Hes been murdered. This kind of phone call would not have been out of the ordinary for Lois Lane, the character Coates famously played on TV. (The punchline: Ricardo, do you mean to say that youve been married to her for 15 years? But not even Lane could have imagined that the dead boy was none other than Superman George Reeves himself. They got home around 11 p.m. A couple hours later, Carol Van Ronkel and William Bliss stopped by for a drink. 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. Since a 9mm Luger generally ejects its shells to the right, it's hard to conceive what position the actor must have been in when he fired for it to have ended up underneath him. 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. George Reeves' home in Benedict Canyon On June 16, 1959, Lenore Lemmon served dinner at around 6:30 p.m. at Reeves' Benedict Canyon home. Entering the house from the street side, you walk into the living room. 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. Mannix, who had ties to the mob, had him whacked due to the affair. Cancel OK Your account Their suspicions werent entirely fueled by grief and denialthe evidence was puzzling. 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 was drafted into the U.S. Army in early 1943. Those windows overlook the backyard and there is a garage under the guest bedroom. However, these were never investigated and Giesler strangely refused to work on the case any longer. And how had the fatal bullet ended up in the ceiling whilst the shell rested underneath his body? If anyone could put the heat on Superman it was Eddie. Director Allen Coulter Writer Paul Bernbaum Stars Adrien Brody Ben Affleck Diane Lane See production, box office & company info Watch on STARZ with Prime Video Channels More watch options Add to Watchlist Added by 25.7K users 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. George Reeves may not be the first actor that springs to mind when you think of Superman, but the star's untimely death put him at the centre of a conspiracy theory malestrom.. Reeves was actually . 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. Upstairs, they found the homeowner naked and sprawled across his bed. From 1952 to 1958 he starred in 104 episodes, but by the late 50s it had declined in popularity and it was put into hiatus after its sixth season. After Gone with the Wind was filmed, Reeves returned to the Pasadena Playhouse and was given the lead role in the play Pancho. Peterson as saying: "Miss Lemmon blurted, 'He's probably going to go shoot himself.' (1942), a war drama for Paramount Pictures. The 2006 movie, Hollywoodland starring Ben Affleckas Reeves, explores his life and relationships in greater detail. Includes the ability to log visits, view logs, save and filter offline Waymarks and use beautiful offline maps! George Reeves (born George Keefer Brewer; January 5, 1914 - June 16, 1959) was an American actor. [1][2], His death at age 45 from a gunshot remains controversial. A few minutes later a shot was heard and the foursome ran upstairs. 1579 Benedict Canyon Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. When his mother moved to California to be with her sister, it was said Reeves never saw his father again. The issues wasnt just career frustration. 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. Finally, a single shot rang out. ", 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. The ex-girlfriend who couldn't let go Beginning in 1948, Reeves had a 10-year. [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. Reeves's film career began in 1939 when he was cast as Stuart Tarleton (albeit incorrectly listed in the film's credits as Brent Tarleton), one of Vivien Leigh's suitors in Gone with the Wind. George Reeves (born George Keefer Brewer; January 5, 1914 June 16, 1959) was an American actor. Reeves was born five months into their marriage (the reason Reeves's mother subsequently claimed a false April birth date for her son, something he was unaware of until . As far as Reeves was concerned, one has to wonder if he had any regrets. Character actor Ben Welden had acted with Reeves in the Warner Bros. days and frequently guest-starred on Superman. When George Reeves died in 1959, the death was quickly considered to be one that was self-inflicted. George Reeves had a reasonably successful film career (including a small part in Gone with the Wind) when he took the role of Superman in Superman and the Mole Men, a feature film. She continued, 'He's opening a drawer to get the gun.' A classically trained actor who already had some impressive credits to his name, including the 1939 classic Gone With the Wind, Reeves was reluctant to take on the role because in televisions early days, it was considered to be a rather undignified medium that was far inferior to film. Despite the questions that remain to this day, no real investigation was ever mounted. The Afterlife of George Reeves Actor George Reeves died at 1:59 am on June 16, 1959. (1956), in which Reeves wore a beard and mustache. Was the coroner's verdict right after all? What raised eyebrows regarding Reeves' death is that he was found naked in his bedroom by his guests during a small gathering at 1:59 a.m.; his guests waited 45 minutes to call police; detectives found additional bullet holes in the floor of his bedroom; bruises were found on Reeves' body; shell casings were discovered in strange locations; and a Dubious witness statements and the examination of the crime scene by the Los Angeles Police led to the official inquiry conclusion that the death of Reeves's was suicide. November 5, 2022. in Arts, Culture, News. And they call me Superman!). Superman birth place and death house (George Reeves) 50,169 views Dec 23, 2016 Like Dislike Share Save LandumC goes there 147K subscribers George Reeves (Superman) birth location and the. If Mannix was trying to extinguish the Man of Steel, its unlikely she pulled the trigger that night at 1579 Benedict Canyon. I don't know what happened to George. 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. He is best known for portraying Superman in the television series Adventures of Superman (19521958). They found George Reeves upstairs on his bed, with a Luger between his feet and a bullet hole in his head. Advertisement. "Actress to Wed." Philadelphia Inquirer, September 18, 1940. A month later, having uncovered no evidence contradicting the official finding, Giesler announced that he was satisfied that the gunshot wound had been self-inflicted and withdrew.[41][39]. 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 1960, Reeves was awarded a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard for his contributions to the TV industry. [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). The house where George lived is fairly modest for the area, but the asking price in 1995 was $625,000. Clearly she had the motive, and through her ruthless and well connected husband she certainly had the means. The death was quickly ruled a suicide, but several of those near and dear to the actor believed there was no way he would have killed himself. The official verdict was that Reeves had committed suicide, the weight of his troubles having become too much for him to bear. He was contracted to Warner Brothers at the time, and the actor's professional name became "George Reeves" and his GWTW screen credit reflects the change. Actors Alan Ladd and Gig Young were reportedly skeptical of the official determination. Others suggested that Eddie Mannix, rumored to have Mafia ties, ordered Reeves killed.