It was also widely believed that Toni, to whom Reeves bequeathed his entire estate, may have shot him in a jealous rage after hearing news of his engagement, or that her husband, E.J. Theyd take one look at me and say it was impossible.. Who shot TV's Superman? - Los Angeles Times [28] He appeared as Superman on I Love Lucy (Episode #165, "Lucy and Superman") in 1957. When he returned, his mother told him his stepfather had committed suicide. The costume Reeves donned as Superman on TV. We have always known that house guest Robert Condon, Carol Van Ronkel and William Bliss were there. . [17], However, Reeves was inspired by So Proudly We Hail! 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. Reeves initially had no autopsy and his body was swifted embalmed. Copyright (c) 2023 Groundspeak, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Bessolo actually died March 4, 1944, at age 51, when his adopted son was well into his movie career. Walker's property became known as "Houdini's House." Shortly after Houdini died on Halloween . It was then that Lemmons actions became truly strange. . For whatever reason, though, in my ten-plus years of living in Los Angeles, I had yet to stalk the former Supermans home. Died in House - George Reeves, TV's "Superman" Suicide or | Facebook The Day Superman Died, George Reeves Death House - YouTube Its a bird! Lois & Clark - The New Adventures of Superman, Superman/Shazam! 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. Reportedly, the police had not been called until at least a half an hour after his death. He was working on creating a fulfilling career for himself. 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. However, Reeves mother, Helen Bessolo, was convinced that her son had been murdered. Reeves also enjoyed playing with an unloaded gun. The events surrounding his death have been the subject of much conjecture ever since. The people in the house were quite intoxicated and weren't much help to the investigation even waiting over 30 minutes before calling the police. He was able to play against type and starred as a villainous gold hunter in a Johnny Weissmuller Jungle Jim film. 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? Reeves's father married Helen Schultz in 1925. More powerful than a locomotive! George Reeves hit the television jackpot when he landed the dual role of Clark Kent/Superman in the television series The Adventures of Superman. The film won the Academy Award for Best Picture and gave Reeves the distinction of appearing in two "Best Picture" films. Is there any truth in the persistent rumours that Reeves was murdered? 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 following is taken from the official autopsy report: Exactly what happened that night was never fully resolved, due to varying drunken accounts. George Reeves' death was ruled a suicide, . 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. [17] He was drafted in early 1943. The Mysterious Death of Superman. While he returned unscathed, he struggled from that point forward to get his career back on track. The night George Reeves died; who was in the house? - Lee Saylor Suicide? or Murdered: Superman George Reeves - deviantart.com The Mysterious Death of Superman George Reeves - Clever Journeys In the early morning hours of June 16, 1959, George Reeves, who was the first to make the superhero an icon when he played the titular role in the inaugural TV series, was found dead in his. George Reeves' Cause Of Death: These Are The Myths Surrounding - MSN Meanwhile, DC Comics was planning a television adaptation of its most famous character. He left the bulk of his estate to Toni Mannix. 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. Reeves and Toni Mannix split in 1958 and Reeves announced his engagement to society playgirl Leonore Lemmon. Lemmon and Reeves had a stormy relationship but, at least according to her, were engaged to be married. 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. So I figured this was the perfect time to do so and dragged the Grim Cheaper right on out there last weekend. U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records 19381946, dated March24, 1943, Speeding Bullet, 2nd Ed, by Jan Alan Henderson, p. 151. Later, Reeves's mother,[12] who was of German descent, moved to California to stay with her sister. [33] Reeves had been made a "Kentucky Colonel" during a publicity trip in the South, and the sign on his dressing room door was replaced with a new one that read "Honest George, also known as Col. Reeves", created by the show's prop department. 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. Mother Victoria Alice Mason. In contemporary news articles, Lemmon attributed Reeves' alleged suicide to depression caused by his "failed career" and inability to find more work. 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. [17] Warner changed his professional name to George Reeves. Reeves, however, earned additional income from personal appearances. 