A cape worn by Christopher Reeve in his portrayal of Superman for the production of the film “Superman III” (Warner Bros. Pictures, 1983) has sold at auction by Julien’s Auctions for $51,200.
The Superman cape and costume were originally adapted for the big screen by Academy Award winning costume designer Yvonne Blake. Blake’s talents designing the costumes for “Superman: The Movie” and it’s blockbuster sequel “Superman II” would be an important part of the Superman costuming lineage in all of the subsequent sequel films.
The classic yellow Superman “S” symbol is fixed to a wool gabardine red cape and features a thin black border which is formed by zig-zag stitching. Visible on the exterior of the cape are red fabric ties that secure the cape around the user’s neck. The red fabric appears worn from use. On the interior of the neck region, cotton padding with a cloth backing and a fabric strap secure the cape to the user’s shoulders. Additionally, four black metal snaps adorn the shoulder region. Wardrobe Assistants would help to secure the cape to bodysuits, which would begin by attaching the cape at the metal snaps near the neck.
The shoulders on this example are padded so that the cape would sit properly on Reeve’s shoulders during filming.
This particular example features a stitched tag at the neck that reads, “C. Reeve/ Col/ Normal/ No.2/ Walking/ (1982).” The year indicated on the cape’s tag would suggest that it was developed for the production of the third film in the Superman series.
In multiple places, hand-written text indicates that this cape was fabricated for walking scenes, and does not feature cut slits or the inner workings that were used to make some examples appear as if they were flying. Bermans & Nathans would indicate on the tag of each cape whether it was designed to be used in walking or flying scenes. The latter of which was wider.
This particular example is in beautiful, vintage condition. With limited aging, production wear and handling etc. as shown in the accompanying photo images.
The auction for the “Superman III” screen worn cape ended today, exceeding the expected price of between US$20,000 – $40,000.
