Wednesday, July 3, 2024

     



Bruce Corneil... The story so far...

Yours truly is a pop culture historian which is a fancy way of saying that I like old things eye-ee movies (particularly those of the quirky, offbeat and generally unusual variety), TV shows, architecture and cars of days gone by. This gent explains what we do in more detail: What Is Pop Culture? | Mr. Pop Culture (mrpopculture.com). It's been a lifelong passion and great fun documenting the aforementioned subjects as a writer, photographer and video-maker. However, I've done a number of different jobs around the arts and media industry. I've also been a furniture salesman, delivery driver, warehouse assistant and Sunday market trader. 

Being a voracious reader, I commenced my working life as a trainee manager at a major bookstore in my hometown of Melbourne, Australia (actually, much earlier, I had been what was, ridiculously referred to as a "child actor"....for about five minutes.... but that's another story for another time). From there, I spent about fifteen years in the areas of radio and television production, programming and writing. Moving on, yet again, I handled publicity and media liaison for several organizations in the health, sports, tourism and heritage sectors (for more details have a click around the various sections of this blog to get an idea of where I've been and what I've done). During my time in the media, I travelled extensively overseas, got to visit a number of stations in the US and did a stint at the National Nine Network office in Los Angeles (I was working for them in Australia)

In 1994, I established Flashback Videos; a home entertainment distribution, retailing and direct marketing business that specialized in retro and cult movies, TV shows and historical documentaries. I was also involved in the collectables scene as a stall-holder at Melbourne's Chapel Street Bazaar, a contributor to Collectormania magazine and an occasional guest on radio station 3AW's "Antiques and Collectables" program. 

My articles, reviews and/or photos have been published in many different magazines in Australia and the US. These have included the Big Reel, Films of the Golden Age, Paracinema, Nostalgia Digest, Cinema Record, Photographic Trader, Bookseller & Publisher, Old Cars Weekly, Australian Classic Cars and, as already mentioned, Collectormania. I also wrote the cover notes and did the preproduction artwork for more than a hundred videos and DVDs . I usually write about heritage related subjects (as detailed at the beginning of all this) and it has been one of my objectives to make the learning experience as easy, engaging and, hopefully, as entertaining as possible. In fact, following on from my interest in adult education, I completed a Certificate IV in Training & Assessment and spent three years teaching non-fiction writing at community centres. It was very rewarding to work with some talented people and be able to get their writing projects published. 

So, how did this blog come about? Well, some years back I had to become a carer. Put simply, that meant that I was going to be home for most of the day. Looking around, my gaze settled upon all the boxes and folders that were filled with forty plus years of writing, photography and audio visual production work or, more accurately, the few bits and pieces that had survived. So, I decided to set about digitizing and uploading everything both for my own memories of the people who were involved and, hopefully, because others might, possibly, enjoy some of it as well. All the "writing stuff" went onto this blog. The audio visual material went to You Tube and the prints, negatives and 35mm slides were scanned and uploaded to Flickr where my pages now contain just over 4,500 images.

https://www.youtube.com/user/junkyardphilosopher/videos 

Original Photos : Pick of the Pics | Flickr

(Note: When you go over to the Flickr website, ensure that the middle icon
 in the set of three that appears at the top right corner of the screen (the toolbar) is highlighted. 
If it isn't, then click on it. This will ensure that photos are displayed, initially, in the correct "album" size. 
You can then click on individual photos to supersize them  
 


There's still a bit of "gear" to get the digital treatment including several videos of early Melbourne television shows from as far back as the 1950s. Unfortunately, my first blog disappeared due to a technical problem and I have only recently got it up and running again.

Anyway, that's the story...so far. Hope you find something of interest and feel free to make contact. Click on the words "older posts" at the bottom of each page to read the next item (I'll put together an index when time permits)

All the best

Bruce

Admittedly, the above profile photo does go back a "few years" (cough...from memory..
Nixon had just left the Whitehouse).But I am loathe to include anything more recent 
because I'm not in favor of uploading distressing images to the internet .The car is a 1969
Buick Wildcat... one of many interesting classics that came my way in earlier times


A few memories of 1969..



                                                                                                                                                   
                                                             

                                                                                       




Tuesday, May 30, 2023

         


Ol' Black Eyes is Back :



Sinatra's July ' 74 Australian tour was rocked by controversy.

Things became prickly as soon as he arrived in Sydney  at 6.45am on Sunday, July 7 when he refused to meet the local media ,saying, via a member of his entourage, that he had been repeatedly misquoted on previous visits . In fact, he'd got so irritated at an airport get-together with Aussie journalists in the early ' 60s that he stormed off. It came out, years later, that, on that occasion, he had made the long and tiring flight from California to do four shows at the Sydney stadium ... for nothing , just as a favor to help out his pal - promoter and fellow American - Lee Gordon who was facing bankruptcy. That, of course, was the other side of Frank's complex personality - one that the tabloids simply didn't want to know about . 

Sinatra arriving in Sydney in 1961 (left) (Sydney Morning Herald)
 and again in ' 74 (right) (Herald Sun)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trgqMQha6zY

Sydney Morning Herald, July 8 , 1974 


Anyway, in '74 there would be no interviews, not even a quick chat. The tour , however , was scheduled to start in Melbourne  on Tuesday, July 9 and that's when the real trouble began .

