Effectively living an open marriage, Eddie tolerated, even liked Reeves, and himself maintained a younger mistress. Loved the commercial..how cool! She also hired private investigators to investigate his death. It is sometimes easy to get caught up in the mystery of George Reeves demise, the different theories and suspects. Gene LeBell was there at George's house the morning before George died, training George. 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. 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). Later that year, he was assigned to the U.S. Army Air Forces and performed in the USAAF's Broadway show Winged Victory. He performed on live television anthology programs, as well as on radio. The Suspicious Death of George Reeves. 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. He directed the final 13 episodes of the series, and told the Evening Star that he was enthused about doing more.. His personal life was not all red carpets and champagne. Shortly after their arrival, Reeves came downstairs to hang out with the group and then once again retired to his room at around 1:20. Giesler had been paid a hefty sum, so why did he suddenly drop the case? The Mysterious Death of Superman George Reeves It wasn't Kryptonite that killed Superman. 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. He Grew Up Thinking He Was Italian. [33] Reeves had been made a "Kentucky Colonel" during a publicity trip in the South, and the sign on his dressing room door was replaced with a new one that read "Honest George, also known as Col. Reeves", created by the show's prop department. Perhaps the toxic mixture of alcohol and painkillers had led to a fatal misjudgment? Reeves's father married Helen Schultz in 1925. 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]. And how had the fatal bullet ended up in the ceiling whilst the shell rested underneath his body? 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. I was depressed, and I accepted instantly that he had committed suicide, Larson told Unsolved Mysteries in 1995. It was also widely believed that Toni, to whom Reeves bequeathed his entire estate, may have shot him in a jealous rage after hearing news of his engagement, or that her husband, E.J. The show was a smashing success, drawing huge audiences each episode. (1942), a war drama for Paramount Pictures. Or perhaps Toni took matters into her own hands and simply had her husband cover it up. 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. So when George Reeves spurned his long term mistress for a younger model, she did not take it lying down. He was 45 years old. According to biographer Jim Beaver, Reeves did not know for several years that Bessolo was still alive. Reeves worked tirelessly with Toni Mannix to raise money to fight myasthenia gravis. Los Angeles Police Department Death Report, June 26, 1959. But this had no official status and could not overrule the coroner's verdict of suicide. George Reeves (born George Keefer Brewer in 1914) began his Hollywood career in a variety of bit parts in the late 1930s, including a small role in the epic film Gone with the Wind, and worked . He is best known for portraying Superman in the television series Adventures of Superman (1952-1958). There's a general belief that Toni Mannix bought the house, but his name As TVs original Superman, George Reeves was the ultimate hero to millions of children. Reeves returned to Hollywood in 1951 for a role in a Fritz Lang film, Rancho Notorious. Two neighbors stopped by, hoping to join the party. 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. Reeves' will, dated 1956, bequeathed his entire estate to Toni Mannix, much to Lemmon's surprise and devastation. Henderson, Jan Alan, Speeding Bullet, M. Bifulco, 1999; Helen Roberta Lescher Brewer Bessolo (18921964) - Born in Galesburg, Knox County, Illinois, US. 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. But it wasnt just Reeves career that was going through a dramatic turn. 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. Reeves new girlfriend, who had since moved in, was a New York socialite named Leonore Lemmon, with whom he was rumored to be engaged. When the police did arrive, they found no sign . Mannix was devastated by the rejection, made all the more humiliating for the fact Reeves had moved Lemmon into a house in Los Angeles she owned. 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. Had Reeves really shot himself three times? The Los Angeles county coroner said its was a suicide, but family & friends say it was a love triangle murder. The producers looked elsewhere for a new star.[25]. He is best known for portraying Superman in the television series Adventures of Superman (19521958). The world was shocked to learn that famed Superman actor, George Reeves, had been found dead in his home of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. 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. mostrar anuncios y contenido personalizados basados en perfiles de inters; medir la efectividad de los anuncios y el contenido personalizados, y. desarrollar y mejorar nuestros productos y servicios. Copyright (c) 2023 Groundspeak, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The roles just werent coming his way. Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images Phyllis Coates and George Reeves in The Adventures of Superman. Stalk It: George Reeves former home is located at 1579 Benedict Canyon Drive in Beverly Hills. 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. According to Larson, Reeves also said he would feel better about the role if he knew he had any adult fans but never learned that Adventures of Superman had adult fans even during its original broadcast run.[17]. If this was the case, then clearly he had not fired the gun himself, and another party was involved. The subsequent police report seem to accept the whole story at face value. She died in 1989. A shot was heard. On June 16, 1959, Reeves died from a single gunshot wound in the bedroom of his Benedict Canyon home. That position was taken over by Frank . While Reeves was depressed at the time of his death, there were oddities at the crime scene. At approximately 1:20 AM, Reeves excused himself, and went upstairs to bed. 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. Was he responsible, on behalf of his wronged wife, for the misfortunes that had befallen Reeves in the run up to his death? On the night of his death, George had several friends over. So I figured this was the perfect time to do so and dragged the Grim Cheaper right on out there last weekend. 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. 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 report made by the Los Angeles Police states, "[Reeves was] depressed because he couldn't get the sort of parts he wanted." (1956), in which Reeves wore a beard and mustache. He was able to play against type and starred as a villainous gold hunter in a Johnny Weissmuller Jungle Jim film. 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. His work on the show would earn him fame as the Original Superman, even though that wasnt technically true. Mannix died in 1983 at the age of 77--her husband Eddie had died in 1963. Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty ImagesPhyllis Coates and George Reeves in The Adventures of Superman. According to Kashner and Schoenberger (A Talent for Genius), however, unanswered details about Reeves's demise shroud what in truth was foul play. 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. When George Reeves, who had achieved international fame by playing Superman for five years on TV, was found dead by gunshot in 1959, the death was officially recorded as a suicide. When he returned, his mother told him his stepfather had committed suicide. George Reeves Facts. 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. Learn about George Reeves death and the true story behind the Hollywoodland movie starring Ben Affleck as TV's Superman. In 1952, the struggling ABC Network purchased the show for national broadcast, which gave him greater visibility. Authorities ruled it a suicide, but was it? After all these years, what happened that night at 1579 Benedict Canyon remains obscure and controversial. 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. 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? George Reeves from "Superman" had a mysterious death that saw him die from a single gunshot wound to the head. 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. 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. In their book Hollywood Kryptonite, Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger make a case for the involvement of MGM vice president and fixer Eddie Mannix. George Reeves was dead. The half-hour films were shot on tight schedules; at least two shows were made every six days. If they were fired earlier, then at the very least its evidence somebody in the house had a somewhat cavalier attitude to firearms. The police arrived within the hour. George Reeves' Ghost. Honorary pallbearers included Alan Ladd and Gig Young. They divorced 10 years later and had no children. All was not well behind the scenes in Metropolis. [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. According to publicist Edward Lozzi, who had befriended Toni during her last years as a widow in Beverly Hills, what she had done weighed heavily on the now elderly Mannix. However, rumors suspect that there was foul play involved in his passing. The accident was rendered in a more sinister light when Reeves mechanic discovered the brake fluid in the car had been drained. One, Reeves committed suicide. Its too late for this nonsense. Leonore asked, Is this a joke or a shoot? meaning was he kidding around, or what? [15] They married on September 22, 1940, in San Gabriel, California, at the Church of Our Savior. According to Jim Nolts fabulous Superman-themed The Adventures Continue website, the house has remained largely unchanged since the time Reeves lived there over fifty years ago. George went to bed at 12:30 AM. Conversely, not everyone who is depressed about their career takes their own life. While Reeves may have been famous for being Superman, the role wasnt making him a whole lot of money. The . Peterson as saying: "Miss Lemmon blurted, 'He's probably going to go shoot himself.' Location: California, United States Date Posted: 1/12/2010 6:55:33 PM George Reeves hit the television jackpot when he landed the dual role of Clark Kent/Superman in the television series The Adventures of Superman. Upstairs, they found the homeowner naked and sprawled across his bed. After the war, Reeves returned to Hollywood. Twentieth