Lemmon moved into his house, and they were to be married on June 18. Another Superman stage show was scheduled for July[32] with a planned stage tour of Australia. Reeves' will, dated 1956, bequeathed his entire estate to Toni Mannix, much to Lemmon's surprise and devastation. Separated from his wife (their divorce became final in 1950), Reeves moved to New York City in 1949. One variation on this theory is that Reeves accidentally shot himself playing a game of Russian Roulette. 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 . Giesler had been paid a hefty sum, so why did he suddenly drop the case? 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. 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. Seeing the neighbors, he told them, Get out. He starred in a number of two-reel short subjects and appeared in several B-pictures, including two with future president of the United States Ronald Reagan and three with James Cagney (Torrid Zone, The Fighting 69th, and The Strawberry Blonde). Its a bird! It may have seemed like an open and shut case: Man found upstairs, gun on the floor, a single bullet wound in his head. George Reeves (born George Keefer Brewer; January 5, 1914 - June 16, 1959) was an American actor. They decided that he had not committed suicide. She was absolutely terrified of going to hell", Lozzi told the LA Times. The story told by those there that night is full of holes, the evidence perplexing and poorly handled. Perhaps fueled by a disbelief that the Man of Steel could ever take his own life, speculation and theories have abounded for more than 50 years that Lemmon, Mannix, her husband or even a hitman were responsible for the death of Superman. Carol lived in the neighborhood. 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. The characters involved range from colorful to drunk to suspicious, having by now taken any secrets they may be hiding to their gravesIn . 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. Army. 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. It was to be his final feature film appearance. Mannixs wife Toni Lanier, whom the actor had broken up with shorty before his death. 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. Later, Reeves's mother,[12] who was of German descent, moved to California to stay with her sister. Leonore Lemmons behaviour after Reeves death did little to allay suspicions she may have had more involvement than she was letting on. '"'[35], The official story given by Lemmon to the police placed her in the living room with party guests at the time of the shooting, but hearsay statements from Fred Crane, Reeves' friend and colleague from Gone With The Wind, put Lemmon either inside or in direct proximity to Reeves' bedroom. The brown-shingled bungalow, which was built in 1947, boasts 2 bedrooms, 3 baths, and 1,717 square feet. Televisions beloved Superman was dead at the tender age of 45. After all, it was she who had made the early morning phone call to Coates, before anyone outside of Reeves home could have known about his death. His death was officially classified as. Shortly after their arrival, Reeves came downstairs to hang out with the group and then once again retired to his room at around 1:20. The Mysterious Death of Superman. Nobody wanted me to work at all. Clearly she had the motive, and through her ruthless and well connected husband she certainly had the means. In typical fashion, Reeves and Lemmon went out for a boozy night on the town. However, many of his friends and colleagues believe the actor was murdered, his death the stormy culmination of a tangled love life. There was a real man behind the superhero, whose tragic early death will likely forever be a mystery. Some even say George Reeves appears at the foot of the bed every now and then, dressed as Superman. 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. All too often it is those closest to someone who takes their own life who can least understand it. And George Reeves was not unable to find work, he was not broke, he was not a suicidal depressed person. This part directly led to his being contracted to Warner Brothers. 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. I have been researching a full-scale The issues wasnt just career frustration. TV legend George Reeves was killed by older lover he jilted for a sex kitten 2018-11-16 - . First, Reeves was found naked. Contraversy continues. (Some sources contend that it may not have been looked for, as gunshot residue testing was not routinely performed in 1959). Attempting to showcase his versatility, Reeves sang on the Tony Bennett show in August 1956. The Mannixs relationship was unusual even by the standards of Hollywood. Gina Dimuro is a New York-based writer and translator. 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. He was able to play against type and starred as a villainous gold hunter in a Johnny Weismuller Jungle Jim film. Great article tho. Many felt that Reeves was tired of being known as Superman, and that he killed himself out of anguish. 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 windows above the living room are the windows to George's bedroom. According to Condon, Lemmon was in an combative mood that night, and had made somewhat of a scene in the restaurant. . The official cause of death for Reeves was ruled a suicide. The accident was rendered in a more sinister light when Reeves mechanic discovered the brake fluid in the car had been drained. Two, Eddie Mannix killed the actor in revenge for upsetting his wife. 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. Is there any truth in the persistent rumours that Reeves was murdered? 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. However, Superman producers offered him a salary increase, and he returned to the series. A detective examines the mysterious death of George Reeves, the star of the television series Adventures of Superman (1952). Not the comic book character, of course, but the man who personified the "real" Superman for an entire generation of television fans. In June 1951, Reeves was offered the role of Superman in a new television series[23] titled Adventures of Superman. Those windows overlook the backyard and there is a garage under the guest bedroom. Stalk It: George Reeves former home is located at 1579 Benedict Canyon Drive in Beverly Hills. If anyone could put the heat on Superman it was Eddie. [19][20][21], Discharged at the war's end, Reeves returned to Hollywood. No gunpowder residue was found on Reeves' hands. . Honorary pallbearers included Alan Ladd and Gig Young. Two neighbors stopped by, hoping to join the party. But there were a few details that didnt quite make sense. 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. 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. Henderson, Jan Alan, Speeding Bullet, M. Bifulco, 1999; Helen Roberta Lescher Brewer Bessolo (18921964) - Born in Galesburg, Knox County, Illinois, US. On June 15, George and Leonore had gone out to a rather boozy dinner, to celebrate the upcoming marriage. Over six years and 104 episodes, the actor smiled broadly in pictures, fists planted on hips in the famous Superman power pose, and made appearances to promote the hit television show, including a guest spot in costume on I Love Lucy. Tell them I was down here!. 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. 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? 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. The Los Angeles county coroner said its was a suicide, but family & friends say it was a love triangle murder. Reeves had been having an affair with his wife Toni Mannix. Para obtener ms informacin sobre cmo utilizamos tus datos personales, consulta nuestra Poltica de privacidad y Poltica de cookies. But his business manager and mother, among others, said that while it was true he was disappointed in the way things were going, his feelings werent strong enough to explain a suicide. The film suggests three possible scenarios: accidental shooting by Lemmon, murder by an unnamed hitman under orders from Eddie Mannix, and suicide. '"[29], Reeves, Noel Neill, Natividad Vaco, Gene LeBell, and a trio of musicians toured with a public-appearance show from 1957 onward. Upstairs, they found the homeowner naked and sprawled across his bed. 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. George Reeves' Former Home Another location that has long been woven into the fabric of Hollywood lore is George Reeves' former Benedict Canyon bungalow, where in the early morning hours of June 16th, 1958 the Adventures of Superman star was found dead from a single gunshot wound to the head. In June of 1959, things started to look up for George. His relatives believed he was murdered, and disputed the official ruling of suicide. 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. If his death was suicide Reeves must have held the gun with his right hand, although this in itself is suspicious as the actor had injured his right hand in an automobile accident a few weeks prior to his death. The night Superman died and an enduring mystery was born. Si quieres personalizar tus opciones, haz clic en Gestionar configuracin de privacidad. And was Eddie, a man suspected of killing his first wife Bernice Fitzmaurice, behind the bullet to the head that ended the actors life? George Reeves had a reasonably successful film career (including a small part in Gone with the Wind) when he took the role of Superman in Superman and the Mole Men, a feature film. [17] Reeves appeared in five Hopalong Cassidy westerns before being cast as Lieutenant John Summers opposite Claudette Colbert in So Proudly We Hail! He died instantly and fell backwards, his feet still hungover the bed and his back on the mattress. While Reeves may have been famous for being Superman, the role wasnt making him a whole lot of money.