The windows above the living room are the windows to George's bedroom. Had the jilted older woman taken things one step too far and shot Reeves in a jealous rage? The show was a smashing success, drawing huge audiences each episode. The Mysterious Death of Superman George Reeves It wasn't Kryptonite that killed Superman. And then there were the bruising and other marks on Reevess body. Was he responsible, on behalf of his wronged wife, for the misfortunes that had befallen Reeves in the run up to his death? He was 40 years old and wanted to quit and move on with his career. 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 actor had no burn marks on his hands or face - how had he shot himself in the head with a pistol without leaving powder burns? The Mysterious Death of Superman George Reeves - Clever Journeys Reeves was drafted into the U.S. Army in early 1943. [1][2], His death at age 45 from a gunshot remains controversial. 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. His death was officially classified as. George went to bed at 12:30 AM. ", Death of Superman may not have been a suicide, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=George_Reeves&oldid=1139854102, Credited erroneously onscreen as playing Brent Tarleton (see above), This page was last edited on 17 February 2023, at 06:25. Multiple gunshot suicides are rare, so if these shots were contemporary to Reeves death, it seems unlikely he was the shooter. Warners loaned him to producer Alexander Korda to co-star with Merle Oberon in Lydia, a box-office failure. Other evidence that casts doubt on this scenario is the lack of burn marks on Reeves back. Suicide? or Murdered: Superman George Reeves - deviantart.com Lenore was allegedly upset at the way he was handling the situation. After all these years, what happened that night at 1579 Benedict Canyon remains obscure and controversial. Advertisement. Their suspicions werent entirely fueled by grief and denialthe evidence was puzzling. Its Superman! The iconic intro blazed into American households on Sept. 19, 1952. From 1952 to 1958 he starred in 104 episodes, but by the late 50s it had declined in popularity and it was put into hiatus after its sixth season. In reality, George Reeves life was a far cry from that of his heroic television counterpart. He performed on live television anthology programs, as well as on radio. The stairs turn and continue upward to the bedroom where George slept. Toni Lanier Mannix (born Camille Bernice Froomess; February 19, 1906 - September 2, 1983) was an American actress and dancer in early motion pictures filmed with soundtracks, known as "talkies".Going by the name Toni Lanier, she became known in Hollywood circles for her extramarital relationship with future husband MGM studio head Eddie Mannix, who was married at the time to Bernice Fitzmaurice. The Mysterious Death of Superman | What Lies Beyond On June 16, 1959, actress Phyllis Coates was woken up around 4:30 a.m. by a very strange phone call. Leonore Lemmon was, by all accounts, a bit of a hell-raiser. After two seasons, Reeves was dissatisfied with his salary and the show's one-dimensional role. George Reeves - Superman Homepage 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. Copyright (c) 2023 Groundspeak, Inc. All Rights Reserved. . In 1953, Reeves played a minor character, Sergeant Maylon Stark, in From Here to Eternity. 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 . Shortly after they arrived, Reeves came downstairs to find out what the commotion was. Gina Dimuro is a New York-based writer and translator. On the night of his death, George had several friends over. George Reeves, 45, TV's indestructible "Man of Steel," Superman, was dead by his own hand and the flowing cloak would flow no more. I have been researching a full-scale The main reason Reeves was said to have committed suicide was depression over his declining fortunes as an actor. And did that scandal involve one of the most powerful men in the movie business, Toni Maddoxs husband Eddie? Sprawled naked on his bed, Reeves had been shot in the head after a late night party at his house. Reeves mother refused to believe her son had killed himself and hired famous Hollywood lawyer Jerry Giesler to investigate further. The official verdict was that Reeves had committed suicide, the weight of his troubles having become too much for him to bear. The costume Reeves donned as Superman on TV. Embattled New York Rep. George Santos said Thursday that he is "fully cooperating" with the House Ethics Committee, which is . But all was not well behind the scenes in Metropolis. CleverJourneys: American Crime Chronicles Two Los Angeles police officers arrived at 1579 Benedict Canyon at almost 3 a.m., 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. Fellow actors Gig Young and Alan Ladd publicly doubted that Reeves took his own life. The first half of the show was a Superman sketch in which Reeves and Neill performed with LeBell as a villain called "Mr. Kryptonite" who captured Lois Lane. Those guests were neighbour Carol Van Ronkel, her lover Robert Condon, and another neighbour, William Bliss. Except for the second season, the Superman schedule was brief (13 shows shot two per week, a total of seven weeks out of a year), but all had a "30-day clause", which meant that the producers could demand their exclusive services for a new season on four weeks' notice. Was Superman star George Reeves a suicide or murder victim? The 2006 film Hollywoodland, starring Ben Affleck as Reeves and Adrien Brody as a fictional investigator loosely based on actual detective Milo Speriglio, dramatizes the investigation of Reeves' death. 