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. Death 06/10/1945 - Rebaul N.G. 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. The night Superman died and an enduring mystery was born. [28] He appeared as Superman on I Love Lucy (Episode #165, "Lucy and Superman") in 1957. Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty ImagesPhyllis Coates and George Reeves in The Adventures of Superman. He was working on creating a fulfilling career for himself. She sounded very disturbed and was hyperventilating as she rasped, The boy is dead. Is there any truth in the persistent rumours that Reeves was murdered? He got angry at them for being very loud. [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. Many photos shown in various magazines in the past indicated that George's bedroom windows could be seen from the street. 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 . While Reeves was depressed at the time of his death, there were oddities at the crime scene. 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. On the night of his death, George had several friends over. The death of the original Superman is one of those American mysteries that may never fully add up. 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. 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. Everyone involved decided that it had been a suicide. If anyone could put the heat on Superman it was Eddie. Coates had become a mutual friend of both her Superman co-star and Tony Mannix. The Superman cast members had restrictive contracts preventing them from taking other work that might interfere with the series. 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. Like an optical illusion, from one angle the details clearly show a man who, in a moment of distress, made a tragic decision. While Reeves may have been famous for being Superman, the role wasnt making him a whole lot of money. 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. The Suspicious Death of George Reeves. 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. The Iowa-born actor got his big break when he was hired to play one of Scarlett OHaras suitors in 1939s Gone with the Wind. 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? But the strange death of Superman is not a parlour game. 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. However, many studios were slowing down their production schedules, and some production units had shut down completely. Toni, a former showgirl and starlet in the early talkies, married MGM studios enforcer Eddie Mannix in 1951. 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. Shortly after, she began her affair with Reeves, who at 10 years her junior, she referred to as the boy. Reeves death was quickly ruled a suicide, but some facts of the case appear to be murky at best. On June 16, 1959, actress Phyllis Coates was woken up around 4:30 a.m. by a very strange phone call. 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. Its a bird! 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. Many studios were slowing down their production schedules, however, and some production units had shut down completely. 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. Jim Beaver is just as convinced that George's death was a suicide, as was reported in the newspapers of the day. . For whatever reason, though, in my ten-plus years of living in Los Angeles, I had yet to stalk the former Supermans home. She continued, 'He's opening a drawer to get the gun.' He appeared in a pair of outdoor thrillers with Ralph Byrd and in a Sam Katzman-produced serial, The Adventures of Sir Galahad. Advertisement. [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. While the authorities officially declared Reeves' death to be a suicide, not everyone was willing to accept that conclusion. Fellow actors Gig Young and Alan Ladd publicly doubted that Reeves took his own life. Cancel OK Your account And how had the fatal bullet ended up in the ceiling whilst the shell rested underneath his body? After two seasons, Reeves was dissatisfied with his salary and the show's one-dimensional role. 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. He died in June of 1959, not 1958. 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. He was able to play against type and starred as a villainous gold hunter in a Johnny Weismuller Jungle Jim film. Those windows overlook the backyard and there is a garage under the guest bedroom. Further to this, a later search of the bedroom found two extra bullet holes. A long Broadway run followed, before a national tour and a movie version. Reeves wrote the pilot script himself. 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. One, Reeves committed suicide. Were Hollywood's police force keeping a lid on the truth to protect Tinseltown from another scandal? However, a number of suspicious details about the case have long piqued the interest of gossip mongers and armchair detective alike. In the early hours of June 16, Mannix called Coates; she was hysterical and told her friend that Reeves had been murdered. While studying acting at the Pasadena Playhouse, Reeves met his future wife, Ellanora Needles. George lived at 1579 Benedict Canyon Drive, in the Beverly Hills area. Reeves began acting and singing in high school and continued performing on stage as a student at Pasadena Junior College. Had the actor been placed on the bed some time after he was shot? 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. She was absolutely terrified of going to hell", Lozzi told the LA Times. [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. 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. Three shots were fired in the room: two on the floor and one in Reeves' head. When George Reeves died in 1959, the death was quickly considered to be one that was self-inflicted. But all was not well behind the scenes in Metropolis. If Mannix was trying to extinguish the Man of Steel, its unlikely she pulled the trigger that night at 1579 Benedict Canyon. Attempting to showcase his versatility, Reeves sang on the Tony Bennett show in August 1956. Was he responsible, on behalf of his wronged wife, for the misfortunes that had befallen Reeves in the run up to his death? Two, Eddie Mannix killed the actor in revenge for upsetting his wife. November 5, 2022. in Arts, Culture, News. At around1 am, William Bliss and Carol Van Ronkel came by for an impromptu meeting. 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! Quick Description: The actor George Reeves house where TV's "Superman," was found dead of a head gunshot wound on June 16, 1959. George Reeves died of a gunshot wound to his head in the upstairs bedroom at his home in Benedict Canyon. Leonore Lemmon was, by all accounts, a bit of a hell-raiser. A shot was heard. She also kept his shaving utensils and lotions, and even built an altar in the house with a crucifix, candles and an 11-by-14 photograph of Reeves. Peterson as saying: "Miss Lemmon blurted, 'He's probably going to go shoot himself.' [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). He kept his private life discreet, including a romantic relationship with Toni Mannix, wife of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer general manager Eddie Mannix. 