Urban Legend is a myth or contemporary legends that are often widely believed as a truth. Most Urban Legend related to the mystery, horror, fear, humor or even a moral tale. Urban Legend does not always mean the story of a lie; however, as the story spread by word of mouth, Urban Legend is also often exaggerated to be more sensational. In Indonesia, a story that could be considered as an Urban Legend example is the house beautiful cottages, Casablanca tunnels, octopus house in Bandung and others.
Actually, apart from the curse of Superman, there is a lot of Urban Legend or other beliefs that involve condemnation. An example is the curse that befell the United States president since Abraham Lincoln so that every 20 years, American presidents would have been killed or died while in office (And this really happened). The curse is believed to expire at the time of Ronald Reagan.
Then there is another Kennedy family curse, the curse of Bruce Lee’s family, or the most recent uproar, the curse of Oscar recipients who allegedly after receiving an Oscar will be going through divorce.
The Curse of Superman is a belief that a catastrophe will befall the people involved in the character of Superman who presented a variety of media, especially movies.
The curse is basically reads:
“If you intend to portray the strongest man in the world, then you will end up with death or are in the weakest position.”
The curse is supposedly originated from the creators of Superman’s own character, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.
Siegel and Shuster
Siegel and Shuster created Superman in 1938. However, the copyright holder of that character is the company where they take shelter, DC Comics. In 1946, two men sue DC Comics because they feel are compensated for any lack of success of that character. New York Court finally decided to give a maximum of $ 60,000 for completion of each. The number is of course very small compared to the millions of dollars obtained from Superman.
Siegel and Shuster business continued until 1975 when they organized the protest, followed by other comic writers. DC Comics finally agreed to pay them a pension worth $ 35,000 per year lifetime and will mention the name of both of them for each use of the Superman character.
In addition to Superman, Siegel and Shuster never again create a class character Superman. Some say that both angry and condemn the character it’s because injustice is acceptable.
Below are the figures who are considered experienced misfortune because of the curse of Superman:
The Fleischer Brothers
Max and David Fleischer are two brothers who created a studio that produces Fleischer Superman cartoons. Sometime after showing the film, Flescher brothers began to quarrel with one another that causes the studio fell into financial difficulties that forced sale to Paramount Studios. David finally able to resume his career as an advisor to the special effects at Universal Studios, but Max died in destitute conditions.
Kirk Alyn
Kirk Alyn played Superman in two films in the 1940s. After he played the movie, his acting career finished because it was considered too synonymous with the character of Superman. Eventually he retired and moved to Arizona.
He appeared as a cameo in the 1978 film Superman as Lois Lane’s father. In 1999, he died after contracting the disease Alzhiemer.
George Reeves
Before Christopher Reeve, the Superman actor George Reeves who portrayed this character in the film “Superman and the Mole Man” in 1941.
On June 16, 1959, just days before her wedding day, Reeves was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head. A gun was found nearby. Concluded that death as suicide.
Christopher Reeve
Christopher Reeve played Superman in the film Superman: The Movie (1978), Superman II (1980), and Superman III (1983) until Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987).
On 27 May 1995, Reeve fell from his horse and paralyzed from the neck down. After the event, Reeve spent his life in a wheelchair until his death on October 10, 2004 due to heart failure.
Two years after the death of Christopher, his wife, Dana Reeve, also died on March 6, 2006 at the age of 45 years due to lung cancer.
Margot Kidder
Margot Kidder is playing opposite Christopher Reeve, who plays the central character, Lois Lane. After playing in the movie, he was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder.
In April 1996, he disappeared for several days and found by police in a state of paranoia and delusions.
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando is a famous Hollywood actor who played Jor-El, Clark Kent’s biological father in the film Superman: The Movie (1978). Marlon experienced many tragedies in her life.
In May 1990, Brando’s first son, Christian, shot and killed Dag Drollet, stepsister Christian lover, Cheyenne Brando, in his home in Beverly Hills. Christian claims that the incident was an accident. However, the court ruled 10 years in prison for him. Christian died 18 years later at the age of 49 years.
In 1995, Cheyenne is still depressed over the death of Dag Drollet suicide by hanging himself. He was only 25 years.
Marlon Brando’s own experience of life that is not less difficult. Since the number of tragedies in his life, he began to alienate himself from the glitzy Hollywood. On July 1, 2004, Brando died at age 80 due to pulmonary fibrosis. He is also known to suffer from liver cancer, heart failure and diabetes, which caused him almost blind.
Lee Quigley
Lee Quigley played baby Kal-El in the Superman films of 1978.
He died in March 1991 at a very young age, which is 14 years old, from inhaling harmful gas aerosols.
Richard Pryor
Richard Pryor plays a villain in the movie Superman III. Three years later, he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He died on December 10, 2005 from heart failure.
Mariel Hemingway
Mariel Hemingway is one of the artists who play in the movie Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). On July 2, 1996, Mariel sister named Margaux was found dead of an overdose. He was 41 years old. Although the event was considered a suicide, Mariel did not believe him.
Mark Pillow
Mark Pillow is the actor who played Nuclear Man in the movie Superman IV: The Quest For Peace (1987). That role is his first debut in acting. However, after that role, his career finished and never plays the movie again.
Similar fate was experienced John Haymes Newton, Gerard Christopher and Stacy Haiduk who played Superboy in the series between 1988 – 1992.
Lex Luger
Lex Luger is a pro wrestler who ever appeared in a role in the movie New Superboy in 2007. He then suffered nerve damage that made him paralyzed.
Lane Smith
Lane Smith played Perry White, the boss of Clark Kent and Lois Lane in TV series Lois & Clark. Later, he was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s rare disease and died on June 13, 2005.
Jeph Loeb
Jeph Loeb, writer TV series Smallville, lost her son, Sam Loeb, due to cancer.
Those who Escaped from the curse
And of course, his name is Urban Legend, interesting, but cannot be regarded as a truth. Those who reject this belief states that the figures that never intersect with Superman too many of them have career advancement, such as:
Gene Hackman, who plays Lex Luthor in Superman I, II and IV experienced remarkable career success after the film.
Terence Stamp who played General Zod in Superman I and Superman II also had a successful career.
Dean Cain who played Superman in Lois & Clark film also increased his career after his role in the movie. He got some good roles in TV series Frasier and Law & Order.
Teri Hatcher who become Lois Lane in TV series Lois & Clark experienced a remarkable career success after playing in the movie. He even received an award for his role in the television series Desperate Housewives.
For the last Superman movie (Superman Returns), we are also not heard of any disasters that befall Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth and Kevin Spacey.
Even Brandon Routh has signed a contract with Warner Bros. to make a sequel film entitled Superman Lives. Sounds like a good career.
Or, we are also not heard of any disasters that befall the main character in the movie series like Smallville or Tom Welling Kristin Kreuk.
Problem Tom Welling, nothing interesting. Some people believe she escaped the curse of Superman for the TV series Smallville, he was not wearing a Superman costume.
In fact so strange, if the curse befall one for wearing a Superman costume, why Dean Cain or Brandon Routh did not experience it?
So why another actor who was not wearing a Superman costume as Margot Kidder or Lee Quigley could hit with this curse?
What about the thousands of others who participated in the filming of Superman since the 1940s up to now? Why they are not exposed to the curse?
If the view of these factors, then I think the curse of Superman may have only a combination of coincidence that is good enough to make it one of the most famous Urban Legend in the world. As I said, this information only for “just know”.