Hey, Summer Camp Fans!
More than five years ago, I posted on this Blog about the man of steel. You know, the guy who dresses in the blue suit and the red cape. You know…*Ahem*…Clark. Kent. In case you’re not picking up what I’m putting down, let me spell it out for you. I’m talking about Superma—I mean…Christopher Reeve.
In his previous post, we learned that Christopher went to camp along Squam 
Lake amidst the White Mountains of New Hampshire at Camp Deerwood. But we only scratched the surface in that last Blog post. Let’s dig a little deeper and talk some more about former summer camper Christopher Reeve right now:
Super (skinny) Man
Chris was rejected time and again by the casting director for the role of Superman. He had a good look and he played the part well, but the chief reason for his rejections was his weight. At a mere 170 lbs., they dismissed him three times over. He was tall, but he was a string bean. He couldn’t possibly be Superman, they thought. But Chris eventually won them over as they came to realize that, while he wasn’t bulky enough yet, they could bulk him up.
Superman gets Beefed up by Darth Vader
Chris went through a rigorous bodybuilding regime in order to acquire the shredded body like Superman. In walks his training supervisor: David Prowse. Queue the ‘Imperial Death March’. David Prowse is the actor wearing the dark suit of the Sith Lord Darth Vader from the original Star Wars trilogy. A rather hulking presence himself, David Prowse whipped Christopher right into shape, helping him bulk up from 170 pounds to 212 by the time they began filming!
It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s…a Hang Glider
With the film’s tagline being “You’ll believe a man can fly,” it was important to the filmmakers that the flying scenes were convincing. Chris, being an experienced hang glider, brought his familiarity with the feeling of flying through the air to the screen. Even so, they spent $2 million dollars just failed flying tests.
What a life when you get to play Superman on the big screen! Unfortunately, Chris’ life was cut rather short. He passed away at the young age of 52 after a spinal cord injury caused complications. His indomitable spirit lives on as his determination can still inspire us today! Get your own summer camp experience. Check out Camp Deerwood by clicking here and, as always, thanks for reading!
- John