Superman: The Movie

**Superman: The Movie** is a UK VHS release by Warner Home Video on 6th August 1999.

## Cast

* Marlon Brando as Jor-El: Superman's biological father on Krypton. He has a theory about the planet exploding, yet the Council refuses to listen. He dies as the planet explodes but successfully sends his infant son to Earth as a means to help the innocent. Brando sued the Salkinds and Warner Bros. for $50 million because he felt cheated out of his share of the box office profits. This stopped Brando's footage from being used in Richard Lester's version of *Superman II*.
* Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor: A scientific genius and businessman who is Superman's nemesis. It is he who discovers Superman's weakness and hatches a plan that puts millions of people in danger.
* Christopher Reeve as Clark Kent/Superman: Born on Krypton as Kal-El and raised on Earth, he is a being of immense power, strength and invulnerability who, after realizing his destiny to serve mankind, uses his powers to protect and save others. As a means to protect his identity, he works in Metropolis at the *Daily Planet* as mild-mannered newspaper reporter Clark Kent and changes his clothes into a red-blue red caped suit with an S shield on its chest and known for his dubbing as "Superman" by Lois. Reeve was picked from over 200 actors who auditioned for the role.
	+ Jeff East as the teenage Clark Kent: As a teenager, he is forced to hide his superhuman abilities, making him unpopular among his classmates and frustrating his efforts to gain the attention of classmate Lana Lang (Diane Sherry). Following the death of his adoptive father, he travels to the Arctic to discover his Kryptonian heritage. East's dialogue in the film is redubbed by Christopher Reeve for the final cut.
* Ned Beatty as Otis: Lex Luthor's bumbling henchman.
* Jackie Cooper as Perry White: Clark Kent's hot-tempered boss at the *Daily Planet*. He assigns Lois to uncover the news of an unknown businessman purchasing a large amount of property in California. Keenan Wynn was originally cast, but dropped out shortly before filming because of heart disease. Cooper, who originally auditioned for Otis, was subsequently cast.[10]
* Glenn Ford as Jonathan Kent: Clark Kent's adoptive father in Smallville during his youth. He is a farmer who teaches Clark skills that will help him in the future. He later suffers a fatal heart attack that changes Clark's outlook on his duty to others.
* Trevor Howard as the First Elder: Head of the Kryptonian Council, who does not believe Jor-El's claim that Krypton is doomed. He threatens Jor-El, "Any attempt by you to create a climate of fear and panic amongst the populace must be deemed by us an act of insurrection."
* Margot Kidder as Lois Lane: A reporter at the *Daily Planet*, who becomes a romantic interest to Clark Kent. The producers and director had a very specific concept for Lois: liberated, hard-nosed, witty and attractive. Kidder was cast because her performance had a certain spark and vitality, and because of her strong interaction with Christopher Reeve. Over 100 actresses were considered for the role. Margot Kidder (suggested by Stalmaster), Anne Archer, Susan Blakely, Lesley Ann Warren, Deborah Raffin and Stockard Channing screen tested from March through May 1977. The final decision was between Channing and Kidder, with the latter winning the role.
* Jack O'Halloran as Non: Large and mute, the third of the Kryptonian villains who are sentenced to be isolated in the Phantom Zone.
* Valerie Perrine as Eve Teschmacher: Lex Luthor's girlfriend and accomplice. Already cynical of his increasing grandiosity and disturbed by his cruelty, she saves Superman's life after learning that Luthor has launched a nuclear missile toward her mother's hometown of Hackensack, New Jersey. She shows a romantic interest in Superman, implied by her fixing her hair before she makes her presence known to him, and then by kissing him before she saves his life.
* Maria Schell as Vond-Ah: Like Jor-El, a top Kryptonian scientist; but she too is not swayed by Jor-El's theories.
* Terence Stamp as General Zod: Evil leader of the three Kryptonian criminals who swears vengeance against Jor-El when he is sentenced to the Phantom Zone.
* Phyllis Thaxter as Martha Kent (née Clark): Clark Kent's faithful adoptive mother. A kindly woman who dotes on her adoptive son and is fiercely devoted to her husband, Jonathan. She is her son's emotional support after Clark is devastated by Jonathan's death. Thaxter was producer Ilya Salkind's mother-in-law.
* Susannah York as Lara: Superman's biological mother on Krypton. She, after learning of Krypton's fate, has apprehensions about sending her infant son to a strange planet alone.
* Marc McClure as Jimmy Olsen: A teenage photographer at the *Daily Planet*. Jeff East, who portrayed the teenage Clark Kent, originally auditioned for this role, but outranked following his portrayal of the teen Clark.
* Sarah Douglas as Ursa: General Zod's second in command and consort, sentenced to the Phantom Zone for her unethical scientific experiments.
* Harry Andrews as the Second Elder: Council member, who urges Jor-El to be reasonable about plans to save Krypton.

Kirk Alyn and Noel Neill have cameo appearances as Lois Lane's father and mother in a deleted scene that was restored in later home media releases. Alyn and Neill portrayed Superman and Lois Lane in the film serials *Superman* (1948) and *Atom Man vs. Superman* (1950), and were the first actors to portray the characters onscreen in a live-action format. Neill reprised her role in the 1950s *Adventures of Superman* TV series, and also appeared as Lex Luthor's elderly wife in the opening scene of the film *Superman Returns* (2006).

Larry Hagman and Rex Reed also make cameos; Hagman plays an army major in charge of a convoy that is transporting one of the missiles, and Reed plays himself as he meets Lois and Clark outside the *Daily Planet* headquarters.

