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	{{Infobox_Biography \|		{{Infobox_Biography \|
	subject_name=George Reeves \|		subject_name=George Reeves \|
Line 6:		Line 14:
	date_of_birth=], ] \|		date_of_birth=], ] \|
	place_of_birth=], ] \|		place_of_birth=], ] \|
	date_of_death=], ]<br>Death by gunshot~~, officially ruled suicide, doubts persist~~ \|		date_of_death=], ]<br>Death by gunshot\|
	place_of_death=], ], ]		place_of_death=[[Beverly Hills, California\|Beverly
			Hills]], ], ]
	}}		}}

	'''George Bessolo Reeves''' (born '''George Keefer Brewer''' to Don Brewer and Helen Lescher) (], ] – ], ]) was an ] actor, best known for playing the role of ] on ] in the ].		'''George Bessolo Reeves''' (born '''George Keefer
			Brewer''' to Don Brewer and Helen Lescher) (],
			] – ], ]) was an [[United
			States\|American]] actor, best known for playing the role
			of ] on
			] in the ].

	==Early Career==		==Early Career==
	Reeves film career began in 1939. He was featured in minor roles, one being as one of ]'s ~~beaus~~ in the initial scene of '']''. In 1942 he won acclaim for his part in '']''.		Reeves film career began in 1939. He was featured in minor
			roles, one being as one of ]'s ]s in
			the initial scene of ''[[Gone With the Wind (film)\|Gone
			With the Wind]]''. In 1942 he won acclaim for his part in
			'']''.

	==Military Service==		==Military Service==
	Military service then interupted his career. Reeves enlisted in the ] and appeared in war training films. Reeves found leading parts lacking after the war and at one point was forced to earn a living digging septic systems.		Military service then interupted his career. Reeves
			enlisted in the ] and
			appeared in war training films. Reeves found leading parts
			lacking after the war and at one point was forced to earn
			a living digging septic systems. (after the end of
			Superman tv show)

	==Superman==		==Superman==
			Reeves, offered the role of Superman in a television
	Reeves, offered the role of Superman in a television series, was reluctant at first to take the role. Like many actors, he considered television to be unimportant and thought that few would see his work. He was astonished when he became a national celebrity. He became so well known that he was often forced to do personal appearances as Superman. This was always embarrassing for the actor because he pointed out that many children would often test his super powers by physically assaulting him. In one instance, a youngster came up to him with a loaded gun and said that he was going to shoot bullets off Superman's chest!
			series, was reluctant at first to take the role. Like many
			actors, he considered television to be unimportant and
			thought that few would see his work. He was astonished
			when he became a national celebrity. He became so well
			known that he was often forced to do personal appearances
			as Superman. This was always embarrassing for the actor
			because he pointed out that many children would often test
			his super powers by physically assaulting him. In one
			instance, a youngster came up to him with a loaded gun and
			said that he was going to shoot bullets off Superman's
			chest!

	Reeves first appeared as the Superman character in 1951 in a theatrical feature called ''Superman and the Mole Men''. It was effectively a pilot for the TV series, whose regular episodes began filming soon after, during 1951 and 1952. That film was edited down to a two-part episode for the TV series, retitled ''The Unknown People''. The original film was seldom seen after its initial release, but it is on the DVD of the first season which was released in the fall of 2005.		Reeves first appeared as the Superman character in 1951 in
			a theatrical feature called ''Superman and the Mole Men''.
			It was effectively a pilot for the TV series, whose
			regular episodes began filming soon after, during 1951 and
			1952. That film was edited down to a two-part episode for
			the TV series, retitled ''The Unknown People''. The
			original film was seldom seen after its initial release,
			but it is on the DVD of the first season which was
			released in the fall of 2005.

	The Superman TV series was broadcast in first-run from the fall of ~~1952~~ through the spring of 1958, a total of 104 episodes. In addition, Reeves appeared as Superman in a Goverment short film, entitled "Stamp Day for Superman." In this, Superman's job was to catch some crooks and tell kids why they should invest in government bonds. Reeves also appeared as Superman in an episode of "]" in 1956.		The Superman TV series was broadcast in first-run from the
			fall of 1951 through the spring of 1958, a total of 104
			episodes. In addition, Reeves appeared as Superman in a
			Goverment short film, entitled either "Stamp Day for
			Superman" or "Superman's Stamp Day" (title unclear). In
			this, Superman's job was to catch some crooks and tell
			kids why they should invest in government bonds. Reeves
			also appeared as Superman in an episode of "[[I Love
			Lucy]]" in 1956.

