george reeves' death house

And then there were the bruising and other marks on Reevess body. Learn about George Reeves death and the true story behind the Hollywoodland movie starring Ben Affleck as TV's Superman. The brown-shingled bungalow, which was built in 1947, boasts 2 bedrooms, 3 baths, and 1,717 square feet. At around 2am that morning, two police officers arrived at 1579 Benedict Canyon, Los Angeles, the house Reeves had been living at with his new fiance Leonore Lemmon during the previous few months. Its too late for this nonsense. Leonore asked, Is this a joke or a shoot? meaning was he kidding around, or what? . The findings of a second autopsy, conducted at Giesler's request, were the same as the first, except for a series of bruises of unknown origin about the head and body. His body was later cremated and interred at the Mountain View Cemetery in Altadena, which I blogged about during my Haunted Hollywood theme last year. Reeves was extremely intoxicated when he died, and also pumped full of painkillers to treat the injuries he received in his recent car accident. Info Share. The report made by the Los Angeles Police states, "[Reeves was] depressed because he couldn't get the sort of parts he wanted." [17] Warner changed his professional name to George Reeves. While the authorities officially declared Reeves' death to be a suicide, not everyone was willing to accept that conclusion. Reeves worried he would be typecast as a childrens actor. Reeves would later recall the impact Sandrich's death had on his career. In typical fashion, Reeves and Lemmon went out for a boozy night on the town. Is her confession credible? A long Broadway run followed, before a national tour and a movie version. The world was shocked to learn that famed Superman actor, George Reeves, had been found dead in his home of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Other evidence that casts doubt on this scenario is the lack of burn marks on Reeves back. Lois & Clark - The New Adventures of Superman, Superman/Shazam! "An element of mystery" Reeves' death may have been ruled a suicide, but not everyone believed it. The windows above the living room are the windows to George's bedroom. [14], While studying acting at the Pasadena Playhouse, Reeves met his future wife, Ellanora Needles, granddaughter of circus magnate John Robinson. Even if the actor had not placed the gun to his head at point blank range, as is usual in suicides, it should have left some obvious marks on his forehead. If this was the case, then clearly he had not fired the gun himself, and another party was involved. The police also appeared to be behaving in a careless manner. The . George Reeves (born George Keefer Brewer; January 5, 1914 June 16, 1959) was an American actor. A funeral was held on Wednesday, June 30. He was found dead in his bedroom at 1:59 a.m. on June 16, 1959 in his modest home in Los Angeles' Benedict Canyon. It was during this fallow period that he was approached about playing the role that would come to define his life. On the night of his death, George had several friends over. Nevertheless, the end of his iconic role reportedly hit him hard and at 45, typecast, unemployed and overweight, he found himself reduced to appearing in commercials and celebrity boxing matches. [13] The Bessolo marriage lasted 15 years, ending in divorce, with the couple separating while Reeves was away visiting relatives. Reeves mother refused to believe her son had killed himself and hired famous Hollywood lawyer Jerry Giesler to investigate further. The Superman cast members had restrictive contracts preventing them from taking other work that might interfere with the series. After all these years, what happened that night at 1579 Benedict Canyon remains obscure and controversial. The 45-minute delay in getting help, in this scenario, was the time it took for her and her house guests to cover up the murder. George Reeves may not be the first actor that springs to mind when you think of Superman, but the star's untimely death put him at the centre of a conspiracy theory malestrom.. Reeves was actually . The police also found two gunshot holes in the carpet as well as the one in the ceiling that they traced to the wound in Reevess head, yet the witnesses claimed to have only heard one shot that night. More adept with withering, foul mouthed put downs, violence was not really her style. Mother Victoria Alice Mason. Tell them I was down here!. Later, Reeves's mother,[12] who was of German descent, moved to California to stay with her sister. Jack Larson and Noel Neill both remembered Reeves as a noble Southern gentleman (even though he was from Iowa) with a sign on his dressing room door that said "Honest George, the people's friend". '"'[35], The official story given by Lemmon to the police placed her in the living room with party guests at the time of the shooting, but hearsay statements from Fred Crane, Reeves' friend and colleague from Gone With The Wind, put Lemmon either inside or in direct proximity to Reeves' bedroom. His death was officially classified as. Reeves, however, earned additional income from personal appearances. Present in the house at the time of the incident were Leonore Lemmon (who had been Reeves's fiancee at the time), William Bliss, writer Richard Condon, and Carol . The official finding was suicide, but some believe that he was murdered or the victim of an accidental shooting. Reeves and Leonore Lemmon. He was cremated in Ohio, and ashes given to his mother, who then died in 1964. Bessolo actually died March 4, 1944, at age 51, when his adopted son was well into his movie career. This theory centres around the mysterious WIlliam Bliss, a stranger to both Reeves and Leonore Lemmon, whose presence in the house that night has never been adequately explained. Eddie Mannix wasnt just a heavy in Hollywood, he was also rumored to have mob connections. SUPERMAN MURDER SOLVED! Newspapers and wire-service reports quoted LAPD Sergeant V.A. 