George Reeves | Unsolved Mysteries Wiki | Fandom 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. [15] They married on September 22, 1940, in San Gabriel, California, at the Church of Our Savior. Those guests were neighbour Carol Van Ronkel, her lover Robert Condon, and another neighbour, William Bliss. He directed the final 13 episodes of the series, and told the Evening Star that he was enthused about doing more.. [38] The bullet that killed Reeves was recovered from the bedroom ceiling, and the spent shell casing was found under his body. 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. [17] Reeves appeared in five Hopalong Cassidy westerns before being cast as Lieutenant John Summers opposite Claudette Colbert in So Proudly We Hail! Was the star of 50s TV show The Adventures of Superman murdered? Besides, she was married to the most dangerous man in Hollywood, who had a formidable reputation for been able to make problems disappear. Giesler called for a second autopsy. It was to be his final feature film appearance. So I figured this was the perfect time to do so and dragged the Grim Cheaper right on out there last weekend. . SUPERMAN MURDER SOLVED! Superman's Curse: The George Reeves Murder-Suicide Was a Hoax 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. George Reeves (born George Keefer . Reeves worked tirelessly with Toni Mannix to raise money to fight myasthenia gravis. [31] However, Reeves and his partner failed to find financing, and the film was never made. The Mysterious Death of Superman George Reeves - Clever Journeys Superman birth place and death house (George Reeves) - YouTube It seems the dark secret haunted her for the rest of her life. The characters involved range from colorful to drunk to suspicious, having by now taken any secrets . George Reeves - Biography 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 . Giesler had been paid a hefty sum, so why did he suddenly drop the case? 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. 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. Between the first and second seasons of Superman, Reeves got sporadic acting assignments in one-shot TV anthology programs and in two feature films, Forever Female (1953) and Fritz Lang's The Blue Gardenia (1953), but by the time the series was airing nationwide, Reeves found himself so associated with Superman and Clark Kent that it was difficult for him to find other roles. There she had met and married Frank Joseph Bessolo by 1927, according to that year's federal census. Reeves head and hands showed no signs of gunshot residue or powder burns. Reeves and Toni Mannix split in 1958 and Reeves announced his engagement to society playgirl Leonore Lemmon. 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. Tragic Facts About George Reeves, The Reluctant Superhero - Factinate 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. There were also fresh bruises on the body. At around1 am, William Bliss and Carol Van Ronkel came by for an impromptu meeting. 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. 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. director Mark Sandrich. As portrayed in films such as Hollywoodland and Hail Ceasar, Eddie had an array of thugs, bent cops, private eyes and mobsters on the payroll. There was a real man behind the superhero, whose tragic early death will likely forever be a mystery. Effectively living an open marriage, Eddie tolerated, even liked Reeves, and himself maintained a younger mistress. 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. His personal life was not all red carpets and champagne. George Reeves (born George Keefer Brewer; January 5, 1914 - June 16, 1959) was an American actor. Its too late for this nonsense. Leonore asked, Is this a joke or a shoot? meaning was he kidding around, or what? Whilst its true the actor had a habit of playing dangerous games with his gun, naked in bed at 1am does not seem a very likely time for macabre party tricks. If this was the case, then clearly he had not fired the gun himself, and another party was involved. While the authorities officially declared Reeves' death to be a suicide, not everyone was willing to accept that conclusion. He died in June of 1959, not 1958. 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. Even after almost a half-century, the mystery surrounding the untimely death of actor George Reeves remained such a potent and fascinating piece of Hollywood legend - it had been the subject of countless articles, books, and one film, the neo-noir "Hollywoodland" (2006) - that one could easily forget that the man himself as well as his long time acting career prior to his demise. It is sometimes easy to get caught up in the mystery of George Reeves demise, the different theories and suspects. TV legend George Reeves was killed by older lover he jilted for a sex kitten 2018-11-16 - . Reeves then apologized, and the group sat around talking. It was purchased for the actor at a cost of $12,000 by his longtime lover, MGM Vice-President E.J. [13] The Bessolo marriage lasted 15 years, ending in divorce, with the couple separating while Reeves was away visiting relatives. Was his role to distract the house guests and facilitate the entry of a hitman to do away with Reeves? Warners loaned him to producer Alexander Korda to co-star with Merle Oberon in Lydia, a box-office failure. They divorced 10 years later and had no children. In the early hours of June 16, Mannix called Coates; she was hysterical and told her friend that Reeves had been murdered. A SHOT rang out. Lemmon had called them after she and her party guests had found Reeves dead in his bedroom. By mid 1959, contracts were signed, costumes refitted, and new teleplay writers assigned. 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 . Quick Description: The actor George Reeves house where TV's "Superman," was found dead of a head gunshot wound on June 16, 1959. The subsequent police report seem to accept the whole story at face value. 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. Reeves wrote the pilot script himself. He was dead from a single gunshot wound to his right temple. 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. Reeves reportedly never saw his father again. 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. 