George Reeves facts for kids

Quick facts for kids George Reeves
Reeves in Stamp Day for Superman (1954)
Born	George Keefer Brewer (1914-01-05)January 5, 1914 Woolstock, Iowa, U.S.
Died	June 16, 1959(1959-06-16) (aged 45) Benedict Canyon, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Cause of death	Gunshot wound
Resting place	Mountain View Cemetery and Mausoleum, Altadena, California, U.S.
Other names	George Bessolo
Education	Polytechnic School
Alma mater	Pasadena Junior College
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1939–1959
Spouse(s)	Ellanora Needles ​ ​ (m. 1940; div. 1950)​

George Reeves (born George Keefer Brewer; January 5, 1914 – June 16, 1959) was an American actor. He is most famous for playing Superman in the TV show Adventures of Superman. This popular show ran from 1952 to 1958.

Early Life and Education

George Reeves was born on January 5, 1914, in Woolstock, Iowa. His birth name was George Keefer Brewer. His parents, Donald Carl Brewer and Helen Lescher, separated shortly after he was born. George and his mother moved to different places, including Ashland, Kentucky, and Galesburg, Illinois.

Later, his mother moved to California. There, she met and married Frank Joseph Bessolo. In 1927, when George was 13, Frank Bessolo adopted him. George then took his stepfather's last name, becoming George Bessolo. His parents' marriage ended in divorce.

George started acting and singing when he was in high school. He continued performing on stage while studying at Pasadena Junior College.

Starting His Acting Career

While studying acting at the Pasadena Playhouse, George Reeves met Ellanora Needles. They got married on September 22, 1940. They did not have children and divorced ten years later.

Reeves began his film career in 1939. He had a small role in the famous movie Gone with the Wind. He played Stuart Tarleton, one of Scarlett O'Hara's friends. After this movie, he signed a contract with Warner Brothers. This is when his professional name became George Reeves.

He appeared in many short films and "B-movies." These were smaller films that often played before the main movie. He even acted with future U.S. President Ronald Reagan in some of these films. However, these roles did not make him a big star.

Reeves later signed with Twentieth Century-Fox. He also worked with producer Alexander Korda. He appeared in five Hopalong Cassidy western movies. In 1942, he co-starred with Claudette Colbert in the war drama So Proudly We Hail!.

Serving in the Army

Inspired by his role in So Proudly We Hail!, George Reeves joined the U.S. Army in 1943. He was part of the U.S. Army Air Forces. He performed in a Broadway show called Winged Victory. This show toured the country and was even made into a movie.

After the war, Reeves returned to Hollywood. It was harder to find acting jobs then. He appeared in some low-budget films and even took a second job digging cesspools. In 1949, he moved to New York City. He performed on live television and radio shows. He returned to Hollywood in 1951 for a role in the film Rancho Notorious.

In 1953, Reeves had a small part in From Here to Eternity. This film won the Academy Award for Best Picture. This meant George Reeves had appeared in two "Best Picture" films, the other being Gone with the Wind.

Becoming Superman

In June 1951, George Reeves was offered the role of Superman in a new TV series. It was called Adventures of Superman. At first, he wasn't sure about taking the role. Many actors at the time thought TV was not as important as movies.

The show was filmed very quickly. They made at least two episodes every six days. All the scenes that took place in the same location, like "Perry White's office," would be filmed on the same day for several episodes.

Reeves's journey as Superman began with a movie called Superman and the Mole Men. This film was also the pilot for the TV series. After finishing the movie, they immediately started filming the first season of the TV show.

The series began airing in 1952. George Reeves quickly became a national celebrity. The ABC Network bought the show for national broadcast. This made him even more famous.

The actors on Superman had contracts that limited other work. This was to prevent conflicts with the show's schedule. The filming schedule for Superman was short, usually about seven weeks a year. However, a "30-day clause" meant producers could call them back for a new season with short notice. This made it hard for the actors to take on other long-term projects.

George Reeves earned extra money by making public appearances. He truly cared about his young fans. He took his role as a hero seriously. He avoided smoking cigarettes where children could see him and eventually quit smoking completely.

Between the first and second seasons of Superman, Reeves took on a few other acting jobs. He appeared in two feature films, Forever Female (1953) and The Blue Gardenia (1953). However, he became so strongly linked with Superman and Clark Kent that it was hard for him to find other types of roles.

Reeves worked hard to raise money for a disease called myasthenia gravis. He was the national chairman for the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation in 1955. He also appeared as Superman in a short film for the government called Stamp Day for Superman. In this film, he taught children about saving money with government stamps.

Reeves as Superman at the Patio Restaurant (1958)

After two seasons, Reeves was not happy with his salary. He also felt the role of Superman was too simple. He was 40 years old and wanted to try new things in his career. The show's producers even looked for a new actor to play Superman.

Reeves started his own production company. He planned a TV adventure series called Port of Entry. It would be filmed in Hawaii and Mexico. He even wrote the first script himself. However, the Superman producers offered him more money, so he returned to the series. He was reportedly earning $5,000 per week, but only when the show was being filmed. He was never able to get enough money to make Port of Entry.

In 1957, there were talks about making a Superman movie called Superman and the Secret Planet. In 1959, plans were made to film 26 new episodes of the TV series. Contracts were signed, and costumes were refitted. Noel Neill, who played Lois Lane, said the cast was ready to make more episodes of the popular show.

His friend Bill Walsh from Disney Studios gave Reeves a role in the movie Westward Ho the Wagons! (1956). In this film, Reeves wore a beard and mustache. This was his last movie role. To show he could do more than just Superman, Reeves sang on the Tony Bennett show in 1956. He also appeared as Superman on the TV show I Love Lucy in 1957.

Reeves, Noel Neill, and other cast members toured with a public show starting in 1957. The first part of the show was a Superman sketch. Reeves and Neill performed with another actor playing a villain. Superman would save Lois Lane from the bad guy. In the second part, Reeves would come out of costume. He would sing and play the guitar.

George Reeves was known for being a kind person. He had a sign on his dressing room door that said "Honest George, the people's friend." He was even made a "Kentucky Colonel" during a trip. The sign on his door was changed to "Honest George, also known as Col. Reeves."

Death

George Reeves died from a gunshot wound to the head on June 16, 1959. He was in his home in Benedict Canyon, California.

Reeves is buried at Mountain View Cemetery and Mausoleum in Altadena, California. In 1960, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in television. In 1985, DC Comics honored him in their 50th anniversary publication Fifty Who Made DC Great.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: George Reeves para niños