neill	...	Admiral
Robert MacLeod	...	General
John Ratzenberger	...	Controller #1
Alan Tilvern	...	Controller #2
Phil Brown	...	State Senator #1
Bill Bailey	...	State Senator #2
Burnell Tucker	...	Agent
Chief Tug Smith	...	Indian Chief
Norman Warwick	...	Superchief Driver
Chuck Julian	...	Assistant
Colin Etherington	...	Power Co. Driver
Mark Wynter	...	Mate
Roy Stevens	...	Warden
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kirk Alyn	...	Young Lois Lane's Father on Train (uncredited)
Bruce Boa	...	General (in extended version) (uncredited)
Richard Donner	...	Man in Street - extended version (uncredited)
Edward Finneran	...	Special Football Player (uncredited)
Noel Neill	...	Young Lois Lane's Mother on Train (uncredited)
Tony Selby	...	Hood (uncredited)

Directed by
Richard Donner

Writing credits
Jerry Siegel		(creator: Superman) &
Joe Shuster		(creator: Superman)
Mario Puzo		(story)
Mario Puzo		(screenplay) and
David Newman		(screenplay) and
Leslie Newman		(screenplay) &
Robert Benton		(screenplay)
Tom Mankiewicz		uncredited

Produced by
Charles F. Greenlaw	....	associate producer
Alexander Salkind	....	producer
Ilya Salkind	....	executive producer
Pierre Spengler	....	producer
Michael Thau	....	producer (2000 restoration)
Richard Lester	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
John Williams

Cinematography by
Geoffrey Unsworth		(photographed by)

Film Editing by
Stuart Baird
Michael Ellis
Michael Thau		(2001 director's cut)

Casting by
Lynn Stalmaster

Production Design by
John Barry

Art Direction by
Ernest Archer
Philip Bennet
Stuart Craig
Leslie Dilley		(as Les Dilley)
Norman Dorme
Tony Reading
Norman Reynolds

