Superman’s Ghost

Today is the day Superman died. Actor George Reeves died at the age of 45 at his Benedict Canyon home from a gunshot wound that was ruled self-inflicted 59 years ago.

Without rehashing the entire case, the suicide ruling led many to believe that Reeves had ended his life because of his dissatisfaction with Hollywood typecasting. Indeed, Don McLean even wrote a song called “Superman’s Ghost” (and Reeves has been said to be haunting the Benedict Canyon home) with these lines in the chorus:

“I don’t want to be like old George Reeves
Stuck in a Superman role.”

 
“Old George Reeves” played the Man of Steel for 5 years on television in the 1950s and was a hero to a generation of kids, many of whom knew the opening lines from “The Adventures of Superman” as well as their bedtime prayers:

Faster than speeding bullet, More powerful than a locomotive
Able to leap tall buildings at a single bound,
Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird, it’s a plane,
It’s Superman!

Yes, it’s Superman, strange visitor from another planet who came to earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. Superman, who can change the course of mighty rivers, bend steel in his bare hands, and who, disguised as Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for a great Metropolitan newspaper, fights a never-ending battle for Truth, Justice and the American way.

It’s sad that the life of this man, who brought so much happiness to children, ended under such a cloud of controversy — and so young.

Guy Williams, who was pretty much typecast as Zorro, lived to be 65. Clayton Moore a.k.a. The Lone Ranger, made it to the ripe old age of 85.

Find-a-Death has a lot of information on Reeves’ death, including post-mortem photos.

Cecil Buffington has a great tribute page to the Adventures of Superman and George Reeves on his website that even features a picture of himself at age 9 in a Superman shirt.