As Seen In: Superman III / Silver Streak

There’s been more than a few movies and television shows filmed in and around High River Alberta. In fact, lately, it’s been pretty busy there in regards to both. Currently in production and perhaps most well known of these is the long running CBC series Heartland, with the historic downtown fitting in well with the western theme of the show. Much earlier, and before filming in Alberta really took off, the community was the backdrop for a couple scenes in two Hollywood Epics, 1976’s Silver Streak and 1983’s Superman III. And one building seen makes an appearance in both…but from two different sides.

Grab a coffee and let’s take a look…

St. Benedict’s Anglican Church is seen Superman III, albeit very briefly. Look for it at the very start of a panning sequence, the lead in “set the mood” shot, just before the high school reunion scene. It’s on screen for but a moment or two. The building dates from 1904, making it a real oldie in local terms, and looks lovingly cared for. It shoots well in the soft light of evening. Magic hour for the win! St Benedict’s appears little changed from then to now.

And seen in that same panning shot mentioned above, and given a bit more screen time, it’s the original Spitzee School, formerly Highwood High or Westward School. Dating from 1912, it’s part of the new Spitzee Elementary to which it’s conjoined, but it’s not clear in what capacity the older building is used. We’ve heard through the grapevine, variously, that it’s empty or used for storage, with only the newer section being used for classes. Experts? Frustratingly, little information is available on this school’s history. Even the school board itself seems to know little.

In Superman III, it’s said to be Smallville High, once attended by Clark Kent, Sup’s alter-ego, a “mild- mannered reporter” for the Daily Planet. In Superman the Movie (1978), the first in the seven film franchise, a school in Barons Alberta was used as a stand-in for this structure. See it here: Superman 1978 High school then and now. Not sure why it wasn’t reused in Three for continuity.

In the story, Clark’s high school reunion is being held in the building. Later there’s some interior shots showing the party in full swing in a school gymnasium, presumably shot inside Spitzee and not a purpose built set.

Spitzee is a corruption of the Blackfoot word Ispitsi, the name given to the wooded river flats in the general area of present day High River. The Highwood River, not that far away, flooded spectacularly in 2013 (and had done so many times before), which affected the school and shut it down for a time while remediation work was done. But it came through okay.

Noted author WO Mitchell taught at this school about the time his first novel was published (Who Has Seen the Wind, 1947).

Lastly it’s High River’s old railway depot, now a museum, uniquely made of sandstone, with a most interesting back story. It wasn’t always in town and was disassembled and brought here, block by block, from Calgary over a century ago. Built in 1893 it was once Calgary’s Train Station, well half of it, moved to here about 1911-1912 (reports differ a bit) to replace an earlier depot made inadequate account growth of High River. Calgary had a similar need for something bigger and so it was simply handed down. Recycling and reusing has always been a big thing with the railways and their penny pinching ways. Like Spitzee School, and likely St Benedict’s, the building was partly underwater for a time in spring 2013.

The second half of the Calgary Station was sent down the line a bit to Claresholm and still stands.

Continuing the Superman III theme, the train station is seen in the background, front side. It’s a sequence where soon to be (and misguided) nemesis of Superman Gus Gorman, fresh off the bus and here coincidentally for other reasons (not nice ones at that), unknowingly walks past Clark Kent. The building is seen only briefly. Gone today are all the grain elevators seen in behind the building in that shot.

To see all the Superman III locations discussed here done before and after style, go here: Superman 3 then and now – Smallville. These were done long ago, before we got better at it and are cringe-worthy to us, but we keep them around anyway.

Seen from the back (track) side, the High River Station is seen twice, as two different towns, in two separate scenes, in Silver Steak. Different movies, different sides! A short stretch of track completes the scene but ends just beyond the museum property. A before and after showing what we just spoke of can be found here: Silver Streak movie then and now – Rockdale IL station and here Silver Streak movie then and now – paper burning scene. These are older articles are generally not that good when compared to those coming today. But hey.

Silver Streak is about trains, so for that alone, it’s epic.

The Canadian Pacific Railway Branch through High River dates from 1893 and was closed to through traffic in the late 1990s although a section of it through High River and a bit beyond remained in use, for the storage of surplus rail cars, for some years after. Now the track ends north of town, the last bit of track, a short stub at that, on what was the former MacLeod Subdivision that once ran from Calgary to Fort MacLoed down south. A once fairly busy stretch of track relegated to history.

The last passenger trains to use the High River Station were in the mid-1960s, although the platform remained in use for a few more years. Now it’s the Museum of the Highwood, a place we really should pay a visit. Next door there’s a dining car made into a restaurant. Which interestingly we’ve never been to either.

Across the road and not connected to either movie discussed is the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce occupying a building it’s called home for well over a century. It looked so nice in the failing light we just had to include it.

They’re saying…

Great photos and stories keep up the great work. Can’t get enough of our great history. Jake Krahn.

Just a few movie locations we’ve visited…
Robertson House/Lana Lang House Superman III – home of Sup’s love interest.
Goin’ Waydowntown – a little known film shot in Calgary,
Scott Ranch – a huge western set.
Brokeback Mountain then and now – Twist Ranch – and now abandoned.

In High River…
Beachwood Estates.

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

Date: April, 2019
Location: High River, Alberta.
Article references and thanks: Foothills School Division High River, Hermis.ca, St. Benedict’s Anglican Church, Alberta Register of Historic Places, HistoricPlaces.ca, Town of High River,

As seen in Superman III, Spitzee School High River Alberta.

Also making a brief appearance in the film it’s St Benedict’s.

Clark Kent’s alma mater.

The Silver Streak angle.

And the Superman angle.

Grrrrr! Standing guard.

Next door, a dining car restaurant.

No movie connection, it just looked good.