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These roles did little to advance Reeves's career, and his contract with Warners was dissolved by mutual consent. Superman's Curse: The George Reeves Murder-Suicide Was a Hoax [13] His Gone with the Wind screen credit reflects the change. As more and more time passed between acting jobs paying less and less, Reeves was reduced to appearing in a low-budget serial produced by Sam Katzman, The Adventures of Sir Galahad, and taking a second job digging cesspools. "An element of mystery" Reeves' death may have been ruled a suicide, but not everyone believed it. It seems the dark secret haunted her for the rest of her life. Learn about George Reeves death and the true story behind the Hollywoodland movie starring Ben Affleck as TV's Superman. George Reeves - Biography - IMDb Nobody wanted me to work at all. The film suggests three possible scenarios: accidental shooting by Lemmon, murder by an unnamed hitman under orders from Eddie Mannix, and suicide. While studying acting at the Pasadena Playhouse, Reeves met his future wife, Ellanora Needles. He left the bulk of his estate to Toni Mannix. And then there were the bruising and other marks on Reevess body. He had affection for his young fans, and took his role-model status seriously. He is best known for portraying Superman in the television series Adventures of Superman (1952-1958). George Reeves was born George Keefer Brewer in Woolstock, Iowa, the son of Don Brewer and Helen Lescher (his death certificate erroneously lists his birthplace as Kentucky). The producers wouldnt give me a job. Historical Person Search Search Search Results Results George Azer Reeves (1914 - 1945) Try FREE for 14 days Try FREE for 14 days. TV 'Superman' George Reeves Still Haunts Home Where He Died George Reeves' death was ruled a suicide, . Reeves's film career began in 1939 when he was cast as Stuart Tarleton (incorrectly listed in the film's credits as Brent Tarleton), one of Scarlett O'Hara's suitors in Gone with the Wind. George Reeves3 Theories About The Death of Superman. SUPERMAN MURDER SOLVED! The police did not treat the house as a crime scene, and Lemmon was able to return shortly after they had left, have the bloody sheets washed, retrieve $4000 in travellers cheques and leave Los Angeles for New York, never to return again, not even for Reeves funeral. A photo of a smiling Reeves and the sign appears in Gary Grossman's book about the show. [13] The Bessolo marriage lasted 15 years, ending in divorce, with the couple separating while Reeves was away visiting relatives. In the early morning hours of June 16, 1959, George Reeves, who was the first to make the superhero an icon when he played the titular role in the inaugural TV series, was found dead in his. George Bessolo Reeves lived in a modest house in Benedict Canyon in Los Angeles, California up until the time of his death on June 15, 1959. In 1952, the struggling ABC Network purchased the show for national broadcast, which gave him greater visibility. Superman was dead, and there were no heroes coming in to save the day. Listen to 022 - The Suspicious Death of George Reeves . Was the star of 50s TV show The Adventures of Superman murdered? Coates was amongst many of Reeves friends and co-stars who did not believe he would have killed himself. He had a string of B-list movies after that, and was slowly working his way up to leading man status when bombs dropped on Pearl Harbor. His personal life took a turn for the worse a long-term affair with another man's common-law wife ended badly; he finally filed a restraining order against her. This prevented long-term work on major films with long schedules, stage plays that might lead to a lengthy run, or any other series work.[24]. Loved the commercial..how cool! [24] As for Port of Entry, Reeves was never able to gain financing for the project, and the show was never made. Tac -- George Reeves' Home All of the conspiracy theories surrounding Reevess death would eventually be played out on the big screen in 2006s Hollywoodland, but they boil down to three scenarios. It was purchased for the actor at a cost of $12,000 by his longtime lover, MGM Vice-President E.J. The findings of a second autopsy, conducted at Giesler's request, were the same as the first, except for a series of bruises of unknown origin about the head and body. On June 16, 1959, actress Phyllis Coates was woken up around 4:30 a.m. by a very strange phone call. She continued, 'He's opening a drawer to get the gun.' His passing even became the subject of the 2006 biographical docudrama Hollywoodland, in which Ben Affleck plays the Pasadena-bred television star. and im so curious to know,is it true or not?cause if it is true..wow it is the scariest thing ive ever heard. Is her confession credible? At this time, Reeves and his mother moved from Iowa to Ashland, Kentucky, to stay with relatives for a time[10] and then to her home of Galesburg, Illinois.