hollywoodland
George Reeves: Elusive Truth, Absent Justice, and the American Way...Hollywood Style
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Superman may be more powerful than a locomotive, but George Reeves, the actor who famously portrayed the Man of Steel on TV in the 1950s, was very much a mortal man. Did George Reeves really take his own life, in June 1959, as the official report stated? Was he actually murdered by an impulsive girlfriend? Or was his death a highly orchestrated hit by one of Hollywood’s most infamous fixers?
This episode contains themes that may be disturbing to some listeners, including suicide. If you’re thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.
Sources
True Hollywood Noir: Filmland Mysteries and Murders, by Dina Di Mambro
The Fixers: Eddie Mannix, Howard Strickling, and the MGM Publicity Machine, by E.J. Fleming
It Happened One Night...at MGM (Vanity Fair)
The Truth About the Tyrannical Hollywood Fixer Who Inspired ‘Hail, Caesar!’ (Vice)
Who Killed Superman George Reeves? (All That’s Interesting)
George Reeves, Superman of TV, Kills Himself in His Home (LA Times)
Who Killed Superman? (The Guardian)
The Fixer: MGM’s Eddie Mannix and the Lives He Ruined (Slate)
MGM Stories Part 8: Eddie Mannix (You Must Remember This, episode 63)
Now It Can Be Told segment, 1992
Pioneers of Television: Superheroes (PBS)
Wertheimer Recovering; Mrs. Mannix Dies in Automobile Wreck (Desert Sun, 26 November 1937)
Interesting Twist–Toni Mannix Wasn’t Married When She Dated Superman (Hollywoodland Forever)
Palm Springs: Moguls, Mobsters and Movie Stars Launched California’s Desert Playland (Huffington Post)
The Curious Case of the George Reeves Car Accidents (The Adventures Continue)
Superman’s Girlfriend Leonore Lemmon Dies Drunk 1989 (RIP Los Angles)
Inside “New York’s New Yorkiest” Joint: The Legendary Stork Club (Gothamist)
The May 1989 Leonore Lemmon Interview
Barely a superhero show, Adventures of Superman was a surprise success (AV Club)
George Reeves’ Death, Hollywoodland Movie (ChasingTheFrog.com)
Credits
Hosted by Jake Brennan.
Written by Zeth Lundy.
Copy edited by Pat Healy.
Scored and mixed by Matt Tahaney.
Additional music and score elements by Ryan Spraker.
*illustrations by Avi Spivak @avispivak