All hell broke loose when the newshounds decided to make a pest of themselves by chasing the legendary entertainer around the wintry streets  near Festival Hall;  the venue where he was booked to perform .Then, rather stupidly, they tried to get up to his penthouse suite on the top floor of the Southern Cross Hotel. Sinatra's security people took a decidedly dim view of the attempted invasion. Punches were thrown and cameras were smashed.  Determined to get a comment from their hero, the media scrum (Frank dropped the "r' out of the word) followed his limo to the concert hall that night where there was yet another physical confrontation. When he finally got on stage, the Chairman of the Board unleashed a tirade of abuse during which he called his pursuers a bunch of "parasites", "bums" and "hookers".


Sinatra disembarks from his private jet at Tullamarine
 airport Melbourne (left) (Courier Mail).TV reporter  Ann Pilmer gets the
 brush off as 'Ol blue eyes makes his way to a sound check at Festival Hall (right) (The Age)


FAS with Australian television personality Graham Kennedy who was the on-stage host of 
Sinatra's one and only  Melbourne  concert (left)(NFSA). The Southern Cross Hotel
 (centre)(postcard). Frank on his way to his show with personal bodyguard
 Jilly Rizzo (Getty Images) 

Front cover and photo from the official souvenir program that was sold
 at the venue on the night of Sinatra's Melbourne concert

Festival Hall (University of Melbourne)
Frank lets rip (Herald Sun)



Suddenly (and for no apparent reason) the unions got involved . If Sinatra didn't apologize for his outburst, the staff at his hotel would not be allowed to serve him nor any member of his group  .No room service ...no service in the bars and restaurants .... no switchboard operator... no porters ...no cabs... nothing .. zero .... zilch . And that's precisely what happened when Frank told them to take a hike (or words to that affect) . 

His second Melbourne performance was canceled and his attorney, Milton "Mickey" Rudin, announced that "Mr Sinatra" was leaving. The tour was off and the "union/scandal bums" were to blame. However, the black ban was quickly extended to include ground crew at Tullamarine airport.  The superstar's plane would not be refueled so if he wanted to say "Tut- tah" to the 'World's most livable city" he'd have to line up with ordinary folk in order to buy himself a ticket to ride (or fly) from one of the commercial airlines . 'Ol blue eyes saw red and spat the dummy. But, somehow, he got back to Sydney and from there he was going home to the States.    

The Age, July 11, 1974
           

However, Frank had a couple of admirers who were high up Down Under. One was the Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam. The other was Bob Hawke, national head honcho of the combined trade union council. Australia's answer to the "Odd Couple", both men had been successful lawyers. The unlikely pair enjoyed an excellent working relationship but were vastly different personalities. The towering, stylish and urbane PM was a big fan (in every sense !) of Frank's pop singing. But Gough read the classics in his spare time and definitely wasn't into the some of the more earthy four-letter words like his musical idol. The diminutive, hard-drinking and hot-tempered union boss, on the other hand, had a real soft spot for "colorful language"  and liked to use it as often as possible. "Haw-Kee" spent much of his time chasing "broads" (to use a Frankism - see Glossary of Terms below for more information). He also took great delight in hurling abuse at wayward journalists whenever the opportunity arose. So, needless to say, he immediately twin-souled with the controversial crooner when they finally got to shake paws (Skippy style).

But there was another slight bump coming up in the road ahead before they got to do the meet and greet . It occurred when Mr Rudin "reminded" Mr Hawke that Mr Sinatra was leaving the country and nobody was going to stop him. "Not unless he can do what Moses did 3,000 years ago" Hawke replied. However, the playful response was, in reality, merely an example of Aussie humor intended to "remind" the somewhat high-handed American lawman just who was calling the shots and running the show here in the South Pacific. The situation would  (eventually) be resolved in "Island time" when and if it suited the Australian authorities which basically meant that they could still be fiddling around with it in 1987 if they felt so inclined. Messers Mickey and Frankie needed to understand that, if they tried to pour on the pressure, they could end up being stuck here on Gilligan's Isle for a very long time indeed. But Hawke's jab was just a minor power play. Behind the scenes he was, in fact, already hatching a plan that would soon bring the whole ridiculous fiasco to a swift and comparatively peaceful conclusion and see Frank winging his way back home within a matter of days.   

Sydney Morning Herald, July 12, 1974


According to the yarn that got around, Whitlam put a call through to Sinatra's suite at the Boulevard Hotel in Sydney. Gough gave Frank a chuckle  when he said "Mr Sinatra... I cannot allow you to upset such sensitive and easily offended people as our journalists... my information is that several of them are in tears... and the girls are just as unhappy" . Ol' blue eyes was tickled by such witty sarcasm. 

Hawke and Rudin finally came up with a cleverly worded statement which made it possible for everyone to move on with their egos intact. Can't remember exactly how it went now  but it was something along the lines of ....

"The Australia union movement accepts that Mr Sinatra has a unique international status and that, as an invited visitor to the country, he should be treated fairly and with respect by the media. We also accept that he has a right to express an opinion about the professional conduct of journalists (that part was an absolute scream, bearing in mind what Frank had called them). Likewise, Mr Sinatra acknowledges that he has a responsibility to extend the same level of courtesy to reporters" ..... or some such clap trap. Basically, "we've both been very naughty and we won't do it again " . 