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). And George Reeves was not unable to find work, he was not broke, he was not a suicidal depressed person. TV legend George Reeves was killed by older lover he jilted for a sex kitten 2018-11-16 - . He won critical acclaim for the role and garnered considerable publicity. He was cremated in Ohio, and ashes given to his mother, who then died in 1964. : The Return of Black Adam. Was Lemmon with Reeves when he shot himself? Later in life, she become a somewhat tragic figure, bloated and consumed by alcoholism, Leonore would give many different accounts of the events of that night, often contradicting herself and denying things she was commonly reported to have said and done. The police also appeared to be behaving in a careless manner. 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. In contemporary news articles, Lemmon attributed Reeves' alleged suicide to depression caused by his "failed career" and inability to find more work. . 1579 Benedict Canyon Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. 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 himself was convinced it was Mannix behind a string of strange incidents that had befallen him in the aftermath of their breakup. In the documentary Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman, Jack Larson said that when he first met Reeves, he told him that he enjoyed his performance in So Proudly We Hail! However, many of his friends and colleagues believe the actor was murdered, his death the stormy culmination of a tangled love life. 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. THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN (1951-1957) - unknown actor (left) with George Reeves as "Superman." Those guests were neighbour Carol Van Ronkel, her lover Robert Condon, and another neighbour, William Bliss. 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. This theory goes that Lemmon was drunk and unhappy that night and shot her soon-to-be-husband. CleverJourneys: American Crime Chronicles Two Los Angeles police officers arrived at 1579 Benedict Canyon at almost 3 a.m., June 16, 1959. They had no children and divorced 10 years later.[16]. The long Broadway run was followed by a national tour and a movie version. After all, it was she who had made the early morning phone call to Coates, before anyone outside of Reeves home could have known about his death. Just over a year after the war started, Reeves was called up. No photos of the body were taken and the crime scene was not properly searched or dusted for prints. He served as national chairman for the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation in 1955. His work on the show would earn him fame as the Original Superman, even though that wasnt technically true. . 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. Inexplicably, the shell casing was found underneath Reeves body. Advertisement. He left the bulk of his estate to Toni Mannix. Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/GettyThe death of the original Superman is one of those American mysteries that may never fully add up. By mid 1959, contracts were signed, costumes refitted, and new teleplay writers assigned. Years later, William Bliss, one of the party guests who had originally told police Leonore Lemmon was downstairs with them when the shot was heard, changed his story. More powerful than a locomotive! When his mother moved to California to be with her sister, it was said Reeves never saw his father again. During the dinner, they had argued. 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. In June 1951, Reeves was offered the role of Superman in a new television series[23] titled Adventures of Superman. Giesler had been paid a hefty sum, so why did he suddenly drop the case? (1942), a war drama for Paramount Pictures, which signed Reeves up for two films a year. On June 16, 1959, Reeves was found dead in his bedroom from a gunshot wound to the head. Los Angeles Police Department Death Report, June 26, 1959. He was found dead in his bedroom at 1:59 a.m. on June 16, 1959 in his modest home in Los Angeles' Benedict Canyon. George Reeves' Former Home 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. to put his budding acting career on hold and enlist in the U.S. His dad left the family shortly after and his mother moved with her infant son to California. There's a general belief that Toni Mannix bought the house, but his name Separated from his wife (their divorce became final in 1950), Reeves moved to New York City in 1949. 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. Flickr CommonsThe costume Reeves donned as Superman on TV. And so, almost forty years later, we are left wondering. The official verdict was that Reeves had committed suicide, the weight of his troubles having become too much for him to bear. A few minutes later a shot was heard and the foursome ran upstairs. 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. 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. . No charges were ever brought against anyone in connection to the case. 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]. Reeves fit the rugged requirements of the roles and, with his retentive memory for dialogue, he did well under rushed production conditions. 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. The mystery surrounding the death of George Reeves, the original Man of Steel. It all seemed so simple. (1956), in which Reeves wore a beard and mustache. His relatives believed he was murdered, and disputed the official ruling of suicide. However, many of his friends and colleagues believe the actor was murdered, his death the stormy culmination of a tangled love life. Reeves and Sherman impressed the casting director by performing seven pages of script in a single take without pause. Over the years, occupants of the house have been plagued by not only the sound of a single gunshot that echoes in the darkness, but strange lights, and even the apparition of George Reeves 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. The home has not changed much since the mid-fifties. If the Hollywood stories are to be believed, any death involving a girl and a gun is suspicious. 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. George Reeves death home- Beverly Hills, CA - Infamous Crime Scenes on Waymarking.com. If they were fired earlier, then at the very least its evidence somebody in the house had a somewhat cavalier attitude to firearms. 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. Mobster Mickey Cohen once described Toni Mannix as the only person in Hollywood who had any balls. 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.
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