George Reeves (1914-1959)

 

  George Reeves (Birth name: George Keefer Brewer) was born January 5, 1914. George was born in Woolstock, Iowa to his parents Helen Roberta (Lescher) and Donald C. Brewster, after the divorce of his parents George was later raised in Pasadena, California and educated in Pasadena, Junior College.

  George was a boxer and musician. Reeves started acting as an interned actor at the famous Pasadena, Playhouse where he built his acting in many plays leading him to be discovered by casting director Maxwell Arnow, Reeves was given the role of Stuart Tarleton in Gone With The Wind (1939). Over the course of ten years Reeves was a star and got signed with Warner Bros, MGM, and Paramount Pictures.

  After the success of So Proudly We Hail (1943) and getting his stage name George Reeves, George paused his career to enlist in the army as he was part of a special theatrical unit for military training films. 

  Reeves would be known in film and his acting paid him a huge role in television. Reeves would take the role of Superman in The Adventures of Superman (1952-1958), this made Reeves very well known and he would be watched by children all over the world. However this was concerning Reeves as he worried what the role would do to his career, and sadly as Reeves was casted for a momentary role in From Here to Eternity (1953) as he got a small part to the film and wasn't credited in it, this film would be his last role in film.

  By 1957 The Adventures of Superman would be canceled after five seasons this ended George’s acting career. Reeves later fell in love with Toni Mannix wife of Eddie Mannix vice president of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and after breaking off with Toni he found a new lover and began a new relationship with a young New Yorker named Leonore Lemmon, sadly Toni was harassing the couple leaving Reeves to get a restraining order on Mannix.

  On June 16, 1959 George Keefer Brewster was found dead at age 45 in his bedroom gunshot to the head. The death is still unsolved to this day due to the autopsy having no clear cause of death, this lead to people speculating whether it was suicide or murder.

  Reason I wrote this biography and will be writing more is I believe actors like George Reeves had a wonderful legacy that touched many hearts. It's sad knowing a man like Reeves was given such great roles and we have forgotten these actors I believe that with all the possible fears people had and especially children during the 1950's men like Reeves got roles that probably helped many people in scary times. 

  When I learned Reeves was the first man to play superman and what the tv show was like I put myself into research. I learned this poor man suffered terrible treatment in the near end of his career and suffered tragically at the end of his life.