George Reeves was born George Keefer Brewer in Iowa in 1914five months into his parents' marriage. The planned revival of Superman was apparently a small lifeline. Later, Reeves's mother,[12] who was of German descent, moved to California to stay with her sister. He looked forward to working with So Proudly We Hail! There she had met and married Frank Joseph Bessolo by 1927, according to that year's federal census. He was 40 years old and wanted to quit and move on with his career. 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. When Officers Johnson and Korby entered the . In June of 1959, things started to look up for George. Reeves wrote the pilot script himself. Had Reeves gotten cold feet about their supposed wedding, or been caught on the phone to Toni Mannix? Historical Person Search Search Search Results Results George Azer Reeves (1914 - 1945) Try FREE for 14 days Try FREE for 14 days. 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. Henderson, Jan Alan, Speeding Bullet, M. Bifulco, 1999; Helen Roberta Lescher Brewer Bessolo (18921964) - Born in Galesburg, Knox County, Illinois, US. See real George Reeves photos, and pics of the real Eddie Mannix, Toni Mannix, Leonore Lemmon and others. But even more importantly, The Adventures of Superman was marketed mostly towards a younger audience. Kent then rushed offstage to return as Superman, who came to the rescue and fought with the bad guy. 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, friends and relatives think Reeves career troubles were exaggerated. Warners loaned him to producer Alexander Korda to co-star with Merle Oberon in Lydia, a box-office failure. The series went on the air the following year, and Reeves was amazed at becoming a national celebrity. Seeing the neighbors, he told them, Get out. The people in the house were quite intoxicated and weren't much help to the investigation even waiting over 30 minutes before calling the police. 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. If this was the case, then clearly he had not fired the gun himself, and another party was involved. 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. Getting tapped to play a famous superhero may be considered the pinnacle of an acting career today, but Reeves agreed to the role out of desperation. Just over a year after the war started, Reeves was called up. Reeves returned to Hollywood in 1951 for a role in a Fritz Lang film, Rancho Notorious. 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. One variation on this theory is that Reeves accidentally shot himself playing a game of Russian Roulette. In the early morning of June 16, 1959, George was found dead . 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 was inundated with menacing silent phone calls at all hours of the morning and someone even abducted his beloved dog Sam. Some even say George Reeves appears at the foot of the bed every now and then, dressed as Superman. Bud Collyer had voiced the Man of Steel on the radio from 1940 to 1951, and Kirk Alyn played the role in two 15-part movie serials that ended in 1950. 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. The house was bought in the early 1950's for $12,000. [17] Warner changed his professional name to George Reeves. On 16 June 1959, George Reeves retired to his bed at 12, after going out for dinner with his fianc, Leonore. One, Reeves committed suicide. Perhaps fueled by a disbelief that the Man of Steel could ever take his own life, speculation and theories have abounded for more than 50 years that Lemmon, Mannix, her husband or even a hitman were responsible for the death of Superman. The subsequent police report seem to accept the whole story at face value. 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. [39] Despite the unanswered questions, Reeves' death was officially ruled a suicide, based on witness statements, physical evidence at the scene, and the autopsy report. But there were a few details that didnt quite make sense. Another rumor was that a car was heard speeding away from the house as well. 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]. Vacio and Neill accompanied him in duets.[30]. By midnight on the night of June 16, 1959, only Lenore and writer Robert Condon were still at his house with him. He died in June of 1959, not 1958. Reeves, however, earned additional income from personal appearances. Newspapers and wire-service reports quoted LAPD Sergeant V.A. Reeves also enjoyed playing with an unloaded gun. 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. Authorities ruled it a suicide, but was it? Upon hearing of George's demise, he went to the house and the . In a wild turn of events, the alleged problem with this situation was not the affair itselfjilted husband Eddie had his own liaisons outside of the marriage and allegedly had no problem with his wifes relationship with Reeves. 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. There's a general belief that Toni Mannix bought the house, but his name 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. 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. It is sometimes easy to get caught up in the mystery of George Reeves demise, the different theories and suspects. 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. [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. Many believe that the ghostly appearances by the actor lend credence to the idea that he was murdered. They decided that he was fooling around, not realizing the gun was loaded. After two seasons, Reeves was dissatisfied with his salary and the show's one-dimensional role. Reeves himself was convinced it was Mannix behind a string of strange incidents that had befallen him in the aftermath of their breakup. A noise echoed: See, hes opening the drawer to get the gun. Then a shot: I told you, hes shot himself.. Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images Phyllis Coates and George Reeves in The Adventures of Superman. His relatives believed he was murdered, and disputed the official ruling of suicide. 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). September6, 1892 was the daughter of George Christian Lescher and Eliza Jane McKenzie, she died in a Pasadena hospital on June 18, 1964. George Reeves Real name: George Keefer Brewer, George Bessolo. Army. Reeves worried he would be typecast as a childrens actor. 