At the beginning of his life, George Reeves was a Midwesterner by birth but, as he grew older, he made his way out to California with his mother. 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. However, it was obvious that many parts of the investigation were not performed as they should have been. He died in June of 1959, not 1958. 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 bedroom, naked with a bullet through his head. George Reeves - Wikipedia Some even say George Reeves appears at the foot of the bed every now and then, dressed as Superman. 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. Giesler called for a second autopsy. The argument had carried over back to the house, Lemmon apparently upset by the suspicion that Reeves had been talking to previous girlfriend Toni Mannix. The year before Reeves death he abruptly ended his relationship with Mannix, leaving her for the younger New York socialite Leonore Lemmon. Embattled New York Rep. George Santos said Thursday that he is "fully cooperating" with the House Ethics Committee, which is . To the right is the den and through the living room to the left you find the stairs leading to the guest room and adjoining bathroom which overlook the street. Three shots were fired in the room: two on the floor and one in Reeves' head. However, rumors suspect that there was foul play involved in his passing. On the night of his death the pair had gone for dinner with writer Richard Condon, who was staying with the couple whilst he worked on a biography of Archie Moore, the prizefighter Reeves had been due to fight in a celebrity boxing match later that year. While it's true that Reeves depressed at the time of his death, there were some inconsistencies at the crime scene that raised some red flags not only back then but still to this day. Worst of all occurred on April 8th, when Reeves lost control of his Jaguar and careered into a cement pillar near his home in Benedict Canyon. While the tragedy was unfolding, his fiance and three guests were carousing downstairs, his soon-to-be wife allegedly narrating the action going on above. These roles did little to advance Reeves's career, and his contract with Warners was dissolved by mutual consent. Inside the Mysterious Death of George Reeves, the Original Superman The show was a smashing success, drawing huge audiences each episode. If it was Reeves that pulled the trigger then in all likelihood it was because he had had enough of his life, for whatever reason. Its Superman! The iconic intro blazed into American households on Sept. 19, 1952. He had affection for his young fans, and took his role-model status seriously. Copyright (c) 2023 Groundspeak, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The long Broadway run was followed by a national tour and a movie version. The suicidal can become very adept at hiding their inner turmoil from their loved ones. however to this day there is an air of mystery surrounding Reeves' death. He is best known for portraying Superman in the television series Adventures of Superman (1952-1958). to put his budding acting career on hold and enlist in the U.S. The Ghost of George Reeves - Medium Was Superman murdered? The mysterious death of George Reeves A detective examines the mysterious death of George Reeves, the star of the television series Adventures of Superman (1952). His personal life was not all red carpets and champagne. He was working on creating a fulfilling career for himself. Televisions beloved Superman was dead at the tender age of 45. Another location that has long been woven into the fabric of Hollywood lore is George Reeves former Benedict Canyon bungalow, where in the early morning hours of June 16th, 1958 the Adventures of Superman star was found dead from a single gunshot wound to the head. Look! >> George Reeves's death, and there are very interesting questions >> supporting the various theories. Reeves wrote the pilot script himself. In their book Hollywood Kryptonite, Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger make a case for the involvement of MGM vice president and fixer Eddie Mannix. Effectively living an open marriage, Eddie tolerated, even liked Reeves, and himself maintained a younger mistress. George Reeves (born George Keefer . On the night of his death, George had several friends over. The planned revival of Superman was apparently a small lifeline. Inside the Mysterious Death of George Reeves, the Original - yahoo.com Superman actor George Reeves is beloved for his portrayal of the character, and this is an in-depth look back at his life and tragic death. Had Reeves really shot himself three times? Hollywood Kryptonite: The Bulldog, the Lady, and the Death of Superman September6, 1892 was the daughter of George Christian Lescher and Eliza Jane McKenzie, she died in a Pasadena hospital on June 18, 1964. Info Share. At his funeral, he was laid to rest in the same suit that he wore on the TV show as "Clark Kent." After all these years, what happened that night at 1579 Benedict Canyon remains obscure and controversial. Death Of George Reeves Source: Biography. But not even Lane could have imagined that the dead boy was none other than Superman George Reeves himself. Toni Mannix - Wikipedia Even if the actor had not placed the gun to his head at point blank range, as is usual in suicides, it