	==After Superman==		==After Superman==
			After the series went off the air, Reeves found himself so
	After the series went off the air, Reeves found himself so ] as Superman that it was difficult for him find other roles and this was said to have deeply saddened him. One example sometimes cited is that he was upset when his scenes in the classic film '']'' were all cut after a preview audience kept yelling "Superman!" whenever he appeared. There is no truth to the rumor that his scenes were cut, however. Director ], screenwriter ], and various crew members have all stated for the record that every scene written for Reeves's character was shot and that every one of those scenes is part of the film as released. Nothing of Reeves's work was cut, and director Zinneman even made clear that there was no preview screening, nor were there post-release cuts. Everything in the first draft of the script featuring Reeves's character is still present in the final product as seen in 1953 and as seen today. Despite the falsity of this particular rumor, Reeves did indeed find it almost impossible to obtain roles outside the Superman character. His good friend ], a producer at Disney Studios, gave Reeves a role in what would be the actor's final feature film, ]. In that film, Reeves's face was altered with a false beard -- presumably to prevent easy recognition of the famed face of Superman.
			] as Superman that it was difficult for him
			find other roles and this was said to have deeply saddened
			him. One example sometimes cited is that he was upset when
			his scenes in the classic film ''[[From Here To
			Eternity]]'' were all cut after a preview audience kept
			yelling "Superman!" whenever he appeared. While the last
			part of that statement is apparently true, that film was
			released in 1953, when Reeves was still in his early days
			as the ''Superman'' character. Whether the original
			theatrical release of the film included those scenes, the
			DVD release does include Reeves' brief appearance as a
			former lover of the Deborah Kerr character.

	==Death==		==Death==
	In the early morning hours of ] ], three days before a planned wedding to ], Reeves went to bed after a long night with guests. Shortly thereafter, a shot rang out, and he was found dead in his bedroom with a gunshot wound to the head. An official inquiry concluded that the death was ]. His disbelieving mother conducted an investigation of her own, which was inconclusive.		In the early morning hours of ] ], three
			days before a planned wedding to ], Reeves
			went to bed after a long night with guests. Shortly
			thereafter, a shot rang out, and he was found dead in his
			bedroom with a gunshot wound to the head. An official
			inquiry concluded that the death was ]. His
			disbelieving mother conducted an investigation of her own,
			which was inconclusive.

	With suicide the official verdict, much speculation resulted as to whether it was because of his failed career. It was also noted that he had suffered a concussion in an auto accident shortly before that event, leading some to suspect that his mental health had been compromised. These facts are recounted in Gary Grossman's 1976 book, ''Superman: Serial to Cereal''. At that time, suicide was the predominant presumed cause of death, and various reasons were cited to justify or explain it.		With suicide the official verdict, much speculation
			resulted as to whether it was because of his failed
			career. It was also noted that he had suffered a
			concussion in an auto accident shortly before that event,
			leading some to suspect that his mental health had been
			compromised. These facts are recounted in Gary Grossman's
			1976 book, ''Superman: Serial to Cereal''. At that time,
			suicide was the predominant presumed cause of death, and
			various reasons were cited to justify or explain it.

	In recent years, there have been questions raised again as to whether Reeves' death was really a suicide, or whether it was a murder covered up by Hollywood insiders, similar to the claims about suspicious deaths of other Hollywood notables (such as ] and ]).		In recent years, there have been questions raised again as
			to whether Reeves' death was really a suicide, or whether
			it was a murder covered up Hollywood insiders, similar to
			the claims about suspicious deaths of other Hollywood
			notables such as ] and ]. The
			1996 book, ''Hollywood Kryptonite'', by Sam Kashner and
			Nancy Schoenberger, discusses the issues, the doubts by
			friends and relatives, the forensic evidence as to whether
			suicide was even physically possible, whether the shooting
			was properly investigated by police, and alternative
			theories.