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. 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 ex-girlfriend who couldn't let go Beginning in 1948, Reeves had a 10-year. It seems the dark secret haunted her for the rest of her life. Listen to 022 - The Suspicious Death of George Reeves . He freelanced, appearing in five Hopalong Cassidy westerns before director Mark Sandrich cast Reeves as Lieutenant John Summers opposite Claudette Colbert in So Proudly We Hail! He was dead from a single gunshot wound to his right temple. 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]. Reeves then apologized, and the group sat around talking. Reeves' friend Rory Calhoun told a reporter "No one in Hollywood believed the suicide story." [13] The Bessolo marriage lasted 15 years, ending in divorce, with the couple separating while Reeves was away visiting relatives. No one is entirely certain who was even at the house that night. 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. According to Kashner and Schoenberger (A Talent for Genius), however, unanswered details about Reeves's demise shroud what in truth was foul play. 2 min read. Around 1, two friends came by for a visit. A detective examines the mysterious death of George Reeves, the star of the television series Adventures of Superman (1952). Their suspicions werent entirely fueled by grief and denialthe evidence was puzzling. The official finding was suicide, but some believe that he was murdered or the victim of an accidental shooting. 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. 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. In the 1950s the actor, George Reeves was best known for his portrayal of Superman in the television series, Adventures of Superman. After all these years, what happened that night at 1579 Benedict Canyon remains obscure and controversial. 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. The Afterlife of George Reeves Actor George Reeves died at 1:59 am on June 16, 1959. 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. 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? This part directly led to his being contracted to Warner Brothers. Had the jilted older woman taken things one step too far and shot Reeves in a jealous rage? 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. Televisions beloved Superman was dead at the tender age of 45. 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. 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. After the war, Reeves returned to Hollywood. Those windows overlook the backyard and there is a garage under the guest bedroom. They married on September 22, 1940 in San Marino, California, at the Church of Our Savior. 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 Reeves' death was ruled a suicide, . In typical fashion, Reeves and Lemmon went out for a boozy night on the town. George Reeves died of a gunshot wound to his head in the upstairs bedroom at his home in Benedict Canyon. Was Lemmon with Reeves when he shot himself? The report made by the Los Angeles Police states, "[Reeves was] depressed because he couldn't get the sort of parts he wanted." After Gone with the Wind was filmed, Reeves returned to the Pasadena Playhouse and was given the lead role in the play Pancho. They had even planned to marry if Eddie were to die. 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. 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. Its Superman! The iconic intro blazed into American households on Sept. 19, 1952. 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. 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. 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. [1][2], His death at age 45 from a gunshot remains controversial. [36] According to Crane (who was not present), Bill Bliss had told Millicent Trent after the shot rang out, while Bliss was having a drink, that Leonore Lemmon came downstairs and said, Tell them I was down here, tell them I was down here![37], A number of questionable physical findings were reported by investigators and others: No fingerprints were recovered from the gun. It is located in a fairly modest area, even though the asking price in 1995 was $625,000. Was it true she was heard to say He is going to shoot himself, after Reeves had left the party to go back to bed? Wikimedia CommonsReeves played opposite Vivien Leigh as one of the Tarleton twins in Gone With the Wind. 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. Its a bird! 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. Separated from his wife (their divorce became final in 1950), Reeves moved to New York City in 1949. 'See thereI told you so! This theory goes that Lemmon was drunk and unhappy that night and shot her soon-to-be-husband. Perhaps the toxic mixture of alcohol and painkillers had led to a fatal misjudgment? 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. 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. 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. And that was the scene that was set on June 15, 1959. The areas which appeared in the commercial include the den; the master bedroom (where the actor died); and the backyard. The 2006 movie, Hollywoodland starring Ben Affleckas Reeves, explores his life and relationships in greater detail. She even commissioned a second autopsy, which concluded that Reeves was possibly murdered. But in a franchise that's seen its share of tragedy George Reeves's reported suicide, Christopher Reeve's spinal injury the woes of the actor who played Jimmy in the 1950s went underreported. Leonore Lemmon became an alcoholic, got fat, suffered from Dementia and died in 1990. The home has not changed much since the mid-fifties. Three bullet holes were found in the bedroom, all caused by the Luger that was found resting between the victim's legs. [15] They married on September 22, 1940, in San Gabriel, California, at the Church of Our Savior. 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. Another Superman stage show was scheduled for July[32] with a planned stage tour of Australia. At around 1.20am, a bad tempered Reeves had admonished the trio for their noise, before returning upstairs. : The Return of Black Adam. . Three shots were fired in the room: two on the floor and one in Reeves' head. 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. 