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I Remember Superman
Christopher Reeve, 1952-2004 - a lament by: GF Willmetts.
It’s also said people need heroes or people to admire, something that Christopher Reeve didn’t forget when he got the role of Superman in the 1978 film.
Oddly enough, looking through Christopher Reeves filmography, he appeared in a couple of other SF films other than the Superman movies: ‘Somewhere In Time’ and ‘Village Of The Damned’ but most of his other films were more selective. No doubt there was some elements of being typecast to be avoided but he could also pick and choose what he wanted to appear in as well. Wearing a cape and tights as a super-hero on film or TV has always been a point of contention for production companies and actors alike. It works great in comicbooks because much of the time there are many other characters who have the same dress sense. Taken in isolation, the super-hero stands out from the crowd and ends up looking surreal. Bringing credibility to the part is entirely up to the actor. Up to 1978, there was little in the way of credible portrayals of super-heroes on any screen, largely because the special effects and budget weren’t up to it. Without the Christopher Reeve starring ‘Superman’ film being as successful as it was, I doubt if we’d have seen many attempts, let alone being given the necessary finance to make them work. The diminishing budgets on the later ‘Superman’ films clearly showed also that money had to be put in if quality had to come out. The first time I saw the first ‘Superman’ film, like everyone else, I got swept into its reality. To that, you can’t just attribute that to anyone person or part of the team. They all wanted it to succeed and that you’d accept that a man can fly and do heroic things because they had the means to do it. That was still a heavy burden to place on any actor who would be taking the lead role. Chris Reeve was credible as both Superman and his alter-ego, Clark Kent. Two faces on the same side of the coin. Getting that right and everything else worked as well. In 1995, Chris Reeve was left a paraplegic after a riding accident. A situation that has affected other people in the past, present and even the future. The exception this time was because it happened to someone we liked on the big screen. It’s a testament to the man that he pulled himself together and instigated money into charity to pay for research that could lead to a possible cure for people similar to himself in that situation. With the way breakthroughs happen these days, such things are more likely to happen sooner than later in the coming years. Christopher Reeve might not have lived to see the benefits for himself but has led the way to treat people in these situations with a lot more respect with what they have to live with on a daily basis. To that, sir, you have my deepest regards and won’t be forgotten. GF Willmetts
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OTHER CONTENT - November 2004
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It
says a lot about the quality or popularity of an actor if his
most notable achievement was over a quarter of a century ago that
his death makes all the national news channels as well as the
front pages of all the national newspapers. 
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