How did you get involved with Superman?
1- They came to me I was doing a film called March or Die with a monster cast one of which was Gene Hackman and they knew I'd turned down the 007 movie so they chased after me the problem was scheduling I finished one movie on the 20th of March and I started Superman on the 26th of March then the question was would I do a major role that didn't speak.
Which director (Donner and Lester) did you prefer working with and why?
2-Hands down Richard Donner! Because Donner is a film director and Lester was a TV director he didn't belong on the set Donner had great vision.
Because of the director change, did your character change in Superman2? Did he become softer?
3-No my character didn't change the look of the movie changed Superman II should have been a pure classic and would have been had Donner finished it we had shoot 80% of two when they made us stop so they could get one out on time.
What were the problems between the cast and crew and the producers? We keep hearing of bouncing cheques, bills not paid etc
4- The problem was with the producers period the Salkins had a terrible reputation one I didn't know until we started the film.I was on the set being introduced to crew and wardrob and all the things you do on a major production when I came across the crew lining up to be paid and they wouldn't accept a check only cash now your talking about a 50,0000,0000 dollar project because we were doing two scripts at once from the get go and these people wouldn't take a check so I ask why and the answer made me very aware from the start I'll tell you one story just for openers the Salkins were doing a film behind the iron curtain which meant taking afull crew in everyone on the crew gave up other projects to work on this project once on location the prducers announced that one of the backers had drop out so the crew had to go on half salary or go home in other words they were screwed and there are many more if you ask I'll tell them to you. One lawyer Tom Pollach became so wealthy and gained such a reputation he became head of Universal studios not for long thank god.So money was a major problem with the Salkins but you'd never know that by there life styles anyway there are so many storys I could tell like the fireing of Donner was such bullshit it all boiled down to a deal the Salkins make with Lester before Superman was even made Lester had directed a picture for the Salkins and they fucked him but Richard is a sharp kid so he got them into a deal and he called them on it .When the talk of Donner being fired started I went to other cast and we would have walked if Donner was fired because where I come from I could have caused union problems beyond your wildest dreams so a deal was made the tension between the crew also came from the producers because we started the movie a Sheperden spelling could be off and everyone thoght they were on a two year run so again they gave up jobs problem was we only at Sheperton studios until Brando was on film they had already made a deal with Pinewood to finish both films meaning Sheperton was a four wall studio which not carry a house crew Pinewood had a house crew so when we moved studios the majoredy of the original crew was fired causing much unrest amongst the crew but the deal struck by the produvers which eventually caused Pinewood to go bust was struck I have a lot more detail if you want it. 5-It wasn't so much as checks bounceing it was the way they were written that hurt people again the producers were very clever they wrote whats called non describt checks which means there where no banking numbers on the checks which means that every check writtten had to go back to the swiss bank it was wtitten on to be aproved to be paid so it could take up to eight weeks to clear a check how did I know about the workings of there system well here the story every one loves to hear and part of it is in the book the making of Superman I was working about eight weeks and it was raining for two weeks strait in Englamd and I was missing the states I had some things to attend to so we had a few days off and in those days there was a flight out of LA that put you in London like 7:00am in the morning like a red eye from the west to the east so with out telling anyone I jump on a plane and went to LA which upon arrival I called my accountant to see how much money was in my bank and much to my supprise I had a bunch of uncollected paper in my account so I picked up a pay phone in the middle of Beverly Hills and made a collect call to Mr Piere Spangler the producer and he couldn't believe where I was he said but you have to be on set in two days and no one should leave without telling anyone god forbid the plane should crash with a principle actor on board so I simple told him that my doctor said unless money was in my bank like yesterday I would have to lay on the beach to put heat on my sore back until the money showed up needless to say the money was transferred asapto my account and two days later I was on my way back to England to work when I arrived I went straight to the studio and straight to Piere Spanglers office to have a chat funny enough he was just returning from explanning why the money had to be sent to the states this is how the conversation went Itold Spangler who I was and he should pick up a phone to check because here is the deal I come to work and do whats ask of me under contract and for that I get paid the next time you fuck with my money hears the deal I am a nice calm person in England but your going to film in my back yard New York and the next time you fuck with me I promise you I'll drop you in the Hudson with a camera on you head he said your threating me and I said no sir I am promising of course I had him across his desk by the throat and delivered my last line while droping him in his chair and after that my checks were the only ones that cleared in 72hrs.
Here are a few questions:
1) This year marks the 20 Annivery of Superman 2 (it was overseas when it was released)... You want to comment about the superman films 20 years later?
1- I'd do another Superman or anything to do with them if conditions where right.
2) Your thoughts on both Terence and Sarah? Do you also have contact with Terence?
2-I haven't seen Terence or Sara in some time but I think the world of both of them
3) The films that you did? what is your favorite?
3-Fairwell my lovely is my favorite for many reasons top of that list would be Mitchum
4) I remember you from Dragnet movie with Tom Hanks. What was it like working with Tom Hanks?
4-Hanks is very professional and I found him a pleasure to work with
I made a site about The Phantom Zone Villains. Jack O'Halloran had found the site and contacted me through the human click program.
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