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. The second half of the show was Reeves out of costume as himself, singing and accompanying himself on the guitar. And that was the scene that was set on June 15, 1959. (1942), a war drama for Paramount Pictures. According to Condon, Lemmon was in an combative mood that night, and had made somewhat of a scene in the restaurant. In 1953, Reeves played a minor character, Sergeant Maylon Stark, in From Here to Eternity. The story told by those there that night is full of holes, the evidence perplexing and poorly handled. George Reeves: The Death of Superman | The Unredacted 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. His passing even became the subject of the 2006 biographical docudrama Hollywoodland, in which Ben Affleck plays the Pasadena-bred television star. (Reeves and Crane both dyed their hair red to portray the Tarleton twins.) This theory goes that Lemmon was drunk and unhappy that night and shot her soon-to-be-husband. George Reeves (born George Keefer . Her devastation at been rejected by her boy had pushed her to the ultimate reprisal. How do we create a person's profile? Attempting to showcase his versatility, Reeves sang on the Tony Bennett show in August 1956. director Mark Sandrich. Father George Thomas Reeves. They had even planned to marry if Eddie were to die. Fellow actors Gig Young and Alan Ladd publicly doubted that Reeves took his own life. 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. Show more. 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. George Reeves died of a gunshot wound to his head in the upstairs bedroom at his home in Benedict Canyon. Reeves is interred at Mountain View Cemetery and Mausoleum in Altadena, California. 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. Tac -- George Reeves' Home proporcionarte nuestros sitios y aplicaciones; autenticar usuarios, aplicar medidas de seguridad y evitar el spam y los abusos, y. medir el uso que haces de nuestros sitios y aplicaciones. Honorary pallbearers included Alan Ladd and Gig Young. 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. The half-hour films were shot on tight schedules; at least two shows were made every six days. Info Share. George Reeves death home- Beverly Hills, CA - Infamous Crime Scenes on Waymarking.com. TV legend George Reeves was killed by older lover he jilted for a sex kitten 2018-11-16 - . Your definitive source to filming locations and all things Hollywood! THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN (1951-1957) - unknown actor (left) with George Reeves as "Superman." He was born in Woolstock, Iowa but eventually moved to Galesburg, Illinois after his parents separated. George Reeves from "Superman" had a mysterious death that saw him die from a single gunshot wound to the head. At the beginning of his life, George Reeves was a Midwesterner by birth but, as he grew older, he made his way out to California with his mother. Kent then rushed offstage to return as Superman, who came to the rescue and fought with the bad guy. 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. 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. Is her confession credible? The gun fell to his feet and the shell was found underneath him. He was inundated with menacing silent phone calls at all hours of the morning and someone even abducted his beloved dog Sam. The show was a smashing success, drawing huge audiences each episode. 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. His work on the show would earn him fame as the Original Superman, even though that wasnt technically true. TV 'Superman' George Reeves Still Haunts Home Where He Died But all was not well behind the scenes in Metropolis. 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. These roles did little to advance Reeves's career, and his contract with Warners was dissolved by mutual consent. Noel Neill was quoted as saying that the cast of Superman was ready to do a new series of the still-popular show. 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! Reeves was then transferred to the Army Air Forces' First Motion Picture Unit, where he made training films. 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. Two people who might have had strong motives were Toni and Eddie Mannix. 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. George was dressed in a gray Clark Kent Suit from the tv show and his body was taken to Gates/Kingsley/Gates on Sepulveda. Hes going upstairs to shoot himself, she explained to the other guests, who then heard a sound from upstairs. So when George Reeves spurned his long term mistress for a younger model, she did not take it lying down. George Reeves Superman Death | Snopes.com "An element of mystery" Reeves' death may have been ruled a suicide, but not everyone believed it. However, it was obvious that many parts of the investigation were not performed as they should have been. However, rumors suspect that there was foul play involved in his passing. 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 . You can watch George Reeves Kelloggs Corn Flakes commercial by clicking above. Mobster Mickey Cohen once described Toni Mannix as the only person in Hollywood who had any balls. Coates had become a mutual friend of both her Superman co-star and Tony Mannix. More adept with withering, foul mouthed put downs, violence was not really her style. In 1957, the producers considered a theatrical film Superman and the Secret Planet. 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. Two additional bullets were discovered embedded in the bedroom floor. Tall and chisel jawed, Reeves was the perfect choice to play the all American hero in the syndicated television show the Adventures of Superman. Reeves mother hired a high-powered lawyer to get the case reopened, but he quickly dropped his new client for reasons unknown. Everyone involved is now dead, and little or no evidence from the crime scene remains. : The Return of Black Adam. Effectively living an open marriage, Eddie tolerated, even liked Reeves, and himself maintained a younger mistress. Many, though, believed the investigation had been rushed and this may have been a case of homicide. Many photos shown in various magazines in the past indicated that George's bedroom windows could be seen from the street. It was during this fallow period that he was approached about playing the role that would come to define his life.