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. The issue was that Reeves eventually broke Tonis heart when he called it off to begin a relationship with the woman who would become his fiancee, Lenore Lemmon. Suicide or murder? Reeves a Hollywood victim - TODAY.com Reeves had been having an affair with his wife Toni Mannix. Cuando utilizas nuestros sitios y aplicaciones, usamos. 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). Besides, the gun was not a revolver and it was quite evident whether it was chambered or not. After the war, Reeves returned to Hollywood. That position was taken over by Frank . When George Reeves died in 1959, the death was quickly considered to be one that was self-inflicted. Why had Lemmon waited for so long - 45 minutes or so, to call the police? 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. George Reeves death home- Beverly Hills, CA - Waymarking However, Reeves mother, Helen Bessolo, was convinced that her son had been murdered. There's a general belief that Toni Mannix bought the house, but his name George Reeves' Ghost. 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. 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. THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN (1951-1957) - unknown actor (left) with George Reeves as "Superman." The series went on the air the following year, and Reeves was amazed at becoming a national celebrity. While Reeves may have been famous for being Superman, the role wasnt making him a whole lot of money. All three bullets had been fired from the weapon found at Reeves' feet, though all witnesses agreed they heard only one gunshot, and there was no sign of forced entry or other physical evidence that a second person was in the room. All too often it is those closest to someone who takes their own life who can least understand it. 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. Honorary pallbearers included Alan Ladd and Gig Young. He was cremated in Ohio, and ashes given to his mother, who then died in 1964. A shot was heard. And that was the scene that was set on June 15, 1959. This is however not the case as it it the guest bedroom that faces the street. Reeves death was quickly ruled a suicide, but some facts of the case appear to be murky at best. Was Lemmon with Reeves when he shot himself? The coroner ruled it suicide. The characters involved range from colorful to drunk to suspicious, having by now taken any secrets they may be hiding to their graves. George Reeves death home- Beverly Hills, CA - Infamous Crime Scenes on Waymarking.com. Rather than being seen as the hunky superhero who had proven himself as a leading man, Reeves was worried that the role would forever make him the kids beloved Superman in the eyes of the world and of casting directors. Had Reeves gotten cold feet about their supposed wedding, or been caught on the phone to Toni Mannix? The Afterlife of George Reeves Actor George Reeves died at 1:59 am on June 16, 1959. gruesome and unsolved murder of the Black Dahlia. There she had met and married Frank Joseph Bessolo by 1927, according to that year's federal census. (Reeves and Crane both dyed their hair red to portray the Tarleton twins.) If he had really fallen backwards onto a freshly ejected shell case it should have been hot enough to have burnt his skin, yet no such marks were evident at the autopsy. 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? At around1 am, William Bliss and Carol Van Ronkel came by for an impromptu meeting. Not the comic book character, of course, but the man who personified the "real" Superman for an entire generation of television fans. It is located in a fairly modest area, even though the asking price in 1995 was $625,000. Did the 45-year-old actor commit suicide (as was the official finding), was his death accidental, or was he murdered by his vengeful ex-lover or her jealous husband? 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. Loved the commercial..how cool! 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. Robert (Bobby) was writing a book about boxer Archie Moore. He was dead from a single gunshot wound to his right temple. The . If they were fired earlier, then at the very least its evidence somebody in the house had a somewhat cavalier attitude to firearms. November 5, 2022. in Arts, Culture, News. Around 1, two friends came by for a visit. 