should have left some obvious marks on his forehead. In reality, George Reeves life was a far cry from that of his heroic television counterpart. The home is currently a private residence but photos can be easily taken from the street. George Reeves from "Superman" had a mysterious death that saw him die from a single gunshot wound to the head. This part directly led to his being contracted to Warner Brothers. George was dressed in a gray Clark Kent Suit from the tv show and his body was taken to Gates/Kingsley/Gates on Sepulveda. Inside the Mysterious Death of George Reeves, the Original Superman GREAT AMERICAN SCANDALS On June 16, 1959, George Reeves, who was the first to make the superhero an icon when he played. The gun fell to his feet and the shell was found underneath him. He had also lined up a science fiction script called Return to Earth, by screenwriter Sidney Fields that he had hoped to direct, possibly with his Superman co-star Phyllis Coates in one of the lead roles. And so, almost forty years later, we are left wondering. The home has not changed much since the mid-fifties. Death 06/10/1945 - Rebaul N.G. Reeves had been having an affair with his wife Toni Mannix. This is however not the case as it it the guest bedroom that faces the street. George Reeves Born George Keefer Brewer in Woolstock, Iowa in 1914, the boy who would become Superman moved around a lot. 1. The subsequent police report seem to accept the whole story at face value. At approximately 1:20 AM, Reeves excused himself, and went upstairs to bed. The same cast was very quickly taken on for a television series, The Adventures of Superman, sponsored by Kellogg's cereal, which began airing late in 1952. The producers wouldnt give me a job. 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. Reeves' will, dated 1956, bequeathed his entire estate to Toni Mannix, much to Lemmon's surprise and devastation. He appeared in a pair of outdoor thrillers with Ralph Byrd. 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. But she was also suffering from alzheimer's at the time of her death, and may have confused fact with the many fictions that had long circulated about the death of her former lover. Mannixs wife Toni Lanier, whom the actor had broken up with shorty before his death. Nosotros, Yahoo, somos parte de la familia de marcas de Yahoo. His work on the show would earn him fame as the Original Superman, even though that wasnt technically true. [1] [2] His death at age 45 from a gunshot remains controversial. Two neighbors stopped by, hoping to join the party. 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. Reeves mother refused to believe her son had killed himself and hired famous Hollywood lawyer Jerry Giesler to investigate further. 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. At around 2am that morning, two police officers arrived at 1579 Benedict Canyon, Los Angeles, the house Reeves had been living at with his new fiance Leonore Lemmon during the previous few months. The Mysterious Death of Superman. There was a real man behind the superhero, whose tragic early death will likely forever be a mystery. George Reeves - Turner Classic Movies He died instantly and fell backwards, his feet still hungover the bed and his back on the mattress. Loved the commercial..how cool! The police ruled the death a suicide, but by the time Reevesobituary was published in the Los Angeles Times, the newspaper already noted there was an element of mystery.. Reeves was apparently scheduled to marry Lemmon on June 19 and then spend their honeymoon in Tijuana. 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. ", Death of Superman may not have been a suicide, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=George_Reeves&oldid=1139854102, Credited erroneously onscreen as playing Brent Tarleton (see above), This page was last edited on 17 February 2023, at 06:25. "According to Lemmon, the only people in the house that night, in addition to George and herself, were Carol Von Ronkle, William Bliss, and writer Robert Condon. The roles just werent coming his way. All too often it is those closest to someone who takes their own life who can least understand it. His dad left the family shortly after and his mother moved with her infant son to California. If they were fired earlier, then at the very least its evidence somebody in the house had a somewhat cavalier attitude to firearms. [17], Released from his Warner contract, he signed a contract at Twentieth Century-Fox but was released after only a handful of films, one of which was the Charlie Chan movie Dead Men Tell. The house where actor George Reeves, TV's "Superman," was found dead of a gunshot wound on June 16, 1959. A funeral was held on Wednesday, June 30. It seems the dark secret haunted her for the rest of her life. Mother Victoria Alice Mason. No gunpowder residue was found on Reeves' hands. 