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. Their relationship was full of booze and bickering. Two people who might have had strong motives were Toni and Eddie Mannix. The house where George lived is fairly modest for the area, but the asking price in 1995 was $625,000. The gun fell to his feet and the shell was found underneath him. Its a plane! Reeves was dressed in one of his characters Clark Kent suits for the funeral, which took place two weeks later, on June 30th, 1959. He kept his private life discreet, including a romantic relationship with Toni Mannix, wife of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer general manager Eddie Mannix. 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. Reeves's father married Helen Schultz in 1925. Reeves and Toni Mannix split in 1958 and Reeves announced his engagement to society playgirl Leonore Lemmon. Multiple gunshot suicides are rare, so if these shots were contemporary to Reeves death, it seems unlikely he was the shooter. If Mannix was trying to extinguish the Man of Steel, its unlikely she pulled the trigger that night at 1579 Benedict Canyon. According to Condon, Lemmon was in an combative mood that night, and had made somewhat of a scene in the restaurant. 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. The police ruled his death a suicide, but rumors quickly surfaced that Reeves was. and im so curious to know,is it true or not?cause if it is true..wow it is the scariest thing ive ever heard. Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images Phyllis Coates and George Reeves in The Adventures of Superman. In a wild turn of events, the alleged problem with this situation was not the affair itselfjilted husband Eddie had his own liaisons outside of the marriage and allegedly had no problem with his wifes relationship with Reeves. Reeves death was quickly ruled a suicide, but some facts of the case appear to be murky at best. George Reeves was born George Keefer Brewer in Woolstock, Iowa, the son of Don Brewer and Helen Lescher (his death certificate erroneously lists his birthplace as Kentucky). So when George Reeves spurned his long term mistress for a younger model, she did not take it lying down. Climbing Back Up Almost immediately after the case was closed, questions about the truth began to arise. It was to be his final feature film appearance. George Reeves Born George Keefer Brewer in Woolstock, Iowa in 1914, the boy who would become Superman moved around a lot. The Suspicious Death of George Reeves. Many believe that the ghostly appearances by the actor lend credence to the idea that he was murdered. According to Kashner and Schoenberger (A Talent for Genius), however, unanswered details about Reeves's demise shroud what in truth was foul play. A noise was heard upstairs. While he returned unscathed, he struggled from that point forward to get his career back on track. Los Angeles Police Department Death Report, June 26, 1959. [15] They married on September 22, 1940, in San Gabriel, California, at the Church of Our Savior. All of the conspiracy theories surrounding Reevess death would eventually be played out on the big screen in 2006s Hollywoodland, but they boil down to three scenarios. [27], His good friend Bill Walsh, a producer at Disney Studios, gave Reeves a prominent role in Westward Ho the Wagons! His work on the show would earn him fame as the Original Superman, even though that wasnt technically true. [17] Reeves fit the rugged requirements of the roles, and, with his retentive memory for dialogue, he did well under rushed production conditions. While many of Reeves friends doubted the suicide verdict, Jack Larson, who played cub reporter Jimmy Olsen in the show, always accepted that his friend took his own life. As more and more time passed between acting jobs paying less and less, Reeves was reduced to appearing in a low-budget serial produced by Sam Katzman, The Adventures of Sir Galahad, and taking a second job digging cesspools. As TVs original Superman, George Reeves was the ultimate hero to millions of children. CleverJourneys: American Crime Chronicles Two Los Angeles police officers arrived at 1579 Benedict Canyon at almost 3 a.m., June 16, 1959. The people in the house were quite intoxicated and weren't much help to the investigation even waiting over 30 minutes before calling the police. Its a bird! (1942), a war drama for Paramount Pictures. On June 16, 1959, actress Phyllis Coates was woken up around 4:30 a.m. by a very strange phone call. If anything, it seemed like Reeves career was on the up. He had recently been involved in a serious affair with a married woman, Toni Mannix, before dumping her for his high-society fiancee, leaving Mannix devastated. Just over a year after the war started, Reeves was called up. To this day, there are three possible scenarios that explain the death of George Reeves. So I figured this was the perfect time to do so and dragged the Grim Cheaper right on out there last weekend. In the early morning hours of June 16, 1959, George Reeves, who was the first to make the superhero an icon when he played the titular role in the inaugural TV series, was found dead in his. 