biography
Born George Brewer in Woolstock, Iowa, on January 5, 1914, actor George Reeves's parents divorced soon after his birth. His mother
eventually moved to Pasadena, California, where Reeves was raised, and soon remarried. Reeves' stepfather adopted him, changing his
last name to Bessolo. After a stint in college, he was discovered for his role as Stuart Tarleton in David O. Selznick's Gone With
the Wind while appearing at the Pasadena Community Playhouse in 1938. While studying at the playhouse, Reeves met actress Ellanora
Needles, whom he married in 1940. The couple worked together in several plays and the films The Leather Burners (1943; with
William Boyd) and Winged Victory (1944; with Jeanne Crain). Reeves was under contract to Warner Bros. and then Universal early
in his careeer, and he later signed with Paramount. Before signing with Paramount, he acted in a string of Hopalong Cassidy westerns
in the early 1940s. With more than 20 films under his belt, he became a box-office attraction in Paramount's film So Proudly We
Hail! (1943; with Claudette Colbert, Paulette Goddard, and Veronica Lake) .  
LEFT: Universal Studios photo from 1940. CENTER and RIGHT: Paramount portraits of George Reeves from 1947 |
the films of george reevesGone with the Wind (1939)
With Fred Crane and Vivien Leigh in Gone with the WindArgentine Nights (1940)
With Constance Moore in the Universal Ritz Brothers vehicle Argentine NightsLydia (1941)
From the romance Lydia with Merle OberonColt Comrades (1943)
From the Hopalong Cassidy western Colt Comrades with William Boyd, Andy Clyde, Jay Kirby, and Teddi ShermanSo Proudly We Hail! (1943)
George Reeves in Paramount's So Proudly We Hail!Jungle Goddess (1948)
Reeves in a still from the low budget adventure Jungle Goddess with Wanda McKay and Ralph Byrd. This film aired on Mystery Science Theater 3000 during season twoThe Adventures of Sir Galahad (1949)
From the 15-chapter Columbia serial The Adventures of Sir GalahadThe Mutineers (1949)
With Adele Jergens in the Columbia adventure The MutineersSuperman and the Mole Men (1951) 
LEFT: Reeves with Phyllis Coates in Superman and the Mole Men, Reeves' first outing as Superman. LEFT: Reeves as the Man of SteelThe Adventures of Superman (1952-1958 TV Series)  
LEFT: Cast photo from 1954 with John Hamilton, Jack Larson, and Noel Neill. CENTER: Reeves jumps out of a window in an early episode. RIGHT: Reeves lifts a 1957 Plymouth from the show's final season    
Promotional photos from The Adventures of Supermanfinal days
Reeves' acting career went into decline following the cancellation. His fame as the Man of Steel had typecast the actor, yet he continued making
lucrative personal appearances as Superman. The only film role he had after the early days of the series came in Westward Ho, the
Wagons! (1956; with Fess Parker). However, in 1959 Reeves struck a deal with producers to film another season of the series for more
money and the opportunity to direct some episodes. Sadly, he was found dead of a gunshot wound in his home on June 16, 1959 at age 45.
He was survived by his mother, Helen.Although officially declared a suicide, mystery has clouded the circumstances of Reeves' death more than sixty years after the fact. For a number of years, he had an affair with former showgirl Toni Mannix (1906-1983), the wife of MGM executive E.J. "Eddie" Mannix. Toni Mannix was very generous with Reeves, buying him expensive cars and even a house. In the spring of 1959 Reeves severed ties with Mannix, who was eight years his senior, and later announced his engagement to Leonore Lemmon (1923-1989), a hard-drinking socialite. It has been speculated that either Mannix or Lemmon may have been involved with his death, but nothing has ever been proved. To many kids in the 1940s, Clayton "Bud" Collyer was the Man of Steel; Collyer and Joan Alexander (as Lois Lane) were the voices of the Mutual Radio series The Adventures of Superman from 1940 through 1951. The team voiced about 20 early 1940s Superman cartoons as well. Nevertheless, Collyer was never seriously considered for either the Superman films or TV show because he was based in New York, as was Joan Alexander, and simply didn't have the physical presence to portray Superman. More importantly, Collyer had his hands full with his growing popularity as a game show host, first on radio with Winner Take All (1945), and on television with Beat the Clock (1951-1958) and To Tell the Truth (1957-1967). Collyer and Alexander teamed up once again for The New Adventures of Superman, a cartoon series produced from 1966-1967. In 1967, the show grew to an hour and was renamed The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure and lasted through 1969. Collyer continued to be the voice of Superman in cartoons until he passed away from natural causes at age 60 in 1969. Joan Alexander also did time on game shows, appearing as a regular panelist on the ABC-TV quiz show The Name's the Same from 1951-1955. Alexander passed away in 2009 at the age of 94. |
filmographyFILM
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This page premiered September 17, 1999.
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