Bob Hawke answers questions when he arrives at the Boulevard
 with Sinatra's lawyer Milton Rudin (left) (Fairfax) Boulevard Hotel 1970s (centre)
(postcard) Sinatra with Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam (right) (Sydney Morning Herald)


Still, it was certainly all for the best that they did manage to sort things out before the situation went any further. The rumor mill was positively buzzing with whispers that  Sinatra was about to call Jimmy Hoffa, Hawke's counterpart in America and ask him to black ban all Qantas flights so that they could neither land nor take off in the US. 
 
Before he left, Frank was able to do a couple of shows at Sydney's Horden Pavilion ,the second of which was broadcast live on the National Nine television network. Apparently, it was done as a "make good" / peace offering, mainly for those who had missed out on seeing him in person. It may also have  been part of a settlement deal that was made in order to keep the tour going. Happily, he provided a terrific night of entertainment and the ratings were stratospheric.   
    
The Horden Pavilion (Tammy's Turns)   

Sinatra's prize fight with the Australian unions and journalists was front page news in the States....


Los Angeles Times July 11, 1974

Los Angeles Times July 11, 1974


The entire silly ruckus had been a giant "pain in the ass" (as the Chairman of the Broads would have said).  However, there again, it merely added to the list of similar fiery antics that had long since become an integral part of Sinatra's mystique and his quirky, some might say downright creepy, "tough guy" image. At the end of the day, all that really mattered was the man's extraordinary talent. And, on that score, he delivered the goods in grand style . As it turned out, his shows in both Melbourne and Sydney received rave reviews. Also, on another more upbeat note, he had arrived in the country with an excellent new album that was doing the rounds, titled Some Nice things I've Missed. Featuring such gems as "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" and "You are the Sunshine of my Life", it was a hit with the fans .

Sinatra's July, 1974 album Some Nice Things I've Missed



More memories from the concert program . At least Frank's own company was
 pleased to see him back in Australia !

One last and very strange footnote to this utterly bizarre, almost surreal affair ....

Some years ago, I had a look back through the original Australian newspaper reports that were published  during the tour. I found the Melbourne Herald review of Sinatra's only concert in that city and..... surprise ... surprise ....to quote Gomer Pyle. There wasn't one, single mention of his inflammatory remarks.... anywhere. Indeed, the writer had nothing but positive things to say. So what does (or could) that tell us? My guess ? I reckon the news people weren't even remotely concerned about Frank's little jab. It was all just part of the fun that had been going on for years since his first visit to Australia in 1955. Although, the fact that it wasn't mentioned at all, even in passing, is very odd. 

Both the news peddlers and Sinatra were perfectly capable of fighting their own battle. The unions had no business being involved in any of it. To them, Frank's comments, which many believed were entirely justified, merely provided an opportunity to flex their muscles and to show how much trouble they could cause if they wanted to. And they were causing a lot of trouble in those days. There were strikes and go-slows almost every week and the public was becoming extremely angry about it. And that's what happened. When the tour was thrown into chaos, the unions and  the media were, indeed, blamed. Hawke and Whitlam realized that the tactic had backfired, badly, and had turned into a public relations disaster for "their guys" so they stepped in to repair the damage.

Many agreed with the views that this man
 was expressing outside of the Boulevard (Fairfax) 

Still, despite all the name-calling, it seems that, when it finally died down, Francis Albert was able to see the funny side of it. A few months later, during a performance at New York's Madison Square Garden, he quipped..."I made a mistake in Australia ... I got off the plane" !

Interesting, colorful decade... the 1970s... certainly here in Australia... or "Austria" as I could easily imagine one of Sinatra's cigar-chomping heavies calling our fair land 

Although he vowed never to return, he certainly did, on two occasions, in fact. And each, highly successful, visit went off without a hitch or as much as a vaguely discourteous word being exchanged between Frank and our local "scandal bums"... oops, I mean journalists (I used to be one MEselve !!). It seemed that the passing of the years had mellowed both the man himself and his former adversaries. Like old enemy soldiers meeting on an historic battlefield, they even got together to enjoy a drink, a few laughs and ... unbelievably.. to pose for a cheery group photo when Sinatra was here as the star attraction at the opening of Queensland's Sanctuary Cove in 1988.

However, Mike Gore, owner of the ritzy  resort , wasn't taking any chances. Making a determined effort to keep the mood light and breezy, Mike-ee gave Frankie a toy koala. It was stuffed and no doubt the bubbly entrepreneur was hoping, like crazy, that his press conference didn't end up exactly the same way. Watching Frank trying to be nice to the pad and pen brigade must have been about as relaxing as being circled by a tiger shark while you're standing in a sinking speed boat. Indeed, no doubt, some of those who had encountered 'Ol blue eyes on previous occasions may have felt that they would have been  safer trying to interview him if they had been locked  in a shark-proof cage. Mount Sinatra could erupt at any moment and spew burning lava all over the villagers of the Fifth Estate. The "enjoyable get-together" lasted fully seven minutes. But, what the hell. Everyone made an effort and it was a painless enough experience. In the papers the following day, Frank's new pals gave his show ten out of ten. 

Mike Gore, owner of Sanctuary Cove soothes the
 savage Sinatra with a touch of koala therapy...always a guaranteed way to tranquilize irritated international celebs - 
most of whom usually arrive in an utterly foul mood after they've completed the body clock - destroying flight to Australia.  

