DC’s Superman is the most appreciated comic book character to ever hit the silver screen. And naturally, every actor who ever played the role of the Kryptonian has been hailed by the audiences. But there’s no denying that none could turn the widely popular comic book superhero character into a global icon better than George Reeves in Superman & the Mole Men (1951).
Although George Reeves brought Superman to screens across the nation and turned him into a brightly colored character who was later transitioned into live-action entertainment, the actor’s popular series was abruptly canceled. Apparently, Reeves’ tragic demise from a gunshot wound shook the nation and forced the world to uncover the mysterious death of Superman.
The Tragic Demise Of The Superman Star George Reeves
Rising to fame with the stage name of George Reeves, the actor first appeared in a widely popular film, Gone with the Wind where he played the role of Stuart Tarleton, a potential suitor of Scarlett O’Hara. However, despite his growing popularity through his onscreen performances, the actor often struggled to find substantial roles.
Nonetheless, his career finally achieved some stability after he landed a key role in the Hopalong Cassidy series. Finally after his return from World War II, after serving in the Army Air Corps in 1943, George Reeves landed the titular role of Superman in a new television series, Adventures of Superman, and in a feature film off-shoot Superman and the Mole Men.
However, despite finding a fulfilling career, George Reeves failed to enjoy his fame, as the actor died tragically in 1959 while hosting a house party in his Beverly Hills home. Apparently, the actor was in no mood to party and often engaged in arguments with the loud, unexpected house guests, which woke his close friends Lemmon and Robert Condon.
Mysterious Circumstances Leading George Reeves’ Death
According to reports, George Reeves’ death was taken jokingly by his friends Lemmon and Robert Condon, while the incident happened. Failing to realize the gravity of Reeves’ troubled state of mind, his friends apparently joked and narrated the incident step by step while it happened. As per party guests, Lemmon stated, “he’s going to shoot himself,” as Reeves went upstairs to his room, after an argument.
Hearing a noise from the ceiling, Lemmon further added, “he’s opening a drawer to get the gun”, and then when the shot was fired, Lemmon exclaimed, “see there — I told you!”. Later, George Reeves was discovered in a pool of blood, completely naked, and was thus pronounced dead from a fatal gunshot wound to the right temple.
While Reeves’ death was officially ruled a suicide, fans and friends of the actor believed that he was actually murdered, based on suspicious circumstances surrounding his death. Considering the bullet was found in the ceiling with the shell casing discovered under Reeves’ body, people wondered who actually fired the gun. Later on, two more bullets were discovered on the actor’s bedroom floor.
In the end, despite rigorous investigation uncovering mysterious circumstances leading to George Reeves’ death, his tragic demise remains officially ruled a suicide.
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Source: Sarasota Journal