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! This includes accusations of murder directed at his fiance and ex-girlfriend. He was lucky to escape with head injuries that required him to take powerful painkillers right up until the night he died. A noise echoed: See, hes opening the drawer to get the gun. Then a shot: I told you, hes shot himself.. I have been researching a full-scale Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point. Some even say George Reeves appears at the foot of the bed every now and then, dressed as Superman. When Officers Johnson and Korby entered the . [18] He was assigned to the U.S. Army Air Forces and performed in the USAAF's Broadway show Winged Victory. This is the house, and home, that Superman actor George Reeves lived and died in. [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). On 16 June 1959, George Reeves retired to his bed at 12, after going out for dinner with his fianc, Leonore. The night Superman died and an enduring mystery was born. In 1957, the producers considered a theatrical film Superman and the Secret Planet. Death Of George Reeves Source: Biography. Further to this, a later search of the bedroom found two extra bullet holes. Three shots were fired in the room: two on the floor and one in Reeves' head. According to Jim Nolts fabulous Superman-themed The Adventures Continue website, the house has remained largely unchanged since the time Reeves lived there over fifty years ago. Those guests were neighbour Carol Van Ronkel, her lover Robert Condon, and another neighbour, William Bliss. As far as Reeves was concerned, one has to wonder if he had any regrets. ", 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. His fears were not unfounded, as he had been out of work for two years by the time of his death in 1959. Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty ImagesPhyllis Coates and George Reeves in The Adventures of Superman. No one is entirely certain who was even at the house that night. The story told by those there that night is full of holes, the evidence perplexing and poorly handled. To unravel the murky fate of TVs first superhero we must return to the early hours of June 16, 1959. Kent then rushed offstage to return as Superman, who came to the rescue and fought with the bad guy. After all, it was she who had made the early morning phone call to Coates, before anyone outside of Reeves home could have known about his death. Were Hollywood's police force keeping a lid on the truth to protect Tinseltown from another scandal? Reeves's film career began in 1939 when he was cast as Stuart Tarleton (albeit incorrectly listed in the film's credits as Brent Tarleton), one of Vivien Leigh's suitors in Gone with the Wind. George Reeves as Superman CASE DETAILS The gun had no fingerprints on it Early one morning in June of 1959, Los Angeles police raced to a high priced Hollywood Hills home. If anyone could put the heat on Superman it was Eddie. Cancel OK Your account 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]. Lemmon and writer Robert Condon, who was staying at the house, were more than happy to entertain the group, but Reeves was already in bed and was not pleased by the ruckus downstairs. While this may have been the final act for George Reeves Superman, it was the first act in what would become one of the biggest mysteries surrounding the role. The 2006 film Hollywoodland, starring Ben Affleck as Reeves and Adrien Brody as a fictional investigator loosely based on actual detective Milo Speriglio, dramatizes the investigation of Reeves' death. For decades friends, family and strangers alike have speculated on his mental state and whether he was the type of person to commit suicide or not, but the truth is only George Reeves himself knew what was truly going on in his mind. She died alone in her apartment over New Year 1989, her body not found for four days. One variation on this theory is that Reeves accidentally shot himself playing a game of Russian Roulette. Its Superman! The iconic intro blazed into American households on Sept. 19, 1952. When George Reeves died in 1959, the death was quickly considered to be one that was self-inflicted. He died in June of 1959, not 1958. The ballistics looked all wrong too. Reeves had options for making a living, but those options apparently all involved playing Superman againa role that he was not eager to reprise at age 45. She even commissioned a second autopsy, which concluded that Reeves was possibly murdered. A photo of a smiling Reeves and the sign appears in Gary Grossman's book about the show. But there were a few details that didnt quite make sense. Reeves was drafted into the U.S. Army in early 1943. The coroner had ruled the forty-five year old actor's death a suicide, brought about by despondency over a failing career and too much alcohol. Many felt that Reeves was tired of being known as Superman, and that he killed himself out of anguish. [17] Reeves appeared in five Hopalong Cassidy westerns before being cast as Lieutenant John Summers opposite Claudette Colbert in So Proudly We Hail! [13] His Gone with