[43]. Great article tho. The half-hour films were shot on tight schedules; at least two shows were made every six days. A script was commissioned from David Chantler, who had written many of the TV scripts. However, it was obvious that many parts of the investigation were not performed as they should have been. George Reeves, 45, TV's indestructible "Man of Steel," Superman, was dead by his own hand and the flowing cloak would flow no more. While studying acting at the Pasadena Playhouse, Reeves met his future wife, Ellanora Needles. Multiple gunshot suicides are rare, so if these shots were contemporary to Reeves death, it seems unlikely he was the shooter. And so, almost forty years later, we are left wondering. That night she received a disturbing phone call. We have always known that house guest Robert Condon, Carol Van Ronkel and William Bliss were there. Inexplicably, the shell casing was found underneath Reeves body. Coates had become a mutual friend of both her Superman co-star and Tony Mannix. He had affection for his young fans, and took his role-model status seriously. Reeves established his own production company and conceived a TV adventure series called Port of Entry, which would be shot on location in Hawaii and Mexico. Effectively living an open marriage, Eddie tolerated, even liked Reeves, and himself maintained a younger mistress. In the early hours of June 16, Mannix called Coates; she was hysterical and told her friend that Reeves had been murdered. One variation on this theory is that Reeves accidentally shot himself playing a game of Russian Roulette. They divorced 10 years later and had no children. The actor was discovered laying face up on his bed, naked, with a single gunshot wound to his right temple and a .30 caliber Luger on the floor in between his lifeless feet. On June 15, George and Leonore had gone out to a rather boozy dinner, to celebrate the upcoming marriage. THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN (1951-1957) - unknown actor (left) with George Reeves as "Superman." 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. She and Eddie had used his underworld connections to have Reeves killed. While he and Lemmon were supposed to get married only a few days after his death, Lemmon allegedly had soured on him after she realized the older Superman wasnt quite the loaded Hollywood player she thought he was. In actual fact The Adventures of Superman was due to return in 1960, with a higher pay packet for Reeves and the promise that he would be able to direct more of the episodes, something he had enjoyed doing on the last three shows of the previous season. The Day Superman Died, George Reeves Death House 6,369 views Feb 16, 2019 159 Dislike Share Save Michael Thompson's Hidden In Plain Sight 688 subscribers In this video I visit the house where. Reeves, however, earned additional income from personal appearances. Witnesses in the house who behaved a little oddly but heard the whole thing. 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. A shot was heard. 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. Nosotros, Yahoo, somos parte de la familia de marcas de Yahoo. Reeves death was quickly ruled a suicide, but some facts of the case appear to be murky at best. Reeves was extremely intoxicated when he died, and also pumped full of painkillers to treat the injuries he received in his recent car accident. In reality, George Reeves life was a far cry from that of his heroic television counterpart. The story told by those there that night is full of holes, the evidence perplexing and poorly handled. They decided that he had not committed suicide. Forty-five minutes later, the police were called. His dad left the family shortly after and his mother moved with her infant son to California. He complained to friends, columnists, and his mother of his financial problems. A gentle man in real life, given to moods, he was despondent because "everyone thought of him as Superman, not as an actor" and now that the show was no longer shooting, he couldn't get a job. Larson had suffered a similar career downturn to Reeves after series was cancelled, and like his Superman co-star had struggled to break free of the typecasting associated with such an iconic role. Seeing the neighbors, he told them, Get out. The death of the original Superman is one of those American mysteries that may never fully add up. Why had Lemmon waited for so long - 45 minutes or so, to call the police? 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. Everyone involved is now dead, and little or no evidence from the crime scene remains. When they returned home, they continued to kick back the alcohol until around 12:30 p.m., at which point Reeves retired to his bedroom. He appeared in a pair of outdoor thrillers with Ralph Byrd. 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. During the dinner, they had argued. There she had met and married Frank Joseph Bessolo by 1927, according to that year's federal census. He performed on live television anthology programs, as well as on radio. 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. 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. Character: . Everyone involved decided that it had been a suicide. After two seasons, Reeves was dissatisfied with his salary and the show's one-dimensional role. Advertisement. 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. [24] As for Port of Entry, Reeves was never able to gain financing for the project, and the show was never made. But the strange death of Superman is not a parlour game. 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. His fears were not unfounded, as he had been out of work for two years by the time of his death in 1959. Historical Person Search Search Search Results Results George Azer Reeves (1914 - 1945) Try FREE for 14 days Try FREE for 14 days. They decided that he was fooling around, not realizing the gun was loaded. 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. 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. 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. SUPERMAN MURDER SOLVED! George went to bed at 12:30 AM. He was 45 years old. 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. But all was not well behind the scenes in Metropolis. Lois & Clark - The New Adventures of Superman, Superman/Shazam! 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. 1959: Los Angeles police arrive at the home of 45-year-old actor George Reeves, famous for his role as TV's Superman, and find him naked and dead of a gunshot wound to the head. No gunpowder residue was found on Reeves' hands. He left the bulk of his estate to Toni Mannix. Its Superman! The iconic intro blazed into American households on Sept. 19, 1952. On 16 June 1959, George Reeves retired to his bed at 12, after going out for dinner with his fianc, Leonore. . Many, though, believed the investigation had been rushed and this may have been a case of homicide. Or perhaps Toni took matters into her own hands and simply had her husband cover it up. Si quieres personalizar tus opciones, haz clic en Gestionar configuracin de privacidad.