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. And that was the scene that was set on June 15, 1959. While Reeves may have been famous for being Superman, the role wasnt making him a whole lot of money. Perhaps he came a little too close to the truth. Michael Hayde firmly believes that George Reeves was murdered. His fears were not unfounded, as he had been out of work for two years by the time of his death in 1959. You can watch George Reeves Kelloggs Corn Flakes commercial by clicking above. On June 15, George and Leonore had gone out to a rather boozy dinner, to celebrate the upcoming marriage. He was able to play against type and starred as a villainous gold hunter in a Johnny Weismuller Jungle Jim film. However, a number of suspicious details about the case have long piqued the interest of gossip mongers and armchair detective alike. And how had the fatal bullet ended up in the ceiling whilst the shell rested underneath his body? To the left in the photo is a den. Reeves spoke out about these difficulties in a 1958 Evening Star article frankly titled No Work for Superman. When asked why he took the role, he said simply, I was hungry. But after six years, he was having a hard time pushing his career forward. Inexplicably, the shell casing was found underneath Reeves body. How he came to meet this grisly end is a story as disputed and controversial today as it was when the scandal rocked Hollywood at the height of the actor's fame. 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. What happened next is mired in controversy, but according to the police interviews with the witnesses, a short moment later a shot was heard and the man who had become famous for been impervious to gunfire had, ironically, ended his life with a bullet to the head. A noise was heard upstairs. Although the power of the studios was waning by the 1950s, its possible Eddie Mannix still wielded enough influence to fix George Reeves at his wifes behest. Nobody wanted me to work at all. Superman was dead, and there were no heroes coming in to save the day. 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 talked to him days before, and, according to her, he was in a splendid state of mind. She had the body exhumed, and a second autopsy was performed. Finally, theres the fiancee. See, hes opening the drawer to get the gun. Lemmon claimed. George Reeves - Superman Homepage 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. Had she even pulled the trigger herself? Released from his Warners contract, he signed a contract at Twentieth Century-Fox but was released after only a handful of films. He left the bulk of his estate to Toni Mannix. The actor had no burn marks on his hands or face - how had he shot himself in the head with a pistol without leaving powder burns? proporcionarte nuestros sitios y aplicaciones; autenticar usuarios, aplicar medidas de seguridad y evitar el spam y los abusos, y. medir el uso que haces de nuestros sitios y aplicaciones. This is the house, and home, that Superman actor George Reeves lived and died in. 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. In 1960, Reeves was awarded a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard for his contributions to the TV industry. 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? June 16, 1959. Who all was in the house that night? According to legend, the house at 1579 Benedict Canyon Drive in Los Angeles where actor George Reeves died of a gunshot wound to the head early in the morning of June 16, 1959 is haunted. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound! He starred in a number of two-reel short subjects and appeared in several B-pictures, including two with future president of the United States Ronald Reagan and three with James Cagney (Torrid Zone, The Fighting 69th, and The Strawberry Blonde). [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. The Mysterious Death of Superman George Reeves - Clever Journeys In June 2021, an episode of the internet series BuzzFeed Unsolved discussed the death of Reeves and possible theories. They decided that he was fooling around, not realizing the gun was loaded. [19][20][21], Discharged at the war's end, Reeves returned to Hollywood. He was 45 years old. Coates was amongst many of Reeves friends and co-stars who did not believe he would have killed himself. More powerful than a locomotive! The producers looked elsewhere for a new star.[25]. 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? When the police did arrive, they found no sign . Reeves was extremely intoxicated when he died, and also pumped full of painkillers to treat the injuries he received in his recent car accident. Two additional bullets were discovered embedded in the bedroom floor. 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? Catalog; For You; Globe. Peterson as saying: "Miss Lemmon blurted, 'He's probably going to go shoot himself.' . Vacio and Neill accompanied him in duets.[30]. 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. In June 1951, Reeves was offered the role of Superman in a new television series[23] titled Adventures of Superman. Reeves initially had no autopsy and his body was swifted embalmed. The official ruling was suicide. The official cause of death for Reeves was ruled a suicide. In 1983, the publicist sat by her bedside during her last hours, and knowing she was the last person on earth to know the truth, confessed all to her priest. November 5, 2022. in Arts, Culture, News. George Reeves death home- Beverly Hills, CA - Infamous Crime Scenes on Waymarking.com. A noise echoed: See, hes opening the drawer to get the gun. Then a shot: I told you, hes shot himself.. 