(Gold Coast Bulletin)

Sheez.... the things you have to do some times.
Frank buries the hatchet. A few years earlier, he would have , happily, buried it right in the
skull of the nearest journalist (Sydney Morning Herald, January 10, 1988)

Sinatra had become the most famous person in the world not only because of his talent but also because the media had recognized, right at the beginning , that his unorthodox, contradictory and defiantly non conformist personality was always going to make him newsworthy. Witty, charming and generous one minute - arrogant, abusive and destructive the next, he was the beautiful monster of the American entertainment industry. However, above all else, he remains the most charismatic, celebrated and influential popular singer of his or any other time.

Desert Memorial Park, Cathedral City, California (Pinterest)

Ladies and gentlemen .... Mr Frank Sinatra ....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78I0wjmgE0o&list=PLL-SJmPGOb9DIIdsVwIVVih6Er2eY_jzP

.................................................................................................................................................

Glossary of Terms (AKA "Frankspeak"):  Bums and broads - words that the Chairman of the Board used quite often...sometimes in anger. ...other times in jest  .  ...caused a few problems for him over the years. The word "bum" was never used in a favorable sense and it was usually (but not always) applied to males. Perhaps the best known bums were "scandal bums" (i.e journalists) and "creep bums" (anyone who could not be trusted). Certainly, there were never any nice bums. Just "lice bums" (or "louse bums" which referred to a pair or group of individual "lice bums" plural).

 A "broad" (female) could be either good or bad although it was generally an insult. And, as with bums, there were different kinds of broads. They could be either "stoopid", "dopey", "stinkin'" , "ugly" or "cheap" broads. But, occasionally, a "classy broad" would "make the scene" with Frank to whom he would give a momentary nod of approval by saying something along the lines of ..."That broad's got KLASS". That was, of course, until she made the fatal mistake of stepping across the line and forgetting her place in the harem at which point she would be, immediately, reclassified as an "ugly, dopey dumb ass broad". A broad could also, sometimes (in special circumstances) be a bum as well. For example, Frank may have described an Australian female journalist as being (... and remember ... this is Frank talking ... not me...) an "ugly, stinkin', dumb ass Austrian scandal bum broad".

Judging by a television appearance that Bob Hawke made on the morning of Australia's America Cup win in 1983, it seems that he may have been influenced by the brief time that he spent with Mr Sinatra at the Boulevard Hotel in Sydney nearly ten years earlier ....

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8mdHO2_Zo8

But, all of that was only one small part of Frank's personality which, happily, didn't come to the surface too often. Most of the time he was, apparently, a fairly genial sort of character who had a great sense of humor, according to a veteran studio musician who worked with him (click on link below). It was just that... well ...like all of us.. he had the occasional bad day, every now and again

The Time Tunnel.... (backinthedayblogspot.blogspot.com)

I can't take credit for the title of this piece. That honor must go to the late, great Bill Green - legendary cartoonist for Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper. At the time of Sinatra's 1974 tour, Bill created a perfect cartoon that featured an obviously roughed-up Herald photographer standing at his editor's desk. The caption read: "Ol black eyes is back". Sinatra was so taken by the humorous take on the whole situation that he personally wrote to Mr Green and asked if he could have the original.

Read some newspapers reports about the 1974 tour via this link :

https://www.newspapers.com/search/#query=frank+sinatra&p_country=au&dr_year=1974-1974

....and enjoy an interesting English television documentary about the tour : 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXDL-zGlWr0



      



George Reeves:

The Life and Mysterious Death of a TV Legend


Bruce Corneil


If George Reeves had never played the part of TV's “Superman” his name would probably mean very little by now. Had he simply remained an obscure movie actor and lived to a ripe old age, it's unlikely that he would have become the subject of a biopic. But to a generation of baby boomers who grew up with television, Reeves was a childhood hero. The fact that the show in which he first rose to prominence nearly seventy years ago is still around and still manages to attract a loyal following is testament to its enduring appeal. Although the murky details of his violent and untimely death have long since become the main focus of media attention, this interesting and versatile performer deserves a more complete epitaph.

 Reeves biopic 
Hollywoodland (2006)

 
Hollywoodland - Wikipedia

Hollywoodland (2006) - IMDb

Born George Keefer Brewer in Woolstock, Iowa on January 5, 1914, Reeves was the only child of Don Brewer, a pharmacist and Helen Lescher. After his parents divorced, George relocated to California with his mother where Helen eventually married Frank Bessolo, a successful businessman. By all accounts, the future “man of steel” had a good relationship with his step-father. Both enjoyed cooking and playing the guitar.

Reeves attended Pasadena Junior College where his natural athletic ability led to a brief but promising stint as an amateur boxer. While training for the prestigious Golden Gloves competition in the late '30s, however, it was his musical talent that brought about a change of direction and it was to the glittering world of show business that the young fighter soon found himself being irresistibly lured. Arriving at the Pasadena Playhouse, fresh from the boxing ring, George must have been like a strange visitor from another planet to the ladies and gents of the “Theater Set”. At 6’2” with a strong profile and a bright personality, the handsome newcomer was a natural leading man and his early stage performances attracted favorable reviews.


