George Keefer Brewer was born on January 5, 1914 in Woolstock, Iowa. He was already interested in acting at high school. He studied in the prestigious Pasadena Playhouse. He began his film career in 1939 with a performance in a small role in “Gone with the wind”. He played one of the admirers of Scarlett O’Hara. Shortly afterwards he signed a contract with Warner Bros. There he was offered to change his name to Reeves, which he did.
In 1943 he interrupted his career to enlist in the army. After dismissal from his service, he had a problem finding a place for himself in the film industry. He was pronounced and handsome. He did great during the hurried implementation of cheap productions and on the set of large and expensive films. He had an amazing memory for dialogues. Still, he found more roles for himself
In 1951, Reeves received the title role in the series “Adventures of Superman”, which preceded the cinema film “Superman and the Mole Men”. The pace of production and the contract, which significantly limited his temporary capabilities, meant that in the following years the actor played primarily in the journalist Clark Kent and his superhero alter ego. Despite the popularity of production, he wanted to leave it after two seasons. Then the producers convinced him to change his decision with a significant increase in his garage. In the meantime, he founded his own label and wrote the pilot of the series “Port of Entry” with himself in mind in the lead role. He never managed to realize it. In the meantime, he played a small role in “From here to eternity” Fred Zinnemann. His name did not appear in the end credits.
Manufacturers wanted to continue the implementation of “Adventures of Superman” as long as possible. The series was very popular and cheap to produce. However, Reeves was tired of a one -dimensional form of a noble hero. He also played Superman during stage performances and guest appearances in other series. When he appeared on the plancom set “and Love Lucy” in a red-blue outfit, he said between shots that he was wasting his life. He was 43 years old then, huge ambitions and less and less strength to a physically demanding role.
Despite this, he tried to be a good model for minor fans of the series all the time. He avoided smoking in public places, and finally abandoned his addiction. He also did not flaunt his romance with Toni Mannix, a wife associated with the manufacturer’s MGM label Eddie Mannix. His lover’s husband previously worked as a security guard, and in the film industry he was known for solving stars problems that could harm their image. Mannix was aware of his wife’s affair and accepted him.
Fearing that he will forever become a television superman, Reeves tried to get involved in subsequent projects. In 1958 he planned to direct a low -budget science fiction film. In 1959 he also ended the romance of Toni to get involved with Leonore Lemmon, known in the environment of attending various events and banquets. This summer, photos for the new season of “Adventures of Superman” were to start, and later a series of performances in Australia. On June 19, Reeves and Lemmon planned to get married.
On June 15, the actor and his fiancee spent an evening with a group of friends, and later returned home with them. Reeves went to sleep and Lemmon stayed with the guests in the living room. At one in the morning he appeared for a moment to ask for silence. His fiancee was to joke when he disappeared that he would “shoot up soon.” Soon a strange sound came from the bedroom. Initially, he was ignored. When someone decided to check if everything is fine, Reeves was already dead. He died from a shot at the age of 45. The police later determined that the death occurred between 1.30 and 2.00 on the night of June 16, 1959.
According to the investigation, the actor took his life. However, some evidence contradicted this. On the tool of the crime found next to his body there were no imprints of his fingers. In turn, no gunpowder was found on his hands. The scale after the bullet was found under his body. Two other bullets were found in the bedroom floor – despite the assurances of Lemmon and its guests that they heard only one shot. On the other hand, there was no indication that someone except Reeves stayed in the room.
Many people doubted investigators. Rory Calhoun, an actor and friend of the deceased, told one of the journalists that “no one in Hollywood believes it.” Among the skeptics was actress Noel Neill, who played the journalist Lois Lane in “Adventures of Superman”. “George was full of life and so much happened with him. I saw him two days before his death and he was constantly talking about the films he wanted to shoot, about traveling to Australia, about the direction of episodes of the series. He drew from life full of handfuls. He was happy and grateful” – she said for the service “Superman HomePage” in 2007.
Also, Reeves’ mother did not believe in the official version of the events. She paid for a lawyer who led to a re -autopsy. She showed scratches on the head and body of the deceased. However, after a month of investigation, no clear evidence was found for murder. The actor’s body was then cremated.
Lemmon supported the official version from the beginning. According to her, Reeves had depression because of subsequent unsuccessful projects and stagnation in his career.
Over the years, more theories have appeared about the death of Reeves. One of them pointed to Lemmon’s participation. The testimonies of her guests did not clearly indicate that she was with them all the time. According to some, she went out to her fiance’s bedroom several times. Writer Jim Nolt, who wrote a book about the career of Reeves, believed that the couple had quarreled on the night of June 15-16, 1959 due to the presence of guests and noise. “She went upstairs and there was a quarrel. He could tell her that she did not want to marry her, and she was furious and pulled out. She did not do it on purpose, but she could kill him then” – he said for “Unsolved Mysteries”. However, the police ruled out that it would be guilty of murder.
Most theories concern Reeves with Mannixes. According to one of them, the producer, who had contacts with organized crime, was to be furious when the actor broke his wife’s heart. Some believed that Eddie Mannix was not reconciled with romance Toni and for years he successfully sabotaged Reeves’ career.
The last theory imposes responsibility for the death of a star on an abandoned lover. According to her, Toni was to take advantage of her husband’s knowledge without his knowledge or go to the actor’s apartment alone. She still had keys and knew how to get to the bedroom without paying the attention of other people present at home. Her husband, who loved her very much for the rest of her life, was supposed to help her.
Eddie Mannix died in August 1963, and Toni in September 1983. According to journalist Edward Lozzie, a woman who was a zealous Catholic was afraid that after death she would go to hell. According to him, during one of the last confessions, she was to confess to the priest that she was responsible for the murder of Reeves. In turn, actress Phylis Coates, who also appeared in “Adventures of Superman”, maintained that Mannix called her to inform about the death of the screen Superman, before the media managed to learn about the tragedy.
A movie talks about the life and death of Reeves “Hollywoodland” Allen Coulter from 2006. The actor was played by Ben Affleck, who received the Volpie Cup for his role during the Venice festival. Toni was played by Diane Lane, Eddie Bob Hoskins, and Leonore Robin Tunney. Although the plot presents all theories about the mysterious death of the actor, it ultimately prompts himself that he took his life himself.
Reeves enrolled in history as the second screen performer of the role of Superman (after Kirk Alynie in 1948). In 1985, the DC publishing house released a notebook called “Fifty Who Made DC Great”, honoring fifty most important people in its history. Reeves was in 22nd position. In the film “Flash” his image was used, like other dead actors associated with comic adaptations – Christopher Reeve (Superman) and Adam West (Batman). Fans were outraged by this solution.