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. The Death of George Reeves - the Original Superman - Reel Reviews Eddie was not happy when his wife wasnt happy. (1942), a war drama for Paramount Pictures, which signed Reeves up for two films a year. Many, though, believed the investigation had been rushed and this may have been a case of homicide. Character: . Whilst highly speculative, some corroboration to this comes from Reeves own Lois Lane, actress Phyllis Coates. Considering her temperament, it does not seem out of the question she may have started waving Reeves pistol about whilst having a drunken argument with her prospective husband. [19][20][21], Discharged at the war's end, Reeves returned to Hollywood. Despite these suspicions, the Los Angeles Police Department officially ruled the death a suicide, on little more than a cursory investigation. And how had the fatal bullet ended up in the ceiling whilst the shell rested underneath his body? George Reeves' Cause Of Death: These Are The Myths Surrounding - MSN [14], While studying acting at the Pasadena Playhouse, Reeves met his future wife, Ellanora Needles, granddaughter of circus magnate John Robinson. While Reeves was depressed at the time of his death, there were oddities at the crime scene. Superman had been cancelled and Reeves had struggled to find the serious work he craved. But not even Lane could have imagined that the dead boy was none other than Superman George Reeves himself. 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. 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. director Mark Sandrich. 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. Mother Victoria Alice Mason. 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. The film suggests three possible scenarios: accidental shooting by Lemmon, murder by an unnamed hitman under orders from Eddie Mannix, and suicide. Reeves's father married Helen Schultz in 1925. At approximately 1:20 AM, Reeves excused himself, and went upstairs to bed. The 45-minute delay in getting help, in this scenario, was the time it took for her and her house guests to cover up the murder. [27], His good friend Bill Walsh, a producer at Disney Studios, gave Reeves a prominent role in Westward Ho the Wagons! At his funeral, he was laid to rest in the same suit that he wore on the TV show as "Clark Kent." So when George Reeves spurned his long term mistress for a younger model, she did not take it lying down. According to Larson, Reeves said that if Mark Sandrich had not died, he would not be there in "this monkey suit". Ruled as a. George Reeves - Biography - IMDb The Suspicious Death of George Reeves: Who Killed Superman? - Anomalien.com 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. A funeral was held on Wednesday, June 30. Upon hearing of George's demise, he went to the house and the . 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. Hes going upstairs to shoot himself, she allegedly said. 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. While he returned unscathed, he struggled from that point forward to get his career back on track. 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. The book was published as 'The Archie Moore Story, as told to Bob Condon'. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound! "Actress to Wed." Philadelphia Inquirer, September 18, 1940. A long Broadway run followed, before a national tour and a movie version. Due to their advanced state of inebriation the party guests were not entirely coherent, but they all seemed to agree on the suicide story. The ballistics looked all wrong too. Televisions beloved Superman was dead at the tender age of 45. We have always known that house guest Robert Condon, Carol Van Ronkel and William Bliss were there. Finally, a single shot rang out. Some even say George Reeves appears at the foot of the bed every now and then, dressed as Superman. George Reeves - Unsolved Mysteries After Gone with the Wind was filmed, Reeves returned to the Pasadena Playhouse and was given the lead role in the play Pancho. Gay History: Jack Larson, Gay Actor Tormented by Jimmy - timalderman 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. But unable to find work, perhaps George felt he had little choice but to return to a part that clearly caused him much anguish. The Superman Scandal: How George Reeves' Death Rocked Hollywood Theyd take one look at me and say it was impossible.. George Reeves: "Superman" may have been murdered (June 16, 1959) 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. It is located in a fairly modest area, even though the asking price in 1995 was $625,000. Was the star of 50s TV show The Adventures of Superman murdered? Two neighbors stopped by, hoping to join the party. George Reeves (TV's "Superman") at - The Hollywood Garage - Facebook Reeves returned to Hollywood in 1951 for a role in a Fritz Lang film, Rancho Notorious. [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. 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. The home has not changed much since the mid-fifties. In June of 1959, things started to look up for George. 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. A noise was heard upstairs. They had no children and divorced 10 years later.[16]. Its a bird! He died in June of 1959, not 1958. 