Set Decoration by
Peter Howitt

Costume Design by
Yvonne Blake

Makeup Department
Jamie Brown	....	makeup artist: Canada
Sylvia Croft	....	makeup artist
Iloe Elliott	....	hair stylist: Canada
Graham Freeborn	....	makeup artist
Kay Freeborn	....	makeup artist
Stuart Freeborn	....	creative supervisor of makeup & special visuals
Darby Halpin	....	hair stylist: USA
Cathy Kevany	....	hair stylist
Louis Lane	....	makeup artist: USA
Nick Maley	....	makeup artist
Patricia McDermott	....	hair stylist (as Pat McDermott)
Basil Newall	....	makeup artist
Connie Reeve	....	makeup artist
Phil Rhodes	....	makeup artist (as Philip Rhodes)
Stella Rivers	....	hair stylist
Joan White	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Timothy Burrill	....	production supervisor: North America
Tim Hampton	....	production supervisor: New Mexico
Austen Jewell	....	production manager: New Mexico
Les Kimber	....	production manager: Alberta
Peter A. Runfolo	....	production manager: New York
Robert Simmonds	....	production supervisor
Dusty Symonds	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John Barry	....	second unit director
Peter L. Bergquist	....	second assistant director: USA (as Peter Bergquist)
Roy Button	....	second assistant director
Patrick Cadell	....	second assistant director
Michael Dryhurst	....	assistant director
Dominic Fulford	....	assistant director
John Glen	....	second unit director
Bud Grace	....	assistant director: USA
Jerry Grandey	....	assistant director: USA
Michael Green	....	second assistant director
Michael Hook	....	second assistant director
Peter Jacobs	....	second assistant director
Allan James	....	assistant director
David Lane	....	second unit director
Steve Lanning	....	second assistant director
Keith Lund	....	second assistant director
Robert Lynn	....	second unit director
Charles Marriott	....	second assistant director
Simon Milton	....	second assistant director
Michael Murray	....	second assistant director
Kieron Phipps	....	second assistant director
Michael Rauch	....	assistant director: USA
Vic Smith	....	second assistant director
Candace Suerstedt	....	second assistant director: USA
Gareth Tandy	....	assistant director
David Tomblin	....	assistant director
David Tomblin	....	second unit director
Vincent Winter	....	assistant director
André De Toth	....	second unit director (uncredited)
Peter Duffell	....	second unit director (uncredited)
Gerry Gavigan	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Ted Ambrose	....	draughtsman
George Ball	....	property master
Bill Beavis	....	scenic artist
Ivor Beddoes	....	illustrator
Dennis Bosher	....	draughtsman
Reg Bream	....	draughtsman
Bill Brodie	....	supervising art director: Canada and New Mexico
Roy Carnon	....	illustrator
Jack Carter	....	construction manager
Alan Cassie	....	draughtsman
John Chisholm	....	prop man
Larry Cleary	....	construction manager
Steve Cooper	....	set designer
Tony Dunsterville	....	model maker
Roy Evans	....	assistant construction manager
Cyril Forster	....	model maker
Maurice Fowler	....	supervising art director: England and New York
Eddie Francis	....	props
Ed Gimmel	....	production designer: star ship
Norman Hart	....	decor & lettering artist
Reg Hill	....	illustrator
Stan Jolley	....	art director: USA
Andrew Kelly	....	model maker
Harry Kersey	....	construction manager: USA
Tad Krzanowski	....	model maker (as Tadeusz Krzanowski)
John Lanzer	....	production buyer
Herman Lowers	....	construction manager: USA
Jeff Luff	....	model maker
Peter Palmer	....	production buyer
Michael Redding	....	model construction manager
Terry Reed	....	model maker
Tony Rimmington	....	draughtsman
Gene Rudolf	....	art director: USA
Danny Skundric	....	property master
Ernest Smith	....	scenic artist
Paul Vale	....	painter (as Wiggy Fruntwick)
Frederic C. Weiler	....	set decorator: USA (as Fred Weiler)
Gari Bacon	....	props (uncredited)
Peter Mann	....	construction carpenter (uncredited)
Tony Musk	....	carpenter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bob Beher	....	foley supervisor: 2000 restoration
Max Bell	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Brian Best	....	sound editor (2000 restoration) (as Brian T. Best)
Norman Bolland	....	sound mixer
Pat Brennan	....	assistant dubbing editor (as Patrick Brennan)
Geoff R. Brown	....	assistant dubbing editor (as Geoff Brown)
Lance Brown	....	sound editor: 2000 restoration
William Cawley	....	assistant sound editor (2000 restoration) (as Bill Cawley)
Roy Charman	....	sound mixer
Bradley Clouse	....	first assistant sound editor: 2000 restoration
Charles Deenen	....	sound designer: 2000 restoration
Des Edwards	....	assistant sound mixer
John Michael Fanaris	....	sound effects coordinator: 2000 restoration
Stan Fiferman	....	sound editor: footsteps and effects
David L. Fisher	....	assistant dubbing editor (as David Fisher)
J. Aloysius Flanagan III	....	assistant sound editor: 2000 restoration
John Foster	....	sound editor: footsteps and effects
Pat Foster	....	dialogue editor
Tim Gedemer	....	sound design: 2000 restoration
Chris Greenham	....	supervising sound editor
Leonard Green	....	assistant dubbing editor
Graham V. Hartstone	....	assistant dubbing mixer (as Graham Hartstone)
Mike Hopkins	....	dialogue editor (as Michael Hopkins)
Chris Large	....	sound mixer: Canada
Daniel J. Leahy	....	sound re-recording mixer (2000 restoration) (as Daniel Leahy)
Nicolas Le Messurier	....	assistant dubbing mixer (as Nicholas Le Messurier)
Steve Mann	....	sound editor: 2000 restoration
Brian Marshall	....	sound mixer
Gordon K. McCallum	....	sound mixer
Gordon K. McCallum	....	sound re-recording mixer
Kathy McCart	....	digital playback: 2000 restoration
Anthony Milch	....	sound editor (2000 restoration) (as Anthony R. Milch)
Jay Nierenberg	....	supervising sound editor (2000 Restoration)
Tony Orton	....	assistant dubbing editor
Keith Pamplin	....	assistant sound mixer
Steve Pederson	....	sound re-recording mixer: 2000 restoration
Peter Pennell	....	sound effects editor
Richard Raguse	....	sound mixer: USA (as Dick Ragusa)
George Rice	....	assistant sound mixer
Gary Ritchie	....	digital playback: 2000 restoration
Terry Rodman	....	sound editor: 2000 restoration
Charles Schmitz	....	sound mixer: USA
Jupiter Sen	....	assistant dubbing editor
Otto Snel	....	assistant dubbing mixer
Roland N. Thai	....	sound editor: 2000 restoration
Michael Tucker	....	assistant sound mixer
Tim Walston	....	sound designer: 2000 restoration
Bernard Weiser	....	supervising sound editor: special edition re-release
Peter Desbois	....	sound playback operator (uncredited)
Chris Gurney	....	boom operator: day-play (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Peter Biggs	....	special effects technician
Derek Botell	....	flying effects
Ron Burton	....	special effects technician
Colin Chilvers	....	creative supervisor & director of special effects
Peter Clarson	....	gaffer: special effects, UK
Michael Dunleavy	....	special effects technician
Joe Fitt	....	special effects technician
Rodney Fuller	....	special effects technician
George Gibbs	....	additional model effects
Robert Harman	....	flying effects (as Bob Harman)
Jimmy Harris	....	special effects technician
John Inglis	....	flying unit assistant special effects supervisor
Norman Kerss	....	special effects technician
Robert MacDonald	....	special effects: New Mexico
Robert Nugent	....	special effects technician (as Bob Nugent)
Zoran Perisic	....	zoptic special effects
Peter Pickering	....	special effects technician
Frank Richardson	....	special effects technician
John Richardson	....	special effects: Canada and New York
Terry Schubert	....	special effects technician
Roy Spencer	....	special effects technician
Brian Warner	....	special effects technician
Neil Corbould	....	special effects runner (uncredited)
Michael Dawson	....	flying unit assistant (uncredited)
Robert Schofield	....	wire effects (uncredited)
John Thomas	....	special effects (uncredited)
Wally Veevers	....	flying effects (uncredited)
Michael White	....	special effects assistant (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Darrell Anderson	....	additional model photographer: USA
Dennis Bartlett	....	travelling matte supervisor
Les Bowie	....	creative supervisor of mattes & composites
Michael Campbell	....	visual coordinator
Ray Caple	....	matte artist
Chris Crowell	....	digital compositor: Pacific Title & Art Studio (2000 restoration)
Ken Dackermann	....	digital compositor: Pacific Title & Art Studio (2000 restoration)
Leslie Dear	....	additional model photographer
Sheldon Elbourne	....	title & special optical sequences photographer
Doug Ferris	....	matte artist
Roy Field	....	creative supervisor of optical visual effects
Mark Freund	....	visual effects supervisor: Pacific Title & Art Studio (2000 restoration)
George Gervan	....	digital roto artist: Pacific Title & Art Studio (2000 restoration)
Richard Gervan	....	digital roto artist: Pacific Title & Art Studio (2000 restoration)
Martin Hall	....	digital paint artist: Pacific Title & Art Studio (2000 restoration)
Peter Hammond	....	matte camera operator
Peter Harman	....	matte camera operator
Maureen Healy	....	digital paint artist: Pacific Title & Art Studio (2000 restoration)
Veronica Hernandez	....	digital paint artist: Pacific Title & Art Studio (2000 restoration)
Heather Hoyland	....	lead digital compositor: Pacific Title & Art Studio (2000 restoration)
John Inglis	....	visual effects supervisor
Bob Kindred	....	additional model photographer
David Lane	....	visual coordinator
Liz Lettman	....	assistant matte artist
Darin McCormick-Millett	....	digital producer (2000 restoration)
Derek Meddings	....	model effects
Sean Morris	....	optical sequences
Harry Oakes	....	additional model photographer
Roy Pace	....	title & optical sequences photographer
Peter Parks	....	optical sequences
Denis Rich	....	special visual effects designer
Martin Shorthall	....	optical liaison
Brian Smithies	....	additional model effects
Lynn Tigar	....	digital paint artist: Pacific Title & Art Studio (2000 restoration)
Ernest Walter	....	visual coordinator
Peter Watson	....	supervising editor of optical & special effects
Paul Wilson	....	model photography
Russ Woolnough	....	assistant editor of optical & special effects (as Russell Woolnough)
Keith Holland	....	visual effects camera operator (uncredited)
Bob Keen	....	model maker (uncredited)
Gary Pearlman	....	titles & optical effects (uncredited)
Philip Sharpe	....	model maker (uncredited)

