Today’s film is a mystery drama with scenes that occur on June
16. I hope you will watch this film tonight and enjoy it.
HOLLYWOODLAND
In the early morning hours of
June 16, 1959 [00:30 to 2:49] actor George Reeves is found dead and the police
say it was suicide by gunshot. Down and out private eye Louis Simo is tracked
down by Mr. Sinclair, a client who had hired Louis to track his wife. Louis
visits his ex-wife and learns his son and other children are upset by Reeves
apparent suicide. A former colleague refers Louis to Helen Bessolo, Reeves
mother. She does not think the death
was a suicide and hires Louis to investigate.
We flashback to 1951 when Reeves meets Toni and they have a one night
stand. The next day he learns she’s the wife of a powerful Hollywood executive
Eddie Mannix. Reeves wants to end the relationship with Toni, as George is
convinced Eddie’s hostility would destroy any hope of reviving his sagging
career. She convinces him Eddie won’t care and they begin an affair. Toni
showers George with gifts, and then he gets the starring role on The
Adventures of Superman television show. George wants to play more serious
roles. Louis’s son burns the Superman costume Louis had given him and almost
burns his mom’s house down. Louis takes Mrs. Bessolo to George’s house and
points out some items that are inconsistent with suicide. Louis learns that
Reeves was not going to marry Leonore Lemmon, his supposed fiancée. Louis tries
and fails to meet with Toni Mannix and at Reeves’ funeral he’s warned by Howard Strickling to leave the case alone. Instead Louis becomes
even more aggressive in pushing a murder theory. In 1953, The Adventures of
Superman becomes super popular with children. At an advance screening of From
Here to Eternity, after the audience identifies Reeves with Superman, his
part is severely trimmed for the final cut. Louis is assaulted and again warned
off the case. He becomes depressed when Mr. Sinclair kills his wife. Drunk
Louis goes to his son’s school and scares the boy. Louis learns Mrs, Bessolo
was hated by George after she falsely told him his father had committed suicide
by shooting himself. In 1958 after Superman is cancelled Reeves goes to New
York to find work and meets Lenore Lemmon.
Reeves ends it with Toni. Louis imagines three different scenarios for Reeves
death. In one Leonore shoots him, in another agents of Eddie Mannix kill him
and in the last he kills himself. Louis realizes Reeves life in some ways
parallels his own and the ending suggests he’s going to try and reform himself.
A hard film to summarize, due to the flashbacks. A very good character development film. At
the end you feel like you really know Reeves and Simo. Never really comes down
conclusively on the question of whether Reeves death was suicide or murder.
Superman vs. Hollywood by Jake Rossen (Chicago Review
Press, Chicago, 2008) at page 37 and the film at 1:06 give his death date
Producer - Glenn Williamson
Director - Allen Coulter
Runtime – 2 hours 6 minutes
Released – September 8. 2006
Starring –
Adrien Brody as Louis Simo
Ben Affleck as George Reeves
Diane Lane as Toni Mannix
Bob Hoskins as Eddie Mannix
Robin Tunney as Leonore Lemmon
Lois Smith as Helen Bessolo
Larry Cedar as Chester Sinclair
Joe Spano as Howard Strickling
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