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 following is taken from the official autopsy report: Exactly what happened that night was never fully resolved, due to varying drunken accounts. Just over a year after the war started, Reeves was called up. George Reeves: The Strange, Lonely Death of TV's Superman "According to Lemmon, the only people in the house that night, in addition to George and herself, were Carol Von Ronkle, William Bliss, and writer Robert Condon. 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! George Reeves' death was ruled a suicide, . No charges were ever brought against anyone in connection to the case. 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. 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. [17] He was drafted in early 1943. Hollywoodland (2006) - IMDb George Reeves hit the television jackpot when he landed the dual role of Clark Kent/Superman in the television series The Adventures of Superman. Who shot TV's Superman? - Los Angeles Times 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. On June 16, 1959, Reeves was found dead in his bedroom from a gunshot wound to the head. 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. 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. Los Angeles Police Department Death Report, June 26, 1959. 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. Reeves usually had an open door policy, but not after midnight. The year before Reeves death he abruptly ended his relationship with Mannix, leaving her for the younger New York socialite Leonore Lemmon. He was also engaged to Leonore Lemmon, a New York showgirl. Quick Description: The actor George Reeves house where TV's "Superman," was found dead of a head gunshot wound on June 16, 1959. Puedes cambiar tus opciones en cualquier momento haciendo clic en el enlace Panel de control de privacidad de nuestros sitios y aplicaciones. This is the house, and home, that Superman actor George Reeves lived and died in. But the strange death of Superman is not a parlour game. Leonore Lemmons behaviour after Reeves death did little to allay suspicions she may have had more involvement than she was letting on. George Reeves died of a gunshot wound to his head in the upstairs bedroom at his home in Benedict Canyon. Wikimedia CommonsReeves played opposite Vivien Leigh as one of the Tarleton twins in Gone With the Wind. The 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. Listen to 022 - The Suspicious Death of George Reeves . Hes been murdered. This kind of phone call would not have been out of the ordinary for Lois Lane, the character Coates famously played on TV. Look! 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. But even more importantly, The Adventures of Superman was marketed mostly towards a younger audience. 1. 1959: Los Angeles police arrive at the home of 45-year-old actor George Reeves, famous for his role as TV's Superman, and find him naked and dead of a gunshot wound to the head. In June 1951, Reeves was offered the role of Superman in a new television series[23] titled Adventures of Superman. He served as national chairman for the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation in 1955. George Reeves Real name: George Keefer Brewer, George Bessolo. George Reeves was born George Keefer Brewer in Iowa in 1914five months into his parents' marriage. The brown-shingled bungalow, which was built in 1947, boasts 2 bedrooms, 3 baths, and 1,717 square feet. 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. When Officers Johnson and Korby entered the . Lemmon says George Reeves committed suicide. He directed the final 13 episodes of the series, and told the Evening Star that he was enthused about doing more.. 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. [18] He was assigned to the U.S. Army Air Forces and performed in the USAAF's Broadway show Winged Victory. He left the bulk of his estate to Toni Mannix. Newspapers and wire-service reports quoted LAPD Sergeant V.A. 11 Homes That Are Haunted By Dead Celebrities - Business Insider Superman was dead, and there were no heroes coming in to save the day. During the second season, Reeves appeared in a short film for the Treasury Department entitled Stamp Day for Superman, in which he caught the villains and told children why they should invest in government savings stamps. No scandals were too big to be neutralised by Eddie, from covering-up Clark Gable accidently killing actress Tosca Roulien, to tracking down and buying up every copy of a porn film starring Joan Crawford. Gene LeBell was there at George's house the morning before George died, training George. It seems the dark secret haunted her for the rest of her life. Even outside of the world of comic books, bullets sometimes do funny things, and that was certainly the case in the death of George Reeves. She also hired private investigators to investigate his death. A photo of a smiling Reeves and the sign appears in Gary Grossman's book about the show. September6, 1892 was the daughter of George Christian Lescher and Eliza Jane McKenzie, she died in a Pasadena hospital on June 18, 1964.