It is a bird. . . It is an airplane. . . This is Dirty Harry?
Forty-five years after newcomer Christopher Reeve’s hooded flight to fame in the 1978 “Superman” film, a NYC auction house is listing rare documents revealing other leading men the studio allowed to cast in iconic roles, including Clint Eastwood, Jack Nicholson, Robert Wagner and Richard Chamberlain are closed.
Auction house Metropolis Collectibles revealed the names of 24 leading men and 23 DC Comics actresses officially approved to be Superman/Clark Kent and Lois Lane, the characters eventually played by relatively unknown 26-year-old Reeve Juilliard alum, and established 30-year-old Margot Old Kidder.
“This has been a hot topic for years and for the first time we have confirmation” of an approved list of actors “DC is comfortable with, as far as their public image,” said JR Taylor, a researcher for Metropolis. “The casting is always the most talked about thing and this list has names that have never been known before.”
Margot Kidder and Christopher Reeve finally won the roles of Lois Lane and Superman. ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection
Celebrities who can be competitors are:
CLINT EASTWOOD:
Clint Eastwood in the 1966 film “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.” Courtesy of the Everett Collection
A caped crusader with a death glare?
“A lot of actors might not be excited about the idea of playing Superman. This was a time when starring in a comic book movie definitely sounded like a risky proposition,” Taylor said.
ROBERT WAGNER:
Robert Wagner is best known for his roles in television. Courtesy of the Everett Collection
The veteran actor and husband of Natalie Wood (whose name is on the list for Lois Lane) would have been 48 when the film was released on Dec. 15, 1978.
“At the time he was a television actor,” Taylor said.
JACK NICHOLSON:
Jack Nicholson as Jake Gittes in the 1974 film “Chinatown.” Courtesy of the Everett Collection
The “Chinatown” actor and “Cuckoo’s Nest” Oscar winner with a wry smile would eventually play the Joker in 1989’s “Batman.”
But he’s not an obvious Superman, Taylor said.
“You can see DC may not consider any more than people they consider bankable stars”, but he will bring “baggage” from his previous eccentric roles.
MARLON BRANDO:
Marlon Brando in “The Godfather.” Courtesy of the Everett Collection
The brooding bad boy ended up playing Superman’s father Jor-El, though Brando famously tried to convince producers that the role should be portrayed by a green suitcase.
“The logic is that if they’re aliens, there’s no way to know what Superman’s father really looks like, maybe hoping to get paid for voiceover work,” Taylor said.
RICHARD CHAMBERLAIN:
Richard Chamberlain in “The Towering Inferno” in 1974. ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection
“He’s the only actor on that list, other than Rock Hudson, who has been an openly gay actor in the part,” Taylor said.
Raquel Welch:
Sex symbol Raquel Welch would not be believable as Lois Lane. ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection
Not in a “million years” could people see an international sex symbol as a Pulitzer Prize-winning “Daily Planet” reporter.
Although the sexy young star went on to star as the vampy villain Diana Pride in the TV series “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” in 1995.
SUE LYON:
Sue Lyon in “Lolita” 1962. Courtesy Everett Collection
“This is probably the biggest surprise here,” Taylor said of the young star who found fame overnight in the lead role of 1962’s “Lolita,” but who “was dependent on drive-in movies and small TV turns at the time of Superman’s release.”
JANE SEYMOUR:
Jane Seymour in “Wedding Crashers” 2005. ©New Row Cinemas/Courtesy Everett Collection
The former “Live and Let Die” Bond girl later appeared in The CW’s Superman series “Smallville” and named one of her children after her best friend Christopher Reeve, Taylor said.
NATALIE WOOD AND LANA WOOD’S SISTER:
Natalie Wood, left, and her sister, Lana Wood, in the 1960s. Courtesy of the Everett Collection
“Natalie’s name has come up, but no one has ever mentioned her sister Lana, especially known as the ‘Bond Girl,’ who was approved for the role,” Taylor said.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