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. Separated from his wife (their divorce became final in 1950), Reeves moved to New York City in 1949. 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. 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. George Reeves as Superman CASE DETAILS The gun had no fingerprints on it Early one morning in June of 1959, Los Angeles police raced to a high priced Hollywood Hills home. Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point. Learn about George Reeves death and the true story behind the Hollywoodland movie starring Ben Affleck as TV's Superman. Regardless of the plausibility of these theories, its likely that the identity of whoever fired the bullet that killed the Man of Steel will remain a mystery. [1] [2] His death at age 45 from a gunshot remains controversial. It is located in a fairly modest area, even though the asking price in 1995 was $625,000. The characters involved range from colorful to drunk to suspicious, having by now taken any secrets they may be hiding to their graves. 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. Toni, a former showgirl and starlet in the early talkies, married MGM studios enforcer Eddie Mannix in 1951. It was a bullet to the head. (1942), a war drama for Paramount Pictures, which signed Reeves up for two films a year. George Reeves' Mysterious Passing at 45 Has People Doubting - AmoMama On June 16, 1959, Reeves died from a single gunshot wound in the bedroom of his Benedict Canyon home. If anything, it seemed like Reeves career was on the up. >> George Reeves's death, and there are very interesting questions >> supporting the various theories. 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. The book was published as 'The Archie Moore Story, as told to Bob Condon'. Your definitive source to filming locations and all things Hollywood! Perhaps the toxic mixture of alcohol and painkillers had led to a fatal misjudgment? Superman had been cancelled and Reeves had struggled to find the serious work he craved. He was getting work as a director, and he had agreed to do another season of Superman, in which he would also direct quite a few episodes of. 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. 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]. Three shots were fired in the room: two on the floor and one in Reeves' head. "Actress to Wed." Philadelphia Inquirer, September 18, 1940. June 16, 1959. Who all was in the house that night? 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. And so, almost forty years later, we are left wondering. There were 104 episodes of The Adventures of Superman before the cancellation ax fell in 1958. June 16, 1959: George Reeves, Superman, Felled by Speeding Bullet According to the Argus observer, "George Reeves, 45, was found dead in his upstairs bedroom of this house . Hollywoodland (2006) - IMDb A long Broadway run followed, before a national tour and a movie version. Some even say George Reeves appears at the foot of the bed every now and then, dressed as Superman. Reeves, however, earned additional income from personal appearances. The ex-girlfriend who couldn't let go Beginning in 1948, Reeves had a 10-year. And did that scandal involve one of the most powerful men in the movie business, Toni Maddoxs husband Eddie? The long Broadway run was followed by a national tour and a movie version. Both would later commit suicide . September6, 1892 was the daughter of George Christian Lescher and Eliza Jane McKenzie, she died in a Pasadena hospital on June 18, 1964. George Reeves3 Theories About The Death of Superman. The stairs turn and continue upward to the bedroom where George slept. George went to bed at 12:30 AM. He is best known for portraying Superman in the television series Adventures of Superman (1952-1958). 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 accident was rendered in a more sinister light when Reeves mechanic discovered the brake fluid in the car had been drained. In the home of actor George Reeves, people frantically handed somebody else their martini glass and then tried to wake the naked couple in bed, though the police wouldn't be called for nearly an hour.Earlier that evening, Reeves and his fiance had gotten into an argument at a restaurant or two and, despite planning to wed in only four days' time, Reeves reportedly wanted . 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. Was the coroner's verdict right after all? : The Return of Black Adam. Tac -- George Reeves' Home He was also engaged to Leonore Lemmon, a New York showgirl. Loved the commercial..how cool! Lemmon says George Reeves committed suicide. 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? Leonore Lemmons behaviour after Reeves death did little to allay suspicions she may have had more involvement than she was letting on. Many, though, believed the investigation had been rushed and this may have been a case of homicide. The . The Suspicious Death of George Reeves: Who Killed Superman? - Anomalien.com By midnight on the night of June 16, 1959, only Lenore and writer Robert Condon were still at his house with him. to put his budding acting career on hold and enlist in the U.S. This part directly led to his being contracted to Warner Brothers. 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. The ballistics looked all wrong too. Died in House - George Reeves, TV's "Superman" Suicide or | Facebook Great article tho. George Reeves (TV's "Superman") at - The Hollywood Garage - Facebook Its not like my George to do a thing like that, his mother told the press. He left the bulk of his estate to Toni Mannix. The Mysterious Death of Superman | What Lies Beyond Mother Victoria Alice Mason. George Reeves' Former Home - IAMNOTASTALKER You can watch George Reeves Kelloggs Corn Flakes commercial by clicking above. Character: . The main reason Reeves was said to have committed suicide was depression over his declining fortunes as an actor. 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, rumors suspect that there was foul play involved in his passing. Alcohol, narcotics and depression are a red light warning sign for suicide, and with little other evidence available to them to suggest otherwise, its not hard to see why the Police came to this conclusion. 