## Trailers and info

#### **Opening**

1. The King and I
2. Jack Frost
3. Richie Rich's Christmas Wish (Coming to Video This Holiday Season from Warner Bros Family Entertainment)
4. The Muppet Movie (Now Available from Jim Henson Video)
5. Disney Videos 2 (1996) - Disney's Sing-Along Songs with Sing-Along Songs from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Disney's Storybook Favourites and Winnie the Pooh Videos
6. Toy Story (Yours to Own on Video)
7. 101 Dalmatians (Available Now to Own on Video)
8. The Muppets Collection - The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, It's the Muppets (The Muppet Show), and Muppet Sing Alongs: Billy Bunny's Animal Songs
9. Disney's Storybook Favourites (The Prince and the Pauper, Mickey and the Beanstalk, Peter and the Wolf, The Wind in the Willows, Three Little Pigs, and The Tortoise and the Hare)
10. Sesame Street Videos (Sing-Along, Get Up and Dance, Sleepy Time Songs and Stories, Big Bird's Story Time, Learning to Share, and Telling the Truth)
11. Disney Christmas 1995 (Jiminy Cricket's Christmas, A Disney Christmas Gift, Mickey's Christmas Carol, Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too, and Disney's Sing-Along Songs: The Twelve Days of Christmas)
12. The Santa Clause (Now Available to Own on Video)
13. Aladdin (On Video This Autumn)
14. The Muppet Christmas Carol (On Video)
15. Disney Christmas (1994) - Mickey's Christmas Carol, Disney's Sing-Along Songs: The Twelve Days of Christmas, A Walt Disney Christmas, Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too, and Disney's Sing-Along Songs: Very Merry Christmas Songs
16. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (On Video for a Very Limited Time)
17. The VCI children's trailer from 1997 with clips of "Thomas The Tank Engine and Friends", "Fourways Farm", "Sooty", "Christmas Teddy Bear Sing-Along", "Tots Video", and "The BFG".
18. Oliver and Company (Short - Available Now on Video)
19. Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (Now Available on Video)
20. Disney Pre-School Videos 1999 (The Wiggles, The Animal Shelf, Sesame Street and Winnie the Pooh)
21. Lady and the Tramp (Only Available until January 1999)
22. The Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue (Only on Video)
23. Winnie the Pooh Playtime Videos (Detective Tigger and Pooh Party)
24. Disney's Sing-Along Songs (Friend Like Me)
25. Hercules (Now Available on Video)
26. Pinocchio (Available to Own on Video)
27. Warner Bros Family Entertainment 1994 (The Secret Garden, Curly Sue, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, The Never Ending Story, Lois and Clark The New Adventures of Superman, Rover Dangerfield, Tiny Toons: Who I Spend My Vacation, Bugs Bunny's 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales, and Dennis)
28. The VCI children's trailer from 1993 (Thomas The Tank Engine and Friends, Rosie and Jim, Tots TV and The Wind in the Willows)
29. Sleeping Beauty (Now Awakening on Video)
30. Herbie Videos (Herbie Goes Bananas, Herbie Rides Again, Herbie Goes to the Monte Carlo, and The Love Bug) (Now Available on Video)
31. Winnie the Pooh 4 Videos 1998 (Playtime: Happy Pooh Day and Cowboy Pooh, Growing Up and Working Together, and Friendship: Clever Little Piglet and Tigger-ific Tales)
32. The New Adventures of Timon and Pumbaa (Now Available to Own on Video)
33. Mil-Looney-Um 2000: Bumper Collection (Own it On Video Now!)
34. Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas (Coming Soon Exclusively on Video)
35. Pocahontas (Now Available to Own on Video)
36. The New Adventures of The Little Mermaid 1993 Videos (A Whale of a Tale, Stormy, The Wild Seahorse and Double Bubble)
37. The Little Mermaid (Only Available on Video Until March '99)
38. Bambi (Now Available on Video)
39. Winnie the Pooh Mini Classics 1995 (Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree, Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day, Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too, and Winnie the Pooh and A Day for Eeyore)
40. Mulan (Coming Soon on Video)
41. The VCI children's trailer from 1995 - Britt Allcroft's Magic Adventures of Mumfie, Thomas The Tank Engine and Friends, Tots TV, Rosie and Jim, Brum, Sooty and Co., and The Wind in the Willows
42. Aladdin and the King of Thieves (Now Available Only on Video)
43. The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (Only on Video. Available Now)
44. Growing Up with Winnie the Pooh (3x videos) (Making Friends, Sharing and Caring and Helping Others)
45. Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco (Now Available to Own on Video)
46. Winnie the Pooh's Most Grand Adventure (Available Now on Video)
47. A Bug's Life (Coming Soon on Video)
48. The Animal Shelf (Available Now)
49. VSC PG Warning (Warner Home Video)

#### **Closing**

1. A Goofy Movie (Coming Soon on Video)
2. Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (Now on Video from Warner Bros Family Entertainment)
3. The Iron Giant (Coming Soon)
4. Cinderella (Now Available on Video)
5. The Fox and the Hound (Now Available on Video)
6. Peter Pan (Now Available on Video)
7. The New Adventures of The Little Mermaid 1994 Videos (A Whale of a Tale, Stormy, The Wild Seahorse, and Double Bubble with In Harmony and Ariel's Gift in US VIdeos)
8. Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World (Coming Soon Exclusively on Video)
9. Winnie the Pooh 5 Videos 1999 (Playtime: Happy Pooh Day and Cowboy Pooh, Growing Up and Working Together, and Friendship: Pooh Wishes, Three Cheers for Rabbit and Eeyore, and Imagine That, Christopher Robin)
10. The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue (Coming Soon to Video)