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59-668: TV Superman George Reeves and a troupe including Noel Neill , Gene Lebell , Chaz Chase , and The Florida Trio performed two shows at the center on August 31, 1957. On September 25, 1960, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at the Park Center after an invitation from the local NAACP chapter. He had been invited to speak in Charlotte in 1958; however, he suffered a stabbing in New York that canceled his visit. The building

118-548: A screen test with Teddi for the Hopalong Cassidy films. Reeves and Sherman impressed the casting director by performing seven pages of script in a single take without pause. Reeves appeared in five Hopalong Cassidy westerns before being cast as Lieutenant John Summers opposite Claudette Colbert in So Proudly We Hail! (1942), a war drama for Paramount Pictures , which signed Reeves up for two films

177-493: A dramatic actor. At 40 years old, he also felt uncomfortable playing such an intensely physical role. Eager to jump-start his failing career, Reeves established his own production company and conceived a TV adventure series called Port of Entry , which was to be shot on location in Hawaii and Mexico. Reeves wrote the pilot script himself. However, the producers of Superman , unable to find a suitable replacement, lured him back to

236-472: A fictional investigator loosely based on actual detective Milo Speriglio, dramatizes the investigation of Reeves's death. The film suggests three possible scenarios: accidental shooting by Lemmon, murder by an unnamed hitman under orders from Eddie Mannix, and suicide. A computer graphics version of Reeves as Superman appears in the DC Extended Universe film The Flash (2023). The use of

295-463: A living, but those options apparently all involved playing Superman again—a role that he was not eager to reprise at age 45. Jack Larson and Noel Neill both remembered Reeves as a noble Southern gentleman (even though he was from Iowa) with a sign on his dressing room door that said "Honest George, the people's friend". Reeves had been made a " Kentucky Colonel " during a publicity trip in the South, and

354-755: A prominent role in Westward Ho the Wagons! (1956), in which Reeves wore a beard and mustache; it would be his final film appearance. Attempting to showcase his versatility, Reeves performed a song on the Tony Bennett show in August 1956. He appeared as Superman on I Love Lucy (Episode #166, " Lucy and Superman ") in 1957. Character actor Ben Welden had acted with Reeves in the Warner Bros. days and frequently guest-starred on Superman . He said, "After

413-472: A reinvestigation of the case as a possible homicide . The findings of a second autopsy, conducted at Giesler's request, were the same as the first, except for a series of bruises of unknown origin about the head and body. A month later, having uncovered no evidence contradicting the official finding, Giesler announced that he was satisfied that the gunshot wound had been self-inflicted and withdrew. Actors Alan Ladd and Gig Young were reportedly skeptical of

472-523: A role in a Fritz Lang film, Rancho Notorious . In 1953, Reeves played a minor character, Sergeant Maylon Stark, in From Here to Eternity . The film won the Academy Award for Best Picture and gave Reeves the distinction of having appeared in two "Best Picture" films. In June 1951, Reeves was offered the role of Superman in a new television series titled Adventures of Superman . He

531-626: A romantic relationship with Toni Mannix , wife of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer general manager Eddie Mannix . In the documentary Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman , Jack Larson said that, when he first met Reeves, he told him that he enjoyed his performance in So Proudly We Hail! According to Larson, Reeves said that if Mark Sandrich had not died, he would not be there in "this monkey suit". According to Larson, Reeves also said he would feel better about

590-518: A second job digging cesspools . Reeves fit the rugged requirements of the roles, and, with his excellent memory for dialogue, he did well under rushed production conditions. He was able to play against type, starring as a villainous gold hunter in a Johnny Weissmuller Jungle Jim film. After separating from his wife, Reeves moved to New York City in 1949 (their divorce became final in 1950). He performed on live television anthology programs, as well as on radio, and then returned to Hollywood in 1951 for

649-496: A second person was in the room. Despite the unanswered questions, Reeves's death was officially ruled a suicide, based on witness statements, physical evidence at the scene, and the autopsy report. In contemporaneous news articles, Lemmon attributed Reeves's alleged suicide to depression caused by his "failed career" and inability to find more work. The report made by the LAPD states, "[Reeves was]... depressed because he couldn't get

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708-623: A year. However, Reeves was inspired by So Proudly We Hail! to put his budding acting career on hold and enlist in the U.S. Army . He was drafted in early 1943. He was assigned to the U.S. Army Air Forces and performed in the USAAF's Broadway show Winged Victory . The long Broadway run was followed by a national tour and a movie version. Reeves was then transferred to the Army Air Force’s First Motion Picture Unit , where he made training films. Discharged at

