Movie: Truth, Justice and the American Way....

[Dr Mordrid]

Sound familiar?

It's about the investigation of George Reeves (the first TV Superman) death 3 days before his marriage to Leonore Lemmon. Reeves death was ruled a suicide but many, including some of his former co-stars, think otherwise and with good reason.

Supposedly he shot himself in the temple, but there was no gunshot residue around the wound, the bullet casing was under his body and a Luger autoloading pistol between his feet. While the casing not being in the gun is normal for an autoloader Lugers eject their shell casings UP, meaning the shell should have flown most anywhere but under the body.

Complicating things is that Reeves had been receiving death threats, up to 20 a day, for over a month. In his complaint to the police he named a former a lover; Toni Mannix. She was the wife of a former MGM exec., Loew's theater VP and rumnored mobster Eddie Mannix.

The investigation showed that both Reeves and Toni Mannix had been receiving threats, and the police then turned their attention to Eddie Mannix for obvious reasons.

Another interesting aspect is that Reeves had been on painkillers for injuries sustained an auto accident. This combined with his .27 alcohol level should have leveled him.

The accident was not the only auto "problem" either; there were several including incidents where the brake fluid had been drained from the car more than once. It's highly unlikely that it was a leak since the brakes had been recently serviced and inspected.

IMO someone had it out for the boy....

When: 2006

Director: Allen Coulter (Rome, 6 Feet Under, The Sopranos, Sex in the City, X-Files)

Writers: Howard Korder (Passion of Ayn Rand ) & Paul Bernbaum (Vanishing Point (2005), 21 Jump Street)

Det. Louis Moglio: Adrien Brody
George Reeves: Ben Afflek (don't worry, he dies )
Eddie Mannix (former MGM exec/mobster?): Bob Hoskins
Toni Mannix (Eds wife & Reeves former (?) lover): Diane Lane
Howard Strickling (MGM publicist): Joe Spano
Leonore Lemmon (Reeves fiance): Robin Tunney
Phyllis Coates (1st Lois Lane): Lorry Ayers
Jack Larson (Jimmy Olsen): Joseph Adam
Robert Maxwell (Producer): Steve Adams

Dr. Mordrid

[Brian R.]

Couldn't he have held the gun with the magazine facing in front of him, shell casing ejected behind him, and he fell backward?

[Dr Mordrid]

He fell on his face and the bullet exited his head in a slightly upward direction, entering the ceiling. This indicates that gun was not level and the shell would have been ejected at a slightly sideways angle, away from the body. My experience with Lugers is that ejected shells go a long ways, at least several feet. Still, it could have bounced off something.

That still doesn't explain another unusual circumstance: the police and medical examiner discribed the bullet hole as "irregular" and that the head position was improbable for a suicide, indicating a struggle.

An alternative "ending" is that it was homocide based on a practical joke that Reeves sometimes played. He would "sulk" then pretent to shoot himself in the head with the Luger. Many think that Eddie Mannix had someone load the gun anticipating a repeat performance and that it worked.

It's also possible that he loaded the gun because of the death threats and, in his drunken state, forgot about doing so as he pulled his "joke".

Therein lies the mystery

Dr. Mordrid

[az]

And what has this to do with the "American Way", whatever that is? That someone was shot? That there didn't seem to be good enough investigation and/or the court ruled against what evidence seems to have been found? That a movie attempts to bring "justice" where the law couldn't?

[KvHagedorn]

"Truth, justice, and the American way" was just a line from that old Superman TV show.

[Dr Mordrid]

az:

It's part of the Superman TV shows opening sequence. Remember this was during the 50's, the hottest part of the Cold War, so the "American Way" reference was basically an anti-communist one. Here's how it went;

Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound!



Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman!



[Superman theme starts playing in the background; frames change to synch with text]

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.

In a nod to nostalgia Christopher Reeves also said the line during his interview with Lois Lane in the first Superman movie. She replied that he'd be fighting every politician in America.

This happened just before he took her for the "ride" that left so many female viewers weak-kneed for a week after seeing the movie, including virtually all of the nurses, techs and female physicians I worked with at the time

Dr. Mordrid

[az]

OK, so apologies for my harsh tone. Very funny, that old opening sequence

[Dr Mordrid]

Yup....it's considered a classic

Personally I'm looking forward to getting The Flash DVD set. Loved the "Nightshade" episode

Should ship from Amazon.com on the 10th.

Dr. Mordrid