Once upon a time, the big screen gave us big heroes to look up to. In those kinder, gentler days before Twitter or Reality TV, we didn't know all that much about the actors off-screen – whether they were straight or gay, their height, how many times married, what their addictions were, whose spouse they were stupping, or how many millions they made per picture – what mattered most was what the big Hollywood studios fed us: their screen images.
Then as now, we moviegoers heard dirt and gossip about our favorite stars –and we were titillated by it. But for the most part, persona rather than reality reigned, and that was what brought us to the box office. And back.
In this series of hero worshipings, I recall and honor some of the screen faces I've loved over the years. many of them from the earliest days of my youth when a twitter was only the sound birds made.
Enjoy. _____
Archive
Superman
My earliest comic book hero was played by both George Reeves (on TV) and Christopher Reeve (on screen), and each actor was a super hero to me, as well, though for different reasons. I had always been a fan of the the Man of Steel in comic books, but when I saw that first black-and-white episode of Superman on TV in 1952, I was hooked for life. The TV actor (though he did make one Superman movie) was George Reeves, (1914-59) and for lads of my generation, he was the one and only Superman, flannel t-shirt, baggy tights and all. Decades later, Hollywood brought the big guy to the big screen, with Christopher Reeve (1952-04), who was already a respected actor. He scored his first role in a Euripides play at 15, costarred with Katharine Hepburn at 22, and was one of two advanced-program students out of 2,000 applicants accepted at Juilliard. I admired him in many of his fine roles, and was terribly saddened when tragically he broke his neck in a horseback riding accident, never to walk again. But how much more I admired him for his courageousness over the next 10 years of his life. Not only did he become a director and act in several more films, he also started a foundation to fund spinal-cord-repair research, lobbied Congress, and tirelessly crisscrossed the country on speaking engagements. Heroes don't get any more super than that.
My earliest comic book hero was played by both George Reeves (on TV) and Christopher Reeve (on screen), and each actor was a super hero to me, as well, though for different reasons. I had always been a fan of the the Man of Steel in comic books, but when I saw that first black-and-white episode of Superman on TV in 1952, I was hooked for life. The TV actor (though he did make one Superman movie) was George Reeves, (1914-59) and for lads of my generation, he was the one and only Superman, flannel t-shirt, baggy tights and all. Decades later, Hollywood brought the big guy to the big screen, with Christopher Reeve (1952-04), who was already a respected actor. He scored his first role in a Euripides play at 15, costarred with Katharine Hepburn at 22, and was one of two advanced-program st
udents out of 2,000 applicants accepted at Juilliard. I admired him in many of his fine roles, and was terribly saddened when tragically he broke his neck in a horseback riding accident, never to walk again. But how much more I admired him for his courageousness over the next 10 years of his life. Not only did he become a director and act in several more films, he also started a foundation to fund spinal-cord-repair research, lobbied Congress, and tirelessly crisscrossed the country on speaking engagements. Heroes don't get any more super than that.
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