george reeves' death house

The costume Reeves donned as Superman on TV. At 45 and craving more serious work, the prospect of yet again trudging around the country in tights and cape, as children threw stones at him and teenagers challenged him to fights, may have become too much bare. Reeves established his own production company and conceived a TV adventure series called Port of Entry, which would be shot on location in Hawaii and Mexico. 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. However, many of his friends and colleagues believe the actor was murdered, his death the stormy culmination of a tangled love life. Advertisement. Its a plane! 1959: Los Angeles police arrive at the home of 45-year-old actor George Reeves, famous for his role as TV's Superman, and find him naked and dead of a gunshot wound to the head. >> George Reeves's death, and there are very interesting questions >> supporting the various theories. 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. After breaking up with his wife, Reeves had engaged in a three-year affair with actress Toni Mannix, who was married to a notorious fixer for MGM Studios. The police arrived within the hour. It is located in a fairly modest area, even though the asking price in 1995 was $625,000. They divorced 10 years later and had no children. Advertisement. In June 2021, an episode of the internet series BuzzFeed Unsolved discussed the death of Reeves and possible theories. Cuando utilizas nuestros sitios y aplicaciones, usamos. 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. Waymarkly is the premiere Waymarking app for iOS. In typical fashion, Reeves and Lemmon went out for a boozy night on the town. George Reeves, 45, TV's indestructible "Man of Steel," Superman, was dead by his own hand and the flowing cloak would flow no more. Two people who might have had strong motives were Toni and Eddie Mannix. The official verdict was that Reeves had committed suicide, the weight of his troubles having become too much for him to bear. On June 16, 1959, Reeves died from a single gunshot wound in the bedroom of his Benedict Canyon home. It was then that Lemmons actions became truly strange. This part directly led to his being contracted to Warner Brothers. Lemmon and Reeves had a stormy relationship but, at least according to her, were engaged to be married. Since a 9mm Luger generally ejects its shells to the right, it's hard to conceive what position the actor must have been in when he fired for it to have ended up underneath him. Hes going upstairs to shoot himself, she allegedly said. They had even planned to marry if Eddie were to die. Tall and chisel jawed, Reeves was the perfect choice to play the all American hero in the syndicated television show the Adventures of Superman. [14], While studying acting at the Pasadena Playhouse, Reeves met his future wife, Ellanora Needles, granddaughter of circus magnate John Robinson. 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. Due to their advanced state of inebriation the party guests were not entirely coherent, but they all seemed to agree on the suicide story. When Officers Johnson and Korby entered the . By mid 1959, contracts were signed, costumes refitted, and new teleplay writers assigned. Whilst highly speculative, some corroboration to this comes from Reeves own Lois Lane, actress Phyllis Coates. She also hired private investigators to investigate his death. The long Broadway run was followed by a national tour and a movie version. 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. Reeves mother refused to believe her son had killed himself and hired famous Hollywood lawyer Jerry Giesler to investigate further. Forty-five minutes later, the police were called. Flickr CommonsThe costume Reeves donned as Superman on TV. Was Lemmon with Reeves when he shot himself? In the early morning of June 16, 1959, George was found dead . The book was published as 'The Archie Moore Story, as told to Bob Condon'. However, it was obvious that many parts of the investigation were not performed as they should have been. He was 40 years old and wanted to quit and move on with his career. Reeves and Leonore Lemmon. But the strange death of Superman is not a parlour game. After hearing a gunshot, they waited 45 minutes before calling the police. Lois & Clark - The New Adventures of Superman, Superman/Shazam! Immediately after completing it, Reeves and the crew began production of the first season's episodes, all shot over 13 weeks in the summer of 1951. George Reeves former residence is rather small, especially by Hollywood standards. 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. I was depressed, and I accepted instantly that he had committed suicide, Larson told Unsolved Mysteries in 1995. 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. Those windows overlook the backyard and there is a garage under the guest bedroom. 