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. A noise echoed: See, hes opening the drawer to get the gun. Then a shot: I told you, hes shot himself.. 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. 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. But all was not well behind the scenes in Metropolis. The film suggests three possible scenarios: accidental shooting by Lemmon, murder by an unnamed hitman under orders from Eddie Mannix, and suicide. She was absolutely terrified of going to hell", Lozzi told the LA Times. If this was the case, then clearly he had not fired the gun himself, and another party was involved. [14], While studying acting at the Pasadena Playhouse, Reeves met his future wife, Ellanora Needles, granddaughter of circus magnate John Robinson. This is however not the case as it it the guest bedroom that faces the street. To this day, there are three possible scenarios that explain the death of George Reeves. [13] The Bessolo marriage lasted 15 years, ending in divorce, with the couple separating while Reeves was away visiting relatives. On 16 June 1959, George Reeves retired to his bed at 12, after going out for dinner with his fianc, Leonore. What happened next is mired in controversy, but according to the police interviews with the witnesses, a short moment later a shot was heard and the man who had become famous for been impervious to gunfire had, ironically, ended his life with a bullet to the head. George was dressed in a gray Clark Kent Suit from the tv show and his body was taken to Gates/Kingsley/Gates on Sepulveda. 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 stairs turn and continue upward to the bedroom where George slept. The night of Reevess death, the actor was at home with his fiance Lenore Lemmon, along with the writer Robert Condon, who had been staying with them. 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. 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. 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. Reeves began acting and singing in high school and continued performing on stage as a student at Pasadena Junior College. Location: California, United States Date Posted: 1/12/2010 6:55:33 PM When his mother moved to California to be with her sister, it was said Reeves never saw his father again. 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. She also had a reputation as a gold digger, having married twice before for money. A few minutes later a shot was heard and the foursome ran upstairs. In the 1950s the actor, George Reeves was best known for his portrayal of Superman in the television series, Adventures of Superman. Her devastation at been rejected by her boy had pushed her to the ultimate reprisal. June 16, 1959. Who all was in the house that night? He was working on creating a fulfilling career for himself. Those windows overlook the backyard and there is a garage under the guest bedroom. He left the bulk of his estate to Toni Mannix. 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. 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. Cuando utilizas nuestros sitios y aplicaciones, usamos. If you are lucky enough, the homeowners may allow you to tour the home's grounds and possibly the interior as well. Mannixs wife Toni Lanier, whom the actor had broken up with shorty before his death. 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? 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. Its a plane! The ex-girlfriend who couldn't let go Beginning in 1948, Reeves had a 10-year. After the war, Reeves returned to Hollywood. 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. Character actor Ben Welden had acted with Reeves in the Warner Bros. days and frequently guest-starred on Superman. They decided that he was fooling around, not realizing the gun was loaded. Had she even pulled the trigger herself? Michael Hayde firmly believes that George Reeves was murdered. They decided that he had not committed suicide. If the Hollywood stories are to be believed, any death involving a girl and a gun is suspicious. 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. So when George Reeves spurned his long term mistress for a younger model, she did not take it lying down. He appeared in a pair of outdoor thrillers with Ralph Byrd and in a Sam Katzman-produced serial, The Adventures of Sir Galahad. The book was published as 'The Archie Moore Story, as told to Bob Condon'. The Mysterious Death of Superman George Reeves It wasn't Kryptonite that killed Superman. Or was the culprit his new girlfriend, the volatile and temperamental Lemmon, who had argued with Reeves the night of his death about the late night party she was having whilst he tried to sleep off his own night of heavy drinking? Hes going upstairs to shoot himself, she allegedly said. 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. That position was taken over by Frank . 2 min read. 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. After Gone with the Wind was filmed, Reeves returned to the Pasadena Playhouse and was given the lead role in the play Pancho. 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. George Reeves' death was ruled a suicide, . The death of the original Superman is one of those American mysteries that may never fully add up. After, they returned home and continued drinking. [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. 