![]() Maylon Stark in Fred Zinneman's classic, "From Here to Eternity" (1953). ![]() Episodes for the fledgling program were filmed throughout 1951 while Reeves shot the final substantial roles in his film career - turns in two Fritz Lang films, "Rancho Notorious" and "The Blue Gardenia," as well as a supporting (and uncredited) role as Sgt. The film's producers were so impressed by Reeves' talent and bulked-out presence (he stood 6'1") that they signed him to a seven-year contract to play Superman in a television series in development. In 1950, he replaced actor Kirk Alyn as Superman in an hour-long b-movie titled "Superman and the Mole Men" (1951). Reeves found sporadic work in low-budget films and on the new medium of television, but it became apparent to him that his shot at stardom was slipping away as the years went by.īut his fortunes were about to change. Reeves' career so desperately needed, and by the time he returned to civilian life in 1945, the roles were simply not available to him. Reeves also married actress Ellanora Needles during this period, though the pair separated in 1950.īut service during WWII brought a halt to the momentum that Sgt. Eventually, more substantial parts came to Reeves he appeared opposite James Cagney in "The Strawberry Blonde" (1941) and received the best notices of his career as Claudette Colbert's military suitor in the wartime melodrama "So Proudly We Hail" (1943). For that reason, he alternated his film appearances with stage work at the Pasadena Playhouse. After this brief brush with greatness, however, it was back to the b-movies at Warner and Universal, where Reeves would often appear in uncredited roles - including one in the Ronald Reagan "Win one for the Gipper" classic, "Knute Rockne: All-American" (1940). A major highlight among his early titles was in landing a brief supporting turn as Stuart Tarleton, one of Scarlett O'Hara's twin suitors in the opening scene of the monster hit classic, "Gone with the Wind" (1939). Newly named George Reeves, he made his film debut the following year in a string of B-pictures. In true old school Tinseltown fashion, in 1938, Reeves was approached by a Hollywood agent who signed the handsome young man to a contract with Warner Bros. An amateur boxer and musician in his youth and early adulthood, Reeves also took to acting by studying at the prestigious Pasadena Playhouse, where he would appear in numerous productions over the course of his career. ![]() 5, 1914 in Woolstock, IA, Reeves relocated to Pasadena, CA during his childhood, changing his surname to Bessolo after his stepfather adopted him. And though said career was dominated by his portrayal of the Man of Steel in the syndicated television series "Adventures of Superman" (1952-58), Reeves did enjoy a substantial career on stage and in film and television for almost 20 years.īorn George Keefer Brewster on Jan. Even after almost a half-century, the mystery surrounding the untimely death of actor George Reeves remained such a potent and fascinating piece of Hollywood legend - it had been the subject of countless articles, books, and one film, the neo-noir "Hollywoodland" (2006) - that one could easily forget that the man himself as well as his long time acting career prior to his demise.
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