Superman 3 Then & Now – Lana Lang’s

For years now we’ve been going into local (to us) locations seen in the earlier Superman movies and showing what they look like today. We’ve long since visited most of the easily accessible sites and have been slowly chipping away at those which are harder to get to or appear only briefly in the film. They’re all just as interesting and help us connect back to what was a real cool series filmed in our own backyard. Here, it’s a brief scene from Superman III (1983), showing the titular character paying a visit to Lana Lang. This is a rare interior Then & Now, as more times than not they just don’t work in tight spaces (many reasons).

This Superman, third in the original franchise, did a lot of filming in and around Calgary and High River in particular. Lana Lang’s House is in the latter community and has always been a private residence. It was not a set, but a real building used in filming. Not only did the use the exterior for scenes but also shot inside. It’s was not really changed for the production and looks little different today. It’s a timeless setting and for Superman superfans something akin to hallowed ground. It was an honour to be allowed inside.

Lana Lang’s Place is otherwise known as the Robertson House, done up in a Queen Anne Revival style. It’s about a hundred and fifteen years old and looking pretty good for it’s age, inside and out. When built it was surrounded by pastures and well away from High River, which has since encroached on the property. That town has seen some good growth in the last few decades and is less the farm centre it once was and now as much a bedroom community for Calgary. It’s not all that far away from our own Metropolis, aka Cowtown, but still a fair commute at times.

This house was undoubtedly selected for is unique character. People in films always seem to live in interesting homes. You ever notice that? And usually equally so when it comes to cars – except Lana who drives a most unremarkable POS AMC Matador Wagon.

If you’d like to know more about the building, please see this post: Robertson House/Lana Lang House Superman III. It’s worth a few minutes of your time, trust us.

In the “then” scene as it played out, Superman drops in on Lana Lang at her home. Well actually it’s his “evil self” of which he becomes at times, not too subtly putting the moves on her. Screw that righteous Clark Kent, her true love interest…he’s stealing away her affections from his alter ego for himself alone. This scene lasts for a minute or two but sets the tone for the story to follow with “poisoned” Superman turning progressively more douche-bag in actions and attitude. It’s worth watching the film just to see polar-opposite Sup playing the jerk. Blowing out the Olympic Flame…priceless!

Other than the addition of the fireplace mantle and some trim changes and usual stuff like that, that room is much like it was. The glass door does not appear original but close. The current residents know well the building’s connection to the movie and have a little shrine in the front entryway to that effect.

You earlier heard us say that interior Then & Nows are the most difficult in most cases. The close in nature and working with all those acutely diverging lines means duplicating at the level we’re striving for becomes an impossibility. That it worked here is that the majority of the scene is at ninety degree angles to the back wall. Had it been not straight on like this you wouldn’t be seeing this post. No “shopping it” here.

As we’re apt to say repeatedly, all the heavy lifting for these Then & Nows, so the lining up and composition, is done in-camera. One concession here, and full disclosure, we changed the aspect ratio in post to match the film. We’ve never done that before but it hit us that it would make more impact visually. We never get it perfect, and could never do so, but it’s satisfying when we get that close using just the poor diseased brains given us.

As mentioned we’re thinking of revisiting the locations done in this series, the ones from years ago, to reshoot them. We’re better at lining up the “nows” than we were. These started out as a simple “this is the place today” type thing, but now we like step it up a notch. A project for 2020.

We don’t just give the “T&N” treatment to movies. We do it for old street scenes and the like too. If you have an old photo (your copyright) showing something from years past that’s still around, send it our way and we’ll revisit the scene and shoot a similar photo and talk all about it here. In our usual long-winded style!

Images from Superman III are copyright Warner Brothers and are used with permission.

They’re saying…

”…I appreciate what you do. I also appreciate your time. Muchly!” Gerry Steiert.

History of the Lana Lang House…
Robertson House/Lana Lang House Superman III.

Also…
As Seen In: Superman III / Silver Streak.

More things Super (done long ago so not as good)…
Superman 3 then and now – bridge scene – the following scene.
Superman 3 then and now – bar scenes – Evil Superman at the “Louie”!
Superman 3 then and now – Smallville – also in High River Alberta.

If you wish more information on what you’ve seen here, by all means contact us!

Date of Adventure: November, 2018.
Location: High River, AB.
Article references and thanks: Vera-Lynn B, Jim Bowers @ Capedwonder.com.
Lana Lang’s House is a private residence and not open to the public.

From Superman III (1983) & the same spot today.

Superman III’s Lana Lang House.

In the entryway, a tiny temple to the Caped Wonder.