Here’s a strange thought: today would’ve been Christopher Reeve’s 57th birthday. And in only a few days, on October 10, it will be five years since his death. Time flies, eh?

I don’t intend to make a habit of observing celebrity birthdays here, especially those of celebrities who are no longer with us, but, well… Chris is kind of a special case for me. Besides, marking this particular date gives me an excuse to post a real treasure of a video, a clip of Chris’ first appearance on The Tonight Show way back in 1978, when he was promoting Superman: The Movie. He comes across as very young, very earnest, more than a little nervous, and kinda goofy, especially when a couple of his jokes fall completely flat. Johnny Carson, though, is gracious as always and helps this up-and-coming young star through what must have been an incredibly nerve-wracking experience:

Strange to think that all three of the men featured in this clip — Chris, Johnny, and Rodney Dangerfield — are now gone. Without getting too maudlin about it, let me just say that realizations like this are what make me feel increasingly out of touch with the present.

Hat tip to LA Times‘ Hero Complex blog for the clip…