George
Keefer Brewer was born on January 5, 1914 in Woolstock, Iowa to
Helen Lescher and Don Brewer. After the Brewers divorced, Frank
Bessolo married Helen and adopted George as his son. That marriage
too was ill-fated, and George was left without a father. In his
youth, he began what he hoped would be a career in boxing, while
also doing parts in community theatre using his adoptive father's
last name "Bessolo". The roles kept coming, then came
his big break, a small role in what would be one of the biggest
films in the biggest year film has ever known; Gone With The Wind.
In 1939, just before George filmed his role as Stuart Tarlton
in Gone With The Wind, his name was changed to Reeves. (George
is incorrectly listed as Brent Tarlton in the opening credits
to the film.) As small a part as it was...next time someone asks
you who was the first man to speak in "Gone With The Wind",
you tell them it was "George Reeves".
George Reeves, who had made his movie debut in Gone With the
Wind, became so typecast by his TV Superman role that he could
not get other work. Although there were conflicting stories surrounding
his death on June 16, 1959 --including one that the series was
about to return to production--the coroner's verdict was that
he had committed suicide by shooting himself in the head.
The Adventures of Superman Cast
Superman/Clark Kent ....... George Reeves
Lois Lane ............................(1951-1952) Phyllis
Coates
Lois Lane..............................(1953-1957)
Noel Neill
Jimmy Olsen ........................ Jack Larson
Perry White ........................ John Hamilton
Inspector Henderson .......... Robert Shayne
Professor Pepperwinkle ................................
Phillips Tead
Producers: Bob Maxwell, Bernard Luber (first season)
Whitney Ellsworth (1953-1957)
Theme score: Leon Klatzkin |
 |
Films in which George Reeves appeared...
1939: Gone With The Wind, The Monroe Doctrine, Ride
Cowboy Ride, Pony Express Days, Smashing the Money Ring, Espionage
Agent, Four Wives, On Dress Parade
1940: Tear Gas Squad, The Fighting 69th, Torrid Zone, Argentine
Nights, Gambling on the High Seas, Till We Meet Again, Father
is a Prince, Ladies Must Live, Virginia City, Calling All Husbands,
Calling Philo Vance, Knute Rockne -- All American, The Man Who
Talked Too Much, Always A Bride
1941: Strawberry Blonde, Lydia, Dead Men Tell, Man At Large,
Blood and Sand, Blue White and Perfect
1942: Hoppy Serves A Writ, The Leather Burners, Last Will and
Testament of Tom Smith, Bar 20, The Mad Martindales, Colt Comrades
1943: So Proudly We Hail!, Border Patrol
1944: Winged Victory
1947: Variety Girl, Champagne For Two
1948: Sainted Sisters, Special Agent, Jungle Jim, Thunder In
The Pines, Jungle Goddess
1949: Adventures of Sir Galahad (a serial), The Great Lover,
Samson and Delilah, The Mutineers
1950: The Good Humor Man
1951: Superman And The Mole-Men
1952: Rancho Notorious, Bugles In The Afternoon
1953: From Here To Eternity,Forever Female, The Blue Gardenia
1956: Westward Ho The Wagons
Source-Internet Movie Database