[11]. The official finding was suicide, but some believe that he was murdered or the victim of an accidental shooting. It may have seemed like an open and shut case: Man found upstairs, gun on the floor, a single bullet wound in his head. Two additional bullets were discovered embedded in the bedroom floor. It was during this fallow period that he was approached about playing the role that would come to define his life. Reeves then apologized, and the group sat around talking. In the early hours of June 16, Mannix called Coates; she was hysterical and told her friend that Reeves had been murdered. According to Larson, Reeves said that if Mark Sandrich had not died, he would not be there in "this monkey suit". Henderson, Jan Alan, Speeding Bullet, M. Bifulco, 1999; Helen Roberta Lescher Brewer Bessolo (18921964) - Born in Galesburg, Knox County, Illinois, US. Reeves died at the age of 45, from a gunshot wound to the head. In 1953, Reeves played a minor character, Sergeant Maylon Stark, in From Here to Eternity. Reeves's father married Helen Schultz in 1925. Talking to friend Millicent Trent, Bliss said Lemmon had actually rushed down the stairs after the gunshot and urged them to Tell them I was down here! And how had the fatal bullet ended up in the ceiling whilst the shell rested underneath his body? Around 1, two friends came by for a visit. Info Share. Another Superman stage show was scheduled for July[32] with a planned stage tour of Australia. However, Superman producers offered him a salary increase, and he returned to the series. Their suspicions werent entirely fueled by grief and denialthe evidence was puzzling. If anything, it seemed like Reeves career was on the up. (1956), in which Reeves wore a beard and mustache. This includes accusations of murder directed at his fiance and ex-girlfriend. George Reeves was dead. For decades friends, family and strangers alike have speculated on his mental state and whether he was the type of person to commit suicide or not, but the truth is only George Reeves himself knew what was truly going on in his mind. How do we create a person's profile? The story told by those there that night is full of holes, the evidence perplexing and poorly handled. She died in 1989. The 2006 film Hollywoodland, starring Ben Affleck as Reeves and Adrien Brody as a fictional investigator loosely based on actual detective Milo Speriglio, dramatizes the investigation of Reeves' death. However, these were never investigated and Giesler strangely refused to work on the case any longer. George went to bed at 12:30 AM. In June 2021, an episode of the internet series BuzzFeed Unsolved discussed the death of Reeves and possible theories. A detective examines the mysterious death of George Reeves, the star of the television series Adventures of Superman (1952). He was dead from a single gunshot wound to his right temple. How Did George Reeves Die? - Historic True Crime In June 1951, Reeves was offered the role of Superman in a new television series[23] titled Adventures of Superman. George Reeves Death, Hollywoodland Movie - Pics of Toni Mannix, Eddie They got home around 11 p.m. A couple hours later, Carol Van Ronkel and William Bliss stopped by for a drink. Mannixs wife Toni Lanier, whom the actor had broken up with shorty before his death. The series went on the air the following year, and Reeves was amazed at becoming a national celebrity. His death was officially classified as. Firstly, TV had just become ubiquitous in households across the country, but television as a medium was still seen as the lowbrow younger sibling to films high art. George Reeves -- Unsolved Mysyeries Reeves worried he would be typecast as a childrens actor. For some reason Reeves had contorted his head so it was tilted upwards at the point of firing, as the bullet was found embedded in the ceiling. [26] He was reportedly making $5,000 (about $50,000 in today's dollars) per week, but only while the show was in production (about eight weeks each year). Reeves was drafted into the U.S. Army in early 1943. U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records 19381946, dated March24, 1943, Speeding Bullet, 2nd Ed, by Jan Alan Henderson, p. 151. Reeves himself believed Mannix was behind the succession of sinister events that dogged Reeves in the run up to his death, including silent midnight phonecalls and the kidnapping of his beloved Schnauzer Sam. It was a minor role, but he and Fred Crane, both in brightly dyed red hair as "the Tarleton Twins," were in the film's opening scenes. The Mysterious Death of Superman George Reeves It wasn't Kryptonite that killed Superman. Authorities ruled it a suicide, but was it? Reeves was dressed in one of his characters Clark Kent suits for the