Hello Chums,
Do you remember the old Superman TV show? The one from the 50's? I saw it in reruns on some UHF channel. Okay it wasn't that good, but it was the best they could do at the time. The show started in black and white then went to color. After six seasons, it was cancelled. I don't think the general (non-comic book) public would care about that show these days. But it is still remember for it's star actor George Reeves. His death in '59 is still one of Hollywood's biggest mysteries.
The movie Hollywoodland tells the story of the last few years of George Reeves life. This story revolves around small time private eye Louis Simo. Simo is put on the case by Reeves mother. As Simo follows leads around Hollywood, the movie is inter-cut with flash backs of when George was alive. A pre-Superman George Reeves meets and romances a married woman, gets a fiancee with questionable goals and becomes obsessed with a struggling career after Superman was cancelled. Does the scorned mistress' husband kill him? Or was his killer his new fiancee? Maybe he killed himself during a fit of depression? These are all possible scenarios imagined by Simo. Although the movie never definitively answers the question, What happened to George? It's a pretty decent movie non-the-less.
The movie stars Ben Affleck as George Reeves, Diane Lane as the older mistress and Adrien Brody steals the movie as Louis Simo. Hollywoodland is a very nice looking period piece. It has a kind of L.A. Confidential feel to it with 50's cars, clothing, furniture and southern California.
Not to be missed by Superman fans.
D.L.
