The Making of Superman the Movie [Mass Market Paperback]

David Michael Petrou (Author)

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Warner Books; 1st edition (December 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446825654
• ISBN-13: 978-0446825658
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,326,196 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Making of an Epic, October 29, 2000

By 

Jonathan Hoyle (Rochester, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Making of Superman the Movie (Mass Market Paperback)

The fascinating story of the making of one of the first big special effects movies after Star Wars. Petrou covers everything from the beginning of the concept by Ilya Salkind and Mario Puzo's first screenplay all the way through the tumultuous battle between the cost-cutting producers and Director Richard Donner, who was trying to make the movie have a true epic feel. (Thankfully, Donner won the battle, but not without cost: he was fired from Superman II.)

The highs and the lows are covered: from the attempt turning the movie into a comedy by scriptwriter David Newman, to Technical Consultant Tom Mankiewicz's trying to play it straight, to the hiring of Richard Lester by the producers to keep watch on Donner. Marlon Brando's performance, the blackout in the hot summer in New York, and the search for a star...Christopher Reeve.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my most beloved books., February 7, 2007

By 

M. Hendry - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Making of Superman the Movie (Mass Market Paperback)

Made me want to be an actor. The cast & crew felt like a real family. I recall when this book first came out in '79 and bookstores had display stands with many, many copies for sale. Nowadays it seems forgotten but its still a cherished, charming read back from the days when Superman (The Movie) was all new and cutting edge. Nowadays its all told in reflection. If you ever see the Abba video Happy New Year, Agnetha unpacks a copy of this books, its seen being read on the plane enroute to Australia in the Making of Superman Returns and recently I noticed its author being used as a stand in for baby Kal-El in the Making of Superman The Movie feature on the Ultimate Superman Boxed set just as he described it in the book. Every time I see the movie I see how Petrou finally got his cameo in the film jumping into a car during the Smallville scenes... He had to stand on a box to rise into frame and as his car wouldn't start he was resigned to being a passenger with another driver. Charming stuff forever immortalised in the background on film.

4.0 out of 5 stars A great read, October 3, 2008

By 

Damien Slattery (Dublin, Ireland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Making of Superman the Movie (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a thumping good read, in the same manner as Alan Arnold's book -Once Upon a Galaxy: A Journal of the Making of The Empire Strikes Back. The author followed the film crew on their location journeys from Alberta, Canada to the warmer environs of Pinewood Studios, London. This is a fascinating tale of the hardships and highs of making a blockbuster. Packed with good observation. Too long out-of-print.