George's childhood in Pasadena : With Helen (far left)
In the backyard & with Frank Bessolo (center) The family home (right) (Jim Nolt)



Providing the music on stage at the Pasadena Playhouse (left)
   (Jan Alana Henderson).
On the brink of movie success in the late 1930s (right)


In 1939, Hollywood came knocking and Reeves pulled the door open faster than a speeding bullet. He made his feature film debut with a minor role in the epic Southern blockbuster Gone with the Wind. It was a very small part in a very big picture but it was an impressive start. Moving between Fox, Warner Bros, Paramount and Columbia throughout the ‘40s, he gained valuable experience paying his dues in a string of B-Grade flicks and flea pit serials, one of which was the ultra-low budget Adventures of Sir Galahad (1949). Occasionally, he returned to A-list productions, providing solid support to major stars. He worked with Jimmy Cagney in The Strawberry Blonde (1941), with Merle Oberon in Lydia (1941) and Tyrone Power in Blood and Sand (1941) Galahad (1949).Occasionally, he returned to A-list productions, providing solid support to major stars. He worked with Jimmy Cagney in The Strawberry Blonde (1941), with Merle Oberon in Lydia (1941) and Tyrone Power in Blood and Sand (1941)



Reeves with Vivienne Leigh (left and center) in Gone with the Wind (1939) (IMDB)
Behind the scenes : Miss Leigh adjusts her makeup with Reeves standing to her left (right)





Bee Daze : As Pancho Dominguez in Ride, Cowboy Ride (1939) (left)
The Adventures of Sir Galahad (1949) (center) 
Colt Comrades (1943) : William Boyd (far left) George (far right)





Reeves and Merle Oberon in Lydia (1941)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-_jolKf5FM

In 1943 director Mark Sandrich gave George his only chance to secure movie stardom when he was signed to play opposite Claudette Colbert in the war time flag waver So Proudly We Hail. The picture went on to become a sizable money-maker but international events intervened and dealt a severe blow to Reeves’ professional progress. Joining the US Air Force later in the same year, he was assigned to the Theatrical Unit where he remained for the duration of the war. During this period he starred on Broadway in the hit stage play “Winged Victory” and made training films for the government, one of which carried the somewhat less than squeaky-clean title of Sex Hygiene (which rubbed many people up the wrong way)


With Claudette Colbert (left) and Paulette Goddard (right) in So Proudly We Hail (1943)


Sgt.George Reeves
(Jim Nolt)

Back in Los Angeles, after completing his military service, he hoped to continue building the steady momentum of his initial career but his long absence had taken a serious toll. Once again, bad movies and small paychecks became the order of the day. But George wasn’t about to walk away from all those years of hard work. Calling upon powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men, he returned to New York and found regular employment in radio and live TV drama. In '49 he began a Hollywood comeback when he appeared in the Bob Hope comedy The Great Lover.




With the dawn of the ‘50s, the new decade looked promising when he turned up in The Good Humor Man (1950) with Jack Carson. A full scale rescue attempt then got underway when Fritz Lang, one the industry’s most respected directors, included Reeves in Rancho Notorious (1952), a superior Western with Marlene Dietrich and Blue Gardenia (1953), a crime thriller with Anne Baxter and Richard Conte.



With Marlene Dietrich in Rancho Notorious (1952)
 (top right) Reeves (wearing hat) with
 Richard Conte in The Blue Gardenia (1953) (lower right)



Always strapped for cash, however, George decided to take one last trip back into Movie Land’s bargain basement. Expecting nothing more than another award payment, he began rehearsing his lines for a no-budget science fiction film which was obviously intended for the children’s matinee market. Reading the script, it hardly seemed like the kind of job that was going to further his acting ambitions. Yet, this humble opus was about to change his life in ways he could never have imagined. When the first day of shooting arrived, Reeves walked onto the set wearing a costume with which he was destined to be permanently linked in immortality. It was July, 1951 and the cameras were about to roll on a somewhat bizarre 60 minute feature entitled Superman and the Mole Men. In the picture, workmen drilling the world’s deepest oil well penetrate the subterranean home of some undersized aliens who come to the surface to look around. The fact that they glow in the dark indicates that they are radioactive and the terrified inhabitants of a nearby town form a mob, intent on killing the harmless, misunderstood beings. Only Superman can prevent the tragedy from happening. The Mole Men were played by midgets who wore ill-fitting rubber skull caps. Clearly, there was never any danger that the whole thing was going to trigger mass panic in cinemas of the day. All concerned gave it their best shot, however, and the hour whizzed by thanks to the no-nonsense direction of Lee Sholem who went to create another kids classic with the television show “Captain Midnight” (AKA “Jet Jackson”).

(IMDB)



The movie did outstanding business at the box office and the main character soon moved across to the small screen.
“The Adventures of Superman” premiered nationally in February, '53 with George Reeves starring, once again, as the title character and his alter ego Clarke Kent, mild mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper. Joining him in the cast were Phyllis Coates and Jack Larson as fellow newshounds Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen. Veteran character actor John Hamilton played Perry White, editor of the Daily Planet and Robert Shayne appeared as Police Inspector Henderson. The series, initially filmed in black and white and then, in color became a huge success and production continued until the end of 1957.



