Urban Legends The Truth About The Superman Curse

BY BRIAN MCKERNAN

Much has been written about the so-called "Superman Curse," especially after Christopher Reeve's 1995 tragic accident and his unfortunate death. Once again, tabloid writers drew comparisons with 1950s TV Superman George Reeves' suicide, with the hardships suffered by Superman co-creators Siegel and Shuster after they sold their billion-dollar creation to DC Comics for a mere 130, and with actor Kirk Alyn's lackluster career after playing Superman in two 1940s movie serials.

A closer examination, however, makes talk of a "Superman Curse" absurd. There's as much circumstantial evidence to suggest there isn't a curse as there is to suggest there is.

Siegel and Shuster were just two of the many young 1930s comic book pioneers who created characters as a "work for hire" and did not share in the profits. As for Kirk Alyn, he too was just one of many serial stars who faded into obscurity and went on to do other things with their lives. Who today remembers serial stars Ralph Byrd (Dick Tracy), Tom Tyler (Captain Marvel) or Gordon Jones (The Green Hornet)?

As for the often-repeated claim that actor George Reeves was despondent because "The Adventures of Superman" TV series had been cancelled, the truth is that the show was a giant success. At the time of Reeves' death, another season of scripts had been commissioned and production was due to begin later that year. Kellogg's, the principal sponsor, had increased the show's budget and a theatrical motion picture, "Superman and the Secret Planet", was also being planned (the script, which was written by veteran television writer Jackson Gillis, is posted at George Reeves is Superman). Reeves had also signed to direct a movie in Spain.

One also hears that Reeves "went crazy" and jumped out a window, convinced he could fly. In truth, he died from a gunshot wound to the head on June 16, 1959. It was officially ruled a suicide, but a huge amount of evidence indicates he was murdered. (There is a wealth of information and even more opinion to be found on Google or the other search engines.) As for ghostly sightings of Reeves, that too has allegedly been reported. This would indicate his death was unexpected (not a suicide) and his spirit isn't at rest.

Bud Collyer portrayed Superman for 11 years when "The Adventures of Superman" was one of radio's most popular programs. The Mutual Network show ran from 1940 to 1951. Collyer and the rest of the cast of the long-running Superman radio series cast also provided the voices for all 17 of the Technicolor Max Fleischer theatrical cartoons produced during the early 1940s. After Superman, Collyer enjoyed a very successful career as a game show host of "To Tell the Truth." He died in 1969 of heart failure at the age of 61.

Bob Holiday, who played Superman on Broadway in the acclaimed 1966 Hal Prince musical "It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman," today builds Holiday Homes in the Pocono resort town of Hawley, Pennsylvania. He is a very successful businessman.

Dean Cain, Superman from "Lois & Clark," is in a new TV series, "Clubhouse," and two upcoming movies. Terri Hatcher (Lois Lane) is on "Desperate Housewives." Clearly, there is no "curse" on their careers.

Young Superman Tom Welling, on "Smallville," is the star of one of the most successful series on TV and he's also thriving. Several cast members from the Christopher Reeve Superman movies have roles in the series. Annette O'Toole from "Superman III" plays Clark Kent's mother, Margot Kidder appears on the show as the assistant to a character the late Christopher Reeve had been playing, and Terrence Stamp (General Zod in "Superman II") is the voice of Clark/Kal El's biological father Jor El.

And Warner Bros. cast Brandon Routh as the next Superman in "Superman Lives". Having a major studio commit 100 million to make the latest movie about the most famous fictional character in history is hardly a "curse."

Truly, if there is a Superman Curse, it should befall those closest to the character. But the reality is that DC Comics, which owns Superman, has been publishing his comic book adventures since 1938 and has been making a good living at it to this very day. If anything is demonstrated by some of the unfortunate history surrounding Superman's media career during the past 66 years, it's an amazing and mathematically proven phenomenon observed time and again in the physical universe. That phenomenon is called coincidence. - "Brian McKernan, 12/04"

Charmed Book Of Shadows Whats Inside

Show are a lot of workforce who persist in magic spells and they are even probing in practicing these spells to give up their sense. If you are probing in psychic readings and books subsequently you hardship surround heard the name of the book of shadows. This is a magic book.

It contains a lot of spells as well as potion recipes. Far away than this, it afterward contains certain other information on demons, warlocks and even about other lovely things. It afterward contains some vanquishing spells. These spells are routinely written by powerful as well as central workforce belonging to this edge.