			The book makes an interesting argument for Reeves having
	The 1996 book ''Hollywood Kryptonite'', by Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger, discusses the issues, the doubts by friends and relatives, the forensic evidence as to whether suicide was even physically possible, whether the shooting was properly investigated by police, and alternative theories. The book makes an interesting argument for Reeves having been the target of a "hit" due to having spurned a long-time lover with mob connections. The hypothesis is that the aforementioned car accident was also an attempted hit. There is no question that Reeves' circle of friends included some unsavory characters. There are groups trying to muster support for re-opening the investigation. However, the allegations and unanswered questions are unlikely ever to be resolved, due to the passage of time and the deaths of apparently everyone who might know the truth of the matter, so for the present, suicide remains the official cause of death.
			been the target of a "hit" due to having spurned a
			long-time lover with mob connections. The hypothesis is
			that the aforementioned car accident was also an attempted
			hit. There is no question that Reeves' circle of friends
			included some unsavory characters. There are groups trying
			to change the death certificate, not reopen the case.
			However, the allegations and unanswered questions are
			unlikely ever to be resolved, due to the passage of time
			and the deaths of apparently everyone who might know the
			truth. There are many doubters, it is very well possible
			he was murdered by his former lover Toni. Nobody was
			accused of anything since people like Toni Mannix and
			] were very powerful. There is evidence
			they wanted to call this death suicide immediately.
			Coroner did not even check for gun residue on Reeves
			hands, they were washed of any evidence. Assuming If
			George lived to see June 17th, he had a 2 round scheduled
			exhibition match with light heavyweight champion of he
			world ]. Reeves was a boxing fan and it's
			hard
			to conceive he'd kill himself before his big day in the
			ring. George Reeves was a golden gloves champion in his
			youth, with undefeated record. (record uncertain) Suicide
			a day before the big match which be talked about for a
			long time ?

	==Other Reeve(s)==		==Other Reeve(s)==
			Because of the similar surnames, people sometimes surmise
	Because of the similar surnames, people sometimes surmise that George Reeves is related to ], an ] who would later portray Superman on the big screen. It should be noted that the two are not related, as the last names differ, and the similarity is merely coincidental. Nor is there any relation between him and ], the actor/] from the same era; nor any known relation to a character actor named Richard Reeves a.k.a. Dick Reeves, who looked nothing like George, but happened to appear in several "Superman" episodes.
			that George Reeves is related to ], an
			] who would later portray Superman on the big
			screen. It should be noted that the two are not related,
			as the last names differ, and the similarity is merely
			coincidental. Nor is there any relation between him and
			], the actor/] from the same
			era; nor any known relation to a character actor named
			Richard Reeves a.k.a. Dick Reeves, who looked nothing like
			George, but happened to appear in several "Superman"
			episodes. There was G. R. Explorer, politican in the Texas
			House of representatives, boxing promoter in 1900, escaped
			prisoner and a few
			others...

	==External links==		==External links==
	*{{imdb name\|id=0001660\|name=George Reeves}}		*{{imdb name\|id=0001660\|name=George Reeves}}

	*{{imdb title\|id=0427969\|title=Truth, Justice, and the American Way (2006)}}

	]		]
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	]		]
	]		]
	]

Revision as of 00:45, 27 January 2006

George Reeves

George Bessolo Reeves (born George Keefer Brewer to Don Brewer and Helen Lescher) (January 6, 1914 – June 16, 1959) was an [[United States|American]] actor, best known for playing the role of Superman on television in the 1950s.

Early Career

Reeves film career began in 1939. He was featured in minor roles, one being as one of Vivian Leigh's beaus in the initial scene of Gone With the Wind. In 1942 he won acclaim for his part in So Proudly We Hail.

Military Service

Military service then interupted his career. Reeves enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps and appeared in war training films. Reeves found leading parts lacking after the war and at one point was forced to earn a living digging septic systems. (after the end of Superman tv show)

Superman

Reeves, offered the role of Superman in a television series, was reluctant at first to take the role. Like many actors, he considered television to be unimportant and thought that few would see his work. He was astonished when he became a national celebrity. He became so well known that he was often forced to do personal appearances as Superman. This was always embarrassing for the actor because he pointed out that many children would often test his super powers by physically assaulting him. In one instance, a youngster came up to him with a loaded gun and said that he was going to shoot bullets off Superman's chest!

