Today marks the 103rd anniversary of the birthday of the second actor to play Superman George Reeves.
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Reeves was the star of Adventures of Superman, which ran from 1951 to 1958. Reeves appeared in 104 episodes of the show, and he also appeared in the 1951 film Superman and the Mole Men.
Born George Keefer Brewer January 5, 1914 in Woolstock, Iowa, Reeves’ film career began in 1939 when he was cast as Stuart Tarleton, one of the Tarleton Twins and a Scarlett O’Hara suitor in the film classic, Gone with the Wind. Reeves only appeared in the film for a minor role but its unprecedented success resulted in a contract for Reeves with Warner Brothers who changed his professional name to the one we know today.
Reeves’ television and filmography credits (which score over 80 according to his IMDb profile) is nothing short of stellar. Throughout his career he worked with Hollywood icons such as James Cagney, Ronald Reagan, Lucille Ball and Tony Bennett.
He passed away on June 16, 1959 at the age of 45. While the official finding for Reeves cause of death was suicide by gunshot, there are some that believe that he was either murdered or the victim of an accidental shooting.
Reeves’ life was showcased in the 2006 film, Hollywoodland, where the Superman actor was portrayed by Ben Affleck. Or course, Affleck has since taken over the role of Batman, appearing in 2016’s Batman V. Superman and in the upcoming Justice League.
