Three bullet holes were found in the bedroom, all caused by the Luger that was found resting between the victim's legs. He died in June of 1959, not 1958. Their suspicions werent entirely fueled by grief and denialthe evidence was puzzling. The year before Reeves death he abruptly ended his relationship with Mannix, leaving her for the younger New York socialite Leonore Lemmon. Coates was amongst many of Reeves friends and co-stars who did not believe he would have killed himself. Reeves was dressed in one of his characters Clark Kent suits for the funeral, which took place two weeks later, on June 30th, 1959. Another Superman stage show was scheduled for July[32] with a planned stage tour of Australia. While it's true that Reeves depressed at the time of his death, there were some inconsistencies at the crime scene that raised some red flags not only back then but still to this day. Reeves new girlfriend, who had since moved in, was a New York socialite named Leonore Lemmon, with whom he was rumored to be engaged. On the night of his death, George had several friends over. Shortly after they arrived, Reeves came downstairs to find out what the commotion was. However, many of his friends and colleagues believe the actor was murdered, his death the stormy culmination of a tangled love life. Both would later commit suicide . Finally, theres the fiancee. The Superman Scandal: How George Reeves' Death Rocked Hollywood According to publicist Edward Lozzi, who had befriended Toni during her last years as a widow in Beverly Hills, what she had done weighed heavily on the now elderly Mannix. All was not well behind the scenes in Metropolis. Seeing the neighbors, he told them, Get out. 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. George Reeves death home- Beverly Hills, CA - Infamous Crime Scenes on Waymarking.com. 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. The home has not changed much since the mid-fifties. The official ruling was suicide. Many studios were slowing down their production schedules, however, and some production units had shut down completely. 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. Separated from his wife (their divorce became final in 1950), Reeves moved to New York City in 1949. director Mark Sandrich. Los Angeles Police Department Death Report, June 26, 1959. George Reeves died of a gunshot wound to his head in the upstairs bedroom at his home in Benedict Canyon. The producers wouldnt give me a job. The death of the original Superman is one of those American mysteries that may never fully add up. [15] They married on September 22, 1940, in San Gabriel, California, at the Church of Our Savior. There were 104 episodes of The Adventures of Superman before the cancellation ax fell in 1958. 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. A SHOT rang out. Inside the Mysterious Death of George Reeves, the Original - yahoo.com The ex-girlfriend who couldn't let go Beginning in 1948, Reeves had a 10-year. 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. The subsequent police report seem to accept the whole story at face value. The costume Reeves donned as Superman on TV. The night George Reeves died; who was in the house? - Lee Saylor 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. 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. Last edited on 17 February 2023, at 06:25, Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "The Death of George Reeves The Original Superman", "The Life and Tragic Death of 'Superman' Star George Reeves Plus the Actor in his Own Words", "7 super things you might not know about George Reeves", "11 Homes That Are Haunted by Dead Celebrities", "Was Superman star George Reeves a suicide or murder victim? gruesome and unsolved murder of the Black Dahlia. He was contracted to Warner Brothers at the time, and the actor's professional name became "George Reeves" and his GWTW screen credit reflects the change. The issues wasnt just career frustration. Not the comic book character, of course, but the man who personified the "real" Superman for an entire generation of television fans. To unravel the murky fate of TVs first superhero we must return to the early hours of June 16, 1959. Info Share. 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. In reality, George Reeves life was a far cry from that of his heroic television counterpart. The death of the original Superman is one of those American mysteries that may never fully add up. Tell them I was down here!. It seems the dark secret haunted her for the rest of her life. She even commissioned a second autopsy, which concluded that Reeves was possibly murdered. The Great Mystery Of George Reeves' Death On June 16, 1959, the actor died in his own bedroom when he was only 45 years old from a shot to the head. Ruled as a. 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. 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. See, hes opening the drawer to get the gun. Lemmon claimed. No gunpowder residue was found on Reeves' hands. Despite these suspicions, the Los Angeles Police Department officially ruled the death a suicide, on little more than a cursory investigation. On the night of June 15th, 1959, Reeves and Lemmon went out to dinner and the two reportedly drank a great deal. 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. The long Broadway run was followed by a national tour and a movie version. September6, 1892 was the daughter of George Christian Lescher and Eliza Jane McKenzie, she died in a Pasadena hospital on June 18, 1964. If this was the case, then clearly he had not fired the gun himself, and another party was involved. He is best known for portraying Superman in the television series Adventures of Superman (19521958). Great article tho. 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. 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. [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. Lemmon says George Reeves committed suicide. Reeves's father married Helen Schultz in 1925. While this may have been the final act for George Reeves Superman, it was the first act in what would become one of the biggest mysteries surrounding the role. Some even say George Reeves appears at the foot of the bed every now and then, dressed as Superman. Reeves' friend Rory Calhoun told a reporter "No one in Hollywood believed the suicide story." However, Reeves mother, Helen Bessolo, was convinced that her son had been murdered. Look! Was the star of 50s TV show The Adventures of Superman murdered? 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. He was also engaged to Leonore Lemmon, a New York showgirl. Reeves found himself unemployable. To this day, there are three possible scenarios that explain the death of George Reeves. They married on September 22, 1940 in San Marino, California, at the Church of Our Savior. The 2006 movie, Hollywoodland starring Ben Affleckas Reeves, explores his life and relationships in greater detail. Later, Reeves's mother,[12] who was of German descent, moved to California to stay with her sister. 