George Reeves

His birth date is often given as April 5, 1914, but that was due to his actual birth date, January 5, being considerably less than nine months after his parents' wedding. His mother lied even to him about his birth date and it was not until adulthood that he learned the truth. To further confuse matters, his mother made a mistake when having the urn containing his ashes inscribed, and thus his burial urn reads January 6 instead of January 5.

George Reeves was born George Keefer Brewer in Woolstock, Iowa, to Helen Roberta (Lescher) and Donald C. Brewer. He was of German, English, and Scottish descent. Following his parents' divorce and his mother's remarriage to Frank J. Bessolo, Reeves was raised in Pasadena, California, and educated at Pasadena Junior College. He was a skilled amateur boxer and musician. He interned as an actor at the famed Pasadena Playhouse, performed in dozens of plays, and was discovered there by casting director Maxwell Arnow. He was cast as Stuart Tarleton in Gone with the Wind (1939). While shooting the film, he appeared in another play at the Pasadena Playhouse and was seen there and signed by Warner Bros. studios. Over the next ten years he was contracted to Warners, Fox and Paramount.

He achieved near-stardom as the male lead in So Proudly We Hail! (1943), but war service interrupted his career, and after he returned it never regained the same level. While in the Army Air Corps he appeared on Broadway in "Winged Victory", then made training films. Career difficulties after the war led him to move to New York for live television.

At 37 years old, he was the joint oldest actor to make his live-action debut as Clark Kent / Superman. Kirk Alyn was the same age when he made his first appearance in the role in Superman (1948).

A false story has circulated that Reeves auditioned for the role of Samson in Samson and Delilah (1949) but lost the role to Victor Mature. Reeves was never under consideration for the role of Samson. However, he was given a role as the Wounded Messenger at the recommendation of Mature, who was very loyal to his friends from his student days at the Pasadena Community Playhouse. Many of the smaller roles in Samson and Delilah (1949) were played by Mature's friends from Pasadena.The source for the rumor is most likely confusion over the similar name of the bodybuilder/actor who was considered for the role of Samson. The actor who auditioned for the role was in fact, Steve Reeves, (Mr. Universe, 1950.) Steve refused the role when Cecil B. DeMille demanded that he lose fifteen pounds of muscle. The role eventually went to Victor Mature, when Burt Lancaster wasn't available.

Personally defended Noel Neill when she replaced Phyllis Coates as Lois Lane in the second season of the Superman TV series when he felt the director was being too harsh with her. He also defended Robert Shayne, who played Inspector Henderson, when Shayne was accused of being a radical during the 1950s witch hunt and was in danger of losing his job. Producer Whitney Ellsworth also defended Shayne along with Reeves.

Another false story has Reeves appearing as a bespectacled TV news reporter in Day the Earth Stood Still, The (1951). In reality, the actor playing the role bears no resemblance to Reeves, and in a 1995 interview with Reeves biographer Jim Beaver, director Robert Wise stated unequivocally that it is not Reeves in the role. It appears that someone jumped to conclusions based on the image of a reporter wearing glasses and thus resembling roughly the image of Superman alter-ego Clark Kent. Reeves had nothing to do with the film in any capacity.

It was television where he achieved the kind of fame that had eluded him in films, as he was cast in the lead of the now-iconic Adventures of Superman (1952).

Served with actress and friend, Virginia Grey, as chairperson of autograph booth for Fiesta Sunday, a fundraiser for Rancho San Antonio, the Boys Town of the West, Fifth Annual Benefit, sponsored by Knights of Columbus of the Southern California Chapter on September 19, 1954, Chatsworth, California.

On April 15, 1955, he made a rare public appearance as Superman at the annual Cub Scout Jamboree at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, where he patiently met hundreds of Cub Scout fans and signed autographs of himself as Superman in his famous costume.

On June 16, 1959, he was found shot to death at his home in Hollywood, California. To this day, there is still controversy over whether he killed himself or was murdered.

Actor Jim Beaver is at this writing (2006) preparing the definitive biographical book on Reeves's life, and served as historical consultant on the film about Reeves's death, Hollywoodland (2006).