767-566: Is located at 42°34′0″N 93°50′42″W  /  42.56667°N 93.84500°W  / 42.56667; -93.84500 (42.566730, -93.845030) just north of Eagle Creek's confluence with the Boone River . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 1.06 square miles (2.75 km ), all land. As of the 2020 Census , the total population was 144 people. The population density

826-506: The I Love Lucy show, Superman was no longer a challenge to him... I know he enjoyed the role, but he used to say, 'Here I am, wasting my life.'" Reeves, Noel Neill, Natividad Vacío , Gene LeBell , and a trio of musicians toured with a public-appearance show from 1957 onward. The first half of the show was a Superman sketch in which Reeves and Neill performed with LeBell as a villain called "Mr. Kryptonite " who captured Lois Lane. Kent then rushed offstage to return as Superman, who came to

885-494: The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) report. Leonore Lemmon and other party guests were in the home at the time. Lemmon told the police that she was in the living room with the guests at the time of the shooting, but hearsay statements from Fred Crane, Reeves's friend and colleague from Gone With The Wind , put Lemmon either inside or in direct proximity to Reeves's bedroom. According to Crane (who

944-411: The poverty line , including none of those under the age of eighteen and 2% of those 65 or over. The Eagle Grove Community School District serves children from PreK to 12th grade. The district covers area of Wright , Humboldt , and Webster counties, and serves the communities of Eagle Grove , Thor , Vincent , Woolstock, Iowa|Woolstock, and the surrounding rural areas. Woolstock is twinned with

1003-539: The " Perry White 's office" scenes for three or four episodes would be shot the same day, and the various "apartment" scenes would also be done consecutively. Reeves's career as Superman had begun with Superman and the Mole Men , a film intended both as a B-picture and as the pilot for the TV series. Immediately after completing it, Reeves and the crew began production of the first season's episodes, all shot over 13 weeks in

1062-494: The 1980s. The 1990s saw shows from Megadeth , Testament , Dave Matthews Band , Phish , Widespread Panic , Marilyn Manson , August 5, 1994 Counting Crows , September 26th 1996 Beck with opening act Dirty Three December 6, 1996 Tool , and with Jan 31st 1998 the venue hosted Judas Priest , as well as Coldplay in 2003 and Good Charlotte and Simple Plan in 2005. The venue hosted multiple Rave dance parties with national and international touring DJs. The arena hosted

1121-702: The 2007 CIAA women's volleyball tournament. The arena also hosted the Internet -only pay-per-view ROH The Big Bang! on April 3, 2010. The arena was home to Barstool's Rough-N-Rowdy 3 in 2018. Queens University of Charlotte has used the arena for athletic events in 2012 while construction work is done on their usual on-campus home. The arena was home to Deadlock Pro-Wrestling 's (DPW) Super Battle event 35°13′06″N 80°49′42″W  /  35.2182°N 80.8283°W  / 35.2182; -80.8283 George Reeves George Reeves (born George Keefer Brewer ; January 5, 1914 – June 16, 1959)

1180-559: The Church of Our Savior. They had no children and divorced 10 years later. Reeves's film career began in 1939 when he was cast as Stuart Tarleton (incorrectly listed in the film's credits as Brent Tarleton), one of Scarlett O'Hara 's suitors in Gone with the Wind . It was a minor role, but he and Fred Crane were in the film's opening scene. (Reeves and Crane both dyed their hair red to portray

1239-767: The Superman schedule was brief (13 shows shot two per week, a total of seven weeks out of a year), but all had a "30-day clause", which meant that the producers could demand their exclusive services for a new season on four weeks' notice. This prevented long-term work on major films with long schedules, stage plays that might lead to a lengthy run, or any other series work. Reeves, however, was able to leverage his new role and earn additional income by making numerous personal appearances. He had affection for his young fans and took his role-model status seriously. He avoided smoking cigarettes where children could see him and eventually quit smoking. He kept his private life discreet, including

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1298-421: The TV scripts. In 1959, however, negotiations began for a renewal of the series, with 26 episodes scheduled to go into production. By mid-1959, contracts were signed, costumes refitted, and new teleplay writers assigned. Noel Neill was quoted as saying that the cast of Superman was ready to do a new series of the still-popular show. His good friend Bill Walsh , a producer at Disney Studios, gave Reeves

