Quick Facts
- NAME: George Reeves
- OCCUPATION: Film Actor, Television Actor
- BIRTH DATE: January 05, 1914
- DEATH DATE: June 16, 1959
- EDUCATION: Pasadena Junior College
- PLACE OF BIRTH: Woolstock, Iowa
- PLACE OF DEATH: Beverly Hills, California
- Originally: George Brewer
Best Known For
Actor George Reeves was best known as Superman on the popular 1950s television show. It made him a household name, but brought an end to his film career.
Quiz
Think you know about Biography?
Answer questions and see how you rank against other players.
Play NowGeorge Reeves. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 10:21, May 20, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/george-reeves-9542357.
George Reeves. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/george-reeves-9542357 [Accessed 20 May 2013].
"George Reeves." 2013. The Biography Channel website. May 20 2013, 10:21 http://www.biography.com/people/george-reeves-9542357.
"George Reeves," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/george-reeves-9542357 [accessed May 20, 2013].
"George Reeves," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/george-reeves-9542357 (accessed May 20, 2013).
George Reeves [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 May 20] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/george-reeves-9542357.
George Reeves, http://www.biography.com/people/george-reeves-9542357 (last visited May 20, 2013).
George Reeves. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/george-reeves-9542357. Accessed May 20, 2013.
Synopsis
Early Life
Actor. Born George Brewer, on January 5, 1914, in the tiny farming community of Woolstock, Iowa. George was the only son of Don and Helen Brewer, who divorced within a few months of his birth. Shortly after, Helen and her newborn son moved to Pasadena, California, where she met and married Frank Bessolo.After graduating from high school, George enrolled at Pasadena Junior College, where he turned his attention toward music and acting, joining the acappella choir, playing guitar, and performing in school plays. In 1935, at the age of 21, he joined one of the America's most prestigious theaters: the Pasadena Community Playhouse. Over the next four years, he appeared in dozens of playhouse productions.
Breakthrough Role
George received his big break when scouting agents for Hollywood producer David O. Selznick cast him as Stuart Tarleton in the legendary film Gone With the Wind (1939), starring Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable. His part in the film led to a contract with Warner Bros. Studios, who convinced George to adopt the stage name Reeves.Although Reeves earned acclaim for his performance in Gone With the Wind, he went on to appear in a succession of less than memorable projects, including Tear Gas Squad, Calling All Husbands (both 1940), and Man at Large (1941). However, in 1943, Reeves landed his first starring role in the box office hit So Proudly We Hail!, in which he played a wounded World War II soldier who falls in love with costar Claudette Colbert.
Shortly after the film's release, Reeves put his career on hold to enlist in the army. Joining the Special Theatrical Unit of the U.S. Army Air Corps, he appeared in several training films, including a movie on the dangers of venereal disease. While stationed in New York, a theater director cast Reeves in a small role in the play Winged Victory. After the show's run on Broadway, he toured the country with the production company.
The Adventures of Superman
In 1946, at the end of the war, Reeves returned to California. Over the next few years, his only film roles were in low-budget embarrassments like Jungle Goddess and Thunder in the Pines (both 1948). Frustrated with dwindling opportunities in film, Reeves directed his efforts toward television work. In 1951, he reluctantly accepted the title role in the TV series The Adventures of Superman.profile name: George Reeves profile occupation:
Your Connections
Sign in with Facebook to see how you and your friends are connected to famous icons.
Profile Connections
Included In These Groups
-
Mysterious Deaths
View groupAn unsolved crime never fails to fascinate us, especially when it involves the death of a celebrity. Over the years many famous individuals, from movie stars to politicians to rockers, have died in mysterious circumstances. Conspiracy theories and accusations of foul play abound, but we may never know fact from fiction. Here's a look at some of the most famous mysterious deaths.
Mysterious Deaths 28 people in this group
-
Onscreen Superheroes
View groupThe world craves the idea of unattainable perfection, and the superhero—an aspirational figure who is stronger, faster and smarter than the average human—is the epitome of human perfection. For more than two centuries, philosophers, comic book artists, writers and academics have debated the role of the superhero, from how they should interact with society to what they should wear when they're saving the world. And now, with the rash of superhero films in Hollywood, the debate becomes who should portray these larger-than-life characters on the big screen. Here are the actors and actresses who have been chosen to represent the mighty superhero. Whether it's running faster than the speed of light or stopping a speeding train with one hand, these performers are renowned for bringing the vision of the superhero to reality.
Onscreen Superheroes 36 people in this group
-
Famous Capricorns 496 people in this group

June Carter Cash
Musical Monikers
Justin Bieber
My Ghost Story
I Survived
Babe Ruth
Johnny Cash
Georgia O'Keefe
I Survived