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? He had a string of B-list movies after that, and was slowly working his way up to leading man status when bombs dropped on Pearl Harbor. 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. Reeves himself was convinced it was Mannix behind a string of strange incidents that had befallen him in the aftermath of their breakup. However, friends and relatives think Reeves career troubles were exaggerated. Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images Phyllis Coates and George Reeves in The Adventures of Superman. Reeves head and hands showed no signs of gunshot residue or powder burns. He was lucky to escape with head injuries that required him to take powerful painkillers right up until the night he died. 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. Your definitive source to filming locations and all things Hollywood! While studying acting at the Pasadena Playhouse, Reeves met his future wife, Ellanora Needles. CleverJourneys: American Crime Chronicles Two Los Angeles police officers arrived at 1579 Benedict Canyon at almost 3 a.m., June 16, 1959. 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. Reeves would later recall the impact Sandrich's death had on his career. Contraversy continues. Sprawled naked on his bed, Reeves had been shot in the head after a late night party at his house. In 1952, the struggling ABC Network purchased the show for national broadcast, which gave him greater visibility. Reeves died at the age of 45, from a gunshot wound to the head. The official finding was suicide, but some believe that he was murdered or the victim of an accidental shooting. 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. Show more. We have always known that house guest Robert Condon, Carol Van Ronkel and William Bliss were there. It is sometimes easy to get caught up in the mystery of George Reeves demise, the different theories and suspects. 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. Puedes cambiar tus opciones en cualquier momento haciendo clic en el enlace Panel de control de privacidad de nuestros sitios y aplicaciones. The characters involved range from colorful to drunk to suspicious, having by now taken any secrets they may be hiding to their graves. He directed the final 13 episodes of the series, and told the Evening Star that he was enthused about doing more.. 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. His death was officially classified as. Besides, the gun was not a revolver and it was quite evident whether it was chambered or not. Reeves new girlfriend, who had since moved in, was a New York socialite named Leonore Lemmon, with whom he was rumored to be engaged. The official verdict was that Reeves had committed suicide, the weight of his troubles having become too much for him to bear. 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. Twentieth Century-Fox loaned him to producer Alexander Korda to co-star with Merle Oberon in Lydia,[17] a box-office failure, after which he freelanced, looking to find work in westerns. I know he enjoyed the role, but he used to say, 'Here I am, wasting my life. The half-hour films were shot on tight schedules; at least two shows were made every six days. [17] Reeves fit the rugged requirements of the roles, and, with his retentive memory for dialogue, he did well under rushed production conditions. Leonore Lemmon was, by all accounts, a bit of a hell-raiser. Army. [15] They married on September 22, 1940, in San Gabriel, California, at the Church of Our Savior. [40], Reeves' mother thought the ruling premature and peremptory, and retained attorney Jerry Giesler to petition for a reinvestigation of the case as a possible homicide. And George Reeves was not unable to find work, he was not broke, he was not a suicidal depressed person. 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). No photos of the body were taken and the crime scene was not properly searched or dusted for prints. However, Reeves mother, Helen Bessolo, was convinced that her son had been murdered. 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. 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. Its too late for this nonsense. Leonore asked, Is this a joke or a shoot? meaning was he kidding around, or what? No one is entirely certain who was even at the house that night. Info Share. [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). Giesler had been paid a hefty sum, so why did he suddenly drop the case? For whatever reason, though, in my ten-plus years of living in Los Angeles, I had yet to stalk the former Supermans home. 