A few minutes later a shot was heard and the foursome ran upstairs. Later in life, she become a somewhat tragic figure, bloated and consumed by alcoholism, Leonore would give many different accounts of the events of that night, often contradicting herself and denying things she was commonly reported to have said and done. Was the coroner's verdict right after all? Hes going upstairs to shoot himself, she allegedly said. Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images Phyllis Coates and George Reeves in The Adventures of Superman. Upon hearing of George's demise, he went to the house and the . But all was not well behind the scenes in Metropolis. While he returned unscathed, he struggled from that point forward to get his career back on track. They decided that he had not committed suicide. If he had really fallen backwards onto a freshly ejected shell case it should have been hot enough to have burnt his skin, yet no such marks were evident at the autopsy. George Reeves' Former Home Another location that has long been woven into the fabric of Hollywood lore is George Reeves' former Benedict Canyon bungalow, where in the early morning hours of June 16th, 1958 the Adventures of Superman star was found dead from a single gunshot wound to the head. The police ruled the death a suicide, but by the time Reevesobituary was published in the Los Angeles Times, the newspaper already noted there was an element of mystery.. Those guests were neighbour Carol Van Ronkel, her lover Robert Condon, and another neighbour, William Bliss. He kept his private life discreet, including a romantic relationship with Toni Mannix, wife of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer general manager Eddie Mannix. This prevented long-term work on major films with long schedules, stage plays that might lead to a lengthy run, or any other series work.[24]. . In the 1950s the actor, George Reeves was best known for his portrayal of Superman in the television series, Adventures of Superman. After all these years, what happened that night at 1579 Benedict Canyon remains obscure and controversial. 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. George Reeves Real name: George Keefer Brewer, George Bessolo. 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 . Born George Keefer Brewer in 1914 in Woolstock, Iowa to Helen Lescher and Don C. Brewer, young George would grow up in Ashland, Kentucky and later in Pasadena California where his sister also lived. Had the actor been placed on the bed some time after he was shot? The ex-girlfriend who couldn't let go Beginning in 1948, Reeves had a 10-year. At around1 am, William Bliss and Carol Van Ronkel came by for an impromptu meeting. Finally, a single shot rang out. A noise was heard upstairs. 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. Even outside of the world of comic books, bullets sometimes do funny things, and that was certainly the case in the death of George Reeves. In the documentary Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman, Jack Larson said that when he first met Reeves, he told him that he enjoyed his performance in So Proudly We Hail! Reeves was 38 when he first cloaked his rugged all-American looks that were more Clark Kent than strange visitor from another planet in a caped costume. The half-hour films were shot on tight schedules; at least two shows were made every six days. Robert Condon, a writer interested in writing a biography on George, stayed in the house. Between the first and second seasons of Superman, Reeves got sporadic acting assignments in one-shot TV anthology programs and in two feature films, Forever Female (1953) and Fritz Lang's The Blue Gardenia (1953), but by the time the series was airing nationwide, Reeves found himself so associated with Superman and Clark Kent that it was difficult for him to find other roles. A long Broadway run followed, before a national tour and a movie version. The sinister true story behind the death of George Reeves By Gaby Wood 13 March 2016 12:18pm Reeves, star of the Fifties TV show The Adventures of Superman, was shot in 1959. [36] According to Crane (who was not present), Bill Bliss had told Millicent Trent after the shot rang out, while Bliss was having a drink, that Leonore Lemmon came downstairs and said, Tell them I was down here, tell them I was down here![37], A number of questionable physical findings were reported by investigators and others: No fingerprints were recovered from the gun. [14], While studying acting at the Pasadena Playhouse, Reeves met his future wife, Ellanora Needles, granddaughter of circus magnate John Robinson. According to the statements given to the police (statements that were no doubt slurred), Reeves came down to ask them to be quiet, they convinced him to stay for a drink, and then he stomped his way back upstairs. There was a real man behind the superhero, whose tragic early death will likely forever be a mystery. And that was the scene that was set on June 15, 1959. To the right is the den and through the living room to the left you find the stairs leading to the guest room and adjoining bathroom which overlook the street. If you are lucky enough, the homeowners may allow you to tour the home's grounds and possibly the interior as well. It is sometimes easy to get caught up in the mystery of George Reeves demise, the different theories and suspects. Reeves found himself unemployable. Another rumor was that a car was heard speeding away from the house as well. Reeves usually had an open door policy, but not after midnight. 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. The woman on the other end of the line was a woman named Toni Mannix. While it's true that Reeves depressed at the time of his death, there were some inconsistencies at the crime scene that raised some red flags not only back then but still to this day. 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]. If it was Reeves that pulled the trigger then in all likelihood it was because he had had enough of his life, for whatever reason. September6, 1892 was the daughter of George Christian Lescher and Eliza Jane McKenzie, she died in a Pasadena hospital on June 18, 1964. [26] He was reportedly making $5,000 (about $50,000 in today's dollars) per week, but only while the show was in production (about eight weeks each year). 