History Film / SupermanTheMovie

** The JerkJock shares the same first name as Brad Bashford (also known as Bash Bashford) in the comics. Here, his last name is [[AdaptationNameChange Wilson]].

'''Lex:''' Despite your cat-like reflexes.

** The sheep herders running from a passing train thinking the earthquake will cause it to fall on them.

** Also Lex being a businessman.

* MistreatmentInducedBetrayal: Miss Teschmacher saved Superman after Luthor let it slip that Hackensack was going to be hit by one of the missiles, and then shrugged off that her mother lives in Hackensack.

* MistreatmentInducedBetrayal: Miss Teschmacher saved Superman after Luthor let it slip that Hackensack was going to be hit by one of the missiles.

* HumansAreFlawed: They tend to abuse their resources. They're prone to feelings of vanity, [[NotSoDifferent just like Kryptonians]].

** "All my powers ... and I couldn't even save him."

Useless trivia: this film directly inspired the second run of ''Series/MisterRogersNeighborhood'' through children trying a little ''too'' hard to imitate the Man of Steel, sometimes at the cost of their lives; Creator/FredRogers, who initially ceased production of the show out of a belief that he had run out of topics to cover and was ready to move on to other projects, felt that the ''Superman'' imitation incidents demonstrated that there were still more lessons to be taught. In fact, the very first week of the second run dealt with the topic of imitable behavior as it relates to films like this one.

* AscendedExtra: This adaptation gave Jor-El unprecedented importance in Superman's origin story beyond just blasting him off to Earth. Superman's superhero career becomes [[MessianicArchetype a messianic mission]] bestowed by Jor-El as God-figure. Jor-El sends Kal-El forth to use his powers as TheParagon for humans, "the light to show them the way to greatness". His VirtualGhost charges Clark to become Superman and trains him for 12 years. In the comics and most other adaptations since, Jor-El had ''nothing at all'' to do with Clark becoming Superman. Jor-El sent his son to Earth simply to save his life with no ulterior motives for humanity. Earth was chosen simply because it was habitable and Kal-El would [[HumanAliens fit right alongside humans]]. The awesome powers were a bonus, and Clark becoming Superman was all due to him being a morally upright, [[ComesGreatResponsibility responsible man]] as raised by the Kents.

''Superman'' [[TropeCodifier established]] a standard superhero film format dealing with his or her [[OriginStory origin story]]: Origin of Hero, then Introduction of ArchEnemy, LoveInterest and other important characters (which often didn't happen all that once in the comics), then First Conflict. The film starts on Krypton, with brilliant scientist Jor-El (Creator/MarlonBrando) sentencing [[ChekhovsGunman a trio of treasonous villains]] to spend eternity in [[SealedEvilInACan The Phantom Zone]]. Following this scene, the film follows Superman's origins -- Krypton's explosion, baby Kal-El's trip through space, getting his adoptive name of Clark Kent, and the first appearance of Superman -- before he becomes a mild-mannered reporter for the ''Daily Planet'' as Clark, rescues Lois Lane (Creator/MargotKidder) and others as Superman, and finally has to stop a plot by the self-proclaimed "greatest criminal mind of our time", Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman), to destroy the West Coast.

* FirstKiss: Superman ''does'' kiss Lois after finding her dead, thinking it's a KissOfLife. RealityEnsues.

* TrueLovesKiss: Superman gives a MagicKiss to a dead Lois to PleaseWakeUp. In a heartbreaking subversion, RealityEnsues. It doesn't work.

* {{Mondegreen}}: Some audience members thought Zod yelled, "And one day, your ''ass''!", not "heirs".
** Instead of hearing "It is their habit to abuse their resources in such a way," some heard "''Because they're happy'' to abuse their resources in such a way" (this one even made it into the closed captions of some TV broadcasts and videos).

* SameLanguageDub
** Jeff East's scenes as young Clark Kent were dubbed over by Christopher Reeve.
** Reeve also dubbed the voice of the helicopter pilot (yes, ''that'' helicopter).
** David de Keyser (Marc Ange Draco in ''Film/OnHerMajestysSecretService'') dubbed over the voice of the jail warden at the end.
** The Air Force One pilot was played by a British actor, and his lines were dubbed, even after he successfully used an American accent.

''Superman'' had a star-studded cast, with the likes of Brando, Hackman, Creator/NedBeatty, former child star Jackie Cooper as Perry White, and Creator/GlennFord as Jonathan Kent -- ''except'' for the two main characters. Casting the titular hero was a real hunt, but the studio hit the jackpot with Creator/ChristopherReeve, who is likely the best actor ever to play the role. ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIaF0QKtY0c Watch the scene where he transitions between the character's identities on camera in Lois' apartment if you need convincing.]]) Finally, composer Music/JohnWilliams supplied a grand score that gave a powerfully majestic heroic tone to the story, even while it didn't take itself too seriously.

The success of ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' in the comics opened the doors for other [[{{Superhero}} masked marvels in colorful costumes]] -- and 1978's ''Superman: The Movie'' (or just ''Superman'', the onscreen title) did the same for big-budget superhero films. While it wasn't Superman's first live-action foray -- it followed [[FilmSerial movie serials]] in 1948 and 1950, and a {{pilot movie}} in 1951 for [[Series/TheAdventuresOfSuperman a television series]] which ran from 1952 to 1958 -- it went above and beyond them in terms of spectacle and special effects like never before seen on screen.[[note]]As with the ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' comics, Franchise/{{Zorro}} asserts his influence here as well: the producers, Alexander and Ilya Salkind, admitted they decided to make a Superman film after seeing a billboard of Creator/AlainDelon as the eponymous character of ''Film/{{Zorro|1975}}.[[/note]]

The success of ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' in the comics opened the doors for other [[{{Superhero}} masked marvels in colorful costumes]] -- and 1978's ''Superman: The Movie'' (or just ''Superman'', the onscreen title) did the same for big-budget superhero films. While it wasn't Superman's first live-action foray -- it followed [[FilmSerial movie serials]] in 1948 and 1950, and a {{pilot movie}} in 1951 for [[Series/TheAdventuresOfSuperman a television series]] which ran from 1952 to 1958 -- it went above and beyond them in terms of spectacle and special effects like never before seen on screen.[[note]]As with the ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' comics, Franchise/{{Zorro}} asserts his influence here as well: the producers, Alexander and Ilya Salkind, admitted they decided to make a Superman film after seeing a billboard of Creator/AlainDelon as Zorro in a Italian film.[[/note]]

Has a character page, currently under construction.

* {{Fainting}}
** Clark pretends to have fainted as a cover-up for his BulletCatch in the alley.
** Lois Lane later faints for real: a helicopter crash causes Lois to fall to her certain death, but Superman makes his first public appearance by catching and saving both her and the falling helicopter. After he deposits her on the top of the ''Daily Planet'' building and flies away, she watches Superman fly away before immediately collapsing atop the helipad in a dead Emotional faint.