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 worried he would be typecast as a childrens actor. Is her confession credible? It is located in a fairly modest area, even though the asking price in 1995 was $625,000. Death Of George Reeves Source: Biography. . This theory goes that Lemmon was drunk and unhappy that night and shot her soon-to-be-husband. The story told by those there that night is full of holes, the evidence perplexing and poorly handled. The official verdict was that Reeves had committed suicide, the weight of his troubles having become too much for him to bear. [18] He was assigned to the U.S. Army Air Forces and performed in the USAAF's Broadway show Winged Victory. September6, 1892 was the daughter of George Christian Lescher and Eliza Jane McKenzie, she died in a Pasadena hospital on June 18, 1964. Witnesses in the house who behaved a little oddly but heard the whole thing. Dubious witness statements and the examination of the crime scene by the Los Angeles Police led to the official inquiry conclusion that the death of Reeves's was suicide. Sandrich felt that Reeves had the potential to become a major star, but unfortunately died while Reeves was still in uniform. Multiple gunshot suicides are rare, so if these shots were contemporary to Reeves death, it seems unlikely he was the shooter. Everyone involved is now dead, and little or no evidence from the crime scene remains. Many photos shown in various magazines in the past indicated that George's bedroom windows could be seen from the street. The same cast was very quickly taken on for a television series, The Adventures of Superman, sponsored by Kellogg's cereal, which began airing late in 1952. And that was the scene that was set on June 15, 1959. 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. 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! George Reeves (born George Keefer Brewer; January 5, 1914 - June 16, 1959) was an American actor. I don't know what happened to George. The series went on the air the following year, and Reeves was amazed at becoming a national celebrity. Was he responsible, on behalf of his wronged wife, for the misfortunes that had befallen Reeves in the run up to his death? [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. In typical fashion, Reeves and Lemmon went out for a boozy night on the town. 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? 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. Henderson, Jan Alan, Speeding Bullet, M. Bifulco, 1999; Helen Roberta Lescher Brewer Bessolo (18921964) - Born in Galesburg, Knox County, Illinois, US. The police arrived within the hour. He looked forward to working with So Proudly We Hail! However, these were never investigated and Giesler strangely refused to work on the case any longer. Many believe that the ghostly appearances by the actor lend credence to the idea that he was murdered. Coates was amongst many of Reeves friends and co-stars who did not believe he would have killed himself. Reportedly, the police had not been called until at least a half an hour after his death. Mannix died in 1983 at the age of 77--her husband Eddie had died in 1963. George lived at 1579 Benedict Canyon Drive, in the Beverly Hills area. In June 1951, Reeves was offered the role of Superman in a new television series[23] titled Adventures of Superman. See, hes opening the drawer to get the gun. Lemmon claimed. His fears were not unfounded, as he had been out of work for two years by the time of his death in 1959. 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. 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 Los Angeles Police Department Death Report, June 26, 1959. It seems the dark secret haunted her for the rest of her life. George Reeves' Ghost. 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. Meanwhile, DC Comics was planning a television adaptation of its most famous character. 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. 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. "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. Clearly she had the motive, and through her ruthless and well connected husband she certainly had the means. Up in the sky! Para obtener ms informacin sobre cmo utilizamos tus datos personales, consulta nuestra Poltica de privacidad y Poltica de cookies. Lemmon and writer Robert Condon, who was staying at the house, were more than happy to entertain the group, but Reeves was already in bed and was not pleased by the ruckus downstairs. [13] His Gone with the Wind screen credit reflects the change. But from another, the death of George Reeves looks a lot like murder. Ruled as a. Honorary pallbearers included Alan Ladd and Gig Young. [31] However, Reeves and his partner failed to find financing, and the film was never made. The Superman cast members had restrictive contracts preventing them from taking other work that might interfere with the series. George's fiancee Lenore Lemmon claims that in . However, many of his friends and colleagues believe the actor was murdered, his death the stormy culmination of a tangled love life. The gun fell to his feet and the shell was found underneath him. 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. But she was also suffering from alzheimer's at the time of her death, and may have confused fact with the many fictions that had long circulated about the death of her former lover. 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. 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. 