SUPERMAN III - GENERAL/EXTRA FOOTAGE

Superman III was released in summer 1983 with a running time of 123 minutes (117 minutes UK). The extended cut was first shown on ABC in 1985 with an extra 20 minutes of added footage, the running time was 143 minutes. Again this extended edition was produced by Alexander Salkind's company. This version continues to be shown today in America as part of the Superman package which also features Supergirl and Superman 4. In the U.K., this version has been shown two or three times in the late eighties.

 

The TV version :-

  • The credits are in space accompanied by the Superman theme. Download the music
  • The unemployment office scene comes after the credits, with a few extras in the background.
  • The Metropolis scenes are not in widescreen and has 2 extra scenes :
    a) The thief's bag of loot being accidentally lifted by a construction ladder.
    b) The thief realizes his newly acquired fortune has disappeared.
    c) He spots his bag and can't reach it. He yells "stop thief!".
    d) After Superman rescues the man drowning in his car: A mother places her son on a see-saw; The bag of loot falls off a painting rig; it hits the opposite side of the see-saw that the little boy is on, catapulting him into a tree. Superman takes off from the car and flies over to rescue the boy.


  • On the bus approaching the chemical plant fire, Jimmy says "What a sunset!", Clark replies "At three in the afternoon?".
  • Extra shots of the chemical fire and more dialogue with Superman and the fire chief.

  • Vera & Lorelei "shake hands".
  • Before Gus goes into Ross's office, he is met by Ross's secretary.
  • Gus tries to escape through the executive washroom, but the secretary sends him in when Ross gets impatient.
  • Ross explains to Gus why Vera calls him "Bubba". In this scene Lorelie gives Ross one of the burnt penguins from the beginning.

  • A longer conversation between Gus and Brad outside the Smallville Wheat King office.
  • While drinking Brad reveals that his name was the "Smallville Flash" and Gus thinks that its a good name for a drink.
  • Expanded scene of the guy at the ATM.

  • After Gus describes Superman's heroics, the TV is turned back on and the newspaper says , "Well Superman's done it again".
  • A longer sequence with Gus walking across the street in his skies.

  • Gus posing as the General is longer.
  • After Gus shuts off the world's oil, there is a shot of two people not getting oil from a cold pipeline.
  • The Leaning Tower of Pisa guy now says "Stupido Superman!"

  • Some shots of Ross & Lorelie exercising.
  • A scene showing Vera trying to read a book, but is can't concentrate because of the noise caused by the Evil Superman and the woman.

  • When Metropolis's power is turned off there is a shot of a surgery room and a little dialogue.

  • More shots of the three ballooning down in the Grand Canyon.
  • The computer's destruction is longer.

  • When Brad see's Clark at the Hotel he says "Kent!"
  • When Brad is on the food cart, in the elevator someone says "I see why they sent you back".

The Theatre/Video version :-

  • A mother says "Say thank you" to her son at the photo-booth.
  • Pictures of Lorelie Ambrosia are shown at the Planet.
  • A shot where Lana is shown exiting a store.
  • A shot of Clark bumping into Gus.
  • More reactions from the tractor driver who almost killed Ricky.
  • Ricky asks Clark for Superman's autograph, Clark responds "If I had a nickel for every little kid".
  • A shot of Gus walking down to Wheat King's Smallville office.
  • A scene showing the construction of Gus's big powerful computer.
  • Lana talks to Brad on the phone and then orders plane tickets to Metropolis.
  • Brad says "Son of a bitch" at the hotel when he sees Clark.

 

The main titles for the TV version where exclusively made for it with its end title score tracked in and altered to fit in with the end credits.
Some of the pan & scan is different from the home video. In the scene where the three are ballooning down Vera says "Out of my way!". In the home video version, both Vera and Lorelie can be seen in the shot, but in the TV version only Vera can be seen at that particular part. And in other bits of the film the tops of peoples heads are cut off, most noticable in the scene where Gus is pretending to be the General.


SUPERMAN III INDEX