Los Angeles, CA | Was Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle a scapegoat or a villain? Did George Reeves take his own life, or was there something more sinister at play? In this episode, we dive into two of Hollywood’s most infamous tragedies—Arbuckle’s scandalous trial that destroyed his career and Reeves’ mysterious death that still fuels conspiracy theories. Decades apart, both cases captivated the public and left behind more questions than answers. And even though Arbuckle received an official verdict and Reeves’ death was ruled a suicide, both stories remain unsettled to this day.
Follow us for episode photos and more at:
📷 Instagram: instagram.com/darkcity.podcast
🪡 Threads: threads.net/@darkcity.podcast
👤 Facebook: facebook.com/darkcitypod
🦋 Bluesky: darkcitypodcast.bsky.social
🎥 TikTok: tiktok.com/@darkcitypod
🌎 Website: www.darkcitypodcast.com
✉️ Email: info@darkcitypodcast.com
🔎 Want to see how deep this story really goes? Here’s the full set of sources we used:
-Alexandra, R. (2018, July 9). The Superman curse: A look at all the death, destruction and destitution. KQED. https://www.kqed.org/pop/101544/the-superman-curse-a-look-at-all-the-death-destruction-and-destitution
-Barile, L. A. (2025, January 8). Who killed George Reeves? The mystery surrounding the ‘Adventures of Superman’ actor’s death. Yahoo!. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/killed-george-reeves-mystery-surrounding-150524659.html
-Brody, R. (2016, February 3). The Coen Brothers’ marvellous “Hail, Caesar!” The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/the-coen-brothers-marvellous-hail-caesar
-Dotinga, R. (2014, February 28). 'Room 1219' author Greg Merritt discusses what really happened in the 1921 Fatty Arbuckle case. The Christian Science Monitor.
-Eagan, D. (2011, November 16). More on Fatty Arbuckle: His films and his legacy. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/more-on-fatty-arbuckle-his-films-and-his-legacy-1-251402/
-Gross, E. (2024, November 2). George Reeves on Superman, fame and life’s struggles: “He never knew how loved he was”. Woman’s World. https://www.womansworld.com/entertainment/classic-tv/george-reeves-the-life-of-tvs-first-superman
-Los Angeles Times. (1959, June 17). From the archives: George Reeves, Superman of TV, kills himself in his home. Obituaries.
-The Los Angeles Times. (1959, June 24). Coroner finds shooting of Superman suicide. Newspapers.com.
-The Los Angeles Times. (1959, June 26). Two more bullet holes part 1. Newspapers.com.
-Moran, T. (2013, October 4). Book review: 'Room 1219' by Greg Merritt. The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304213904579095361344867906
-Murray, E. A. (2015). Forensic history: Crimes, frauds, and scandals [Guidebook]. Wondrium.
-Patterson, J. (2013, September 6). 'Room 1219,' by Greg Merritt. SFGATE. https://www.sfgate.com/books/article/room-1219-by-greg-merritt-4793811.php
-Schulman, M. (2021, October 4). Fatty Arbuckle and the birth of the celebrity scandal. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/10/11/fatty-arbuckle-and-the-birth-of-the-celebrity-scandal
-The State Bar of California. (2019, January 24). The many trials of Fatty Arbuckle. The State Bar of California. https://www.sfbar.org/blog/sfam-the-many-trials-of-fatty-arbuckle/
-Superman’s estate left to wife of friend. (1959, June 23). Los Angeles, California. Newspapers.
Have ideas or suggestion? We would love to hear from you! Send us a text via this link.
👏 Special thanks to our talented partners:
Paolo Sbrighi for Musical Composition (instagram.com/paulosbrighi/)
Mario Cintra for Logo Design (instagram.com/alacarala/)
