Inside the Shocking Case of Superman George Reeves’ 1959 Death

George Reeves was best known for being one of the first actors to play Superman, but his life was cut short when he died at age 45 in 1959.

Reeves’ death was officially ruled as suicide by a gunshot wound, but the end of his life has been a source of speculation because of the lack of physical evidence, mixed witness reports and twisted personal relationships.

Decades after Reeves died, people have continued investigating the mysterious details surrounding his death and contended that he may have been accidentally shot by his fiancée, Leonore Lemmon, after a night of drinking, per Straight Dope.

Two other theories revolve around Reeves’ affair with Toni Mannix and the dynamic with her husband, Eddie Mannix, who was a Hollywood production bigwig. Some have alleged that one or both of them orchestrated Reeves’ death after he ended his relationship with Toni to be with Lemmon.

“No one in Hollywood believed the suicide story,” Reeves’ friend Rory Calhoun told a reporter at the time, according to The U.S. Sun.

Here’s everything to know about George Reeves’ death and the theories surrounding it.

How did George Reeves die?

Reeves died of a single gunshot wound to the head. On the night of his death in June 1959, Reeves had returned from an evening out with his fiancée, Lemmon, according to The Guardian. After returning to their house around 11 p.m., Reeves retired for the night while Lemmon invited writer Robert Condon and two other friends over, per The Telegraph.

A little after 1 a.m., Reeves briefly ventured to the living room to ask Lemmon and her guests to quiet down. However, after he returned to his bedroom, Lemmon allegedly told her guests, per the Daily Beast, “He’s going upstairs to shoot himself.” The guests reportedly heard a sound from the bedroom but didn’t immediately call the police, and Lemmon later claimed that she was “only kidding” when she made the comments.

Shortly after authorities arrived, investigators struggled to find physical evidence. Fingerprints on the gun were never found, and no gunpowder residue was recovered on Reeves’ hands. In addition, witnesses claimed that they only heard one shot, but investigators found a total of three bullets fired from the same gun, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Finally, there was a shell casing found underneath his body, which was inconsistent with typical ballistics from a suicide, per The Guardian. However, since the death took place in 1959, many modern investigative practices were not yet in place.

When and where did George Reeves die?

Reeves died in the upstairs bedroom of his home at 1579 Benedict Canyon Drive in Los Angeles.

The fatal shot occurred between 1:30 and 2:00 a.m. on June 16, 1959, according to a report by the L.A. Police Department at the time. He was 45 years old.

What was George Reeves’ official cause of death?

After police investigated the witness statements, the minimal physical evidence and the medical coroner’s report, they officially ruled Reeves’ death a suicide. The case was never reopened.

What did George Reeves’ family and friends say about his death?

Although Reeves’ death was officially listed as a suicide, several of his friends and family members weren’t convinced. While there are differing reports on Reeves’ mental health at the time of his death, Noel Neill, his costar from Adventures of Superman, recalled him being “so full of life” and denied reports that he was “depressed.”

“I just saw George as someone so full of life, with so much going for him. I saw him two days before his death and he talked about a couple of films he was going to be making, taking a tour of Australia, and directing most of the new 1959 episodes,” Neill, who died in 2016, told Superman Homepage in 2007. “George was enjoying life to the fullest. He was happy and almost gleeful.”

She also pointed out the “unexplained facets” surrounding Reeves’ death and questioned why there were so many things that “were never explained.”

Reeves’ mother, Helen Bessolo, also didn’t believe that her son had died by suicide and was convinced that her son had been murdered. She hired an attorney to reinvestigate the death and succeeded in getting a second autopsy.

The second procedure revealed that there were unexplained bruises on his head and body, per The Telegraph. However, after a month of looking for answers, her hired attorney accepted the suicide explanation and Bessolo had her son cremated.

What are the ongoing theories surrounding Reeves’ death?

Reeves’ death has been a source of speculation and mystery for years. In addition, the 2006 film Hollywoodland, in which Ben Affleck played Reeves, stirred up new intrigue and theories. The movie delivered four possible theories — including suicide, an accidental death, a contract killing or a revenge killing.

The first theory, in line with the official cause of death, was supported by Lemmon’s claims that Reeves was depressed and struggling to find work outside of the Superman universe, per The Telegraph.

The second theory centered around Lemmon and Reeves’ relationship. On the night of his death, he was trying to sleep after an evening out, while Lemmon continued having people over at their home. Author Jim Nolt, who dedicated his career to researching Reeves, believed that Lemmon allegedly accidentally killed Reeves after they got into a heated argument over her guests.

“I think this made Leonore Lemmon very angry, that he treated her friend like that,” he told Unsolved Mysteries. “She went upstairs and I think an argument started. I think George told her that he had no plans to marry her, and that she became very angry and pulled out a gun. And I don’t think on purpose, but I think accidentally, shot George.”

Although Lemmon was initially considered a suspect, there was no physical evidence linking her to the crime. She died in 1989.

The final two theories revolve around Reeves’ relationship with Toni, whose husband was Eddie, the general manager of the studio and production company Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Toni and Reeves had been engaged in an affair for over a decade, but Eddie was allegedly aware of the relationship.

The dynamic changed in early 1959 when Reeves ended his relationship with Toni to get more serious with Lemmon. Toni was allegedly devastated by the split, which caused a chasm in her relationship with Eddie, per The Guardian. Some people believed that Toni allegedly killed Reeves out of heartbreak, while others were convinced that Eddie, who allegedly had ties to the mob, sent someone to kill Reeves so his wife could move on.

Eddie died in August 1963, while Toni died in September 1983. Fifteen years after Toni died, publicist Edward Lozzi alleged that he overheard her confessing to a priest that she had Reeves killed, according to The Guardian. Lozzi later told the Los Angeles Times that Toni allegedly confessed because “she was absolutely terrified of going to hell.”

Meanwhile, Phyllis Coates, who played Lois Lane alongside Reeves in Adventures of Superman claimed that Toni called her around 4:30 a.m. the night Reeves died. Coates alleged that Toni told her, “The boy is dead. He’s been murdered,” according to All That’s Interesting.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.