The Cookham man 'who made Superman fly' passes on

A Cookham-based stalwart props man for legendary TV and cinema has passed away aged 83.

Born in 1939, John Brown is ‘the man who made Superman fly and brought the Thunderbirds to life’.

Throughout his life and varied career, John worked with the likes of Tom Hanks, Roger Moore and Sigourney Weaver on key props, costume and other vital aspects of film production.

In 1965, as part of a small team under Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, John’s Thunderbirds puppets took to the screen.

Young puppeteer Wanda Webb operated Lady Penelope among others – and John married her in 1968.

John’s film career took him across the globe and many of his special effects creations can be found in film museums, others remain only within the films themselves.

Friend and fellow Cookham resident Bill Larke remembers some of John’s encounters with the stars.

“His early work remains as current today as it was in 1965,” said Bill.

“John’s film associates read like a ‘who’s who’ of movie history: Tom Hanks, Roger Moore, Sigourney Weaver, Richard Kiel, David Niven – but a few from a very long list.”

John worked with Sigourney Weaver on Alien and Aliens, its sequel.

He measured her for the suit she wore in the film. Tape-measure in hand and pencil behind his ear, John ‘smiled and shook his head in disbelief’.

“Sigourney caught his eye and asked him what was wrong,” said Bill.

“John said, ‘I can’t believe I’m getting paid for this,’ and the two of them descended into fits of giggles.”

When filming Aliens, Sigourney sent a note to John, telling him how pleased she was to be working with him again on the sequel, and hoping they might do so a third time on the third in the franchise.

He also became friends on a Bond set with Richard Kiel (aka Jaws) who was happy to pose for photos with John in the special effects studio – the giant of Hollywood and, by contrast, ‘a tiny special effects technician from Birmingham’.

“That was the measure of the man,” Bill said. “Everyone felt comfortable in his company.”

He was ‘a man of priceless stories’ and these ‘would come out with a little encouragement’ often over a pint in
his favourite pub, the Swan Uppers in Cookham.

Of his stories, Bill recalls one in which Roger Moore once held onto to John’s trouser belt as John leant over a frighteningly high ledge to prepare for a forthcoming scene.

“Are you making sure I don’t fall Roger?” asked John, so the story goes.

“Not quite John, but I want to make sure I can reach your wallet if you do go over,” Roger replied.

John described the late Roger Moore as ‘one of the nicest people he had ever met.’

In the past, John showed Bill some of the models he had made, ‘evidence of his incredible skill and patience.’

“I remember one in particular – despite being just a five-inch model, the face of Christopher Reeve was perfectly captured and the little motor John made and fitted still ‘billowed’ the famous Superman cape,” said Bill.

The model was used in the original Superman’s blockbuster film title sequences and numerous flying scenes over a New York backdrop.

On April 18, just a few months after the death of his beloved wife Wanda, John passed.

“Cookham has lost another of its many characters,” said Bill. “We have so many memories of our friend John Brown, and we’ll do our best to keep them alive. For me, John Brown was the man who made Superman fly.”