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. Or perhaps Toni took matters into her own hands and simply had her husband cover it up. (The punchline: Ricardo, do you mean to say that youve been married to her for 15 years? 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. And did that scandal involve one of the most powerful men in the movie business, Toni Maddoxs husband Eddie? I was depressed, and I accepted instantly that he had committed suicide, Larson told Unsolved Mysteries in 1995. I don't know what happened to George. They had no children and divorced 10 years later.[16]. This is the house, and home, that Superman actor George Reeves lived 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. Conversely, not everyone who is depressed about their career takes their own life. If Mannix was trying to extinguish the Man of Steel, its unlikely she pulled the trigger that night at 1579 Benedict Canyon. Gene LeBell was there at George's house the morning before George died, training George. He referred to the show that had made him famous as scraping the bottom of the barrel, and would burn the costume he called a monkey suit at the wrap of each season. On June 16, 1959, Reeves was found dead in his bedroom from a gunshot wound to the head. George Reeves' Ghost. He complained to friends, columnists, and his mother of his financial problems. Reeves' will, dated 1956, bequeathed his entire estate to Toni Mannix, much to Lemmon's surprise and devastation. (Some sources contend that it may not have been looked for, as gunshot residue testing was not routinely performed in 1959). Eddies exploits in covering up the sleazy underbelly of Hollywood were legendary. Is there any truth in the persistent rumours that Reeves was murdered? Was Lemmon with Reeves when he shot himself? Was he responsible, on behalf of his wronged wife, for the misfortunes that had befallen Reeves in the run up to his death? A script was commissioned from David Chantler, who had written many of the TV scripts. 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 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. He was inundated with menacing silent phone calls at all hours of the morning and someone even abducted his beloved dog Sam. Reeves and Leonore Lemmon. George Azer Reeves 1914-1945 - Ancestry Reeves mother refused to believe her son had killed himself and hired famous Hollywood lawyer Jerry Giesler to investigate further. The story told by those there that night is full of holes, the evidence perplexing and poorly handled. However, rumors suspect that there was foul play involved in his passing. The series went on the air the following year, and Reeves was amazed at becoming a national celebrity. 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. Reeves was drafted into the U.S. Army in early 1943. Wikimedia CommonsReeves played opposite Vivien Leigh as one of the Tarleton twins in Gone With the Wind. A detective examines the mysterious death of George Reeves, the star of the television series Adventures of Superman (1952). George Reeves was dead. Warners loaned him to producer Alexander Korda to co-star with Merle Oberon in Lydia, a box-office failure. Besides, the gun was not a revolver and it was quite evident whether it was chambered or not. She also hired private investigators to investigate his death. 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. A noise was heard upstairs. It was then that Lemmons actions became truly strange. After the war, Reeves returned to Hollywood. Its Superman! The iconic intro blazed into American households on Sept. 19, 1952. George Reeves' death was ruled a suicide, . His body was later cremated and interred at the Mountain View Cemetery in Altadena, which I blogged about during my Haunted Hollywood theme last year. She and Eddie had used his underworld connections to have Reeves killed. Tac -- George Reeves' Home Gay History: Jack Larson, Gay Actor Tormented by Jimmy - timalderman Those windows overlook the backyard and there is a garage under the guest bedroom. [42] In 1985, he was posthumously named one of the honorees by DC Comics in the company's 50th anniversary publication Fifty Who Made DC Great. This theory goes that Lemmon was drunk and unhappy that night and shot her soon-to-be-husband. The film won the Academy Award for Best Picture and gave Reeves the distinction of appearing in two "Best Picture" films. Reeves mother hired a high-powered lawyer to get the case reopened, but he quickly dropped his new client for reasons unknown. 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. 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? By midnight on the night of June 16, 1959, only Lenore and writer Robert Condon were still at his house with him. Leonore Lemmon became an alcoholic, got fat, suffered from Dementia and died in 1990. When they returned home, they continued to kick back the alcohol until around 12:30 p.m., at which point Reeves retired to his bedroom. We have always known that house guest Robert Condon, Carol Van Ronkel and William Bliss were there. Besides, she was married to the most dangerous man in Hollywood, who had a formidable reputation for been able to make problems disappear. Waymarkly is the premiere Waymarking app for iOS. He directed the final 13 episodes of the series, and told the Evening Star that he was enthused about doing more.. One, Reeves committed suicide. 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. Like an optical illusion, from one angle the details clearly show a man who, in a moment of distress, made a tragic decision. [27], His good friend Bill Walsh, a producer at Disney Studios, gave Reeves a prominent role in Westward Ho the Wagons! . . (1942), a war drama for Paramount Pictures, which signed Reeves up for two films a year. Just over a year after the war started, Reeves was called up. Giesler had been paid a hefty sum, so why did he suddenly drop the case? 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. You can watch George Reeves Kelloggs Corn Flakes commercial by clicking above. Honorary pallbearers included Alan Ladd and Gig Young. Had the jilted older woman taken things one step too far and shot Reeves in a jealous rage? 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). Lois & Clark - The New Adventures of Superman, Superman/Shazam! Had Reeves really shot himself three times? 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. His dad left the family shortly after and his mother moved with her infant son to California. The film suggests three possible scenarios: accidental shooting by Lemmon, murder by an unnamed hitman under orders from Eddie Mannix, and suicide. 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.