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. Mother Victoria Alice Mason. This is however not the case as it it the guest bedroom that faces the street. The accident was rendered in a more sinister light when Reeves mechanic discovered the brake fluid in the car had been drained. 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. Learn about George Reeves death and the true story behind the Hollywoodland movie starring Ben Affleck as TV's Superman. 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]. 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. His death was officially classified as. 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. But all was not well behind the scenes in Metropolis. There was a real man behind the superhero, whose tragic early death will likely forever be a mystery. On the night of June 15th, 1959, Reeves and Lemmon went out to dinner and the two reportedly drank a great deal. 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 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. [19][20][21], Discharged at the war's end, Reeves returned to Hollywood. He was born in Woolstock, Iowa but eventually moved to Galesburg, Illinois after his parents separated. Advertisement. Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point. The police also appeared to be behaving in a careless manner. The home has not changed much since the mid-fifties. And did that scandal involve one of the most powerful men in the movie business, Toni Maddoxs husband Eddie? And then there were the bruising and other marks on Reevess body. 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. 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. SUPERMAN MURDER SOLVED! [1] [2] His death at age 45 from a gunshot remains controversial. Two people who might have had strong motives were Toni and Eddie Mannix. Lemmon had called them after she and her party guests had found Reeves dead in his bedroom. The home is currently a private residence but photos can be easily taken from the street. 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 Facts. Giesler had been paid a hefty sum, so why did he suddenly drop the case? 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. Theyd take one look at me and say it was impossible.. Show more. How do we create a person's profile? 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. U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records 19381946, dated March24, 1943, Speeding Bullet, 2nd Ed, by Jan Alan Henderson, p. 151. These roles did little to advance Reeves's career, and his contract with Warners was dissolved by mutual consent. George Reeves Born George Keefer Brewer in Woolstock, Iowa in 1914, the boy who would become Superman moved around a lot. The Mannixs relationship was unusual even by the standards of Hollywood. According to the statements given to the police (statements that were no doubt slurred), Reeves came down to ask them to be quiet, they convinced him to stay for a drink, and then he stomped his way back upstairs. And they call me Superman!). 1579 Benedict Canyon Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. Carol lived in the neighborhood. >> George Reeves's death, and there are very interesting questions >> supporting the various theories. Finally, a single shot rang out. He was working on creating a fulfilling career for himself. Reeves head and hands showed no signs of gunshot residue or powder burns. 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 . More powerful than a locomotive! To unravel the murky fate of TVs first superhero we must return to the early hours of June 16, 1959. The suicidal can become very adept at hiding their inner turmoil from their loved ones. 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]. A few minutes later a shot was heard and the foursome ran upstairs. [38] The bullet that killed Reeves was recovered from the bedroom ceiling, and the spent shell casing was found under his body. Effectively living an open marriage, Eddie tolerated, even liked Reeves, and himself maintained a younger mistress. Had she even pulled the trigger herself? 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. It may have seemed like an open and shut case: Man found upstairs, gun on the floor, a single bullet wound in his head. He was lucky to escape with head injuries that required him to take powerful painkillers right up until the night he died. Would the actor, generally described as an ordinary, straightforward kind of guy, really have killed himself in a house full of guests, especially choosing to do so naked - highly unusual in suicides? Amazingly, George Reeves shot part of a Kelloggs Corn Flakes commercial (the cereal company was the sponsor of Adventures of Superman) inside of his actual Benedict Canyon home. All was not well behind the scenes in Metropolis. You can watch George Reeves Kelloggs Corn Flakes commercial by clicking above. So when George Reeves spurned his long term mistress for a younger model, she did not take it lying down. Peterson as saying: "Miss Lemmon blurted, 'He's probably going to go shoot himself.' However, many of his friends and colleagues believe the actor was murdered, his death the stormy culmination of a tangled love life. Perhaps he came a little too close to the truth. A shot was heard. [13] His Gone with the Wind screen credit reflects the change. 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. That position was taken over by Frank . Gina Dimuro is a New York-based writer and translator. Noel Neill was quoted as saying that the cast of Superman was ready to do a new series of the still-popular show. Honorary pallbearers included Alan Ladd and Gig Young. George Reeves death home- Beverly Hills, CA - Infamous Crime Scenes on Waymarking.com. Coates was amongst many of Reeves friends and co-stars who did not believe he would have killed himself. (Some sources contend that it may not have been looked for, as gunshot residue testing was not routinely performed in 1959). Many felt that Reeves was tired of being known as Superman, and that he killed himself out of anguish. 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. If his death was suicide Reeves must have held the gun with his right hand, although this in itself is suspicious as the actor had injured his right hand in an automobile accident a few weeks prior to his death.

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