George Reeves (born George Keefer . But it wasnt just Reeves career that was going through a dramatic turn. Its Superman! The iconic intro blazed into American households on Sept. 19, 1952. 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. Immediately after completing it, Reeves and the crew began production of the first season's episodes, all shot over 13 weeks in the summer of 1951. Fellow actors Gig Young and Alan Ladd publicly doubted that Reeves took his own life. George Reeves: The Strange, Lonely Death of TV's Superman Lemmon and Reeves had a stormy relationship but, at least according to her, were engaged to be married. George's fiancee Lenore Lemmon claims that in . Many photos shown in various magazines in the past indicated that George's bedroom windows could be seen from the street. 'Superman' Actor George Reeves' Angry Ex Tormented Him and His 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. Reeves usually had an open door policy, but not after midnight. 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. Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point. But not even Lane could have imagined that the dead boy was none other than Superman George Reeves himself. Reeves had also hoped to direct a low-budget science-fiction film written by a friend from his Pasadena Playhouse days, and he had discussed the project with his first Lois Lane, Phyllis Coates, the previous year. While many of Reeves friends doubted the suicide verdict, Jack Larson, who played cub reporter Jimmy Olsen in the show, always accepted that his friend took his own life. In the documentary Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman, Jack Larson said that when he first met Reeves, he told him that he enjoyed his performance in So Proudly We Hail! More sinister still, did Eddie Mannix, a man whose job it was to make Hollywood scandals go away, pull some of his underworld strings and hire a hitman to erase the man who had so grievously upset his wife? It was to be his final feature film appearance. '"'[35], The official story given by Lemmon to the police placed her in the living room with party guests at the time of the shooting, but hearsay statements from Fred Crane, Reeves' friend and colleague from Gone With The Wind, put Lemmon either inside or in direct proximity to Reeves' bedroom. Kent then rushed offstage to return as Superman, who came to the rescue and fought with the bad guy. Reeves head and hands showed no signs of gunshot residue or powder burns. We have always known that house guest Robert Condon, Carol Van Ronkel and William Bliss were there. Superman birth place and death house (George Reeves) - YouTube 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. Three bullet holes were found in the bedroom, all caused by the Luger that was found resting between the victim's legs. According to the Argus observer, "George Reeves, 45, was found dead in his upstairs bedroom of this house . George Reeves, whose work as TV's Man of Steel would set the Superman screen standard for decades, died in his Benedict Canyon home from a gunshot to the head. As Reeves returned to his room, Lemmon bizarrely began providing some morbid commentary. Henderson, Jan Alan, Speeding Bullet, M. Bifulco, 1999; Helen Roberta Lescher Brewer Bessolo (18921964) - Born in Galesburg, Knox County, Illinois, US. . Years later, William Bliss, one of the party guests who had originally told police Leonore Lemmon was downstairs with them when the shot was heard, changed his story. The show was a smashing success, drawing huge audiences each episode. Jack Larson, who died at 87 on Sunday, was a gifted writer and gay man whose talents and personal struggles were overshadowed by his role as . The film suggests three possible scenarios: accidental shooting by Lemmon, murder by an unnamed hitman under orders from Eddie Mannix, and suicide. Reeves wrote the pilot script himself. The 45-minute delay in getting help, in this scenario, was the time it took for her and her house guests to cover up the murder. Reeves also enjoyed playing with an unloaded gun. It is located in a fairly modest area, even though the asking price in 1995 was $625,000. Perhaps the toxic mixture of alcohol and painkillers had led to a fatal misjudgment? Sprawled naked on his bed, Reeves had been shot in the head after a late night party at his house. No scandals were too big to be neutralised by Eddie, from covering-up Clark Gable accidently killing actress Tosca Roulien, to tracking down and buying up every copy of a porn film starring Joan Crawford. The long Broadway run was followed by a national tour and a movie version. The roles just werent coming his way. There was no doubt that he had enjoyed a few libations that evening, but even drunk it stretches the imagination that someone would strip before committing suicide. director Mark Sandrich. His relatives believed he was murdered, and disputed the official ruling of suicide. Those windows overlook the backyard and there is a garage under the guest bedroom. Why Anton Drexler Was More Responsible For The Nazi Party Than Adolf Hitler, The Gruesome Murders Of Andrei Chikatilo Russia's "Red Ripper", What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch, Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images, Reeves played opposite Vivien Leigh as one of the Tarleton twins in. Finally, a single shot rang out. And George Reeves was not unable to find work, he was not broke, he was not a suicidal depressed person. He was born in Woolstock, Iowa but eventually moved to Galesburg, Illinois after his parents separated. His body was later cremated and interred at the Mountain View Cemetery in Altadena, which I blogged about during my Haunted Hollywood theme last year. According to the autopsy