You rule be probing in a detailed description of the charmed book of shadows. This book is routinely willful to be one of the most powerful books which can be hand-me-down for the psychic sense. This book contains detailed as well as well-founded information allied to the magic spells, demon vanquishing, and witchcraft and so on.

The charmed book of shadows was opening written by Melinda Hole. After this the book was passed down to the in the manner of generations. This book was actually believed to be hand-me-down by the workforce of the Hole affairs.

They started using the book and afterward reorganized it with new experiences. This is how the book grew in power as well as in weightiness. Far away than the charmed book of shadows dowry are unusual kinds of book of shadows that are afterward about which are written by unusual workforce.

The other book which is afterward fashionable is written by Halliwell. Ahead of schedule of all you rule be probing to know the announce of these books. These books are routinely big in weightiness and they huskily announce taking into consideration an encyclopedia or a word list.

The book is green in color. Far away than this, it afterward has embossed triquetra which are illustrate on the go in front specialty. According to workforce the triquetra has changed its wellbeing for a count of time. The button in wellbeing was brought by the mottled owners.

The wellbeing changed according to their realm of spy on as well as their tricks to perform the magic. The nothing out of the ordinary traits of the book routinely changes according to the traits of the drift property-owner of the book.

If the life form is good subsequently the book force cast good spells. On the other hand if the life form is evil subsequently the spells cast force be evil in model. The charmed book of shadows even has the power to protect itself from evil.

Show are a lot of entries in the book after Melinda Hole passed it on to the other generations. Far away than this, dowry are unusual kinds of incidents that occurred with the book top-quality the generations. Evils surround even tried to contain the book.

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Detail from articlesbase.com

Take captive Additional Captivating Spells Articles

Bewitching Spells

"An Psychoanalysis of Bewitched(c) Incantations"

It has been thought that magick is all about defining what you indigence and afterward letting it materialize. In my characteristic practices, I recurrently define my goals with the incantation, or traditional element, of my spells. In fact, my spells recurrently begin with a in black and white incantation more or less which I design my spell.

Choice the time I storage space complete a fashion for the house of my incantations. They normally consist of four coldness in the AABB rhyme way, even with sometimes they heart fall featuring in the ABAB way. The head of government two coldness normally plan the meaning or problem although the flash two coldness place what is sought-after or longed-for to family the problem. In buildup, each line heart contain the self-same back number of syllables, or within one or two syllables of character the self-same back number. For articulation,

A Clasp TO Convoy OBSTACLES

"This snarl-up upfront me,"simply can no longer be;"I stop working it now with magick momentum,"that I may resume my course!"

Motionless, I didn't forever storage space my magic down to a science. My head of government liability to the (legendary) world of magic and witchcraft was apparently Bewitched(c), an American sitcom which ran on the ABC clear from 1964 to 1972. The notion of Bewitched is centered on a witch named Samantha who marries Darrin, a being, and who attempts to be present the life of a average, housing housewife.

Samantha's mother, Endora, served as the main opposition of the theater. She disapproved of her daughter's "mixed-marriage" and vainly attempted to drive Darrin disallowed each week. A prototypical theater has Endora, or some other relative, cast a spell on Darrin resultant confusion and bad his life and the lives of their nosey-neighbor, Darrin's elder, his parents, and his singular patrons. By the end of the theater, Samantha is polite to manipulate Endora to reverse the careless spell as well as to use her own wits and magic to make it work to her proficient.

Host of the spells in the earlier seasoning look as if to be simply made up such as the spell Samantha vainly recycled to send her mother disallowed in the head of government episode:

"One re or re ickery Anne"Phillison, follison Nicholas John"queevy qavey, English cobalt"Sticklum, Stacklum Dough"B-U-C-K spells "Dough" and out goes you!"

Some spells squirt to be a form of Latin as in this spell Samantha recycled to nippiness strain,

"Lindor, ramamanthas, insectus"

In other hand baggage the spells are flattering prudent and attractive as in the when spell Endora cast upon Darren to make him picky.

"Inability to make up your mind heart now be your place,"in matters unhappy and matters great;"a ordeal of "ifs" and "ands" and "buts,"heart become calm to drive you nuts!"

As you can see, put on seems to be no real rhyme or use to the house of the spells recycled arrived the course of the theater. Motionless, a more rapidly upshot at some of these incantations may help us to understand the logic at the bottom of them.

For articulation, the head of government spell quoted above

"One re or re ickery Anne"Phillison, follison Nicholas John"queevy qavey, English cobalt"Sticklum, Stacklum Dough"B-U-C-K spells "Dough" and out goes you!"

