The Death of Superman

There have been many incarnations of Superman. He has appeared in comic books, cartoons, tv shows, and movies. But perhaps the iconic Superman is the one created by George Reeves, who appeared as The Man of Steel from 1951-1958 in one movie (Superman and the Mole Men) and 104 television episodes. Reeves only took the role because he needed the work. He actually considered himself to be a film actor and looked down on television as an inferior medium. Later, after the huge success of Superman, he found himself typecast and unable to find work.

Reeves' big break in the movie business came in 1939 when he was cast in the blockbuster "Gone With the Wind." This excellent YouTube video chronicles both the show and Reeves' career. Especially poignant is Jack Larsen's (Jimmy Olsen) reminiscences about Reeves.

I was totally entranced by the show when I was a kid, and never missed an episode. Natually, I had the required gear, a bright red and blue Superman costume, complete with magic cape. I used to fly around the house and drive my mother crazy. Actually, I was hoping the cape might give me at least a couple of magic powers, and I briefly considered jumping off the roof of the house to see if I could fly, before thinking better of it.

So when I heard that Superman was dead, that he had shot himself, it was pretty devastating news. It didn't compute. I thought only kryptonite could kill Superman. If Superman could die, what other beliefs that I held sacred might prove to be untrue? Was Santa Claus for real? The tooth fairy? My mind boggled at the possibilities.

Mysteriously, the death was ruled a suicide, even though no fingerprints were found on the gun and the spent shell casing was found under his body. Suspicion fell on two of his girlfriends as possible suspects. The first, Toni Mannix, was married to a studio executive named Eddie Mannix, who was rumored to be a former crime boss. The second, Lenore Lemmon, was Reeves' fiancee and was present in his house the night he was shot. Even though a private detective concluded that he did not commit suicide, no one was ever arrested for his death.

A couple of years ago, a really great film called Hollywoodland chronicled the story of his death. But however he really died, his death contributed to a crisis of identity for a lot of grief-stricken American kids.