1357-642: The Tarleton twins.) After Gone with the Wind was filmed, Reeves returned to the Pasadena Playhouse and was given the lead role in the play Pancho. This part directly led to his being contracted to Warner Brothers . Warner had him change his professional name to George Reeves. His Gone with the Wind screen credit reflects the change. Between the start of production on Gone With the Wind and its release 12 months later, several films on his Warner contract were made and released, making Gone With

1416-484: The Wind his first film role, but his fifth film release. He starred in a number of two-reel short subjects and appeared in several B-pictures, including two with future President of the United States Ronald Reagan and three with James Cagney ( Torrid Zone , The Fighting 69th , and The Strawberry Blonde ). These roles did little to advance Reeves's career, and his contract with Warners

1475-505: The age of 18 living with them, 57% were married couples living together, 3.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36% were non-families. 36% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.60. Age spread: 16% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 21% from 25 to 44, 33% from 45 to 64, and 23% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

1534-484: The city was 96.15% White , 0.6% African American , 0.6% Native American , and 2.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.2% of the population. There were 85 households, of which 16.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47% were married couples living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47% were non-families. 41% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.6% had someone living alone who

1593-544: The city's owned building, to save money from having to continue renting generators to supply the additional power from an ongoing per concert/event basis. The arena hosted UFC 3 in 1994. Concerts held in the arena include The Allman Brothers with Duane Allman, Frank Zappa , Black Sabbath , Bootsy Collins and James Gang in 1972, Pink Floyd in 1973, David Bowie in 1974, Cheap Trick in 1978, Ozzy Osbourne in 1991, as well as shows by Dire Straits , Rush , Frehley's Comet , Stevie Ray Vaughan , R.E.M. , Warrant in

1652-432: The city. The population density was 1.98 inhabitants per square mile (0.76/km ). There were 102 housing units at an average density of 1.98 per square mile (0.76/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 98% White , 0.49% Native American , 0.49% from other races , and 0.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.49% of the population. There were 98 households, out of which 17.54% had children under

1711-566: The computer graphics render led to a backlash from fans. Woolstock, Iowa Woolstock is a city in Wright County , Iowa , United States. The population was 144 at the time of the 2020 census . Woolstock township was established in 1858, and its first Post Office for Woolstock was in 1868, located near the location of the Historic French Church, about 3,3 miles east of the town's location today. Woolstock

1770-576: The official determination. Reeves's friend Rory Calhoun told a reporter "No one in Hollywood believed the suicide story." In their book Hollywood Kryptonite , Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger make a case for the involvement of MGM vice president and fixer Eddie Mannix . Reeves had been having an affair with his wife Toni Mannix . Others suggested that Eddie Mannix, rumored to have Mafia ties, ordered Reeves killed. The 2006 film Hollywoodland , starring Ben Affleck as Reeves and Adrien Brody as

1829-547: The population of the town is identified as currently married, but only 1.8% of women between the ages of 15 and 50 gave birth during that year, lower than the average in Iowa. 95.3% of the Woolstock population has received a high school degree, which is 2.8 percentage points higher than the rest of the state. Although Woolstock has a lower-than-average percentage of the population having received college degrees, with only 13.33% of

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1888-580: The rescue and fought with the bad guy. The second half of the show was Reeves out of costume as himself, singing and accompanying himself on the guitar. Vacio and Neill accompanied him in duets. Reeves and Toni Mannix split in 1958 and Reeves announced his engagement to society playgirl Leonore Lemmon. Reeves was apparently scheduled to marry Lemmon on June 19 and then spend their honeymoon in Tijuana. He complained to friends, columnists, and his mother about his financial problems. The planned revival of Superman

1947-593: The river seasonally through the first quarter of the 20th century. French and German Alsatian immigrants populated the area from late 1800s through 1940s. Laurent "Frenchy" and sister Rennie Grandgeorge, were the last to immigrate from that area. Most who immigrated or are descendants, are laid to rest at the Historic French Church Cemetery, est. 1896. The town of Woolstock is Sister Cities with Ban de la Roche (7 mountainous villages), Alsace, France. Most notable famous person from Woolstock

2006-400: The role if he knew he had any adult fans; he never learned that Adventures of Superman had adult fans even during its original broadcast run. Between the first and second seasons of Superman , Reeves got sporadic acting assignments in one-shot TV anthology programs and in two feature films, Forever Female (1953) and Fritz Lang 's The Blue Gardenia (1953), but by the time the series