funeral, which took place two weeks later, on June 30th, 1959. She had prepared the meal for Reeves and guest Robert Condon, a writer who was there to do an article on Reeves and his upcoming bout with Archie Moore. Or was the culprit his new girlfriend, the volatile and temperamental Lemmon, who had argued with Reeves the night of his death about the late night party she was having whilst he tried to sleep off his own night of heavy drinking? George Reeves (born George Keefer Brewer; January 5, 1914 - June 16, 1959) was an American actor. But his business manager and mother, among others, said that while it was true he was disappointed in the way things were going, his feelings werent strong enough to explain a suicide. Rather than being seen as the hunky superhero who had proven himself as a leading man, Reeves was worried that the role would forever make him the kids beloved Superman in the eyes of the world and of casting directors. This is however not the case as it it the guest bedroom that faces the street. Hollywood comic, Lou Lubin, is on right. Seeing the neighbors, he told them, Get out. [17] He was drafted in early 1943. Reeves would frequently bemoan the role he felt so trapped in, with particular disdain reserved for the crude and repetitive scripts that often required little more of him than to turn up at the end and have the villains bullets bounce off his chest. They decided that he was fooling around, not realizing the gun was loaded. Whatever the case may be, no charges were ever filed and Reeves death remains one of the most talked about Hollywood scandals to this day. According to partygoers, one of the guests raced upstairs to find Reeves lying across his bed, the life snuffed out of him by a bullet in the head. September6, 1892 was the daughter of George Christian Lescher and Eliza Jane McKenzie, she died in a Pasadena hospital on June 18, 1964. Nevertheless, the end of his iconic role reportedly hit him hard and at 45, typecast, unemployed and overweight, he found himself reduced to appearing in commercials and celebrity boxing matches. Reeves's career as Superman had begun with Superman and the Mole Men, a film intended both as a B-picture and as the pilot for the TV series. Reeves was then transferred to the Army Air Forces' First Motion Picture Unit, where he made training films. Leonore Lemmon fled to New York right after Reeves died--but first emptied his house of liquor bottles and $4,000 in traveler's checks. Despite these suspicions, the Los Angeles Police Department officially ruled the death a suicide, on little more than a cursory investigation. As Reeves returned to his room, Lemmon bizarrely began providing some morbid commentary. [31] However, Reeves and his partner failed to find financing, and the film was never made. Tragic Facts About George Reeves, The Reluctant Superhero - Factinate Other evidence that casts doubt on this scenario is the lack of burn marks on Reeves back. After breaking up with his wife, Reeves had engaged in a three-year affair with actress Toni Mannix, who was married to a notorious fixer for MGM Studios. 1. [17] Warner changed his professional name to George Reeves. Others suggested that Eddie Mannix, rumored to have Mafia ties, ordered Reeves killed.[43]. The sinister true story behind the death of George Reeves By Gaby Wood 13 March 2016 12:18pm Reeves, star of the Fifties TV show The Adventures of Superman, was shot in 1959. The Los Angeles county coroner said its was a suicide, but family & friends say it was a love triangle murder. If this was the case, then clearly he had not fired the gun himself, and another party was involved. Did the 45-year-old actor commit suicide (as was the official finding), was his death accidental, or was he murdered by his vengeful ex-lover or her jealous husband? Sprawled naked on his bed, Reeves had been shot in the head after a late night party at his house. On 16 June 1959, George Reeves retired to his bed at 12, after going out for dinner with his fianc, Leonore. Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty ImagesPhyllis Coates and George Reeves in The Adventures of Superman. George lived at 1579 Benedict Canyon Drive, in the Beverly Hills area. [38] The bullet that killed Reeves was recovered from the bedroom ceiling, and the spent shell casing was found under his body. We have always known that house guest Robert Condon, Carol Van Ronkel and William Bliss were there. Separated from his wife (their divorce became final in 1950), Reeves moved to New York City in 1949. This is the house, and home, that Superman actor George Reeves lived and died in. If they were fired earlier, then at the very least its evidence somebody in the house had a somewhat cavalier attitude to firearms. Reeves, however, earned additional income from personal appearances. I told you, hes shot himself., When