(Left to right) Phyllis Coates, Jack Larson, John Hamilton and Robert Shayne (IMDB)


The special effects were primitive but visually pleasing, particularly Superman’s take-offs, landings and flight sequences. The stories were simple but inventive and the characters were distinctive, well crafted and entertaining. Reeves, in particular, provided what many fans still consider to be the most memorable version of the legendary action hero that’s ever been created as he went about the job with considerable zest, projecting kindness and warmth together with a great sense of fun when the moment allowed. For five years, he crashed through Styrofoam walls, deflected bullets of his “super chest”, changed the course of mighty rivers and bent steel in his bare hands. In the process, the previously inconsequential journeyman actor was catapulted out of the realms of comparative obscurity to become a household name.




Superman flight sequence : Take off (top left) Flying (top center) Landing (top right)
Amazing feats of strength : Crashing through a wall (lower left)
Deflecting bullets off his "super" chest (lower center) and bending steel in
 his bare hands (lower right)






Reeves and Phyllis Coates


But despite his on-screen enthusiasm for the task, George privately resented the situation that he was in. It has often been reported that, just before filming began on the series, he shared a drink with co-star Phyllis Coates. Offering her a toast, he referred to the show somewhat disparagingly by saying “Here’s to the bottom of the barrel babe”.

Major changes were made early in the program’s run. The debut season was noticeably more violent than those which followed. In the episode entitled “Czar of the Underworld” over a dozen people were shot. In “The Evil Three” an elderly woman in a wheelchair was pushed down a flight of stairs and in “Night of Terror” a girl was knocked out by a savage right hook. The sponsor, Kellogg’s Cereals, complained and the appointment of a new producer saw the second season being toned down. Another upheaval occurred when Phyllis Coates left the show to pursue another project after just 24 episodes and she was replaced by former real life reporter Noel Neil who brought a softer edge to the character of Lois Lane - Girl Reporter 
                                                   





Noel Neill enjoys a gag with George on the set
 Noel had, in fact, played the original Miss Lane back in the 1940s
 matinee serial which starred Kirk Alyn as "Superman".




The fine tuning only served to attract an even bigger audience. “The Adventures of Superman” went charging ahead, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap all competition in a single bound. For Reeves, however, the recognition came at a price.

In '53 he finished work on the Academy Award winning film From Here to Eternity starring Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr in which he had a supporting role. Another war time drama, it was to be the picture that stopped Frank Sinatra’s downhill slide, giving him an Oscar in the process. But, for George, the fickle hand of fate was to reach out once again and snatch yet another golden opportunity from his grasp. The film’s sneak preview was an eagerly anticipated and much publicized event within the motion picture industry. Reeves had been waiting ten years for this second chance to establish himself as a “real” actor. However, disaster struck. The minute he appeared on the screen members of the audience started to laugh and yell out “SUPERMAN”! .The producers panicked and word of the embarrassing debacle soon became the talk of the town. It was all over. The most powerful means of mass communication had claimed its first victimGeorge knew that he had been fatally type-cast and, for a while, his feelings towards his TV character turned from mild resentment to full blown hatred. He made his last movie three years later as a bearded pioneer trail blazer wearing a broad-brimmed hat in Westward Ho, The Wagons (1956), a Disney clunker which starred the Mouseketeers.

Original publicity for the movie From Here to Eternity (1953)


With Frank Sinatra (left) and Burt Lancaster (right) in
From Here to Eternity (1953)


George (left) with Fess Parker in
 Westward Ho, The Wagons ! (1956) (IMDB)


Eventually, however, Reeves came to accept his predicament and, as the show moved into its closing stages, he developed new interests. But dark clouds and shadowy figures were gathering on his personal horizon.

George's private life bore little resemblance to the sober, sensible and upright existence of Clarke Kent. After divorcing his wife, Eleanor Needles, in 1950, he began a long and public affair with Toni Mannix, the wife of feared MGM power broker and alleged mob associate Eddie Mannix. A heavy drinker, Reeves had expensive tastes in almost everything and was frequently in debt. With Toni, he found a ready supply of extra cash and allowed himself to become increasingly dependent on the wealthy older woman. In return, she happily picked up the tab for George’s five star restaurant and liquor bills, bought him an expensive sports car and gave him the down payment on a house located at Benedict Canyon high above Sunset Boulevard.



Toni and Eddie Mannix (left) George, Toni and George's dog, Sam (center) The house that Toni bought George
located at 1579 Benedict Canyon Drive (right) (Superman Supersite photo)


In '58, however, he met another woman; an attractive New York socialite by the name of Lenore Lemmon and they quickly dived into a whirlwind romance which signaled the end of Reeves’ relationship with his former lover. Lemmon soon decided to take up residence with George. The stage was set for a showdown. Both women were fiery, hard-drinking viragoes and neither of them had any intention of giving in without a fight. Enraged with jealousy, Mannix unleashed a relentless campaign of harassment within days of Lenore's arrival in California. Menacing phone calls were put through to the couple’s home around the clock. Unfamiliar cars began to cruise up and down the street under cover of darkness. A devastating personal blow took the feud to a more vicious level when Reeves’ much-loved dog was stolen. Finally, on the morning of April 9,1959 while driving down through the winding twists and turns of the mountains, George lost control of his car and crashed into a brick wall sustaining head injuries. Stories circulated that foul play was involved after mechanics found evidence that the brakes may have been tampered with.



