1001 Heroes, Legends, Histories & Mysteries Podcast

"Who Killed Superman?" is a gripping investigation into the tragic end of George Reeves, the actor who became a 1950s icon as the Man of Steel but found himself trapped in a real-life noir drama. 
The Incident: Time, Place, and Date
Date: June 16, 1959.
Time: Between 1:30 a.m. and 2:00 a.m..
Place: The upstairs bedroom of his home at 1579 Benedict Canyon Drive, Los Angeles.
The Scene: Reeves was found naked, sprawled across his bed, dead from a single gunshot wound to his right temple from a .30 caliber Luger pistol found at his feet. 
Rise to Fame & Sudden Fall Reeves began with promise, appearing in Gone with the Wind (1939), but his career truly skyrocketed with the "Adventures of Superman" (1952–1958). Ironically, his greatest success became his greatest burden; he was so heavily typecast that he struggled to find serious roles once the show ended. At the time of his death, he was reportedly depressed about his career, though friends noted he had recently received promising news about the show resuming production. 
The Primary Suspects
While the LAPD officially ruled his death a suicide, three figures are central to the murder theories: 
Leonore Lemmon (The Fiancée): She was hosting a small gathering downstairs at the time of the shooting. Her volatile relationship with Reeves and her strange behavior—allegedly blurting out that he was going to "shoot himself" before the shot even rang out—made her a top suspect.
Toni Mannix (The Ex-Mistress): A wealthy woman who had supported Reeves for years during their long-term affair. She was reportedly devastated when Reeves ended the relationship to marry Lemmon.
Eddie Mannix (The "Fixer"): Toni's husband and a high-ranking MGM executive with alleged mob ties. Many believe he ordered a hit on Reeves either to avenge his wife's heartbreak or at her direct request. 
New Evidence & Testimonies
Recent investigations and historical retrospectives highlight glaring inconsistencies in the original suicide ruling: 
Physical Evidence Gaps: The Luger had no fingerprints, and there was no gunpowder residue on Reeves' hands, which is highly unusual for a self-inflicted shot.
Extra Bullet Holes: Detectives found two additional bullet holes in the bedroom floor, yet guests only reported hearing one shot.
Mystery Bruises: A second autopsy revealed unexplained bruises on Reeves' head and body that were never investigated.
The Deathbed Confession: Years later, publicist Edward Lozzi claimed he was present when Toni Mannix confessed to a priest that she was responsible for Reeves' death.
The Early Phone Call: Phyllis Coates (the original Lois Lane) alleged that Toni Mannix called her at 4:30 a.m. to tell her "the boy is dead" and had been "murdered"—before the news had been made public. 
This story investigate the controversial death of George Reeves, detailing the suspects, evidence, and recent testimonies surrounding his supposed suicide:
 
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This story was inspired by by sharing 'The Count of Monte Cristo' in its entirety recently at 1001 Stories For The Road Podcast. If you want a great cllassic romance/adventure story- this is it!
THE BATTLE OF THE BUNNIES
It sounds like a tall tale, but this actually happened! In July 1807, after signing the Treaties of Tilsit, Napoleon Bonaparte decided to celebrate with a grand imperial rabbit hunt. 
The event didn't go exactly as planned:
The Setup: Napoleon's chief of staff, Alexandre Berthier, was in charge of the festivities. To ensure a "successful" hunt, he didn't trap wild hares; instead, he reportedly bought roughly 3,000 domesticated rabbits from local farmers.
The Ambush: When the cages were opened, the rabbits didn't hop away in fear. Because they were farm-raised, they saw Napoleon and his men as providers of food. Instead of fleeing, the massive swarm charged toward Napoleon in a fluffy wave.
The Retreat: Thousands of rabbits swarmed the Emperor's legs, climbed his silk jacket, and reportedly even hopped into his imperial carriage. The "Greatest Military Mind in History" was forced to beat a hasty retreat, using his riding crop and coat to shoo away the persistent bunnies.
 
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Featured with Podcast (hopefully);
The iconic image of a Douglas C-47 Skytrain (or "Dakota") soaring over the 
Giza Pyramids in 1943 is a masterpiece of the U.S. Signal Corps. This moment captured the meeting of two worlds: the pinnacle of WWII aviation technology and the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

The Story Behind the Photo
•    The Mission: In 1943, this C-47 was part of the U.S. Air Transport Command, a global lifeline ferrying urgent war supplies and materials across the Atlantic and through Africa to reach strategic battle zones.
•    The Symbolism: The photograph served as powerful wartime propaganda, showing American industrial might literally "overshadowing" the monuments of antiquity, signaling a new era of global dominance.
•    Historical Context: Cairo was a bustling hub for Allied leaders during this period; that same year, FDR, Churchill, and Chiang Kai-shek met there for the Cairo Conference to discuss the post-war fate of Asia.

The Mysteries of the Pyramids
The "story" of what lies inside is one of the world's greatest ongoing detective tales:
•    The Voids: Modern technology, like cosmic-ray muon radiography, has recently confirmed the existence of immense hidden voids inside the Great Pyramid, including a massive chamber above the Grand Gallery.
•    The Artifacts: Surprisingly, only three small items have ever been officially retrieved from the Great Pyramid's shafts: a granite ball, a copper hook, and a fragment of cedar wood.
•    The Legends: Theories range from the Halls of Amenti (a legendary underground library) to more controversial claims of immense underground structures stretching thousands of feet below the Giza Plateau.
 
Verified Source List 
To ensure your listeners can follow the trail, here are the core sources used for this narrative:
•    Aviation History: The National WWII Museum and the Mid America Flight Museum for the history of the C-47 "Sky-King" and Air Transport Command.
•    The Aberdeen Discovery: The official University of Aberdeen News Release on the 2020 rediscovery of the Dixon Relics.
•    The Robot Missions: The Isida Project for a minute-by-minute log of the Upuaut (Oop-wah-wet) robot mission in 1993.
•    The Particle Physics: Nature Journal and Scientific American regarding the ScanPyramids Muon (MYOO-on) tomography results.
•    The Eight-Sided Pyramid: Documentation from the U.S. Air Force Historical Research Agency regarding aerial photography of Giza.
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We have two stories about Capt. Jack Tueller, who was a highly decorated US Army pilot who served in three wars. The first is a legend which goes hand in hand with Valentine's Day,which, by the way,is this Saturday (2026). The second is the true story that inspired the legend.  In both, Capt Jack is at D-Day + 12 in Normandy, he is very good with his trumpet, and his trumpet gets results in both stories. 
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Like it or not- ancient Rome is everywhere in our lives- in our language, our laws, our structures, our holidays, and even our calendar, in the days of the week and the months of the year. It seems strange that after 1500 years since Roman civilization dumped its many gods in favor of one that we still live with them every day. Join us for a look at just how much we depend on a long-crashed civilization in our daily lives.
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Pictured: The Roman two-faced god Janus (January)