report, Reeves had taken his .30 caliber German Luger pistol, placed it near his right temple and pulled the trigger. They married on September 22, 1940 in San Marino, California, at the Church of Our Savior. No charges were ever brought against anyone in connection to the case. During the second season, Reeves appeared in a short film for the Treasury Department entitled Stamp Day for Superman, in which he caught the villains and told children why they should invest in government savings stamps. Is her confession credible? Leonore Lemmon was, by all accounts, a bit of a hell-raiser. Reeves was then transferred to the Army Air Forces' First Motion Picture Unit, where he made training films. The Mysterious Circumstances Surrounding George Reeves' Death By All too often it is those closest to someone who takes their own life who can least understand it. Multiple gunshot suicides are rare, so if these shots were contemporary to Reeves death, it seems unlikely he was the shooter. Lemmon and writer Robert Condon, who was staying at the house, were more than happy to entertain the group, but Reeves was already in bed and was not pleased by the ruckus downstairs. It was an open secret in the business that Reeves had been conducting a long term affair with Toni Mannix, the wife of notorious Hollywood fixer and MGM vice president Eddie Mannix. Lemmon moved into his house, and they were to be married on June 18. I remember watching Superman on tv, George Reeves Kelloggs Corn Flakes CommercialFilmed in his Home, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), I blogged about during my Haunted Hollywood theme last year, 1579 Benedict Canyon Drive in Beverly Hills. This theory centres around the mysterious WIlliam Bliss, a stranger to both Reeves and Leonore Lemmon, whose presence in the house that night has never been adequately explained. Reeves death was the first in what would come to be a string of tragedies surrounding the role, in what would come to be known as the Superman curse. After his death, it was revealed that he left everything to Toni, which could have been an oversight given he and Lemmon had only been together six months, or it could have been a big middle finger. Later, Reeves's mother,[12] who was of German descent, moved to California to stay with her sister. Robert (Bobby) was writing a book about boxer Archie Moore. Mannix, who had ties to the mob, had him whacked due to the affair. wow..thats a great articleby the way, Ive read those article in other site about his deathit is written that a ghostly phenomena has been reported at the former Reeves house ever since his death? George lived at 1579 Benedict Canyon Drive, in the Beverly Hills area. George Reeves was depressed and whilst entertaining guests at his home he he inexplicably left the room, placed a pistol to his right temple and pulled the trigger. The police ruled his death a suicide, but rumors quickly surfaced that Reeves was. The Mysterious Death of Superman George Reeves - Clever Journeys He was initially reluctant to take the role because, like many actors of his time, he considered television unimportant and believed few would see his work. His fears were not unfounded, as he had been out of work for two years by the time of his death in 1959. When George Reeves died in 1959, the death was quickly considered to be one that was self-inflicted. When he returned, his mother told him his stepfather had committed suicide. The subsequent police report seem to accept the whole story at face value. Ruled as a. He was able to play against type and starred as a villainous gold hunter in a Johnny Weissmuller Jungle Jim film. 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. 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. In the early hours of June 16, Mannix called Coates; she was hysterical and told her friend that Reeves had been murdered. [1] [2] His death at age 45 from a gunshot remains controversial. The Mysterious Death of Superman George Reeves It wasn't Kryptonite that killed Superman. Hollywood was recovering from the war, but slowly, and Reeves wasnt the only actor trying to make up for lost time with renewed dedication to dreams that were still very much alive but suddenly even further out of reach. Reeves then apologized, and the group sat around talking. The . The police also found two gunshot holes in the carpet as well as the one in the ceiling that they traced to the wound in Reevess head, yet the witnesses claimed to have only heard one shot that night. The Iowa-born actor got his big break when he was hired to play one of Scarlett OHaras suitors in 1939s Gone with the Wind. Its impossible to ever know whats truly going on in someones head, especially on a night of heavy drinking, but it did seem that Reeves was taking steps to fix his situation. George Reeves -- Unsolved Mysyeries The characters involved range from colorful to drunk to suspicious, having by now taken any secrets . to put his budding acting career on hold and enlist in the U.S. Reeves was extremely intoxicated when he died, and also pumped full of painkillers to treat the injuries he received in his recent car accident. Tragic Facts About George Reeves, The Reluctant Superhero - Factinate The woman on the other end of the line was a woman named Toni Mannix. Due to their advanced state of inebriation the party guests were not entirely coherent, but they all seemed to agree on the suicide story. 