TOWN GOES CRAZY FOR SUPERMAN

METROPOLIS, Ill. -- Small children often get stuck inside the antique telephone booth at the Metropolis Chamber of Commerce.

They yell or sit quietly until someone, usually chamber director Sheila Richey-McCree, lets them out. It's the price the kids pay for being curious -- and for being in The Home of Superman.

Sunday was the last day of the 18th annual Superman Celebration in Metropolis, and Richey-McCree checked the telephone booth one last time before settling down to answer some questions.

"People love that telephone booth," she said. "We had a man go in there this weekend and change into a Superman T-shirt. He was a serious collector."

But the booth is only one popular attraction during the annual event, which draws thousands to the small river town each year. The visitors wander into the chamber office to buy hats and T-shirts, mosey through the Super Museum, eat greasy carnival food and, of course, stare at the gargantuan Superman statue in the town square.

Rain fell Thursday, Friday and Sunday, but that didn't keep event organizers from calling this year's celebration the biggest ever. They didn't have any crowd estimates, but Richey-McCree said the square was packed on sunny Saturday.

The big attractions this year were Jack Larson, who played Jimmy Olsen on the 1950s Superman television series, and a memorabilia auction. Included was a cape worn by Christopher Reeve in his 1978 hit movie "Superman."

The auction brought in more than $9,500, and all proceeds went to the Reeve-Irvine Research Center at the University of California, where doctors are looking for cures for spinal cord injuries. Reeve suffered one when thrown from a horse in May 1995.

"Jack Larson was great," Richey-McCree said. "He signed autographs until his hands cramped, and he's going to match part of our money to give to the research center.

"We all wanted to do something for Christopher because we're Superman's hometown and he is our adopted Superman."

The bad weather canceled some events Sunday and changed others. The outdoor Supermania Professional Wrestling didn't make it, and a 200-vehicle car show was ended early.

Rain is getting to be a common sight at the Superman Celebration, said David Martin. He owns Humma's Drug Store in the middle of the downtown action.

"The farmers want us to move the date to July, when they really need the rain," Martin joked.

Some of his fellow downtown merchants aren't as happy with the hustle and bustle of the annual event, which keeps away some of their everyday business. Martin reasons that the celebration brings newcomers to town who may come back later, bringing their business with them.

Judy Roberts, a lifelong resident of Metropolis, said she gets excited about the celebration every year. She sells photos of the event to the local newspaper, so she has roamed around it almost every year, looking for good shots.

In the old days, Roberts said, people weren't as thrilled by their town's association to a comic-book superhero.

"They thought it was silly," she said. "The old statue we had was hilarious. It was 7 feet tall and the feet were as long as the body.

"Then everyone thought it was ridiculous to spend money on a new statue, but when they saw the tourists come in and the revenue we got, they were much happier."