George and Lenore
(Jim Nolt)


Report of George's car accident in the Los Angeles Mirror (left)
Jaguar convertible similar to the car Reeves was driving (Lou Koza photos)


But regardless of the on-going pressure and tension, the general mood at Benedict Canyon was shifting up into top gear. The tough-minded, twice-married Lenore Lemmon was a veteran of romantic warfare and wasn’t one to be easily intimidated. Lenore was a party girl and party she did. The Reeves’ household became a 24 hour bar room with drunken get-togethers sometimes going on for days. Bette Shayne, wife of actor Robert Shayne, remembered that George’s domestic situation became unsettled after Lemmon arrived on the scene. Speaking to Sam Kashner, author of the book Hollywood Kryptonite, she expressed some regrets. “I think that’s when the wild parties started” she reflected. “We didn’t see him anymore”. 

In constant search of bigger and more exciting thrills, George and Lenore started to play with a dangerous new toy – a Luger pistol. Booze, guns and jealous lovers; it was dangerous combination. A match had been struck and it was about to be dropped into the powder keg which Reeves’ life had become.


On the evening of Monday June 15, the usual revelry was in full swing at Superman’s love pad as a small but highly vocal group of Lemmon's drinking buddies were busy doing what they did best. One of those in attendance was Carol Van Ronkel (right), wife of screenwriter Alford "Rip" Van Ronkel. Shortly after midnight, George, prematurely gray, overweight and with a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit, waved goodnight to his guests and retired upstairs. Then, suddenly, at around 1.30 am there was a loud bang in Reeves’ bedroom like a giant firecracker exploding according to statements that were made to the police. Shock waves reverberated through the living room directly below, stunning the drinkers into immediate silence and heightened awareness. Bill Bliss, a neighbor, ran unsteadily up the short flight of stairs. The acrid smell of sulfur filled the darkness as he momentarily paused at the doorway and reached for the light switch.

Dead from a shot to the head, Reeves’ naked body was sprawled across the bed with his Luger automatic lying on the floor. After the police arrived and the body was removed the entrance to the house was sealed with yellow tape by the Coroner’s Department.





Living room at 1579 Benedict Canyon Drive. Note: Stairs at left that led up to George's bedroom (top)
Inside George's bedroom looking out to the garden (lower left)
Looking up at the bedroom from the backyard (lower right)
(Jan Alan Henderson and John Field)



Los Angeles Mirror News, June 16, 1959


The death would be recorded as a suicide. However, in the days and weeks that followed, questions began to arise as to the accuracy of the information upon which the official version of the case had been based. Of particular concern was Lenore's vague and uncooperative account of the events which led up to the fatal shooting. For someone who had just lost her lover in such a violent and senseless way, she appeared to be remarkably indifferent to the tragedy. The day after the incident she would return to the scene of the crime, break the Coroner’s seal and unlawfully remove $4,000 worth of travelers checks which she only agreed to hand back after being threatened with prosecution.



Lenore Lemmon leaving George's house
after the shooting (Bettman Archives)


In her initial statement, she said that George had been severely depressed in the weeks prior to his death. She went on to say that he was deeply distressed about the decline of his movie prospects, the fact that his television show had been canceled and that he had no immediate source of income – all of which was later found to be untrue according to his friends and colleagues.

Without doubt, the most puzzling and bizarre aspect of the investigation was Lemmon’s claim that she had predicted Reeves’ alleged suicide just moments before it happened. After he left the party, she is reported to have said “He’s going upstairs to shoot himself”. She also stated that she and her guests could hear a draw sliding open at which point she added: “He’s getting the gun out”. All of this was apparently confirmed by Bill Bliss. Why no effort was made to intervene remains a mystery within a mystery. Lenore would later deny making these decidedly odd remarks.

For several years George had been expressing a strong desire to eventually quit acting to become a director. In October of '58, he gave an interview to New York Post journalist Bob Thomas in which he revealed his plans for the future saying: “I’m forming a production company and we plan to make a couple of science fiction pictures. I’m keen to direct” he explained. A month before his demise he had signed a new contract at a greatly increased salary to make another season of “Superman” in which he was going to get behind the camera on a number of episodes. Arrangements were in place for a promotional tour of Australia and Japan. He was close to locking in a film project which his own company was going to produce. He had announced his engagement to Lenore and had booked tickets for a trip to Spain. All of those who were closest to him at the time reject the notion that he was even remotely downcast. Speaking to Gary Grossman, the author of Superman: From Serial to Cereal, Noel Neill was absolutely certain as to Reeves’ frame of mind. “He was raring to go and in good spirits” Noel assured Grossman. Bette Shayne agreed. She recalled a meeting she had with George at Hollywood’s ZIV studios. “He was very happy. That’s a lame excuse that he was depressed” Bette confirmed.



At home in Benedict Canyon: Leaning on his newly purchased 1959 Oldsmobile (left)
George loved his guitar (center) (Jim Nolt) Life seemed to be OK for TV's 'Superman" in
' 59. But tragedy was looming (right) (Lee Saylor)


One thing shines through in everything that’s been written about George Reeves over the years – he was well liked by all those who knew him. Admired for his generosity, sense of humor and easy-going personality, he remained an extremely positive and upbeat member of the LA show business fraternity. He was a devoted charity worker and spent much of his time using his celebrity status for the betterment of those who were less fortunate. Likewise, Toni was a popular, if somewhat outrageous, Beverly Hills identity who was also known for her community spirit. Lemmon, on the other hand, is frequently portrayed as being a vacuous, publicity-seeking opportunist. She fled back to New York.