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. Jim Beaver is just as convinced that George's death was a suicide, as was reported in the newspapers of the day. Many photos shown in various magazines in the past indicated that George's bedroom windows could be seen from the street. The film won the Academy Award for Best Picture and gave Reeves the distinction of appearing in two "Best Picture" films. 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. 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 Father George Thomas Reeves. Lemmon moved into his house, and they were to be married on June 18. Superman was dead, and there were no heroes coming in to save the day. Reeves would later recall the impact Sandrich's death had on his career. Leonore Lemmon fled to New York right after Reeves died--but first emptied his house of liquor bottles and $4,000 in traveler's checks. But there were a few details that didnt quite make sense. The police had never checked Reeves fingers for residue to see if he pulled the trigger nor did they count the number of bullets remaining in the gun. 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. 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. In 1959, however, negotiations began for a renewal of the series, with 26episodes scheduled to go into production. Was Lemmon with Reeves when he shot himself? George Reeves, whose work as TV's Man of Steel would set the Superman screen standard for decades, died in his Benedict Canyon home from a gunshot to the head. Hollywood was recovering from the war, but slowly, and Reeves wasnt the only actor trying to make up for lost time with renewed dedication to dreams that were still very much alive but suddenly even further out of reach. George Reeves -- Unsolved Mysyeries Tall and chisel jawed, Reeves was the perfect choice to play the all American hero in the syndicated television show the Adventures of Superman. Army. The costume Reeves donned as Superman on TV. The police ruled his death a suicide, but rumors quickly surfaced that Reeves was. She also hired private investigators to investigate his death. Clearly she had the motive, and through her ruthless and well connected husband she certainly had the means. Is her confession credible? Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images Phyllis Coates and George Reeves in The Adventures of Superman. George Reeves - Wikipedia However, these were never investigated and Giesler strangely refused to work on the case any longer. If you are lucky enough, the homeowners may allow you to tour the home's grounds and possibly the interior as well. 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! 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 Facts. Later that year, he was assigned to the U.S. Army Air Forces and performed in the USAAF's Broadway show Winged Victory. Mysterious death of Superman star George Reeves and long - mirror I was depressed, and I accepted instantly that he had committed suicide, Larson told Unsolved Mysteries in 1995. After all these years, what happened that night at 1579 Benedict Canyon remains obscure and controversial. When Officers Johnson and Korby entered the . They had even planned to marry if Eddie were to die. 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. George Reeves: The Strange, Lonely Death of TV's Superman According to the autopsy report, Reeves had taken his .30 caliber German Luger pistol, placed it near his right temple and pulled the trigger. Catalog; For You; Globe. NOT FASTER THAN A SPEEDING BULLET American Hauntings 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. Like so many men of his generation, the war derailed his life plans. The Mannixs relationship was unusual even by the standards of Hollywood. Following the path so many women have taken throughout Hollywood history, Reeves turned to directing, producing, and writing when he couldnt get the roles he wanted. 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. Other evidence that casts doubt on this scenario is the lack of burn marks on Reeves back. Sprawled naked on his bed, Reeves had been shot in the head after a late night party at his house. Shortly after they arrived, Reeves came downstairs to find out what the commotion was. Multiple gunshot suicides are rare, so if these shots were contemporary to Reeves death, it seems unlikely he was the shooter. For whatever reason, though, in my ten-plus years of living in Los Angeles, I had yet to stalk the former Supermans home. 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. It all seemed so simple. 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. 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. And George Reeves was not unable to find work, he was not broke, he was not a suicidal depressed person. Character actor Ben Welden had acted with Reeves in the Warner Bros. days and frequently guest-starred on Superman. 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. 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]. Witnesses in the house who behaved a little oddly but heard the whole thing. 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! The story told by those there that night is full of holes, the evidence perplexing and poorly handled. 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. A noise was heard upstairs. The windows above the living room are the windows to George's bedroom. Reeves knew the show could potentially be popular, but it was almost because of that that he was reticent to take it on. [24] As for Port of Entry, Reeves was never able to gain financing for the project, and the show was never made. George Reeves' death was ruled a suicide, . But even more importantly, The Adventures of Superman was marketed mostly towards a younger audience. She and Eddie had used his underworld connections to have Reeves killed. Reportedly, the police had not been called until at least a half an hour after his death. 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. The story told by those there that night is full of holes, the evidence perplexing and poorly handled. Honorary pallbearers included Alan Ladd and Gig Young. Reeves mother refused to believe her son had killed himself and hired famous Hollywood lawyer Jerry Giesler to investigate further.