This is a paper I did for English in college. It was slightly rushed, but I think it turned out all right. The original assignment was to pick a controversial subject, and argue one side to the reader. There was a list to choose from, mostly government related (like Capital Punishment) but I proposed this to the teacher, and she said if it was anyone else, she'd make them choose something else, but she had confidence in my abilities. I'll always appreciate that. See what YOU think, though.


The Mysterious Death of George Reeves


On June 15, 1959 a man was shot and killed by a single bullet to the temple. The event happened in the home of George Reeves, the actor who portrayed Superman and publicly had the problem of being typecast in the role. At the moment, Reeves’ Superman show was over, after six seasons and a decision to try real movies. The icon had been enjoying fame and success still, though, and now enjoyed an exciting nightlife. The night life had brought him into a long relationship and engagement to Toni Mannix, the soon-to-be-ex-wife of Eddie Mannix - an extremely powerful MGM executive, who just so happens to have a lot of mob ties, reportedly. Reeves found himself meeting Lenore Lemmon, though, and immediately fell in love. Soon he found himself engaged to her instead. Ironic, that on June 15, 1959, George found himself sharing his crazy nightlife with Toni, Eddie, and Lenore - three days before the wedding. Smoking, card playing, and a lot of booze made up the majority of the ingredients for the night. Oh yeah, and a loaded gun.

In the late hours, George retired to the upstairs bedroom, where he showered and went to lay down, while the company downstairs finished their drinks and called it a night. What happened there is a mysterious haze, but with a time that haze is clearing. A gunshot was heard, and George was found dead, a gun at his feet, and a bullet in his temple. Superman was dead. The LAPD's Chief Parker wound up being on the case, and ultimately, and quickly, settled for suicide. A little too quickly, on account of the day after the autopsy and the verdict, a carpet was pulled up revealing three bullet holes
Unexpectedly, Lenore Lemmon took the blame for that, stating she had been playing with the gun earlier and accidentally fired some shots.

Now too look at some of the clues. Jack Larson, a good friend of George's on and off the screen, played Jimmy Olsen on the acclaimed serial. He apparently remained true to his hero in death, because he often found himself in interviews stating George would never kill himself. The studio had just agreed to film a new season of Superman in 1960, and George agreed. He was about to get married, have a re-claimed role as the world's greatest hero, and make a new movie in Spain. Money and success were not this actor's problem. The mob was. Toni Mannix is the obvious choice when choosing a murderer, as well she should be. An uncontrollable temper, failing health, and the loss of her beloved George on top of her secret being found out by the fearsome Eddie Mannix. Things were only getting worse with Reeves about to be married, and just about home free. The Mannix's were the ones with power there, and their also the ones who knew they’d get away with murder, quite literally. While they could, they organized a night to which they could extract their revenge, and in that disgusting way of the mobs, keep their dignity. It took 40 minutes for the gang to call the police about George's death, no doubt enough time for the Mannix's sober up and set Lenore Lemmon straight on what she would have to do and say to protect herself and her family. They didn't exactly have their set up perfectly clean, though.

There was no gun powder residue on Reeves’ face, meaning the shot was fired away from the temple, not up to it. Also, the gun was found between his feet, and the bullet shell under his back. Not exactly a common physical situation for a suicide. The hidden bullet holes were pretty much a clincher for the fact that it wasn't in fact one clean shot, but four, and a little bit of mob power to blame it on the fiancée. Still, there wasn't enough proof to send the Mannix's to where they belong, and the most likely paid Chief Parker off as well, if they knew how to run their organized crimes well that is. However, throughout the years, Jack Larson remained friends with Toni Mannix, and ,recently, she passed away. At the same time, Jack Larson was publicly proven to be gay, and changed his story about George's death. Larson is now claiming it was in fact suicide. While the majority of people might assume on her deathbed, Mannix told her good friend Larson that she was indeed innocent and now the case is solved, the fact that Larson had come out with his homosexual secret at such an old age, and changed his story on the Reeves death at the same time all happened to soon to not be a coincidence. Those mob ties may still reign true today, and Toni probably threatened Larson in the same crude way Lenore Lemmon was threatened, towards either himself or his family. And possibly, the gay reveal already may have created a drift with Larson's family, as example of her power. It may be a matter of Larson's death to finally reveal the truth on this case. Perhaps we'll never know for sure. All that can be said for now is that the facts, upon deep look, really do look like a sloppy murder. Either everyone is lying, or everyone is telling the truth.

In the final days of Chief Parker’s life, the detective who originally handled the case, he told a reporter that “All the evidence in the George Reeves death really made it look like murder, not a suicide.” Parker may have been hinting to the truth, as he probably wasn’t as tied to the case in retirement, nor to the Mannix family. Whether he took a bribe or responded to a threat, its obvious the LAPD’s official decision on the case is in fact wrong, just a reflection of how social power at time had such an effect on the law. The life of George Reeves is still held in high regard and respect to this day, and his death is becoming less of a controversy and more of a classic 1950’s murder mystery. Many books, and even a movie in development, has covered the tale of Reeve’s death. His friend’s and family have provided much insight into the man over the years, but it looks clearer than ever that this is a story of late night socialites at their worst. Nevertheless, the memory of Reeves will remain strong, forever and ever, perhaps destined to be a hero to all even from way back then to now. Regardless of that reputation, though, the facts as well as the opinions of some involved persons arguably prove that George Reeves was sloppily murdered on June 15th, 1959.