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. A noise was heard upstairs. The brown-shingled bungalow, which was built in 1947, boasts 2 bedrooms, 3 baths, and 1,717 square feet. Reeves would frequently bemoan the role he felt so trapped in, with particular disdain reserved for the crude and repetitive scripts that often required little more of him than to turn up at the end and have the villains bullets bounce off his chest. EXPLOSIVE new forensic evidence reveals Superman actor George Reeves didn't commit suicide he was murdered and a GLOBE investigation has uncovered the sordid truth behind the "perfect crime" and sinister cover-up of nearly 60 years! Seeing the neighbors, he told them, Get out. 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. 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. One, Reeves committed suicide. The police did not treat the house as a crime scene, and Lemmon was able to return shortly after they had left, have the bloody sheets washed, retrieve $4000 in travellers cheques and leave Los Angeles for New York, never to return again, not even for Reeves funeral. The official ruling was suicide. The areas which appeared in the commercial include the den; the master bedroom (where the actor died); and the backyard. [1][2][3][4][5][6], Reeves was born January 5, 1914,[7][8] as George Keefer Brewer in Woolstock, Iowa, the son of Donald Carl Brewer and Helen Lescher. 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. George Reeves Born George Keefer Brewer in Woolstock, Iowa in 1914, the boy who would become Superman moved around a lot. Many studios were slowing down their production schedules, however, and some production units had shut down completely. THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN (1951-1957) - unknown actor (left) with George Reeves as "Superman." Both would later commit suicide . 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. According to commentaries on the Adventures of Superman DVD sets, multiple scripts were filmed simultaneously to take advantage of the standing sets; for example, all the "Perry White's office" scenes for three or four episodes would be shot the same day and the various "apartment" scenes would be done consecutively. And did that scandal involve one of the most powerful men in the movie business, Toni Maddoxs husband Eddie? 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 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. His passing even became the subject of the 2006 biographical docudrama Hollywoodland, in which Ben Affleck plays the Pasadena-bred television star. All of the conspiracy theories surrounding Reevess death would eventually be played out on the big screen in 2006s Hollywoodland, but they boil down to three scenarios. By mid 1959, contracts were signed, costumes refitted, and new teleplay writers assigned. The Afterlife of George Reeves Actor George Reeves died at 1:59 am on June 16, 1959. Reeves usually had an open door policy, but not after midnight. A shot was heard. . Just over a year after the war started, Reeves was called up. 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. 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. All too often it is those closest to someone who takes their own life who can least understand it. However, it was obvious that many parts of the investigation were not performed as they should have been. 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 . : The Return of Black Adam. [24] As for Port of Entry, Reeves was never able to gain financing for the project, and the show was never made. He won critical acclaim for the role and garnered considerable publicity. Finally, theres the fiancee. 1579 Benedict Canyon Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. They had no children and divorced 10 years later.[16]. It was to be his final feature film appearance. Reeves and Toni Mannix split in 1958 and Reeves announced his engagement to society playgirl Leonore Lemmon. Or perhaps Toni took matters into her own hands and simply had her husband cover it up. It was during this fallow period that he was approached about playing the role that would come to define his life. Its not like my George to do a thing like that, his mother told the press. George Reeves' Home. After hearing a gunshot, they waited 45 minutes before calling the police. The house where George lived is fairly modest for the area, but the asking price in 1995 was $625,000. Gene LeBell was there at George's house the morning before George died, training George. The film won the Academy Award for Best Picture and gave Reeves the distinction of appearing in two "Best Picture" films. The producers looked elsewhere for a new star.[25]. The story told by those there that night is full of holes, the evidence perplexing and poorly handled. His personal life was not all red carpets and champagne. And was Eddie, a man suspected of killing his first wife Bernice Fitzmaurice, behind the bullet to the head that ended the actors life? (The punchline: Ricardo, do you mean to say that youve been married to her for 15 years? 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. George went to bed at 12:30 AM. The police also found two gunshot holes in the carpet as well as the one in the ceiling that they traced to the wound in Reevess head, yet the witnesses claimed to have only heard one shot that night. 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?
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