Fund raising for the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of 
America of which George was elected Chairman in 1955
(Jim Nolt)


Dissatisfied with the inquiry into her son’s death, Reeves mother, Helen Bessolo, hired Jerry Giesler, the West Coast’s most respected criminal lawyer to look into the matter. Helen vehemently denied that George had ever been prone to melancholia, claiming that she had spoken to him the weekend before the shooting and that he was extremely optimistic. Giesler spent several months on the case and is believed to have uncovered some evidence of questionable police and autopsy procedures which may have been linked to a cover-up but there was no conclusive proof. To this day, rumors persist that he withdrew from the investigation because he received serious death threats.


Reeves and his mother, Helen Lescher Bessolo (left)
Helen arrives in Los Angeles to investigate her son's death (center)
Leaving the Benedict Canyon house with lawyer Jerry Giesler (Hearst Collection, USC)


Jim Nolt, the man behind a website dedicated to Reeves called “The Adventure Continues…” still has lingering doubts as to what really occurred on the night in question. “Lemmon says that George committed suicide but no fingerprints were found on the weapon, no powder burns were found on either his hands or his head wounds” Nolt points out. “I believe he was murdered”.

Lenore was convinced that Reeves had changed his will and that he was going to leave all his worldly possessions to her. But, his estate went to Mannix. Clearly, Lemmon was preoccupied with all things financial. Indeed, she probably had to be, given the fact that it has been reported that she was virtually broke when she cottoned onto George.

Adding further mystery to the general air of suspicion that surrounded the case was the discovery of two bullet holes in the floor of Reeves’ bedroom for which no satisfactory explanation could ever be provided. It has also been suggested that there was more than one gun in the house.

Jack Larson remained the only voice of dissent within Reeves’ inner-circle regarding the star’s inclination to take his own life. Participating in an ABC News on-line chat in February, 2001, he sighted George’s previous career problems and his tendency to overindulge. ”I thought it was suicide, but we’ll never know” he revealed. It should be noted, however, that Larson was traveling around Europe at the time of Reeves’ death.


Noel Neill and Jack Larson (Los Angeles Times)





Over the years many theories have been put forward as to what actually happened at Benedict Canyon during that long, hot summer of ’59. Some have suggested that revenge was the motive; that a paid, professional killer slipped quietly in to the Reeves home through a second story window, committed his monstrous act and then stole away just as silently into the night. Others believe that some sort of drunken game or scuffle involving George's gun may have gone tragically wrong. Or, perhaps….. just perhaps…the official version was right after all. It is entirely possible that up there in the loneliness of his darkened room in the early hours of the morning TV’s invincible “man of steel” simply came face to face with some powerful private demon for one final, deadly confrontation. Maybe he came to the conclusion that changing romantic partners had been a serious mistake, particularly as far as his long-term future was concerned. Apart from anything else, it seems that when Reeves walked out on Toni he also may have alienated the majority of their mutual friends to varying degrees.

Most of the actors who played a part in that sad and distant drama have long since faded from the scene and taken their secrets to their graves.

George “Superman” Reeves was cremated and laid to rest in the Sunrise Corridor of the Mountain View Cemetery in Altadena, California.



(Find a Grave)


As the children of the 1950s now start to grow old and reflect upon their own mortality, it’s comforting to know that somewhere out there, on some television screen somewhere across the globe, a new generation of kids is enjoying “The Adventures of Superman” for the very first time. It’s a fitting tribute to the enduring appeal of the actor who made it all happen and it’s reassuring to think that there may still be a place in today’s modern world for those old-fashioned values of truth, justice and the American way.



Behind the Scenes on "The Adventure of Superman" :
Clark Kent's office set (left) George gets a steadying hand from director Harry Gerstad
as actor George Barrows watches on (center) Chatting to cameraman Joe Biroc (right)


Taking a break during filming with Robert Shayne and John Hamilton (left)
With John Hamilton, Jack Larson and Noel Neill (center) George checking a script in his dressing room (right)

All photos from the book Speeding Bullet: The Life and Bizarre Death of George Reeves by Jan Alan Henderson
(except lower center image which is from the website Dial B for Blog)



Unsolved Mysteries investigation into the death of George Reeves

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxTa4HoIP8w 

Mysteries & Scandals gives their version of the case

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S48zk2pKvn4&t=137s 

Trailer for the movie Hollywoodland

 https://www.imdb.com/video/vi1139126553?playlistId=tt0427969&ref_=tt_ov_vi

A personal tribute to George Reeves from Jim Nolt

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzVDyQ5TJeI


The above post is based on a feature article that was written by me and originally published in the now, sadly, defunct “Big Reel” film collectors magazine many years ago..... and I would love a hundred bucks for every time the "mysterious death" title had been "borrowed" by other writers! Just check google 

 Bibliography: Speeding Bullet: The Life and Death of George Reeves, Jan Alan Henderson, The Jerry Giesler Story, Jerry Giesler, The Great War Films, Lawrence.J.Quirk, Superman: From Serial to Cereal, Gary Grossman, Truth, Justice and the American Way, Noel Neill, Hollywood Kryptonite, Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger. 

Web Resources: Superman Home Page, TV Party.com, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Family History search site, Internet Movie Database, All Movie Guide, Des Moines Register.com, Superman Museum.com, “The Adventure Continues..”, Superman Collectors.com, ABC News.com. OTHER: Hollywood Ghost Stories : 1986 TV documentary special