Suspense, Mystery, Horror and Thriller Fiction - Suspense Magazine

In 1951, the film Superman and the Mole Men hit theaters and the world got its very first glimpse at the man who would
forever be synonymous with the franchise. George Reeves was an instant success in the title role of the film, and he earned
the reoccurring title role in the television series. On June 16, 1959, just a few days before he was set to be married, Reeves was
found dead of a single gunshot wound to the head at his home, a Luger pistol lying beside him. Even though he was found
lying next to the gun, his prints were not found on the weapon, a fact that is difficult for thinking individuals to simply look
past. Though highly suspicious, the death was ruled a suicide, and it remains so to this day.
There were many cases of death or tragic injury that have been associated with the so-called Superman curse, some you
know about and others that might come as a shock.
In 1963, President John F. Kennedy’s staff approved a Superman story in which Superman spreads the word on the
president’s physical fitness plan. Originally scheduled to be published in April 1964, the comic book would never be seen by
Mr. Kennedy. On November 22, 1963, the president was shot and killed and the Superman story was re-written at the request
of Kennedy’s successor.
Richard Pryor starred as a bad guy in 1983’s Superman. Three years later, he announced that he had been diagnosed with
multiple sclerosis. Richard Pryor died of cardiac arrest on December 10, 2005.
Richard Lester, the director for Superman II and Superman III was so distraught by the death of Roy Kinnear during the
shooting of The Return of the Musketeers that he walked away from directing and Hollywood forever.
Marlon Brando, who played Superman’s biological father Jor-El in Superman: The Movie, had a ton of heartache follow
him past the filming of Superman. In May 1990, Brando’s first son, Christian, shot and killed a man who was dating his halfsister,
Cheyenne Brando. Christian pled not guilty to murder charges stating that the shooting had been accidental. It would
not be enough of a defense, and in the end, Christian was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to serve ten
years in prison.
Things would only get worse when, in 1995, Cheyenne, still dwelling on her lover’s death, committed suicide by hanging
herself. She was only twenty-five-years-old.
On July 1, 2004, Marlon Brando passed away. He was eighty. The cause of his death was intentionally withheld from the
public with his lawyers citing privacy concerns. It was later revealed to the world that death had been slow and painful for this
revered Hollywood icon. Lung failure brought on by pulmonary fibrosis was the cause of death, but Brando had also been
suffering from liver cancer, congestive heart failure, and diabetes, which caused Brando to slowly go blind.
Lee Quigley (who played the baby Kal-El in the 1978 movie) died in March 1991, after inhaling fumes from cleaning
solvents. He was just fourteen.
Christopher Reeve played Superman in the movies that ran from the 1970s throughout the 1980s. Then, on May 27,
1995, Reeve was paralyzed from the neck down after being thrown from his horse. He died on October 10, 2004 from heart
failure that stemmed from his medical condition.
Margot Kidder, who played Lois Lane opposite Reeve, suffered from extreme bipolar disorder. In 1996, Kidder was
reported missing and wasn’t found for several days. She was recovered by police naked and cowering in some underbrush
just outside Los Angeles. Kidder was taken into psychiatric care and later diagnosed.
On July 2, 1996, on the anniversary of their grandfather’s suicide, Superman IV actress Margaux Hemingway was found
dead of an overdose of sedatives. Though her death was ruled a suicide, her sister, Mariel believes that there is more to the
story and still questions the coroner’s findings.
Lane Smith, from the television series Lois & Clark, was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease in April 2005. He died just
two months later.
Dana Reeve, the widow of Christopher Reeve, revealed she had been diagnosed with lung cancer in 2005. Despite being
in great health and having never been a smoker, Dana lost her battle with cancer on March 6, 2006 at the age of forty-five.
Jeph Loeb, writer of Superman comics and the Smallville TV series lost his son, Sam Loeb, to cancer.
Not convinced a curse could be to blame? Here’s a final thought to help you decide…
Of all the people who met with tragic ends after being associated with Superman, none played villains in the films or
on television. In fact, those actors and actresses who played bad-guy roles in the franchise saw the opposite effect in their
everyday lives. Many went on to be hugely successful in all of their endeavors. Just ask Gene Hackman or Kevin Spacey.
Once again…
Someone...somewhere is always getting away with murder! �
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