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. Reeves would frequently bemoan the role he felt so trapped in, with particular disdain reserved for the crude and repetitive scripts that often required little more of him than to turn up at the end and have the villains bullets bounce off his chest. He died instantly and fell backwards, his feet still hungover the bed and his back on the mattress. Or was the culprit his new girlfriend, the volatile and temperamental Lemmon, who had argued with Reeves the night of his death about the late night party she was having whilst he tried to sleep off his own night of heavy drinking? The half-hour films were shot on tight schedules; at least two shows were made every six days. Reeves began acting and singing in high school and continued performing on stage as a student at Pasadena Junior College. In 1959, however, negotiations began for a renewal of the series, with 26episodes scheduled to go into production. Except for the second season, the Superman schedule was brief (13 shows shot two per week, a total of seven weeks out of a year), but all had a "30-day clause", which meant that the producers could demand their exclusive services for a new season on four weeks' notice. That night she received a disturbing phone call. 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. George Reeves Real name: George Keefer Brewer, George Bessolo. The windows above the living room are the windows to George's bedroom. Para obtener ms informacin sobre cmo utilizamos tus datos personales, consulta nuestra Poltica de privacidad y Poltica de cookies. Theyd take one look at me and say it was impossible.. The report made by the Los Angeles Police states, "[Reeves was] depressed because he couldn't get the sort of parts he wanted." However, Superman producers offered him a salary increase, and he returned to the series. Character: . Reeves's career as Superman had begun with Superman and the Mole Men, a film intended both as a B-picture and as the pilot for the TV series. His work on the show would earn him fame as the Original Superman, even though that wasnt technically true. More adept with withering, foul mouthed put downs, violence was not really her style. We have always known that house guest Robert Condon, Carol Van Ronkel and William Bliss were there. The official ruling was suicide. The gun fell to his feet and the shell was found underneath him. He was cremated in Ohio, and ashes given to his mother, who then died in 1964. The house was bought in the early 1950's for $12,000. Michael Hayde firmly believes that George Reeves was murdered. On June 16, 1959, actress Phyllis Coates was woken up around 4:30 a.m. by a very strange phone call. Over the years, occupants of the house have been plagued by not only the sound of a single gunshot that echoes in the darkness, but strange lights, and even the apparition of George Reeves If they were fired earlier, then at the very least its evidence somebody in the house had a somewhat cavalier attitude to firearms. There was no doubt that he had enjoyed a few libations that evening, but even drunk it stretches the imagination that someone would strip before committing suicide. Walker's property became known as "Houdini's House." Shortly after Houdini died on Halloween . Historical Person Search Search Search Results Results George Azer Reeves (1914 - 1945) Try FREE for 14 days Try FREE for 14 days. What happened next is mired in controversy, but according to the police interviews with the witnesses, a short moment later a shot was heard and the man who had become famous for been impervious to gunfire had, ironically, ended his life with a bullet to the head. Gene LeBell was there at George's house the morning before George died, training George. The show was a smashing success, drawing huge audiences each episode. He was dead from a single gunshot wound to his right temple. All three bullets had been fired from the weapon found at Reeves' feet, though all witnesses agreed they heard only one gunshot, and there was no sign of forced entry or other physical evidence that a second person was in the room. Listen to 022 - The Suspicious Death of George Reeves . Was it true she was heard to say He is going to shoot himself, after Reeves had left the party to go back to bed? 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. Reeves mother hired a high-powered lawyer to get the case reopened, but he quickly dropped his new client for reasons unknown. And that was the scene that was set on June 15, 1959. In 1952, the struggling ABC Network purchased the show for national broadcast, which gave him greater visibility. Hollywood comic, Lou Lubin, is on right. No photos of the body were taken and the crime scene was not properly searched or dusted for prints. Authorities ruled it a suicide, but was it? They decided that he had not committed suicide. When he returned, his mother told him his stepfather had committed suicide. A funeral was held on Wednesday, June 30. The home has not changed much since the mid-fifties. 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. These roles did little to advance Reeves's career, and his contract with Warners was dissolved by mutual consent. 