It’s nothing new to see characters in a movie or a television series turn to the camera and say or do something interesting or hilarious or thoughtful that lets us into the story. The entire process of breaking the fourth wall, as it is called, allows us to enjoy their story and at times smile and laugh along with them.

One of the reasons why the Deadpool movies have proven popular with fans is due to the fact that Ryan Reynolds’ title character frequently turns to the camera and shocks viewers with his thoughts and comments. And to think we’re going to get a third film soon, with Reynolds’ longtime friend Hugh Jackman along for the ride in their anti-bromance.

And decades earlier, in 1986 we had the hit teen comedy Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, which was successful due in part to Matthew Broderick’s straight monologue deliveries to the camera that delighted fans both then and to this day. Without them, the film would have fallen flat on its face.

Obviously, they weren’t the first. Decades earlier, with the release of the first Superman animated cartoons from the Fleischer Studios, filmgoers were treated to a little break in the fourth wall as Clark Kent would turn to the camera at the end of the segment and wink at the camera. This is particularly noticeable at the end of the first two segments Superman (aka The Mad Scientist) and The Mechanical Monsters.

And part of the popularity of the Adventures of Superman in the 1950s was due to George Reeves turning to the camera and giving viewers at home a wink and a smile, adding to the charm of the character as if to say, “We all know the truth, so enjoy the ride. This is our little secret.”

The Superman films are no exception. We are familiar with the final flyover shot as Christopher Reeve looks at the screen and smiles to us as he flies off. There are at least four different versions of that flyover shot, each appearing in the first three Superman films and a fourth alternate take appearing at the end of The Making of Superman: The Movie.

But there are other such fourth wall moments in the first film that are harder to spot and are so instantaneous that you’ll almost totally miss them. One of them occurs once Miss Teschmacher has saved Superman from drowning in Lex Luthor’s swimming pool by getting rid of the kryptonite chain from around Superman’s neck. With his powers fully restored, he gets up and prepares to take off. But as he turns, for a brief moment Christopher Reeve looks right into the camera as if to say, “Let’s get ready to fly!”

Some others are found in the extended TV cut. The first one is harder to spot, it’s that quick. After the near mugging in Metropolis, Lois Lane and Clark Kent take a taxi away from the alleyway. Once the taxi starts to drive away, we can quickly spot Margot Kidder turning to her left and looking straight into the camera. Thanks to the Warner Archive Blu-ray release from 2017, we have a clear image of this moment.

Another such moment occurs later in the film when Superman confronts Lex Luthor in his lair. After Luthor tells Superman that he will be the cause of death of innocent people, there’s a moment when Gene Hackman smiles and playfully winks at the camera, almost a throwback to George Reeves, which pulls the viewers out of the film as if to say, “Let’s have some fun with this, shall we?”

A little later on, we also see a brief added shot of Jimmy Olsen snapping several pictures at Hoover Dam. In one brief instant that’s seen only in the 1994 KCOP broadcast of the extended TV cut and the 2017 Warner Archive Blu-ray, this brief little fourth wall moment with Marc McClure occurs…

Moments like these make a film or a television series an even more interactive experience for the viewers and fans, bringing us into the world of our favorite stories and characters without over killing it or ruining the story altogether. Whether it’s deliberate or unintentional, the fourth wall is not always meant to be broken, but in some cases, and with the right actors, it works perfectly.

(Some screenshots in this blog are courtesy of CapedWonder.com.)