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. The house was bought in the early 1950's for $12,000. You can watch George Reeves Kelloggs Corn Flakes commercial by clicking above. In typical fashion, Reeves and Lemmon went out for a boozy night on the town. From 1952 to 1958 he starred in 104 episodes, but by the late 50s it had declined in popularity and it was put into hiatus after its sixth season. It is located in a fairly modest area, even though the asking price in 1995 was $625,000. The main reason Reeves was said to have committed suicide was depression over his declining fortunes as an actor. 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. [17] He was drafted in early 1943. After his death, it was revealed that he left everything to Toni, which could have been an oversight given he and Lemmon had only been together six months, or it could have been a big middle finger. : The Return of Black Adam. Reeves returned to Hollywood in 1951 for a role in a Fritz Lang film, Rancho Notorious. Warners loaned him to producer Alexander Korda to co-star with Merle Oberon in Lydia, a box-office failure. His fears were not unfounded, as he had been out of work for two years by the time of his death in 1959. She died alone in her apartment over New Year 1989, her body not found for four days. Reeves was transferred to the Army Air Forces' First Motion Picture Unit, where he made training films. Next, read about the gruesome and unsolved murder of the Black Dahlia. If this was the case, then clearly he had not fired the gun himself, and another party was involved. According to Kashner and Schoenberger (A Talent for Genius), however, unanswered details about Reeves's demise shroud what in truth was foul play. Los Angeles Police Department Death Report, June 26, 1959. Reeves was extremely intoxicated when he died, and also pumped full of painkillers to treat the injuries he received in his recent car accident. Clearly she had the motive, and through her ruthless and well connected husband she certainly had the means. The costume Reeves donned as Superman on TV. See, hes opening the drawer to get the gun. Lemmon claimed. During the dinner, they had argued. [19][20][21], Discharged at the war's end, Reeves returned to Hollywood. He was working on creating a fulfilling career for himself. I have been researching a full-scale Released from his Warners contract, he signed a contract at Twentieth Century-Fox but was released after only a handful of films. Two neighbors stopped by, hoping to join the party. She even commissioned a second autopsy, which concluded that Reeves was possibly murdered. Effectively living an open marriage, Eddie tolerated, even liked Reeves, and himself maintained a younger mistress. She sounded very disturbed and was hyperventilating as she rasped, The boy is dead. He starred in a number of two-reel short subjects and appeared in several B-pictures, including two with future president of the United States Ronald Reagan and three with James Cagney (Torrid Zone, The Fighting 69th, and The Strawberry Blonde). ", 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. Eddie Mannix wasnt just a heavy in Hollywood, he was also rumored to have mob connections. He performed on live television anthology programs, as well as on radio, and then returned to Hollywood in 1951 for a role in a Fritz Lang film, Rancho Notorious.[22]. I was depressed, and I accepted instantly that he had committed suicide, Larson told Unsolved Mysteries in 1995. SUPERMAN MURDER SOLVED! At around 1.20am, a bad tempered Reeves had admonished the trio for their noise, before returning upstairs. In their book Hollywood Kryptonite, Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger make a case for the involvement of MGM vice president and fixer Eddie Mannix. Did the 45-year-old actor commit suicide (as was the official finding), was his death accidental, or was he murdered by his vengeful ex-lover or her jealous husband? 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. Reeves' friend Rory Calhoun told a reporter "No one in Hollywood believed the suicide story." And they call me Superman!). Lois & Clark - The New Adventures of Superman, Superman/Shazam! But in a franchise that's seen its share of tragedy George Reeves's reported suicide, Christopher Reeve's spinal injury the woes of the actor who played Jimmy in the 1950s went underreported. All too often it is those closest to someone who takes their own life who can least understand it. . On the night of his death, George had several friends over. 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. George Reeves' death was ruled a suicide, . 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. Up in the sky! Had the jilted older woman taken things one step too far and shot Reeves in a jealous rage? It was a bullet to the head. I don't know what happened to George. Many studios were slowing down their production schedules, however, and some production units had shut down completely. The home has not changed much since the mid-fifties. Other evidence that casts doubt on this scenario is the lack of burn marks on Reeves back. gruesome and unsolved murder of the Black Dahlia. Last edited on 17 February 2023, at 06:25, Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "The Death of George Reeves The Original Superman", "The Life and Tragic Death of 'Superman' Star George Reeves Plus the Actor in his Own Words", "7 super things you might not know about George Reeves", "11 Homes That Are Haunted by Dead Celebrities", "Was Superman star George Reeves a suicide or murder victim? There she had met and married Frank Joseph Bessolo by 1927, according to that year's federal census. They found George Reeves upstairs on his bed, with a Luger between his feet and a bullet hole in his head. [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. Fellow actors Gig Young and Alan Ladd publicly doubted that Reeves took his own life.