the cops arrived on the scene, Lemmon told them she had been only kidding when she made her strange remarks. At around 1.20am, a bad tempered Reeves had admonished the trio for their noise, before returning upstairs. CleverJourneys: American Crime Chronicles Two Los Angeles police officers arrived at 1579 Benedict Canyon at almost 3 a.m., June 16, 1959. The Superman Scandal: How George Reeves' Death Rocked Hollywood Faster than a speeding bullet! The actors were poorly paid, and even after Reeves received a raise after trying and failing to leave the show after three seasons, he found himself struggling for money, unable to get the roles he really wanted, and taxed for time given the all-consuming nature of his Superman commitments. Character: . Advertisement. To the left in the photo is a den. According to Condon, Lemmon was in an combative mood that night, and had made somewhat of a scene in the restaurant. Its Superman! The iconic intro blazed into American households on Sept. 19, 1952. Around one in the morning they were joined by two of the neighbors, at which point Reeves, who had already been in bed, stomped downstairs to yell at his guests. If the Hollywood stories are to be believed, any death involving a girl and a gun is suspicious. While he returned unscathed, he struggled from that point forward to get his career back on track. But even more importantly, The Adventures of Superman was marketed mostly towards a younger audience. Further to this, a later search of the bedroom found two extra bullet holes. [1] [2] His death at age 45 from a gunshot remains controversial. This was before news of Reeves death had gotten out, and it always remained a mystery to Coates how Mannix could have known Reeves was murdered unless she was party to it. Last edited on 17 February 2023, at 06:25, Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "The Death of George Reeves The Original Superman", "The Life and Tragic Death of 'Superman' Star George Reeves Plus the Actor in his Own Words", "7 super things you might not know about George Reeves", "11 Homes That Are Haunted by Dead Celebrities", "Was Superman star George Reeves a suicide or murder victim? George Reeves from "Superman" had a mysterious death that saw him die from a single gunshot wound to the head. George Reeves - Unsolved Mysteries Fellow actors Gig Young and Alan Ladd publicly doubted that Reeves took his own life. Everyone involved decided that it had been a suicide. Had Reeves, drunk, unhappy and smarting at another argument with his new girlfriend Leonore Lemmon, pulled the trigger on his Luger whilst plumbing some dark trough of self pity? Had she even pulled the trigger herself? A long Broadway run followed, before a national tour and a movie version. After, they returned home and continued drinking. Walker's property became known as "Houdini's House." Shortly after Houdini died on Halloween . But it wasnt just Reeves career that was going through a dramatic turn. It was a minor role, but he and Fred Crane were in the film's opening scene. After two seasons, Reeves was dissatisfied with his salary and the show's one-dimensional role. He kept his private life discreet, including a romantic relationship with Toni Mannix, wife of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer general manager Eddie Mannix. Inside the Mysterious Death of George Reeves, the Original Superman The coroner ruled it suicide. Eddie was not happy when his wife wasnt happy. A shot was heard. The costume Reeves donned as Superman on TV. Honorary pallbearers included Alan Ladd and Gig Young. [17] His friend Teddi Sherman introduced him to her father, producer Harry Sherman, who asked Reeves to do a screen test with Teddi for the Hopalong Cassidy films. The . Hard drinking and hard partying, she gave as good as she got, and had the dubious distinction of been the first woman to be thrown out of New Yorks famous Stork club for fist fighting. At 45 and craving more serious work, the prospect of yet again trudging around the country in tights and cape, as children threw stones at him and teenagers challenged him to fights, may have become too much bare. . No charges were ever brought against anyone in connection to the case. At his funeral, he was laid to rest in the same suit that he wore on the TV show as "Clark Kent." His personal life was not all red carpets and champagne. But this wasn't the conclusion of the police officers who arrived at 1579 Benedict Canyon, Los Angeles, in the early hours of June 16, 1959. He was found dead in his bedroom at 1:59 a.m. on June 16, 1959 in his modest home in Los Angeles' Benedict Canyon. Reeves died of a gunshot wound to the head in the upstairs bedroom of his home at 1579 Benedict Canyon Drive[34] in Benedict Canyon between 1:30 and 2:00a.m. on June 16, 1959, according to the Los Angeles Police Department report.