Stunts
Vic Armstrong	....	stunt coordinator
Richard E. Butler	....	additional stunts: Canada (as Dick Butler)
George Lane Cooper	....	additional stunts (as George Cooper)
Stuart Fell	....	additional stunts
Richard Hackman	....	additional stunts: Canada
Alf Joint	....	stunt coordinator
Wendy Leech	....	additional stunts
Alex Stevens	....	stunt coordinator: New York
Bill Weston	....	additional stunts
Paul Weston	....	additional stunts
Vic Armstrong	....	stunt double: Christopher Reeve (uncredited)
John Bodimead	....	stunts (uncredited)
Marc Boyle	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ellen Bry	....	stunts (uncredited)
Cyd Child	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tim Condren	....	stunts (uncredited)
Sue Crosland	....	stunts (uncredited)
Billy Dean	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jim Dowdall	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Fisher	....	stunts (uncredited)
Romo Gorrara	....	stunts (uncredited)
Martin Grace	....	stunts (uncredited)
Reg Harding	....	stunts (uncredited)
Terry Hill	....	stunts (uncredited)
Nick Hobbs	....	stunts (uncredited)
Billy Horrigan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Arthur Howell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Alf Joint	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Leech	....	stunts: Man in burglar's office (uncredited)
Wendy Leech	....	stunt double: Margot Kidder (uncredited)
Scott Leva	....	stunts (uncredited)
Mark McBride	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bronco McLoughlin	....	stunts (uncredited)
Peter Munt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Peter Pocock	....	stunts (uncredited)
Greg Powell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Nosher Powell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Doug Robinson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Kiran Shah	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tony Smart	....	stunts (uncredited)
Roy Street	....	stunts (uncredited)