Century-Fox loaned him to producer Alexander Korda to co-star with Merle Oberon in Lydia,[17] a box-office failure, after which he freelanced, looking to find work in westerns. She sounded very disturbed and was hyperventilating as she rasped, The boy is dead. No photos of the body were taken and the crime scene was not properly searched or dusted for prints. I don't know what happened to George. It was a bullet to the head. Reeves had been having an affair with his wife Toni Mannix. He had recently been involved in a serious affair with a married woman, Toni Mannix, before dumping her for his high-society fiancee, leaving Mannix devastated. But the strange death of Superman is not a parlour game. Reeves found himself unemployable. George Reeves Real name: George Keefer Brewer, George Bessolo. Hes going upstairs to shoot himself, she explained to the other guests, who then heard a sound from upstairs. The house where actor George Reeves, TV's "Superman," was found dead of a gunshot wound on June 16, 1959. 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. He performed on live television anthology programs, as well as on radio, and then returned to Hollywood in 1951 for a role in a Fritz Lang film, Rancho Notorious.[22]. Show more. George lived at 1579 Benedict Canyon Drive, in the Beverly Hills area. And then there were the bruising and other marks on Reevess body. To this day, there are three possible scenarios that explain the death of George Reeves. He got angry at them for being very loud. The film suggests three possible scenarios: accidental shooting by Lemmon, murder by an unnamed hitman under orders from Eddie Mannix, and suicide. Giesler called for a second autopsy. Was the star of 50s TV show The Adventures of Superman murdered? The long Broadway run was followed by a national tour and a movie version. 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. Other evidence that casts doubt on this scenario is the lack of burn marks on Reeves back. But not even Lane could have imagined that the dead boy was none other than Superman George Reeves himself. Mother Victoria Alice Mason. 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. It was purchased for the actor at a cost of $12,000 by his longtime lover, MGM Vice-President E.J. The second half of the show was Reeves out of costume as himself, singing and accompanying himself on the guitar. [38] The bullet that killed Reeves was recovered from the bedroom ceiling, and the spent shell casing was found under his body. [1][2], His death at age 45 from a gunshot remains controversial. 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. Those windows overlook the backyard and there is a garage under the guest bedroom. . A noise was heard upstairs. Mannixs wife Toni Lanier, whom the actor had broken up with shorty before his death. He had affection for his young fans, and took his role-model status seriously. Its not like my George to do a thing like that, his mother told the press. 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. She continued, 'He's opening a drawer to get the gun.' The home has not changed much since the mid-fifties. Was his role to distract the house guests and facilitate the entry of a hitman to do away with Reeves? It may have seemed like an open and shut case: Man found upstairs, gun on the floor, a single bullet wound in his head. Its a bird! Actors Alan Ladd and Gig Young were reportedly skeptical of the official determination. Up in the sky! Born George Keefer Brewer in 1914 in Woolstock, Iowa to Helen Lescher and Don C. Brewer, young George would grow up in Ashland, Kentucky and later in Pasadena California where his sister also lived. However, Superman producers offered him a salary increase, and he returned to the series. 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 . Despite the questions that remain to this day, no real investigation was ever mounted. 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. The characters involved range from colorful to drunk to suspicious, having by now taken any secrets . Perhaps he came a little too close to the truth. The night of Reevess death, the actor was at home with his fiance Lenore Lemmon, along with the writer Robert Condon, who had been staying with them. 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. Later, Reeves's mother,[12] who was of German descent, moved to California to stay with her sister. 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. He appeared in a pair of outdoor thrillers with Ralph Byrd. The main reason Reeves was said to have committed suicide was depression over his declining fortunes as an actor. gruesome and unsolved murder of the Black Dahlia. In 1927, Frank Bessolo adopted George at aged 13, as his own son, and the boy took on his stepfather's last name, becoming George Bessolo. Reeves died at the age of 45, from a gunshot wound to the head. The husband of Reeves jilted lover was the infamous Eddie Mannix, a fixer at MGM during the golden age of studios, when his job was to make stars problems vanish. The official ruling was 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. George Reeves mother Helen Bessolo never accepted the official verdict and hired private investigators to to reopen the investigation into his death. Miss Lemmon then made the statement, He is going to shoot himself. Shortly, they