11 Homes That Are Haunted By Dead Celebrities - Business Insider While Reeves was depressed at the time of his death, there were oddities at the crime scene. There were also bruises on Reeves head and body. George Reeves | Unsolved Mysteries Wiki | Fandom Around 1, two friends came by for a visit. He was 40 years old and wanted to quit and move on with his career. For instance, Lemmon and her friends pulled a Conrad Murray by failing to call the police until about thirty minutes after discovering the body, and each seemed to have a differing account of the evening due to their inebriated states. If anyone could put the heat on Superman it was Eddie. Her devastation at been rejected by her boy had pushed her to the ultimate reprisal. Had the actor been placed on the bed some time after he was shot? SUPERMAN MURDER SOLVED! - PressReader In the early hours of June 16, Mannix called Coates; she was hysterical and told her friend that Reeves had been murdered. On the night of June 16, 1959, George Reeves was found dead in his bedroom from a gunshot wound to the head in his Benedict Canyon home, while his fiance Lemmon was downstairs hosting a party. Leonore Lemmon was, by all accounts, a bit of a hell-raiser. George Reeves' Ghost. He referred to the show that had made him famous as scraping the bottom of the barrel, and would burn the costume he called a monkey suit at the wrap of each season. He performed on live television anthology programs, as well as on radio. The report made by the Los Angeles Police states, "[Reeves was] depressed because he couldn't get the sort of parts he wanted." Kent then rushed offstage to return as Superman, who came to the rescue and fought with the bad guy. Even outside of the world of comic books, bullets sometimes do funny things, and that was certainly the case in the death of George Reeves. Reeves knew the show could potentially be popular, but it was almost because of that that he was reticent to take it on. Reeves and Toni Mannix split in 1958 and Reeves announced his engagement to society playgirl Leonore Lemmon. Was Lemmon with Reeves when he shot himself? Considering her temperament, it does not seem out of the question she may have started waving Reeves pistol about whilst having a drunken argument with her prospective husband. It was a bullet to the head. But even more importantly, The Adventures of Superman was marketed mostly towards a younger audience. Despite these suspicions, the Los Angeles Police Department officially ruled the death a suicide, on little more than a cursory investigation. Reeves himself was convinced it was Mannix behind a string of strange incidents that had befallen him in the aftermath of their breakup. But it was Reeves who brought the flying Man of Steel to widespread popularity, at least on the screen. Reeves was 38 when he first cloaked his rugged all-American looks that were more Clark Kent than strange visitor from another planet in a caped costume. The night Superman died and an enduring mystery was born. Warners loaned him to producer Alexander Korda to co-star with Merle Oberon in Lydia, a box-office failure. Hes going upstairs to shoot himself, began her callous recital after Reeves left the room. 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. She continued, 'He's opening a drawer to get the gun.' Reeves returned to Hollywood in 1951 for a role in a Fritz Lang film, Rancho Notorious. 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. The first half of the show was a Superman sketch in which Reeves and Neill performed with LeBell as a villain called "Mr. Kryptonite" who captured Lois Lane. Died in House - George Reeves, TV's "Superman" Suicide or | Facebook George Reeves' Mysterious Passing at 45 Has People Doubting - AmoMama Everyone involved decided that it had been a suicide. Its a bird! He was lucky to escape with head injuries that required him to take powerful painkillers right up until the night he died. George Azer Reeves 1914-1945 - Ancestry He looked forward to working with So Proudly We Hail! 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, who took his acting career seriously and had parts in Gone with the Wind and From here to Eternity, always had mixed feelings about his fame as Superman. After two seasons, Reeves was dissatisfied with his salary and the show's one-dimensional role. There were 104 episodes of The Adventures of Superman before the cancellation ax fell in 1958. George Reeves (born George Keefer Brewer; January 5, 1914 - June 16, 1959) was an American actor. No one is entirely certain who was even at the house that night. THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN (1951-1957) - unknown actor (left) with George Reeves as "Superman." If Mannix was trying to extinguish the Man of Steel, its unlikely she pulled the trigger that night at 1579 Benedict Canyon. 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. . Like so many men of his generation, the war derailed his life plans. George Reeves' death was ruled a suicide, . 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! Honorary pallbearers included Alan Ladd and Gig Young. 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. Were Hollywood's police force keeping a lid on the truth to protect Tinseltown from another scandal? He won critical acclaim for the role and garnered considerable publicity. On 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 bedroom.
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