2065-576: The second season, Reeves returned to working with the government when he appeared in a short film for the Treasury Department entitled Stamp Day for Superman , in which he caught the villains and told children why they should invest in government savings stamps . After two seasons, Reeves decided not to renew his contract and left the show. He was frustrated with his low salary, the one-dimensional nature of his character, and how associating himself with Superman had ruined his credibility as

2124-522: The show with a major salary increase. He was reportedly making $ 5,000 (about $ 57,000 in today's dollars) per week, but only while the show was in production (about eight weeks each year). Reeves was never able to gain financing for his Port of Entry project, and the show was never made. In 1957, the producers considered making a theatrical film: Superman and the Secret Planet . A script was commissioned from David Chantler, who had written many of

2183-568: The sign on his dressing room door was replaced with a new one that read "Honest George, also known as Col. Reeves", created by the show's prop department. A photo of a smiling Reeves and the sign appears in Gary Grossman's book about the show. Reeves died of a gunshot wound to the head, in the upstairs bedroom of his home at 1579 Benedict Canyon Drive in Benedict Canyon between 1:30 and 2:00 a.m. on June 16, 1959, according to

2242-668: The son of Donald Carl Brewer and Helen Lescher. Reeves was born five months into their marriage. When the couple separated, soon after Reeves's birth, Reeves and his mother moved from Iowa to Ashland, Kentucky, to stay with relatives for a time and then to her home in Galesburg, Illinois . Later, Reeves's mother, who was of German descent, moved to California to stay with her sister. There, by 1920, she had met and married Frank Joseph Bessolo (according to that year's federal census). Reeves's father married Helen Schultz in 1925. Reeves reportedly never saw his father again. In 1927, when Reeves

2301-538: The sort of parts he wanted." Newspapers and wire-service reports quoted LAPD Sergeant V.   A. Peterson as saying: "Miss Lemmon blurted, 'He's probably going to go shoot himself.' A noise was heard upstairs. She continued, 'He's opening a drawer to get the gun.' A shot was heard. 'See there—I told you so!'" Reeves is interred at Mountain View Cemetery and Mausoleum in Altadena, California . In 1960, Reeves

2360-399: The summer of 1951. The series went on the air the following year, and Reeves was amazed at becoming a national celebrity. In 1952, the struggling ABC Network purchased the show for national broadcast, which gave him greater visibility. The Superman cast members had restrictive contracts preventing them from taking other work that might interfere with the series. Except for the second season,

2419-408: The town was 95.14% White, less than 1% African American, 3.4% mixed race, and 2% Hispanic. The average income per capital of Woolstock was $ 52,518.25, which is higher than the state average, and the median household income was $ 68,751.64, 13.091% higher than the rest of the state. Only 3.7% of the town's population lives under the poverty line, which is far lower than the rest of the state. 53.9% of

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2478-426: The town's population have received college degrees compared to the state average of 31.25% 7% of the town's population were veterans. As of the census of 2010, there were 168 people, 85 households, and 45 families living in the city. The population density was 158.73 inhabitants per square mile (61.3/km ). There were 101 housing units at an average density of 94.33 per square mile (36.4/km ). The racial makeup of

2537-428: The war's end, Reeves returned to Hollywood. Many studios were slowing down their production schedules, however, and some production units had shut down completely. He appeared in a pair of outdoor thrillers with Ralph Byrd . As more and more time passed between acting jobs that paid less and less, Reeves was reduced to appearing in a low-budget serial produced by Sam Katzman , The Adventures of Sir Galahad , and taking

2596-482: Was 13, Frank Bessolo adopted him, and the boy took his stepfather's last name, becoming George Bessolo. The Bessolos’ marriage lasted 15 years, ending in divorce, with the couple separating while Reeves was away visiting relatives. When he returned, his mother told him his stepfather had died by suicide. According to biographer Jim Beaver , Reeves did not know for several years that Bessolo was still alive. Bessolo actually died March 4, 1944, at age 51, when his adopted son

2655-423: Was 137 people per square mile, spread over 1.06 miles. Of those 144 people, the median age was 43.5 years, with 21% of the town's population under the age of 18, 60% between the ages of 18 and 64, and 19% of the population over the age of 65. There were a total of 110 households, with an average of 1.3 people per household. 57% of the town's population was male, with 43% of the population female. The racial makeup of

2714-404: Was 50 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 34,480, and the median income for a family was $ 47,500.29 Males had a median income of $ 27,918 versus $ 28,595 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 20,600. About 2% of families and 5% of the population were below

2773-479: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.98 and the average family size was 2.67 The median age in the city was 47 years. 16.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27% were from 25 to 44; 24.39% were from 45 to 64; and 26% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 53.0% male and 47.0% female. As of the census of 2000, there were 204 people, 98 households, and 62 families living in

