It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman! (1975)
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- 1h 29min
- Comedy, Fantasy
- 21 Feb 1975 (USA)
- TV Movie
TV adaptation of the campy 1960s Broadway musical concerning a mad scientist who enlists a rival reporter and a group of gangsters to push the Man of Steel into a mental breakdown.
Director:
Writers:
Photos and Videos
Cast
| Kenneth Mars | ... |
Max Mencken
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| Loretta Swit | ... |
Sydney Carlton
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| Lesley Ann Warren | ... |
Lois Lane
(as Lesley Warren)
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| David Wayne | ... |
Dr. Abner Sedgwick
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| David Patrick Wilson | ... |
Superman / Clark Kent
(as David Wilson)
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| Phil Leeds | ... |
MIT Technician
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| Harvey Lembeck | ... |
Gangster
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| Allen Ludden | ... |
Perry White
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| Al Molinaro | ... |
Gangster
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| Malachi Throne | ... |
King Big Boss V
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| Lou Wills Jr. | ... |
Gangster
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| Danny Goldman | ... |
Newsroom Copy Boy
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| Geoffrey Horne | ... |
Ray Clive
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| George Chandler | ... |
Jonathan Kent
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| Irene Tedrow | ... |
Martha Kent
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| Stuart Goetz | ... |
Jerry Siegel
(as Stuart Getz)
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| Michael Lembeck | ... |
Joe Shuster
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| Gary Owens | ... |
Narrator (voice)
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Ronnie Claire Edwards | ... |
Cheerleader
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| Joanna Kerns | ... |
Citizen
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| Udana Power | ... |
Cheerleader
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| Nita Talbot | ... |
Gabby Lady
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Directed by
| Jack Regas | ||
Written by
| Romeo Muller | ... | (adaptation) |
| David Newman | ... | (based on libretto by) & |
| Robert Benton | ... | (based on libretto by) |
| Joe Shuster | ... | (character created by: Superman) (uncredited) |
| Jerry Siegel | ... | (character created by: Superman) (uncredited) |
Produced by
| Elliot F. Alexander | ... | associate producer |
| Norman Twain | ... | producer |
Music by
| Charles Strouse | ||
Cinematography by
| Urve Kuusik | ... | (production photography) |
Editing by
| Harvey Berger | ... | (video tape) |
| Grant Johnson | ... | (video tape) |
Art Direction by
| Ken Johnson | ||
Costume Design by
| Bill Belew | ||
Makeup Department
| Laura Lee | ... | hairdresser |
| William Tuttle | ... | makeup artist |
Production Management
| Jack Thompson | ... | production manager |
Art Department
| Borden Newman | ... | assistant art director |
Sound Department
| Gordon Klimuck | ... | audio |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Carl Gibson | ... | lighting director |
| Chuck Jones | ... | video |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Bruce Ericksen | ... | costume assistant |
Music Department
| Al Mello | ... | music coordinator |
| Fred Werner | ... | conductor / music arranger |
Additional Crew
| Wendy Acey | ... | production assistant (as Wendy Charles) |
| R. Edwin Bowker | ... | associate director |
| Don Corvan | ... | stage manager |
| Paul Duncan | ... | technical archiver |
| Debbie Handelman | ... | production secretary |
| Ruth Mitchell | ... | associate stage producer: Broadway |
| Alex Plasschaert | ... | choreographer |
| Harold Prince | ... | stage producer: Broadway |
| Irwin Stanton | ... | technical director |
| Janaki Symon | ... | assistant: Mr. Twain |
| Hamid Zaihood | ... | technical archiver |
Production Companies
Distributors
- American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1975) (United States) (tv)
- Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution (2006) (World-wide) (broadcast rights)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Premore (facilities supplied by)
Storyline
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | The funniest Superhero story ever! See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | Add content advisory for parents » |
| Certification |
Additional Details
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Did You Know?
| Trivia | This show was based on the 1966 musical of the same name which was considered the biggest Broadway flop of its time, closing after 3 1/2 months and costing $600K (equaling over $5 million in 2022). Although the play was praised by critics and audiences, it wasn't well promoted and found itself in direct competition with ABC's unexpected hit Batman (1966), which had just begun airing on TV twice a week. As a matter of fact, Superman's debut was intended to be heralded on the cover of Life Magazine, but it was ultimately reduced to a small sidebar in a flashy cover story about Batman. This heavily reworked TV special was an attempt to recoup some of the show's financial losses and to boost interest in licensing it for high school and regional theatre productions, but ABC buried it on their late-night schedule for both broadcasts. See more » |
| Goofs | Dr. Sedgwick's dates on the Nobel Prize winners are inaccurate. Richard T. Zsigmondy was awarded it in 1925, not 1938, and Sir Chandra V. Raman got his in 1930, not 1949. Also, although he didn't cite a date, Harold Urey received his award in 1934, so he would not have been in direct competition with Sedgwick, who didn't earn his P.H.D. until 1938. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in Look, Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman (2006). See more » |
| Soundtracks | We Need Him See more » |
| Crazy Credits | Each cast member is shown in a brief clip that accompanies their name in the end credits sequence, and then - unusually - many of the crew members are similarly credited with an on-set photo. See more » |
| Quotes |
Superman:
Lois is in danger, I must split! See more » |