the Wind screen credit reflects the change. George Reeves (born George Keefer Brewer; January 5, 1914 - June 16, 1959) was an American actor. Firstly, TV had just become ubiquitous in households across the country, but television as a medium was still seen as the lowbrow younger sibling to films high art. The events surrounding his death have been the subject of much conjecture ever since. The producers wouldnt give me a job. He complained to friends, columnists, and his mother of his financial problems. But his business manager and mother, among others, said that while it was true he was disappointed in the way things were going, his feelings werent strong enough to explain a suicide. George Reeves death home- Beverly Hills, CA - Infamous Crime Scenes on Waymarking.com. On the night of June 15th, 1959, Reeves and Lemmon went out to dinner and the two reportedly drank a great deal. Although the power of the studios was waning by the 1950s, its possible Eddie Mannix still wielded enough influence to fix George Reeves at his wifes behest. however to this day there is an air of mystery surrounding Reeves' death. Forty-five minutes later, the police were called. He was able to play against type and starred as a villainous gold hunter in a Johnny Weissmuller Jungle Jim film. Si no quieres que nosotros ni nuestros socios utilicemos cookies y datos personales para estos propsitos adicionales, haz clic en Rechazar todo. On June 15, George and Leonore had gone out to a rather boozy dinner, to celebrate the upcoming marriage. There were also fresh bruises on the body. Entering the house from the street side, you walk into the living room. The characters involved range from colorful to drunk to suspicious, having by now taken any secrets they may be hiding to their gravesIn . The home has not changed much since the mid-fifties. George Reeves Facts. At this time, Reeves and his mother moved from Iowa to Ashland, Kentucky, to stay with relatives for a time[10] and then to her home of Galesburg, Illinois.[11]. Cuando utilizas nuestros sitios y aplicaciones, usamos. The official cause of death for Reeves was ruled a suicide. Peterson as saying: "Miss Lemmon blurted, 'He's probably going to go shoot himself.' But it was Reeves who brought the flying Man of Steel to widespread popularity, at least on the screen. In June of 1959, things started to look up for George. The main reason Reeves was said to have committed suicide was depression over his declining fortunes as an actor. On June 16, 1959, actress Phyllis Coates was woken up around 4:30 a.m. by a very strange phone call. The police did not treat the house as a crime scene, and Lemmon was able to return shortly after they had left, have the bloody sheets washed, retrieve $4000 in travellers cheques and leave Los Angeles for New York, never to return again, not even for Reeves funeral. Reeves was apparently scheduled to marry Lemmon on June 19 and then spend their honeymoon in Tijuana. Had she even pulled the trigger herself? These roles did little to advance Reeves's career, and his contract with Warners was dissolved by mutual consent. [19][20][21], Discharged at the war's end, Reeves returned to Hollywood. EXPLOSIVE new forensic evidence reveals Superman actor George Reeves didn't commit suicide he was murdered and a GLOBE investigation has uncovered the sordid truth behind the "perfect crime" and sinister cover-up of nearly 60 years! For some reason Reeves had contorted his head so it was tilted upwards at the point of firing, as the bullet was found embedded in the ceiling. TV legend George Reeves was killed by older lover he jilted for a sex kitten 2018-11-16 - . Character: . He had also lined up a science fiction script called Return to Earth, by screenwriter Sidney Fields that he had hoped to direct, possibly with his Superman co-star Phyllis Coates in one of the lead roles. Eddie was not happy when his wife wasnt happy. If his death was suicide Reeves must have held the gun with his right hand, although this in itself is suspicious as the actor had injured his right hand in an automobile accident a few weeks prior to his death. 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. In the early morning of June 16, 1959, George was found dead . . That position was taken over by Frank . If the Hollywood stories are to be believed, any death involving a girl and a gun is suspicious. He was dead from a single gunshot wound to his right temple. 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? She sounded very disturbed and was hyperventilating as she rasped, The boy is dead. Was his role to distract the house guests and facilitate the entry of a hitman to do away with Reeves? The film suggests three possible scenarios: accidental shooting by Lemmon, murder by an unnamed hitman under orders from Eddie Mannix, and suicide. The subsequent police report seem to accept the whole story at face value. He won critical acclaim for the role and garnered considerable publicity. Released from his Warners contract, he signed a contract at Twentieth Century-Fox but was released after only a handful of films. The actor was discovered laying face up on his bed, naked, with a single gunshot wound to his right temple and a .30 caliber Luger on the floor in between his lifeless feet. Reeves was born five months into their marriage[9] and the couple separated soon after Reeves's birth. Was the coroner's verdict right after all? [17], Released