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.
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| 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)
(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
With Claudette Colbert (left) and Paulette Goddard (right) in So Proudly We Hail (1943)
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)
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| 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”).
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| (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
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".
With Frank Sinatra (left) and Burt Lancaster (right) in
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 victim. George 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.
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| Original publicity for the movie From Here to Eternity (1953) |
With Frank Sinatra (left) and Burt Lancaster (right) in
From Here to Eternity (1953)
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| 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)
George and Lenore
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)
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.
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
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)
' 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)
Noel Neill and Jack Larson (Los Angeles Times)
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
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