The Death of Superman: "Hollywoodland" (Not Super, But Still Pretty Good)

Posted by Nicholas  We never got the 1950s Superman TV series in England, so I never saw it, but I do remember a childhood friend (American) talking about it and telling me that the actor who played the Man of Steel had become convinced he really  did have super powers and had died when he fell from a high window, trying to fly.  That story stayed tucked away in some mental filing cabinet all these years, dispelled only a few days ago. Apparently, it was once of the urban myths about George Reeves, who was the first TV Superman, who was the subject of the surprisingly entertaining film “Hollywoodland” (2006), with Ben Affleck in the lead role. 

The movie is a glimpse of Hollywood at the end of its Golden Age, when the film industry was terrified of television. Some actors were even forbidden by the terms of their movie contracts, to appear on TV, on pain of dismissal.  George Reeves as portrayed by Affleck, turns out to be a capable actor with some solid credits behind him – he was one of the Tarleton brothers in “Gone With The Wind” – who auditions for the part of Superman for a projected television series.  He gets it, and makes a success of it.

He becomes instantly recognizable – so recognizable in fact that his attempts at other acting roles are doomed because in everyone’s eyes he is still Superman, even if he is acting opposite Burt Lancaster in “From Here To Eternity”.  Children mobbed him in public and of course believed he was real.  That chilling scene where a young boy produces his father’s revolver and asks “Superman” if he can see the bullets bounce off his chest actually happened. The movie takes us past the cancellation of Superman up to the time of his suicide: not by jumping out of a window, but a bullet in the brain.

Excellent performances by Affleck, as a dedicated actor who can still take a step backwards and look at the glitter of the entertainment with a slightly cynical smile, Adrien Brody as the private detective who tries to discover why Reeves died,  Bob Hoskins as Eddie Mannix the studio boss – friendly and helpful to Reeves but always with an underlying air of menace – and Diane Lane as Mannix’s wife, with whom Reeves had a long affair before ending it.

So, was it suicide?   The movie suggests several possibilities: he was shot during a scuffle with his last girlfriend, Leonore Lemmon, played by Robin Tunney:  he was shot by henchmen of Eddie Mannix, not for having an affair with his wife but for dumping her:  he shot himself.   The official version is that he shot himself and without any solid evidence to disprove it, the film just offers the other two possibilities without stating that either was the true version of events.  One thing was clear though; no one jumped out of any windows.

I returned this to Netflix with a 5/5 star rating.

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Comments

[Tilly Greene]

Hiya Nicholas! Long time no chat :-) I missed seeing this flick in the theaters and I was interested in seeing it. Affleck seems to me as if he could carry off a character who was more than a man, more like two. Great review Nicholas, you've encouraged me to head out and find a copy at my local rental shop.

[PJ]

I've heard good things about this movie, and your review has reinforced my intention to check it out. Thanks for a thoughtful review.