If you are at all familiar with George Reeves, it is probably for his role as Superman/Clark Kent in The Adventures of Superman TV series which originally ran in the U.S. and Canada from 1953-58. Reeves longed to be taken seriously as an actor in Hollywood during the 1950s yet, for six years as Superman, he shared TV audiences with Howdy Doody and Captain Kangaroo.
George began his acting career in 1938 in Los Angeles. Seven of his first nine feature film roles went uncredited. One of the exceptions was Gone with the Wind (1939), in which he played Stuart Tarleton, one of Scarlett’s many suitors. His role as Sgt. Maylon Stark in From Here to Eternity in 1953 was reduced and went uncredited after test audience members would yell, “Hey, there’s Superman!”, whenever his character appeared onscreen.
So, after 14 years in the industry and working under contract for Warner Bros., then 20th Century-Fox and, finally, Paramount, George Reeves’ career was going nowhere fast. Between 1939 and 1953, Reeves appeared in 46 feature films, in roles such as: Southern Soldier in Trench; Trial Spectator; Steamship Clerk; Major Drewery’s Telegrapher; Wounded Messenger; and Distraught Player.
Then, in 1951, independent producer Robert Maxwell and DC Comics' editor Whitney Ellsworth were casting for a new TV series based on the Superman character. After auditioning numerous actors, they chose Reeves because of his physicality and screen presence. Reeves first played Superman/Clark Kent in the film Superman and the Mole-Men (1951), which acted as both a feature film and a pilot for the upcoming TV series.
At first, Reeves saw the Superman role as just another acting job during a period of career struggle and did not expect it to have significant long-term impact. Reeves considered his role as Superman as an interim opportunity rather than a major break - he reportedly thought the show would be a short-lived project, not the foundation for decades of celebrity.
As the show's popularity exploded and he became inseparably associated with the character, he grew increasingly frustrated with the limitations the role imposed on his broader acting career. This frustration grew over time as legitimate film opportunities faded, with Reeves eventually finding it nearly impossible to be cast in non-Superman parts due to industry typecasting.
Still, Reeves played Superman with dedication and brought warmth and integrity to the role, becoming beloved by audiences.
Back in 1951, just prior to the Superman opportunity, George Reeves was in New York performing in two live episodes of the TV dramatic series’, Suspense (Jan. 1951) and Lights Out (March 1951).
It was either during this time, or shortly after he returned to L.A. that he met Toni Mannix, the long-time mistress (since 1937) of Eddie Mannix, a powerful MGM studio exec/fixer with mob ties. Eddie and Toni were reported to have married in 1951. George and Toni’s seven-year affair began within months of this “wedding”. Toni was eight years older than George and by many reports, pretty immediately took to calling him “the boy” to her friends.
Toni Lanier Mannix and her husband, MGM VP, Eddie Mannix at a Hollywood club, early 1950’s
Toni began her show business career as a Ziegfeld Follies dancer in New York. In fact, Flo Ziegfeld famously insured Toni’s legs for $1,000,000 sometime during the mid-1930s, leading to Toni being known as “The girl with the million-dollar legs”. After the resulting publicity, the insured amount was reduced to $25,000 per leg.
Eddie and Toni’s relationship is thought to have begun sometime during the filming of The Great Ziegfeld in Los Angeles in late 1935. At the time, Eddie was still married to Bernice Fitzmaurice. Bernice became aware of the affair and relocated from her and Eddie’s L.A. mansion to the Palm Springs area, filing for divorce in late 1937.
This situation foretold a very messy and expensive breakup from Eddie’s point of view. But, as fate would have it, Bernice died in a tragic auto crash outside of Palm Springs on November 18, 1937. There were rumors at the time of Eddie’s involvement, but the crash was never investigated as anything other than a tragic accident.
How, you may ask, was Toni Mannix able to carry on a very public and lengthy affair with George Reeves while married to and living with Eddie?
Eddie Mannix was a profligate womanizer. For an important MGM VP like Eddie, beautiful young aspiring actresses were readily available and often willing. Toni’s affair with George was actually perfect for him - his wife performed as a beautiful hostess for his dinner parties and her relationship with George meant that she could not criticize him for his infidelities.
George, Toni and Sam the schnauzer during happier times. Est date: 1958/57
In fact, Toni supported George … with Eddie’s money! She provided the down payment for George’s Benedict Canyon home (their love nest), she also bought him a 1957 Jaguar XK-140, provided most of his clothes and paid for his food and always-large liquor store bills.
1957 Jaguar XK-140 (similar to the car Toni bought for George)
Even though he was the star AND played two roles, George was only paid $2,500 per Superman episode - and for the last four seasons only 13 episodes were produced per year. On top of that, George and the rest of the show’s cast were contractually forbidden from taking other work for most of each year.
As a result, Toni’s/Eddie’s money was necessary for George to successfully play his off-screen role as boyfriend to a wealthy woman.
By all accounts from castmates and friends, George and Toni were very happy and in love for the seven years they were together. Toni would regularly visit the Superman set bringing lunch and a thermos of chilled martinis for she and George. They were a regular couple at the best Hollywood clubs and restaurants.
As their relationship evolved, Toni became more and more possessive. By 1958 she was 52 years old and clinging tightly to her relationship with George. Eddie was appreciative of George’s relationship with Toni. It kept her out of his hair.
But in 1958 that was all to change.
George went to New York City in 1958 primarily to pursue career opportunities following the end of his "Adventures of Superman" series. He was trying to break away from being typecast as The Man of Steel and sought financing for new projects, including a travel adventure show called "Port of Entry" and overall was making public appearances, performing, and networking for potential roles.
During a visit to the well-known NYC restaurant and celebrity hangout, Toots Shor’s, George was introduced to 35-year-old socialite and self-described party girl, Lenore Lemmon.
Lemmon also fit the description of a gold digger. In 1941 she married Jacob (Jakie) Webb, a great-great-grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt. Three days after they eloped to Moncks Corner, S.C. (her wedding ring was a bottle opener), Webb was arrested at the Waldorf-Astoria for bouncing two checks during their honeymoon. Lenore quickly realized he had no money and left him 5 days later.
Earlier in 1941 Lemmon was kicked out of the famous Stork Club in New York City for engaging in a fistfight. The fight reportedly started when her dancing partner's wife objected, leading to a brawl that resulted in Lemmon being the first woman ever ejected from the nightclub for fighting.
George Reeves with Lenore Lemmon (l); Reeves with Toni Mannix (r)
Lemmon and Reeves’ romantic relationship began soon after their casual introduction. Lemmon then quickly moved to Los Angeles to be with Reeves, leading to their stormy, high-profile engagement. Toni Mannix soon got wind of this other woman’s claim on “her boy” and was not about to let George go without a fight.
Further complicating this love triangle was the fact that Eddie was now having to put up with Toni’s hysteria and obsession with winning George back.
End of Part 1 of 2