This is however not the case as it it the guest bedroom that faces the street. (1956), in which Reeves wore a beard and mustache. 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. "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. [17] His friend Teddi Sherman introduced him to her father, producer Harry Sherman, who asked Reeves to do a screen test with Teddi for the Hopalong Cassidy films. Advertisement. [14], While studying acting at the Pasadena Playhouse, Reeves met his future wife, Ellanora Needles, granddaughter of circus magnate John Robinson. Jack Larson and Noel Neill both remembered Reeves as a noble Southern gentleman (even though he was from Iowa) with a sign on his dressing room door that said "Honest George, the people's friend". 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. Had Reeves gotten cold feet about their supposed wedding, or been caught on the phone to Toni Mannix? There she had met and married Frank Joseph Bessolo by 1927, according to that year's federal census. Seeing the neighbors, he told them, Get out. Copyright (c) 2023 Groundspeak, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Mother Victoria Alice Mason. There were also fresh bruises on the body. 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. The ex-girlfriend who couldn't let go Beginning in 1948, Reeves had a 10-year. Contraversy continues. 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. Following an investigation, officers of the Los Angeles Police Department ruled the death a suicide, likely prompted by Reeves' alleged depression over the fact that he was experiencing financial . Catalog; For You; Globe. To the left in the photo is a den. But there were a few details that didnt quite make sense. While studying acting at the Pasadena Playhouse, Reeves met his future wife, Ellanora Needles. Reeves blood alcohol content that night was .27 percent. Toni, a former showgirl and starlet in the early talkies, married MGM studios enforcer Eddie Mannix in 1951. While the authorities officially declared Reeves' death to be a suicide, not everyone was willing to accept that conclusion. Father George Thomas Reeves. A month later, having uncovered no evidence contradicting the official finding, Giesler announced that he was satisfied that the gunshot wound had been self-inflicted and withdrew.[41][39]. Reeves worked tirelessly with Toni Mannix to raise money to fight myasthenia gravis. A shot was heard. 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. This includes accusations of murder directed at his fiance and ex-girlfriend. See, hes opening the drawer to get the gun. Lemmon claimed. They married on September 22, 1940 in San Marino, California, at the Church of Our Savior. George Reeves mother Helen Bessolo never accepted the official verdict and hired private investigators to to reopen the investigation into his death. If they were fired earlier, then at the very least its evidence somebody in the house had a somewhat cavalier attitude to firearms. 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. Around one in the morning they were joined by two of the neighbors, at which point Reeves, who had already been in bed, stomped downstairs to yell at his guests. Conversely, not everyone who is depressed about their career takes their own life. A funeral was held on Wednesday, June 30. 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 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. [1] [2] His death at age 45 from a gunshot remains controversial. Many, though, believed the investigation had been rushed and this may have been a case of homicide. and im so curious to know,is it true or not?cause if it is true..wow it is the scariest thing ive ever heard. The night Superman died and an enduring mystery was born. Many photos shown in various magazines in the past indicated that George's bedroom windows could be seen from the street. Si quieres personalizar tus opciones, haz clic en Gestionar configuracin de privacidad. The areas which appeared in the commercial include the den; the master bedroom (where the actor died); and the backyard. He died in June of 1959, not 1958. George Reeves former residence is rather small, especially by Hollywood standards. 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. 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. However, friends and relatives think Reeves career troubles were exaggerated. Like an optical illusion, from one angle the details clearly show a man who, in a moment of distress, made a tragic decision. [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. November 5, 2022. in Arts, Culture, News. Then check out 48 photos that capture vintage Hollywood. 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). Due to their advanced state of inebriation the party guests were not entirely coherent, but they all seemed to agree on the suicide story. But from another, the death of George Reeves looks a lot like murder. They had no children and divorced 10 years later.[16]. Vacio and Neill accompanied him in duets.[30]. The argument had carried over back to the house, Lemmon apparently upset by the suspicion that Reeves had been talking to previous girlfriend Toni Mannix. By mid 1959, contracts were signed, costumes refitted, and new teleplay writers assigned. June 16, 1959. Who all was in the house that night? Location: California, United States Date Posted: 1/12/2010 6:55:33 PM More powerful than a locomotive! In June 2021, an episode of the internet series BuzzFeed Unsolved discussed the death of Reeves and possible theories. 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. He was found dead in his bedroom at 1:59 a.m. on June 16, 1959 in his modest home in Los Angeles' Benedict Canyon. After, they returned home and continued drinking. George lived at 1579 Benedict Canyon Drive, in the Beverly Hills area. On the night of his death, George had several friends over. 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 bedroom, naked with a bullet through his head. Reeves, however, earned additional income from personal appearances. September6, 1892 was the daughter of George Christian Lescher and Eliza Jane McKenzie, she died in a Pasadena hospital on June 18, 1964. 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. 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. So I figured this was the perfect time to do so and dragged the Grim Cheaper right on out there last weekend. Lemmon stayed awake and about thirty minutes later three friends dropped by for a visit. Finally, theres the fiancee. 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. Faster than a speeding bullet! 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! However, it was obvious that many parts of the investigation were not performed as they should have been. The home has not changed much since the mid-fifties. 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. 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. According to the autopsy report, Reeves had taken his .30 caliber German Luger pistol, placed it near his right temple and pulled the trigger. 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. Other evidence that casts doubt on this scenario is the lack of burn marks on Reeves back. Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/GettyThe death of the original Superman is one of those American mysteries that may never fully add up. The subsequent police report seem to accept the whole story at face value. Shortly after, she began her affair with Reeves, who at 10 years her junior, she referred to as the boy. In 1953, Reeves played a minor character, Sergeant Maylon Stark, in From Here to Eternity. He had recently been involved in a serious affair with a married woman, Toni Mannix, before dumping her for his high-society fiancee, leaving Mannix devastated. Despite the questions that remain to this day, no real investigation was ever mounted. Was the star of 50s TV show The Adventures of Superman murdered? Further to this, a later search of the bedroom found two extra bullet holes. 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. According to Kashner and Schoenberger (A Talent for Genius), however, unanswered details about Reeves's demise shroud what in truth was foul play. There's a general belief that Toni Mannix bought the house, but his name 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. 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 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. On June 16, 1959, Reeves died from a single gunshot wound in the bedroom of his Benedict Canyon home. The Mysterious Death of Superman George Reeves It wasn't Kryptonite that killed Superman. And so, almost forty years later, we are left wondering. 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. . George Reeves' Ghost. They divorced 10 years later and had no children. Listen to 022 - The Suspicious Death of George Reeves . She was absolutely terrified of going to hell", Lozzi told the LA Times. 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. She also hired private investigators to investigate his death. In typical fashion, Reeves and Lemmon went out for a boozy night on the town. Upon hearing of George's demise, he went to the house and the . It was a minor role, but he and Fred Crane, both in brightly dyed red hair as "the Tarleton Twins," were in the film's opening scenes. If anyone could put the heat on Superman it was Eddie. In the early hours of June 16, Mannix called Coates; she was hysterical and told her friend that Reeves had been murdered. Later that year, he was assigned to the U.S. Army Air Forces and performed in the USAAF's Broadway show Winged Victory. George was dressed in a gray Clark Kent Suit from the tv show and his body was taken to Gates/Kingsley/Gates on Sepulveda. 2 min read. Henderson, Jan Alan, Speeding Bullet, M. Bifulco, 1999; Helen Roberta Lescher Brewer Bessolo (18921964) - Born in Galesburg, Knox County, Illinois, US. 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. In 1959, however, negotiations began for a renewal of the series, with 26episodes scheduled to go into production. The home is currently a private residence but photos can be easily taken from the street. And did that scandal involve one of the most powerful men in the movie business, Toni Maddoxs husband Eddie? Another Superman stage show was scheduled for July[32] with a planned stage tour of Australia. 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. Puedes cambiar tus opciones en cualquier momento haciendo clic en el enlace Panel de control de privacidad de nuestros sitios y aplicaciones. Mannix was devastated by the rejection, made all the more humiliating for the fact Reeves had moved Lemmon into a house in Los Angeles she owned. 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. After hearing a gunshot, they waited 45 minutes before calling the police. How do we create a person's profile? On June 16, 1959, actress Phyllis Coates was woken up around 4:30 a.m. by a very strange phone call. Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point. Lemmon moved into his house, and they were to be married on June 18. She had talked to him days before, and, according to her, he was in a splendid state of mind. She had the body exhumed, and a second autopsy was performed. I told you, hes shot himself., When the cops arrived on the scene, Lemmon told them she had been only kidding when she made her strange remarks. Witnesses in the house who behaved a little oddly but heard the whole thing. 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? At around1 am, William Bliss and Carol Van Ronkel came by for an impromptu meeting. [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. Reeves mother refused to believe her son had killed himself and hired famous Hollywood lawyer Jerry Giesler to investigate further. He is best known for portraying Superman in the television series Adventures of Superman (1952-1958). 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. Robert (Bobby) was writing a book about boxer Archie Moore. Reeves was then transferred to the Army Air Forces' First Motion Picture Unit, where he made training films. For decades friends, family and strangers alike have speculated on his mental state and whether he was the type of person to commit suicide or not, but the truth is only George Reeves himself knew what was truly going on in his mind. He was cremated in Ohio, and ashes given to his mother, who then died in 1964. A photo of a smiling Reeves and the sign appears in Gary Grossman's book about the show. George went to bed at 12:30 AM. 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. [18] He was assigned to the U.S. Army Air Forces and performed in the USAAF's Broadway show Winged Victory. Just over a year after the war started, Reeves was called up. Everyone involved decided that it had been a suicide. The story told by those there that night is full of holes, the evidence perplexing and poorly handled. 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. [17] He avoided smoking cigarettes where children could see him and eventually quit smoking. 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! Advertisement. Her devastation at been rejected by her boy had pushed her to the ultimate reprisal. Whilst highly speculative, some corroboration to this comes from Reeves own Lois Lane, actress Phyllis Coates. Shortly after they arrived, Reeves came downstairs to find out what the commotion was. Had Reeves really shot himself three times? Kent then rushed offstage to return as Superman, who came to the rescue and fought with the bad guy. . It was then that Lemmons actions became truly strange. Reeves then apologized, and the group sat around talking. Character: . If anything, it seemed like Reeves career was on the up. Had the actor been placed on the bed some time after he was shot? 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. 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. In June 1951, Reeves was offered the role of Superman in a new television series[23] titled Adventures of Superman. Inexplicably, the shell casing was found underneath Reeves body. In reality, George Reeves life was a far cry from that of his heroic television counterpart. The official verdict was that Reeves had committed suicide, the weight of his troubles having become too much for him to bear. According to Larson, Reeves also said he would feel better about the role if he knew he had any adult fans but never learned that Adventures of Superman had adult fans even during its original broadcast run.[17]. 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. ", 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. When he returned, his mother told him his stepfather had committed suicide. [17], However, Reeves was inspired by So Proudly We Hail! 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 gun fell to his feet and the shell was found underneath him. I don't know what happened to George. These roles did little to advance Reeves's career, and his contract with Warners was dissolved by mutual consent.