from his Warner contract, he signed a contract at Twentieth Century-Fox but was released after only a handful of films, one of which was the Charlie Chan movie Dead Men Tell. (1942), a war drama for Paramount Pictures, which signed Reeves up for two films a year. Many photos shown in various magazines in the past indicated that George's bedroom windows could be seen from the street. Reeves knew the show could potentially be popular, but it was almost because of that that he was reticent to take it on. Like an optical illusion, from one angle the details clearly show a man who, in a moment of distress, made a tragic decision. Sprawled naked on his bed, Reeves had been shot in the head after a late night party at his house. Reeves's film career began in 1939 when he was cast as Stuart Tarleton (incorrectly listed in the film's credits as Brent Tarleton), one of Scarlett O'Hara's suitors in Gone with the Wind. Flickr CommonsThe costume Reeves donned as Superman on TV. She had prepared the meal for Reeves and guest Robert Condon, a writer who was there to do an article on Reeves and his upcoming bout with Archie Moore. 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. Regardless of the plausibility of these theories, its likely that the identity of whoever fired the bullet that killed the Man of Steel will remain a mystery. Michael Hayde firmly believes that George Reeves was murdered. She continued, 'He's opening a drawer to get the gun.' Clearly she had the motive, and through her ruthless and well connected husband she certainly had the means. [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. He was working on creating a fulfilling career for himself. The planned revival of Superman was apparently a small lifeline. U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records 19381946, dated March24, 1943, Speeding Bullet, 2nd Ed, by Jan Alan Henderson, p. 151. But even more importantly, The Adventures of Superman was marketed mostly towards a younger audience. It was a bullet to the head. This was before news of Reeves death had gotten out, and it always remained a mystery to Coates how Mannix could have known Reeves was murdered unless she was party to it. The roles just werent coming his way. You can watch George Reeves Kelloggs Corn Flakes commercial by clicking above. Reeves mother hired a high-powered lawyer to get the case reopened, but he quickly dropped his new client for reasons unknown. George Reeves hit the television jackpot when he landed the dual role of Clark Kent/Superman in the television series The Adventures of Superman. The issues wasnt just career frustration. There's a general belief that Toni Mannix bought the house, but his name Between the start of production on Gone With the Wind and its release 12months later, several films on his Warner contract were made and released, making Gone With the Wind his first film role, but his fifth film release. Warners loaned him to producer Alexander Korda to co-star with Merle Oberon in Lydia, a box-office failure. George Reeves had a reasonably successful film career (including a small part in Gone with the Wind) when he took the role of Superman in Superman and the Mole Men, a feature film. The death was quickly ruled a suicide, but several of those near and dear to the actor believed there was no way he would have killed himself. In June 1951, Reeves was offered the role of Superman in a new television series[23] titled Adventures of Superman. We have always known that house guest Robert Condon, Carol Van Ronkel and William Bliss were there. He directed the final 13 episodes of the series, and told the Evening Star that he was enthused about doing more.. (The punchline: Ricardo, do you mean to say that youve been married to her for 15 years? Copyright (c) 2023 Groundspeak, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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]. Whatever the case may be, no charges were ever filed and Reeves death remains one of the most talked about Hollywood scandals to this day. The characters involved range from colorful to drunk to suspicious, having by now taken any secrets they may be hiding to their graves. It is located in a fairly modest area, even though the asking price in 1995 was $625,000. When his mother moved to California to be with her sister, it was said Reeves never saw his father again. to put his budding acting career on hold and enlist in the U.S. Leonore Lemmons behaviour after Reeves death did little to allay suspicions she may have had more involvement than she was letting on. Conversely, not everyone who is depressed about their career takes their own life. George Reeves' Ghost. Sandrich felt that Reeves had the potential to become a major star, but unfortunately died while Reeves was still in uniform. Theyd take one look at me and say it was impossible.. Lemmon moved into his house, and they were to be married on June 18. Look! At approximately 1:20 AM, Reeves excused himself, and went upstairs to bed. The characters involved range from colorful to drunk to suspicious, having by now taken any secrets . The 2006 movie, Hollywoodland starring Ben Affleckas Reeves, explores his life and relationships in greater detail. The house was bought in the early 1950's for $12,000. The producers looked elsewhere for a new star.[25]. A shot was heard. She also had a reputation as a gold digger, having married twice before for money.