Reeves first appeared as the Superman character in 1951 in a theatrical feature called Superman and the Mole Men. It was effectively a pilot for the TV series, whose regular episodes began filming soon after, during 1951 and 1952. That film was edited down to a two-part episode for the TV series, retitled The Unknown People. The original film was seldom seen after its initial release, but it is on the DVD of the first season which was released in the fall of 2005.

The Superman TV series was broadcast in first-run from the fall of 1951 through the spring of 1958, a total of 104 episodes. In addition, Reeves appeared as Superman in a Goverment short film, entitled either "Stamp Day for Superman" or "Superman's Stamp Day" (title unclear). In this, Superman's job was to catch some crooks and tell kids why they should invest in government bonds. Reeves also appeared as Superman in an episode of "[[I Love Lucy]]" in 1956.

After Superman

After the series went off the air, Reeves found himself so typecast as Superman that it was difficult for him find other roles and this was said to have deeply saddened him. One example sometimes cited is that he was upset when his scenes in the classic film [[From Here To Eternity]] were all cut after a preview audience kept yelling "Superman!" whenever he appeared. While the last part of that statement is apparently true, that film was released in 1953, when Reeves was still in his early days as the Superman character. Whether the original theatrical release of the film included those scenes, the DVD release does include Reeves' brief appearance as a former lover of the Deborah Kerr character.

Death

In the early morning hours of June 16 1959, three days before a planned wedding to Lenore Lemmon, Reeves went to bed after a long night with guests. Shortly thereafter, a shot rang out, and he was found dead in his bedroom with a gunshot wound to the head. An official inquiry concluded that the death was suicide. His disbelieving mother conducted an investigation of her own, which was inconclusive.

With suicide the official verdict, much speculation resulted as to whether it was because of his failed career. It was also noted that he had suffered a concussion in an auto accident shortly before that event, leading some to suspect that his mental health had been compromised. These facts are recounted in Gary Grossman's 1976 book, Superman: Serial to Cereal. At that time, suicide was the predominant presumed cause of death, and various reasons were cited to justify or explain it.

In recent years, there have been questions raised again as to whether Reeves' death was really a suicide, or whether it was a murder covered up Hollywood insiders, similar to the claims about suspicious deaths of other Hollywood notables such as Thelma Todd and Paul Bern. The 1996 book, Hollywood Kryptonite, by Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger, discusses the issues, the doubts by friends and relatives, the forensic evidence as to whether suicide was even physically possible, whether the shooting was properly investigated by police, and alternative theories.

The book makes an interesting argument for Reeves having been the target of a "hit" due to having spurned a long-time lover with mob connections. The hypothesis is that the aforementioned car accident was also an attempted hit. There is no question that Reeves' circle of friends included some unsavory characters. There are groups trying to change the death certificate, not reopen the case. However, the allegations and unanswered questions are unlikely ever to be resolved, due to the passage of time and the deaths of apparently everyone who might know the truth. There are many doubters, it is very well possible he was murdered by his former lover Toni. Nobody was accused of anything since people like Toni Mannix and Eddie Mannix were very powerful. There is evidence they wanted to call this death suicide immediately. Coroner did not even check for gun residue on Reeves hands, they were washed of any evidence. Assuming If George lived to see June 17th, he had a 2 round scheduled exhibition match with light heavyweight champion of he world Archie Moore. Reeves was a boxing fan and it's hard to conceive he'd kill himself before his big day in the ring. George Reeves was a golden gloves champion in his youth, with undefeated record. (record uncertain) Suicide a day before the big match which be talked about for a long time ?

Other Reeve(s)

Because of the similar surnames, people sometimes surmise that George Reeves is related to Christopher Reeve, an actor who would later portray Superman on the big screen. It should be noted that the two are not related, as the last names differ, and the similarity is merely coincidental. Nor is there any relation between him and Steve Reeves, the actor/bodybuilder from the same era; nor any known relation to a character actor named Richard Reeves a.k.a. Dick Reeves, who looked nothing like George, but happened to appear in several "Superman" episodes. There was G. R. Explorer, politican in the Texas House of representatives, boxing promoter in 1900, escaped prisoner and a few others...

External links

George Reeves at IMDb

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