This old rhymes dates back to at least possible the postponed 1800's and is one of mass variants of a "together with off" game recycled by children to gauge who is "it" or "out" (postulate eenie meenie miney mo). Motionless, proof suggests that the rhyme has its origins in very old magic spells. Bestow Samantha premeditated to use it to send Endora disallowed, so in effect she was together with her mother "out"! By chance this spell may be request the next time you cast a banishing spell?

In other hand baggage, the witches nickname upon magical lore to consent to their spells. Wish this spell to bequeath a being three needs, for example:

"Stars of lightning, sons of fire."Harken to the hearts lack of food."Set your highly seasoned power free,"And bequeath this being needs three!"

Bestow we can make a e-mail with this spell and the ancient belief of wishing on stars. Commonly a person needs upon either a dropping star, or the head of government star which can be seen in the night sky saying:

"Person's name light, star patent,"head of government star I see tonight;"I wish I may, I wish I can,"storage space my wish come true tonight!"

In buildup, the phrase "'sons of bushfire "may be a figure to Jinns (genies) who report states were untutored of fire and who storage space been know to give needs to mortal in guaranteed project.

In some instances, the witches heart perform tricks the spirit of inanimate stow directing them to provoke some change or effect. Wage this spell cast by Aunt Clara to rebuild a dreadful light.

"Hark ye witches who be present in lamps,"power of watts and oomphs and amps;"Wizards of AC/DC transmissions,"send to me an electrician!"

or this one to summon a painter

"Fall mordant and colors melodic,"Kumquat ocher and lemon ocher,"Turpentine and vegetation of sable,"Submit to me a painter able!"

It may look as if deadened to us to nickname upon a light or a paint vegetation to power a spell. Motionless, Aunt Clara was simply short-lived in accordance with the belief in animism, which is the belief that all non-human entities storage space a spirit. The concept of animism was formed arrived the Antediluvian Age, because humans thought that everything was uptown or logical by a spirit. For articulation, put on was a spirit which logical fire, or roar, spirits inhabiting lakes, streams, leaves, rocks, etc... As you can see, it is no sillier than you or I craft upon the power cavernous in an herb, or a stone to drive our spells.

It duty above and beyond be noted that in the Bewitched cosmos witches are in all probability never-ending and age at a by far slower cost than humans. Overtime their powers dilute and because that occurs, the heart recurrently turn themselves featuring in no matter which helpful such as a light or a bump. In this way, it was each and every one elective that the light was later than a witch or warlock.

In earlier seasons mass of the spells squirt to be useless words premeditated to investigate touch on Latin such as this spell recycled by Samantha to summon her mother.

"Quadramus invecta expedia!"

In some hand baggage the spells consist of made-up words recycled in conjunction with communal words that rhyme. A spell to open a saint's day, for articulation.

"Webus, willibus, tootles, flick!"Eat all this and you'll be sick!"

In other hand baggage communal words which rhyme are recycled, but make no infer for the objective of the spell. Wage this spell to make Darrin agreeable.

"Bees drink greedily and bells nell,"Harken to my recalcitrant spell."To cooperation your brain's the portliness of a pea,"In the middle of all you group you heart agree!"

In last seasons, mass of the spells cast became less wooly and promote attractive. Such as this spell to make Darrin promote determined,

"A tycoon, a industrialist"a vengeful big vending."Goad and power,"is now what you feel!"

or this one to turn a chimpanzee featuring in a mortal.

"A chimpanzee you are, "a chimpanzee you'll be,"In mortal form "because I detail to three..."1 - 2 - 3!"

The witch's permission to move spanning time and space was a shape recurrently touched upon above the course of the series with pattern leave-taking back in time or ancient history facts coming to the contribution. In the fire at of the last it was recurrently the look of a spell gone crooked. In these hand baggage, the lecture of the spell recurrently mirrors the lecture of the time or place in neighborhood.

For articulation because Aunt Clara cast a spell to send herself to the Victorian Age she unexpectedly brings Queen Victoria to the contribution. Behindhand a bit of trial and creepy-crawly she cast the when spell to send the Queen back.

"Eye of newt,"leg of spider"Queen Victoria, tally-ho"I cast my spell and off you go!"

The phrase tally-ho is pleasantly British and is recycled in fox-hunting to state because a state has flecked the fox. The spell succeeds in liberation back the Queen of the British House but above and beyond consequences in bringing forth Prince Albert, to which Aunt Clara replies "I don't know I didn't put plenty English featuring in it?" Extraordinarily the incident ends in the absence of resolving the replica.

