The old story of Superman, first published in comic form in 1938, is known to all. Just like a book version of any story is preferred to the movie, our imagination fills in the details. Many people have reviewed the new Superman movie with flagging degrees of enthusiasm. Is there more to say about the comic book hero?

Christopher Reeve will always be my ideal image of Superman. Strong, good-looking and thoughtful, he epitomized a hero to me. I wrote a tribute song to him and featured it in my book, Still Rock Water. In the plot, a music producer sold the song to a television program making a series about the curse of Superman.

 Here's a link to the song I wrote: 

Video of Still Rock Water: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36F7t1sFN1A

The curse of superman.

Much has been written about the so-called Superman Curse, especially after Christopher Reeve's 1995 tragic accident and his unfortunate death. Once again, tabloid writers drew comparisons with 1950s TV Superman George Reeves' suicide, with the hardships suffered by Superman co-creators Siegel and Shuster after they sold their billion-dollar creation to DC Comics for a mere $130, and with actor Kirk Alyn's lackluster career after playing Superman in two 1940s movie serials. 

Quote: 'If anything is demonstrated by some of the unfortunate history surrounding Superman's media career during the past 66 years, it's an amazing and mathematically proven phenomenon observed time and again in the physical universe. That phenomenon is called coincidence.' – Brian McKernan, 12/04

Like any type of curse, Tutankhamen's curse for instance, mankind loves to whisper stories of intrigue and conspiracy. Now, new facts have come to light about child actors in the Elizabeth stage.

A study by of a University Oxford academic shows that child performers were subjected to abduction, cruelty and violence. These street kidnappings were legal. The theatre owners had licenses to forcibly recruit children. These powers had been granted by Queen Elizabeth I and carried her royal seal. Shakespeare, who comes out of this rather well, expressed his distaste for this use of captive children for entertainment.

Laws concerning children have changed and their circumstances have improved. Or have they? Are they free to go to a public theatre and watch an exciting movie about Superman without the need to fear the man sitting next to them?

January 21st

Superman

In my book, Still Rock Water, my character, Liliha, wrote a song about Superman. You can listen to the video if you like. Christopher Reeve was one of my heroes because he never gave up trying to walk. After his role as the flying man that's quite a let-down. In the story, Liliha's song is taken up by a producer and used in a television program listing the terrible tragedies that happened to each actor who played the part listed below.

Listen to the video here.

News item today by Ben Arnold | Yahoo UK Movies Features: The role of Superman is perhaps the most famously cursed in Hollywood. Its origins lie with George Reeves, who played the Man of Steel on the TV show in the 50s. He died of a gunshot wound in 1959, days before he was to be married. The incident was shrouded in suspicious circumstances, but was eventually ruled a suicide. (Reeves was played by Ben Affleck in the film Hollywoodland, which looked at the controversy). Bud Collyer, who voiced the first cartoon in the 1940s, returned to voice The New Adventures of Superman in 1966. He died three years later of a circulatory ailment, aged 61. Lee Quigley, who played Superman as a baby in the 1978 film, died aged 14 due to solvent abuse. Most prominent, however, is Christopher Reeve, whose career suffered thanks to his unshakeable connection to the role, was paralysed after being thrown from a horse in 1995. He died of heart failure in 2004. Talk of the curse has even extended to Dana Reeve, his wife, who despite being a non-smoker, died of lung cancer aged 44.

I'm not sure I believe in curses. Maybe the very act of giving them credence causes the effect. I remember the curse of Tutankhamen and all the following deaths after his tomb was discovered. Would these things have happened anyway? We'll never know. Each thing affects another. There's no going back.