2832-470: Was actor, veteran, and humanitarian, George Reeves, known mostly for his role as the Superman/Clark Kent in the 1950s TV serial Adventures of Superman . He starred in over fifty films and serials , including minor roles in Gone with the Wind , and From Here to Eternity . He was born George Keefer Brewer in Woolstock on January 5, 1914, to Donald and Helen (Lescher) Brewer.+ Woolstock

2891-482: Was airing nationwide, Reeves found himself so closely associated with the characters of Superman and Clark Kent that it was difficult for him to book other roles. During the show's run, Reeves worked tirelessly with Toni Mannix to raise money for fighting myasthenia gravis ; his efforts resulted in his being appointed as national chairman for the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation in 1955. During

2950-459: Was an American actor. He is best known for portraying Clark Kent/Superman in the television series Adventures of Superman (1952–1958). His death by gunshot at age 45 remains controversial. The official finding was suicide , but some believe that he was murdered or the victim of an accidental shooting. Reeves was born January 5, 1914, as George Keefer Brewer in Woolstock, Iowa ,

3009-573: Was an important venue for Jim Crockett Promotions during the organization's heyday. [1] In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Grady Cole center served as the practice facility for the Charlotte Hornets . Due to increasing demands & needs of touring productions in the late 1970s and early 1980s, a local regional promoter Kaleidoscope Productions paid to install the additional electrical service Company switches for tours in

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3068-460: Was apparently a small lifeline. Reeves had also hoped to direct a low-budget science-fiction film written by a friend from his Pasadena Playhouse days, and he had discussed the project with his first Lois Lane, Phyllis Coates , the previous year. However, Reeves and his partner failed to find financing, and the film was never made. Another Superman stage show was scheduled for July with a planned stage tour of Australia . Reeves had options for making

3127-467: Was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard for his contributions to the TV industry. In 1985, he was posthumously named one of the honorees by DC Comics in the company's 50th anniversary publication Fifty Who Made DC Great . Reeves's mother thought it was premature and peremptory to rule the death a suicide, and retained attorney Jerry Giesler to petition for

3186-638: Was dissolved by mutual consent. Released from his Warner contract, he signed a contract with Twentieth Century-Fox but was released after only a handful of films, one of which was the Charlie Chan movie Dead Men Tell . Twentieth Century-Fox loaned him to producer Alexander Korda to co-star with Merle Oberon in Lydia , a box-office failure, after which he freelanced, looking to find work in westerns. His friend Teddi Sherman introduced him to her father, producer Harry Sherman , who asked Reeves to do

3245-475: Was initially reluctant to take the role because, like many actors of his time, he considered television unimportant and believed few would see his work. The half-hour films were shot on tight schedules; at least two shows were made every six days. According to commentaries on the Adventures of Superman DVD sets, multiple scripts were filmed simultaneously to take advantage of the standing sets; for example, all

3304-485: Was not present), Bill Bliss had told Millicent Trent after the shot rang out, while Bliss was having a drink, that Leonore Lemmon came downstairs and said, "Tell them I was down here, tell them I was down here!" A number of questionable physical findings were reported by investigators and others. No fingerprints were recovered from the gun. No gunpowder residue was found on Reeves's hands. (Some sources contend that it may not have been looked for, as gunshot residue testing

3363-433: Was not routinely performed in 1959.) The bullet that killed Reeves was recovered from the bedroom ceiling, and the spent shell casing was found under his body. Two additional bullets were discovered embedded in the bedroom floor. All three bullets had been fired from the weapon found at Reeves's feet, though all witnesses agreed they heard only one gunshot, and there was no sign of forced entry or other physical evidence that

3422-653: Was relocated when platted by the Western Town Lot Company in 1881, that relocated many rural communities towards newly laid railroad lines. The name was made by Gilbert Perry because of the settlers early trade of raising sheep for wool. Woolstock is the only town in the world with its name. Located, east of the Boone River, the Native Americans used the area for hunting, fishing, and lodging. The Sauk and Meskwaki tribes continued to use

3481-642: Was well into his movie career. Reeves began acting and singing in high school and continued performing on stage as a student at Pasadena Junior College . While studying acting at the Pasadena Playhouse , Reeves met his future wife, Ellanora Needles, great-great-granddaughter of John Robinson, who had been a circus magnate and founder of the John Robinson Circus . They married on September 22, 1940, in San Gabriel, California , at

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