In novel incident, Endora casts a spell to make Darrin speak natural Italian incorporating Italian featuring in her spell.

"Uno, due, tre,"I wish he can, I wish he may,"Conference touch on an Italian,"At the break of day!"

In novel incident Uncle Arthur attempts to provoke a dessert easy as a Napoleon with the when spell,

"Bon gathering mes et me,"And viva la France!"A delectable Napoleon"Now gets a prosperity - a chance!"

The spell backfires bringing the ancient history Napoleon to the contribution.

Motionless, even this function isn't not easy and fast. In one incident a witch sends Samantha back in time one-hundred time, saying

"Shot ye winds and roar collapse,"list the time a century back."Vixen be gone and make the hold,"be gone with the twist you rapid witch!"

This consequences in Samantha appearing in New Orleans place whilst the Cordial War (circa 1865) which is above and beyond display the self-same time-period in which Forgotten In the middle of the Fabricate is set (see the be in power line of the spell above).

The witches of Bewitched make casting spells seems easy, dispel, un-doing them is novel significant each and every one. It is easy to understand how an aging witch such as Aunt Clara, whose powers are go back to in her sundown time and who recurrently has obstacle respect her spells, has a not easy time reversing her spells because they go crooked. Motionless, it isn't forever easy for powerful witches in their prime to reverse a spell that has turned urgent. In the Bewitched cosmos put on are a few regulations on the reversing of spells. They are:

A Clasp CAN Plainly BE Wrong way up BY THE WITCH OR THE WARLOCK WHO Go on IT. In an swift incident, Samantha explains to Darren that a witch who cast a spell on a person has the witch's match of "squatter's custody" and hardly he or she can reverse it. As is the fire at with other instances, put on are a few episodes where this function does not touch lightly. For articulation, in the seasoning eight incident "How Not to Pass on Your Chief to Ruler Henry the VIII, Division One" Samantha is strangely polite to zap a nobleman out of a fine art in which he was cursed to lounge for one thousand time. Evenly, because Samantha is crowned Queen of the Witches, she is polite to cut the spells cast by her ancestor.

Uncommon freedom to this function appears in the seasoning two incident "Code But A Frog Knows How to Only remaining", in which a frog who has been turned featuring in a man petitions Samantha to turn him back featuring in a frog. She explains that hardly the witch who turned him featuring in a man can change him back featuring in a frog. Motionless, later than Samantha learns that the frog asked the witch to turn him featuring in a man, Samantha is polite to substitute his book form for instance it was a product of his wish.

A Clasp CAN NOT BE Wrong way up IF YOU DO NOT Recount OR CANNOT Reminisce THE Discourse Recycled TO Go on THE Clasp IN THE Chief Customary. Examples of this function take place one grow old out of the course of the series. For articulation, in the seasoning four incident "Samantha's Privileged Saucer", Aunt Clara cast the when spell to contact a toy flying-saucer that has flown out the windowpane.

"On high saucer in darkest night,"hark ye land within my sight".

The spell consequences in Aunt Clara summoning a real flying-saucer from novel galaxy featuring in the Stephens' patch. Behindhand one attempts at reversing her spell, Aunt Clara is polite to do so upon respect that she rhymed the words "shade" and "sight". Her well-fixed spell is as follows:

"On high saucer from out the night,"return ye now and certainty my sight!"

In buildup, because Uncle Arthur unexpectedly enticement Napoleon because attempting to be keen on a dessert he makes one attempts to reverse his spell. Behindhand a few unproductive attempts, he speculates that he is using the incorrect hand gestures and reverses the gestures he recycled because quirkily casting his spell.

A Clasp CANNOT BE Wrong way up IF THE Fatality OF THE Clasp DOES NOT Self-control THE Clasp TO BE Wrong way up. In the seasoning eight incident "Samantha's Caesar Salad", Esmeralda unexpectedly conjures up Julius Caesar because she attempts to open a Caesar salad. Caesar, angry that history has labeled him a monster, refuses to return to his own time until he can remove the band on his distinction. Ultimately, Samantha is polite to manipulate Caesar to return to his own time by engaging him with Cleopatra.

Debuting in the postponed 1960's, Bewitched was one of the in the beginning frightening sitcoms and continues to be seen the world above allure new generations of believers with each diminutive time. A product of its time, Bewitched may look as if less attractive than last series such as Magical or Buffy the Parasite Slayer. Motionless the magic of protect heart score that Bewitched heart forever be promote than "quicksilver... a steadily shadow"."

Carolina Dean

SOURCES

Off course at Harpies Novel Bewitched