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May 31, 1981:
SUPERMAN II has its Washington D.C. premiere to benefit the Special Olympics. After a screening at the Uptown Theatre, a reception is held at the Vice President’s residence.
June 1, 1981. SUPERMAN II has its New York premiere at the National Theatre, followed by a Western theme party at Starbucks.
In attendance to both nights are Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, Jack O’Halloran, Sarah Douglas, Director Richard Lester, Executive Producer Ilya Salkind and Producer Pierre Spengler.
PICTURED: Articles from the time.
VIDEO: Footage from the premieres.
WASHINGTON D.C. PREMIERE
NEW YORK PREMIERE
SUPER TRIVIA
The MAD magazine Howard Stern is reading in PRIVATE PARTS is the SUPERMAN II parody from October 1981.
Pan Books paperback of Ian Fleming’s YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE appears in SUPERMAN II.
Christopher Reeve as Superman appears in a Six Flags Stars Hall of Fame wax museum poster hanging on a motel wall in the movie A NIGHT IN HEAVEN (1983).
FEATURED TRIVIA
It’s Halloween season, so when you get those spooky ookie films out for viewing make sure to include these films and look for these bits of trivia.
THE OMEN and THE FINAL CONFLICT
The shot of the White House in SUPERMAN II as the three supervillains descend to the roof and later in the film with Superman flying across the lawn with the flag was also featured in the movie THE FINAL CONFLICT (AKA OMEN III).
Both films have Richard Donner connections, and both were released by different production companies, with SUPERMAN II being released in December 1980 from Warner Bros., and FINAL CONFLICT from 20th Century Fox in March 1981.
My opinion is that this is most likely a stock shot and not something filmed by the production of either film.
In a bit of typecasting for THE OMEN and SUPERMAN THE MOVIE, director Richard Donner hired actor Burnell Tucker to play an “agent” to the President of the United States in both films, and even though his scene from SUPERMAN THE MOVIE was deleted from the final cut (it was added to the TV Version), he’s credited in the film’s end titles (his scene was most likely cut very late in editing).
Tucker also appears in the President surrenders in the Oval Office scene of SUPERMAN II (uncredited).
THE LOST BOYS
The video store featured in the film mainly carries Warner Bros. films, this is most likely due to the film being distributed by… Warner Bros.
If you pay close attention you might spot cameos from the SUPERMAN THE MOVIE, SUPERMAN II and SUPERMAN III videos in various shots. At the time this film was made, summer 1986, SUPERMAN IV had yet to be filmed.
VISIT THESE OTHER SUPER SITES
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