1. While Reeves may have been famous for being Superman, the role wasnt making him a whole lot of money. But the scandalous and suspicious way he met his death in 1959 could not have been further removed from his role as the Man of Steel. In the home of actor George Reeves, people frantically handed somebody else their martini glass and then tried to wake the naked couple in bed, though the police wouldn't be called for nearly an hour.Earlier that evening, Reeves and his fiance had gotten into an argument at a restaurant or two and, despite planning to wed in only four days' time, Reeves reportedly wanted . They decided that he was fooling around, not realizing the gun was loaded. Tell them I was down here!. Faster than a speeding bullet! [42] In 1985, he was posthumously named one of the honorees by DC Comics in the company's 50th anniversary publication Fifty Who Made DC Great. Your definitive source to filming locations and all things Hollywood! Witnesses in the house who behaved a little oddly but heard the whole thing. [19][20][21], Discharged at the war's end, Reeves returned to Hollywood. Character actor Ben Welden had acted with Reeves in the Warner Bros. days and frequently guest-starred on Superman. The Death of George Reeves - the Original Superman - Reel Reviews Over six years and 104 episodes, the actor smiled broadly in pictures, fists planted on hips in the famous Superman power pose, and made appearances to promote the hit television show, including a guest spot in costume on I Love Lucy. The ballistics looked all wrong too. At around1 am, William Bliss and Carol Van Ronkel came by for an impromptu meeting. Upstairs, they found the homeowner naked and sprawled across his bed. Si quieres personalizar tus opciones, haz clic en Gestionar configuracin de privacidad. 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. In 1952, the struggling ABC Network purchased the show for national broadcast, which gave him greater visibility. George Reeves former residence is rather small, especially by Hollywood standards. 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! The windows above the living room are the windows to George's bedroom. George Reeves' Cause Of Death: These Are The Myths Surrounding - MSN He starred in a number of two-reel short subjects and appeared in several B-pictures, including two with Ronald Reagan and three with James Cagney (Torrid Zone, The Fighting 69th, and The Strawberry Blonde). In the 1950s the actor, George Reeves was best known for his portrayal of Superman in the television series, Adventures of Superman. The year before Reeves death he abruptly ended his relationship with Mannix, leaving her for the younger New York socialite Leonore Lemmon. One variation on this theory is that Reeves accidentally shot himself playing a game of Russian Roulette. Hollywood comic, Lou Lubin, is on right. [31] However, Reeves and his partner failed to find financing, and the film was never made. As portrayed in films such as Hollywoodland and Hail Ceasar, Eddie had an array of thugs, bent cops, private eyes and mobsters on the payroll. Its a plane! George Reeves' Mysterious Passing at 45 Has People Doubting - AmoMama George Reeves (TV's "Superman") at - The Hollywood Garage - Facebook They decided that he had not committed suicide. As TVs original Superman, George Reeves was the ultimate hero to millions of children. That position was taken over by Frank . Why had Lemmon waited for so long - 45 minutes or so, to call the police? During the dinner, they had argued. You can watch George Reeves Kelloggs Corn Flakes commercial by clicking above. 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. Other evidence that casts doubt on this scenario is the lack of burn marks on Reeves back. He got angry at them for being very loud. Inside the Mysterious Death of George Reeves, the Original Superman On June 16, 1959, Reeves was found dead in his bedroom from a gunshot wound to the head. The characters involved range from colorful to drunk to suspicious, having by now taken any secrets they may be hiding to their graves. All three bullets had been fired from the weapon found at Reeves' feet, though all witnesses agreed they heard only one gunshot, and there was no sign of forced entry or other physical evidence that a second person was in the room. Vacio and Neill accompanied him in duets.[30]. This includes accusations of murder directed at his fiance and ex-girlfriend. However, these were never investigated and Giesler strangely refused to work on the case any longer. Toni, a former showgirl and starlet in the early talkies, married MGM studios enforcer Eddie Mannix in 1951. He was inundated with menacing silent phone calls at all hours of the morning and someone even abducted his beloved dog Sam. Mannixs wife Toni Lanier, whom the actor had broken up with shorty before his death. Larson also thought the prospective return of the Adventures of Superman had filled the actor with dread, Anyone who thinks another season of Superman wouldn't depress George didn't know George, he said. The Ghost of George Reeves - Medium In June 1951, Reeves was offered the role of Superman in a new television series[23] titled Adventures of Superman. Between the start of production on Gone With the Wind and its release 12months later, several films on his Warner contract were made and released, making Gone With the Wind his first film role, but his fifth film release. Was Lemmon with Reeves when he shot himself? The issue was that Reeves eventually broke Tonis heart when he called it off to begin a relationship with the woman who would become his fiancee, Lenore Lemmon. Shortly after they arrived, Reeves came downstairs to find out what the commotion was. [13] The Bessolo marriage lasted 15 years, ending in divorce, with the couple separating while Reeves was away visiting relatives. Following the path so many women have taken throughout Hollywood history, Reeves turned to directing, producing, and writing when he couldnt get the roles he wanted. Giesler called for a second autopsy. This is the house, and home, that Superman actor George Reeves lived