heard a dresser drawer being opened upstairs, and Miss Lemmon commented, He is getting the gun out now, and he is going to shoot himself. Moments later, a shot was heard, and they ran upstairs to see what happened. Catalog; For You; Globe. THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN (1951-1957) - unknown actor (left) with George Reeves as "Superman." Reeves himself was also severely under the influence, with a blood alcohol level of .27 and, because the actor had long enjoyed playing with unloaded weapons, it was thought possible he accidentally shot himself while doing so. The planned revival of Superman was apparently a small lifeline. Due to their advanced state of inebriation the party guests were not entirely coherent, but they all seemed to agree on the suicide story. Para obtener ms informacin sobre cmo utilizamos tus datos personales, consulta nuestra Poltica de privacidad y Poltica de cookies. He was also engaged to Leonore Lemmon, a New York showgirl. Reeves' friend Rory Calhoun told a reporter "No one in Hollywood believed the suicide story." To unravel the murky fate of TVs first superhero we must return to the early hours of June 16, 1959. Advertisement. Not the comic book character, of course, but the man who personified the "real" Superman for an entire generation of television fans. He died instantly and fell backwards, his feet still hungover the bed and his back on the mattress. His relatives believed he was murdered, and disputed the official ruling of suicide. The series went on the air the following year, and Reeves was amazed at becoming a national celebrity. Robert (Bobby) was writing a book about boxer Archie Moore. The areas which appeared in the commercial include the den; the master bedroom (where the actor died); and the backyard. Hollywood comic, Lou Lubin, is on right. Another Superman stage show was scheduled for July[32] with a planned stage tour of Australia. 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. 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. [17] Warner changed his professional name to George Reeves. Eddie Mannix wasnt just a heavy in Hollywood, he was also rumored to have mob connections. 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. According to the autopsy report, Reeves had taken his .30 caliber German Luger pistol, placed it near his right temple and pulled the trigger. 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. Reportedly, the police had not been called until at least a half an hour after his death. And they call me Superman!). On the night of June 15th, 1959, Reeves and Lemmon went out to dinner and the two reportedly drank a great deal. While this may have been the final act for George Reeves Superman, it was the first act in what would become one of the biggest mysteries surrounding the role. There was a real man behind the superhero, whose tragic early death will likely forever be a mystery. Two, Eddie Mannix killed the actor in revenge for upsetting his wife. Fellow actors Gig Young and Alan Ladd publicly doubted that Reeves took his own life. Reeves would later recall the impact Sandrich's death had on his career. Many photos shown in various magazines in the past indicated that George's bedroom windows could be seen from the street. [31] However, Reeves and his partner failed to find financing, and the film was never made. Clearly she had the motive, and through her ruthless and well connected husband she certainly had the means. He won critical acclaim for the role and garnered considerable publicity. Lenore was allegedly upset at the way he was handling the situation. Around 1, two friends came by for a visit. At around 1.20am, a bad tempered Reeves had admonished the trio for their noise, before returning upstairs. 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. Reeves was born five months into their marriage[9] and the couple separated soon after Reeves's birth. The coroner had ruled the forty-five year old actor's death a suicide, brought about by despondency over a failing career and too much alcohol. 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. There were also fresh bruises on the body. "An element of mystery" Reeves' death may have been ruled a suicide, but not everyone believed it. The police ruled his death a suicide, but rumors quickly surfaced that Reeves was. He appeared in a pair of outdoor thrillers with Ralph Byrd and in a Sam Katzman-produced serial, The Adventures of Sir Galahad. Reeves and Leonore Lemmon. Si no quieres que nosotros ni nuestros socios utilicemos cookies y datos personales para estos propsitos adicionales, haz clic en Rechazar todo. Sandrich felt that Reeves had the potential to become a major star, but unfortunately died while Reeves was still in uniform. Next, read about the gruesome and unsolved murder of the Black Dahlia. EXPLOSIVE new forensic evidence reveals Superman actor George Reeves didn't commit suicide he was murdered and a GLOBE investigation has uncovered the sordid truth behind the "perfect crime" and sinister cover-up of nearly 60 years! 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. She also had a reputation as a gold digger, having married twice before for money. In 1953, Reeves played a minor character, Sergeant Maylon Stark, in From Here to Eternity. [1] [2] His death at age 45 from a gunshot remains controversial.