1. 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? 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 Reeves, 45, TV's indestructible "Man of Steel," Superman, was dead by his own hand and the flowing cloak would flow no more. The Day Superman Died, George Reeves Death House 6,369 views Feb 16, 2019 159 Dislike Share Save Michael Thompson's Hidden In Plain Sight 688 subscribers In this video I visit the house where. His relatives believed he was murdered, and disputed the official ruling of suicide. Tall and chisel jawed, Reeves was the perfect choice to play the all American hero in the syndicated television show the Adventures of Superman. But there were a few details that didnt quite make sense. See, hes opening the drawer to get the gun. Lemmon claimed. Three shots were fired in the room: two on the floor and one in Reeves' head. To this day, there are three possible scenarios that explain the death of George Reeves. Flickr CommonsThe costume Reeves donned as Superman on TV. Info Share. Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/GettyThe death of the original Superman is one of those American mysteries that may never fully add up. Had the usually diligent actor neglected to maintain his prized Jaguar properly or was this, as some have suspected, a murder attempt by Toni Mannix? 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. His dad left the family shortly after and his mother moved with her infant son to California. There were 104 episodes of The Adventures of Superman before the cancellation ax fell in 1958. Newspapers and wire-service reports quoted LAPD Sergeant V.A. I don't know what happened to George. 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. 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. Embattled New York Rep. George Santos said Thursday that he is "fully cooperating" with the House Ethics Committee, which is . Many felt that Reeves was tired of being known as Superman, and that he killed himself out of anguish. Why Anton Drexler Was More Responsible For The Nazi Party Than Adolf Hitler, The Gruesome Murders Of Andrei Chikatilo Russia's "Red Ripper", What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch, Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images, Reeves played opposite Vivien Leigh as one of the Tarleton twins in. 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. It was to be his final feature film appearance. Reeves was apparently scheduled to marry Lemmon on June 19 and then spend their honeymoon in Tijuana. This includes accusations of murder directed at his fiance and ex-girlfriend. Peterson as saying: "Miss Lemmon blurted, 'He's probably going to go shoot himself.' Hollywood comic, Lou Lubin, is on right. . Hard drinking and hard partying, she gave as good as she got, and had the dubious distinction of been the first woman to be thrown out of New Yorks famous Stork club for fist fighting. [17] Warner changed his professional name to George Reeves. George Reeves' Home. When they returned home, they continued to kick back the alcohol until around 12:30 p.m., at which point Reeves retired to his bedroom. Lemmon says George Reeves committed suicide. George Reeves death home- Beverly Hills, CA - Infamous Crime Scenes on Waymarking.com. He starred in a number of two-reel short subjects and appeared in several B-pictures, including two with Ronald Reagan and three with James Cagney (Torrid Zone, The Fighting 69th, and The Strawberry Blonde). According to partygoers, one of the guests raced upstairs to find Reeves lying across his bed, the life snuffed out of him by a bullet in the head. Leonore Lemmons behaviour after Reeves death did little to allay suspicions she may have had more involvement than she was letting on. [28] He appeared as Superman on I Love Lucy (Episode #165, "Lucy and Superman") in 1957. However, many of his friends and colleagues believe the actor was murdered, his death the stormy culmination of a tangled love life. [17] Reeves appeared in five Hopalong Cassidy westerns before being cast as Lieutenant John Summers opposite Claudette Colbert in So Proudly We Hail! 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 was drafted into the U.S. Army in early 1943. 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. Reeves's father married Helen Schultz in 1925. At around 1.20am, a bad tempered Reeves had admonished the trio for their noise, before returning upstairs. Reeves initially had no autopsy and his body was swifted embalmed. The show was a smashing success, drawing huge audiences each episode. If they were fired earlier, then at the very least its evidence somebody in the house had a somewhat cavalier attitude to firearms. June 16, 1959. Who all was in the house that night? Talking to friend Millicent Trent, Bliss said Lemmon had actually rushed down the stairs after the gunshot and urged them to Tell them I was down here! A long Broadway run followed, before a national tour and a movie version. He got angry at them for being very loud. ", 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. 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. (1942), a war drama for Paramount Pictures. 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. While studying acting at the Pasadena Playhouse, Reeves met his future wife, Ellanora Needles. 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. Others suggested that Eddie Mannix, rumored to have Mafia ties, ordered Reeves killed.[43]. Conspiracy theories abound and Reeves death has remained the stuff of Hollywood legend for over five decades since. Toni Lanier Mannix (born Camille Bernice Froomess; February 19, 1906 - September 2, 1983) was an American actress and dancer in early motion pictures filmed with soundtracks, known as "talkies".Going by the name Toni Lanier, she became known in Hollywood circles for her extramarital relationship with future husband MGM studio head Eddie Mannix, who was married at the time to Bernice Fitzmaurice. Her devastation at been rejected by her boy had pushed her to the ultimate reprisal. Despite these suspicions, the Los Angeles Police Department officially ruled the death a suicide, on little more than a cursory investigation. She was absolutely terrified of going to hell", Lozzi told the LA Times. The police ruled his death a suicide, but rumors quickly surfaced that Reeves was. Mobster Mickey Cohen once described Toni Mannix as the only person in Hollywood who had any balls. George Reeves was dead. He performed on live television anthology programs, as well as on radio. Giesler called for a second autopsy. Separated from his wife (their divorce became final in 1950), Reeves moved to New York City in 1949. George went to bed at 12:30 AM. In the early hours of June 16, Mannix called Coates; she was hysterical and told her friend that Reeves had been murdered. Superman had been cancelled and Reeves had struggled to find the serious work he craved. 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. For instance, Lemmon and her friends pulled a Conrad Murray by failing to call the police until about thirty minutes after discovering the body, and each seemed to have a differing account of the evening due to their inebriated states. He was working on creating a fulfilling career for himself. The story told by those there that night is full of holes, the evidence perplexing and poorly handled. He had affection for his young fans, and took his role-model status seriously. Walker's property became known as "Houdini's House." Shortly after Houdini died on Halloween . [19][20][21], Discharged at the war's end, Reeves returned to Hollywood. See real George Reeves photos, and pics of the real Eddie Mannix, Toni Mannix, Leonore Lemmon and others. It was a bullet to the head. His personal life was not all red carpets and champagne. The house where George lived is fairly modest for the area, but the asking price in 1995 was $625,000. She also kept his shaving utensils and lotions, and even built an altar in the house with a crucifix, candles and an 11-by-14 photograph of Reeves. And was Eddie, a man suspected of killing his first wife Bernice Fitzmaurice, behind the bullet to the head that ended the actors life? Reeves died at the age of 45, from a gunshot wound to the head. In their book Hollywood Kryptonite, Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger make a case for the involvement of MGM vice president and fixer Eddie Mannix. Giesler had been paid a hefty sum, so why did he suddenly drop the case? The mystery surrounding the death of George Reeves, the original Man of Steel. 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]. 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. He freelanced, appearing in five Hopalong Cassidy westerns before director Mark Sandrich cast Reeves as Lieutenant John Summers opposite Claudette Colbert in So Proudly We Hail!