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. Separated from his wife (their divorce became final in 1950), Reeves moved to New York City in 1949. 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. According to Larson, Reeves also said he would feel better about the role if he knew he had any adult fans but never learned that Adventures of Superman had adult fans even during its original broadcast run.[17]. According to commentaries on the Adventures of Superman DVD sets, multiple scripts were filmed simultaneously to take advantage of the standing sets; for example, all the "Perry White's office" scenes for three or four episodes would be shot the same day and the various "apartment" scenes would be done consecutively. (The punchline: Ricardo, do you mean to say that youve been married to her for 15 years? Many believe that the ghostly appearances by the actor lend credence to the idea that he was murdered. But the scandalous and suspicious way he met his death in 1959 could not have been further removed from his role as the Man of Steel. As portrayed in films such as Hollywoodland and Hail Ceasar, Eddie had an array of thugs, bent cops, private eyes and mobsters on the payroll. After the war, Reeves returned to Hollywood. 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. For whatever reason, though, in my ten-plus years of living in Los Angeles, I had yet to stalk the former Supermans home. The story told by those there that night is full of holes, the evidence perplexing and poorly handled. How he came to meet this grisly end is a story as disputed and controversial today as it was when the scandal rocked Hollywood at the height of the actor's fame. George Reeves Facts. On June 16, 1959, George Reeves, who was the first to make the superhero an icon when he played the titular role in the inaugural TV series, was found dead in his bedroom. 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. She also had a reputation as a gold digger, having married twice before for money. Conspiracy theories abound and Reeves death has remained the stuff of Hollywood legend for over five decades since. Mannix, who had ties to the mob, had him whacked due to the affair. 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. 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. While Reeves was depressed at the time of his death, there were oddities at the crime scene. Further to this, a later search of the bedroom found two extra bullet holes. Reeves reportedly never saw his father again. Lemmon moved into his house, and they were to be married on June 18. She sounded very disturbed and was hyperventilating as she rasped, The boy is dead. 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? 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. And they call me Superman!). She continued, 'He's opening a drawer to get the gun.' Conversely, not everyone who is depressed about their career takes their own life. Reeves and Toni Mannix split in 1958 and Reeves announced his engagement to society playgirl Leonore Lemmon. 2 min read. Three shots were fired in the room: two on the floor and one in Reeves' head. 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. [24] As for Port of Entry, Reeves was never able to gain financing for the project, and the show was never made. On June 15, George and Leonore had gone out to a rather boozy dinner, to celebrate the upcoming marriage. A gentle man in real life, given to moods, he was despondent because "everyone thought of him as Superman, not as an actor" and now that the show was no longer shooting, he couldn't get a job. Info Share. 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]. And George Reeves was not unable to find work, he was not broke, he was not a suicidal depressed person. Its Superman! The iconic intro blazed into American households on Sept. 19, 1952. Its not like my George to do a thing like that, his mother told the press. Hes been murdered. This kind of phone call would not have been out of the ordinary for Lois Lane, the character Coates famously played on TV. The night of Reevess death, the actor was at home with his fiance Lenore Lemmon, along with the writer Robert Condon, who had been staying with them. Hes going upstairs to shoot himself, she explained to the other guests, who then heard a sound from upstairs. The issue was that Reeves eventually broke Tonis heart when he called it off to begin a relationship with the woman who would become his fiancee, Lenore Lemmon. George Reeves' death was ruled a suicide, . The police had never checked Reeves fingers for residue to see if he pulled the trigger nor did they count the number of bullets remaining in the gun. Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty ImagesPhyllis Coates and George Reeves in The Adventures of Superman. 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 . It was also widely believed that Toni, to whom Reeves bequeathed his entire estate, may have shot him in a jealous rage after hearing news of his engagement, or that her husband, E.J.

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