ON THE SET EXCLUSIVE PART 1 - THE "UNMASKING OF SUPERMAN"

THE ACTOR REVEALS THAT THE MAN OF STEEL IS STILL JUST A MAN AS HE FACES HIS MOST PERSONAL CONFLICT IN "SUPERMAN IV"

Inside the Metro Sports Club, Christopher Reeve confers with director Sidney (Iron Eagle) Furie. Director of Photography, Earnest (Passage to India) Day joins in the conversation, as the three try to determine the best way to shoot the upcoming scene. Next to them stands a large Nautilus machine, with weights and equipment cluttering one end of the long room; nearly a dozen weightlifting extras lounge about, waiting for a cue. At the far end of the room, a crowd of young beautiful women in leotards stand by, waiting to begin another round of aerobics in the background of the shot.

The conference ends, and Furie calls for the camera to roll. Reeve--in baggy sweatsuit and familiar glasses--becomes Clark Kent, a well-intentioned klutz. In front of his editor/girl friend Lacy (Mariel Hemingway), one of the exercisers hands Clark a heavy set of weights --which Clark proceeds to drop. "No pain,no gain," scoffs the jock. After bidding Lacy farewell, Clark decides to pump a little iron on his own when the yuppie bully asks "Clark, can you hand me those weights?" With a devilish twinkle in his eye, Kent offhandedly tosses the weights to the bully--who crashes to the floor, astonished.Clark Kent shrugs his shoulders innocently and quietly comments, "No pain,no gain..." Furie shouts "Cut!" and Kent/Reeve teasingly thumbs his nose at the other actor, and says "Nyah,nyah!" While the unit takes a break to allow the camera crew to change positions, Reeve walks to the other side of the room, past the row of mirrors on the wall, which have been carefully tilted so as not to betray the film equipment and workers. He takes a seat on the floor, leans back against the wall, and reflects on his motivation to return to the title role in Superman IV.

"I felt we should make a movie in which my personal feelings about Superman-- and what he should do--could be used," says Reeve."Having played the character now for 10 years, I know him pretty well, and I thought that would be a good place to start.What I would like to see Superman do if I were going to one of these movies ? Well, that started it out.I wrote the story upon which the screenplay was based; Mark Rosenthal and Larry Konner did the hard work of actually facing the blank sheet of paper in the typewriter--they really wrote the script.I have since written a couple of extra scenes, but basically, the script is theirs."His interest in behind-the-camera procedures apparently increasing, Reeve admits he has growing inclinations in that area, and takes every opportunity to learn. "I've been preparing for quite a while to be a director," he explains. "I've been directing some second unit on this one. Also Sidney and I collaborate on things.I usually come in and help him stage the scenes and suggest camera shots and stuff because I really feel that I know how to make this particular material work. He's been very generous as, in effect, the new kid on the block. Although he has more than 30 years experience as a director, he has a very nice attitude towards taking suggestions from people who've been around here awhile." And, on Superman IV. there are a large number of veterans returning, among both cast and crew. All of the Superman regulars are back, including Gene Hackman (Lex Luthor), Jackie Cooper (Perry White), Marc McClure (Jimmy Olson) and Margot Kidder (Lois Lane--this time on hand for the entire story). Reeve says the shooting has all the feel of a homecoming. "In Superman III, Margot ended up going off to the Bahamas for some assignment, so it's nice to have her around!" he notes. "It's nice that the Daily Planet is in place.Those are the kind of signposts along the way that people who come to see a Superman film enjoy--they'll know that the team is in place.

"Gene Hackman is brilliant in this movie! He actually steals it right out from underneath me!" Reeve laughs. "He's very charming and funny.I believe in the theory of 'Get the best people around here that you possibly can and you'll look better.' Some stars want to make sure that there's nothing but incompetents around them, so they'll look better. But it's really good to have the best co-stars and supporting actors everywhere, and we'll all end up looking better."

Filming on the current adventure comes 10 years after the cameras turned for the orignal Superman, but Reeve is puzzled to consider the Man of Steel's evolution over the years. "I dont know how he has changed--probably in intangible ways that I couldn't appreciate. Somebody who has watched all the movies could probably tell me.The standing joke is that it now takes me three steps to get off the ground, where it used to only take one." Reeve laughs. "I look at Superman IV as the unmasking of Superman, with much more emphasis on Kal-El the being from Krypton. It becomes clear in the film that both of his identities are a job--both Superman and Clark Kent are personas that has to become for other people. At the film's heart--what we really pay attention to--is who he is underneath, which is Kal-El.The basic emotional change is that Superman feels he is one of us now, not just a visitor anymore.As soon as someone feels they belong someplace, rather than just visiting, it completely changes the whole range of actions they take, in terms of being responsible for their new home. "The most exciting scene, storywise, is Superman speaking to the United Nations. He tells delegates from all around the world and a packed gallery of observers that he is going to rid the world of all nuclear weapons. We shot that scene a few weeks ago, and it went pretty well."Reeve says he is also excited about a new scene they have recently written, which he hopes there will be time to shoot."Its a sequence where I take Lois Lane on a flight across America. Lois is Supermans point of contact with the human race, and when he has a very difficult decision to make, he confides in her. As Clark he tells Lois that he doesn't want to go to this dinner that they're going to --he says , 'Can we go get some fresh air? and Lois thinks they're going to go out the front door. Instead, Clark takes her by the hand and walks out to the balcony. She says 'Clark! Its not that bad ! Dont do it Clark."Still holding her hand Clark and Lois go right over the building .Lois drops like a rock and Clark passes  through the shot.Then suddenly," Reeve whistles and motions with his hand, "he courses up as Superman and catches her--but he still has his glasses on. He's doing this to let Lois know who he is. She gets it, and OF course all the memories of their love together (from Superman I and Superman II) come back. "Superman takes Lois flying around over Maine, the villages of Vermont, the wheat fields of Kansas, the Grand Canyon--and they return to the apartment."

"To me, the most important part of the script is this poignancy, a man who is trapped underneath other peoples' needs and expectations," Reeve confesses."Although he wears it with a great deal of grace, nevertheless, it has got to weigh on him--that's what we're looking for in this film.Its not sad, its not ponderous--there are many laughs.There are probably more laughs in this film than in all of the others put together," says Reeve, though he anxiously points out that these laughs are the same kind as those in Superman III.

"The humour in Superman III was parody," he says."Those were jokey laughs.Superman IV contains what is, I think genuine humour." One significant change in the latest Superman movie is Superman's relationship with Lois.Here he explains, they have become friends, rather than lovers. "They change from lovers to almost sister and brother.Theres no way that relationship--having given up his powers for her, fallen in love, and turned the world back--they can't get married and move to Westchester. It must be an impossible romance that he keeps very fond memories of--and there probably won't be anybody else for him.He also finds out in this film that even as Clark, he can't have Lacy," Reeve explains, swinging his Clark Kent glasses by one hand.

As for the future, Reeve is entirely non-committal, and pleads innocence regarding plans for a Superman V. "I haven't given it a moments thought," he says. " I would rather take Superman films one at a time!"

>>>PART 2