Thursday, December 30, 2010

Superman's Girlfriend Leonore Lemmon Dies Drunk 1989

Leonore Lemmon (May 11, 1923 - December 30, 1989) was an American socialite who was the fiancée of actor George Reeves at the time of his death.

Life

Lemmon was the daughter of Arthur Lemmon, a successful Broadway ticket broker. In her early years, she was known as a party girl member of Cafe Society. She was well known and liked in the nightclub world and was infamous as the only woman ever tossed out of the Stork Club for fist-fighting.

In 1941 she married Jacob L. "Jakie" Webb, who was a great-great-grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt. She left him after eight days but remained married long enough for the colorful Webb to marry someone else several years later and face bigamy charges. She later married and divorced musician Hamish Menzies.


In the late 1950s, Lemmon was the girlfriend and fiancée of Adventures of Superman star George Reeves. The couple were to be married in Mexico on June 19, 1959, honeymoon in Spain and then go to Australia for public appearances as Superman. However, Reeves died of a gunshot wound to the head three days before the scheduled wedding. Lemmon attempted, without success, to claim a share of Reeves's estate.

George Reeves' Benedict Canyon Deathhouse

She returned to New York where she lived out the remainder of her life, her last years spent, according to her family, in alcohol dementia.

In popular culture

She was portrayed by Robin Tunney in the 2006 movie Hollywoodland.

Notes

1.^ Her body was found in her New York Apartment January 4, 1990, and time of death was calculated as most likely five days earlier. Her death certificate reads December 30, 1989

2.^ New York Borough of Manhattan Death Records, 1989

Hollywoodland (Widescreen Edition)Hollywood Kryptonite, The Bulldog, the Lady, and the Death of SupermanHollywood The Dark Side: Death & Scandal

17 comments:

  1. My now drceased bf's (Peter) mother was close friebds with Leonore Lemmon. Leonore after all this hubbub was in a live in relationship with Jack Whitimore. I tried googling Jack Whitimore but couldn't find anything. Jack had died but when don't know Leonore was living in the apartment tge two shared. I don't know the financial background of Leonore but I think Jack mafe sure she was taken care of.
    Unfortunately I didn't ask Elizabeth anything about Leonore and she is gone now over 10 years. Peter my bf died in early February 2019. Tge few times I did ask him some questions he was becoming annoyed and askedme why didn't I adk his mother when she was alive.
    Sighhhbh.

    Eloise Ockert

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sorry about the spelling errors.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I don't know what family members stated she lived out her life in her apartment.
    She was living with Jack Whitimore. Jack died and apparently made sure she was taken care of.
    Why mo one mentioned Jack Whitimore is beyond me!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jack Whittemore died years and years before 1989. I was working for him as a secretary in his apartment on Park Avenue South the day he had his stroke and never returned to the apartment. Leonore had her own apartment at that time. I do remember writing checks for things like Leonore’s fur storage, etc. I didn’t work there long. But I remember my hours were 11AM to 7PM. This was circa 1983, 1984? I graduated college in 1981 and started a business in 1986, so this is my best guess.
      If you’d like to chat further about this my email is dobricki@aol.com.

      Delete
    2. Yes let's communicate about this please. I have just posted on this blog also. Please email me at HunterOfTBL@gmail.com . Cheers, L. Hunt

      Delete
  4. Why no one mentioned Jack Whitimore is beyond me...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree. Jack W. was very well known and well liked in the Jazz world. but of course, Jazz is too hip for most people, it's not mainstream, so that's most likely why he's not been documented yet in relation to L.Lemon by mainstream writers.

      Delete
  5. Hi, I was supposed to meet Jack Whittemore (this is the correct sp. of his name btw) in late Dec. of 1983, about 2 weeks after he died of a heart attack in his NY apartment. L. Lemon was living with Jack when he died, just like she was living with George Reeves when HE died! It's a long story. Jack W. was a very respected booking agent and manager of famous Jazz artists: Miles Davis, Stan Getz, and others. I had talked with him on the phone in October 1983, and he invited me to a party that he was throwing in late Dec. '83. I was going to audition for him (I am a prof. pianist, singer, and composer). Email me to get my whole story about this through my website www.PianoManLarryHunt.com or email: HunterOfTBL@gmail.com .

    ReplyDelete
  6. This is fantastic! Great stuff and very informative. I thought, Hollywoodland was/is, one of my favorite cinematic films.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Doesn't seem like Lemmon would be a common name especially back then so I'm wondering if Leonore Lemmon was some how related to Jack Lemmon.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Leonora did not murder George.
    My scenario is this:
    That night everyone who was in the house was drunk.
    There was a light on the porch letting people know a party was going on. This was routine: anyone could have walked in.
    George had retired to the bedroom. I felt there were 2 men, not 1
    They easily came in and w/o letting anyone know, and weren't seen going upstairs. It was said Reeves borrowed $ from the Mafia and was unable to pay back the money and it is possible it was payback.
    When George's body was found it took about 45 minutes for the police to come
    Oi felt the 2 men came down and gave a warning to the guests and then left.
    I read the theory the man/men climbed up the side of the house into the window and out the same way after the deed was done but looking at photos of the house that would have been impossible...

    ReplyDelete
  9. The 45 minutes the murderer/s came down and gave warning to all the guests. The reason Lenore left California &.never looked back.

    ReplyDelete