In September 2006 I assembled an essay titled Flight of the Innocent. In much detail did I go into the various aspects of the film Hollywoodland and how in doing so a number of relative thoughts throughout the writing of this essay came to mind. The following is one such thought:

"While a lot has been written about George's life, going as far back as his childhood. The same cannot be said that of Eddie Mannix and Toni Lanier. Many wonder why would Mr. Mannix accept his wife's affair with another man? This would seem hypocritical to those considered devout Catholics."

I hope to some degree I can shed a little insight into the building blocks of this subject and as a result you'll recognize the originality of these findings.

On Wednesday, November 22, 2006 I received a Thanksgiving - well wish call from Mr. Jack Larson . As a result we went into a series of various discussions. I was curious to know more of when and how Eddie met Toni, as well as the beginning of Toni and George's relationship. Jack went on to explain in 1936 during a break in filming the The Great Ziegfeld Toni was propped upright on a slanted board to keep the tightly fit dress from tearing at the seems. Toni Lanier, for some reason, got upset and irate at the director who was giving her a hard time. Toni was not one to be pushed around. After all she was the real deal, a Ziegfeld Follies dancer who would have none of this. She stormed off the set, and the last anyone knew she set out for Hawaii. Soon Eddie Mannix was dispatched to bring her back (what a cool job). Mr. Mannix finally reached his destination ready to tell Toni she is behaving like a "bad girl" and time is wasting. But Toni was not to be pushed around by anyone. And she gave Eddie a piece of her mind about the director. Eddie was immediately smitten and in love with the feisty dancer. He'd seemed to have met his match. They would enjoy each other's intimate company for the remaining time in Hawaii.

Jack also was very certain George and Toni met sometime around 1949 in New York during George's live television work. Jack also was doing live television during this time but their paths never crossed. In addition, I asked Jack if George ever went to Europe. He said he believed he did until a close friend of George's corrected him that George never went to Europe.

A couple of days went by and I received an e-mail from Serena Enger. Serena presented to me questions regarding George, Toni and Eddie Mannix. Already having discussed this with Jack I responded. Serena answered with various pieces of information about the times, which included documentation of ship passenger and crew lists and other family background info via US Census reports. The copies were not very clear and Serena offered to send clear copies by mail. After reviewing these documents I recognized immediately the originality of this information with respect to the overall history of George Reeves. I strongly suspect what you are about to read will be for the very first time. In addition to the information Serena provided to support Jack's story of Toni being in Hawaii, it also contained her family information. Serena, not knowing I had this discussion with Jack, also sent me information that confirms George did travel to Europe. When I sent this information to Jack, he was happy to know he was right about George's Europe travels and a little bit startled by Toni's family background as you will read for yourself below.

Below is the May 16-23, 1936 Lurline ship Passenger & Crew list from Honolulu, Hawaii to Los Angeles Harbor with Toni's listed as Camille Lanier. According to the book Merchant of Dreams, Louis B. Mayer, M.G.M. and the Secret Hollywood, by Charles Higham, page 258, The Great Ziegfeld film was released in Los Angeles, Ca. On August 30, 1936. Wikipedia claims it was released on April 6, 1936. I'd believe Mr. Higham before Wikipedia. On March 4, 1937 at the Biltmore Bowl Academy Awards, Luise Rainer was chosen for Best Actress for her Anna Held role.

Serena would provide the following newspaper inside headlines and excerpts.

On October 6, 1935, The New York Times made an announcement in the News From Hollywood Ateliers section titled; "Cameras Turn on "The Great Ziegfeld." In an excerpt it stated:

Another of the films to be done in the grand manner was launched this week when Metro's most elaborate musucal : "The Great Ziegfeld," scheduled to cost $1,500,00. Further into the article: Thus far but two former Ziegfeld girls have been signed, Vanita Vardon of "Rio Rita" and Tony (sic) Lanier, publicized by the producer as "Camille."

From The Los Angeles Times, dated April 3, 1936 article titled TONI LANIER UNDER KNIFE, Actress Known as Girl With "Million Dollar Legs" Appendicitis Victim, the following:

Stricken while dancing at a local night club, Toni Lanier, film actress known as the girl with the $1,000,000 legs, was rushed to the Cedars of Lebanon Hospital early yesterday for an emergency appendicitis operation.

Specualting here, it may be reasonable to surmise Toni may have been feeling the recuperating effects of her appendicitis which caused her irritable behavior with the film director, thus causing her to escape to Hawaii. I found no information on the Internet detailing the filming closing date of the 179 minute (almost three hours) The Great Ziegfeld. So it's off to the local library to see what I can find. I recall seeing a book on Anna Held, perhaps there is something contained within that may provide some further infomation. Because filming started in October 1935, could the Eddie Mannix - Toni Lanier romance have actually happened during an earlier trip to Hawaii? This would mark the duration of their relationship longer while Eddie was married to Bernice.

It should be noted, while we haven't placed Eddie Mannix in Hawaii in May 1936 other than what Jack told us, below does show Toni's voyage home.

In one of my conversations with Jack I sat in my car after work talking to him on my cell phone. When I speak to anyone on the telephone I don't audio record the conversations and at the very least I'll jot down quick notes. So what follows is not word for word Jack's but similar to what he continued to tell me: It is not known exactly how long after Toni returned to California but eventually she moved in with Eddie. Eddie in 1936 was married to Bernice... that is, until the car she was a passenger in overturned in the Nevada desert. Based on Eddie's rough tough demeanor and background, rumors circulated Eddie had something to do with Bernice's death. Rumors it remained. Bernice Mannix died on November 20, 1937. It is also not known when Toni Lanier began actually calling herself "Mrs. Edgar J. Mannix." A photo of Toni sitting with Walter Pidgeon in PHOTOPLAY Movie Mirror - May 1943 has her identified as "Toni Lanier." Throughout the 40's Eddie had many girlfriends as was fairly common with studio executives of the time. Toni therefore engaged in her own spicy relationships. It would become as George described to Jack their long standing "arrangement." After all, the two were not actually married. George already divorced from Ellanora met Toni approximately 1949. Jan Alan Henderson has proclaimed on a number of occasions to me that once Toni and Eddie decided to be legally married in May 1951 Toni stated to Eddie that George would be coming with the deal. Jack felt this is certainly possible. By conventional standards an "arrangement" in most typical marriages is unheard of. But this is Hollywood and for whatever reasons things are done slightly different. Spencer Tracy while married had a loving relationship with Katherine Hepburn. It too was an open secret. It has been claimed the reason Mr. Spencer and his wife were not divorced because she enjoyed the social life of Hollywood and would not want to have her status compromised. I suspect Toni had similar reasons. Certainly the name "Mrs. Mannix" got her into many doors and social circles. Toni's personal reason was Eddie would soon pass away from his illness so why jeopardize losing the Mannix fortune. Which was the reason the two married in May 1951, fearing a sudden death of Eddie would leave Toni with no legal grounds for finanicial security. George would prove money wasn't most important when he terminated the relationship with Toni in Sept. 1958.

Various documents Serena sent show that Toni's year of birth which when compared show different years and days of birth in the month of February. Imdb.com lists her birth date as September 19, 1906. The Fourteenth Census of the United States - 1920, City of Rochester you see below gives her estimated year of birth as 1907, which is a estimate from the Census Department. " Numerous passenger list documents, which we assume were based on her passport, list her birthdate as February 22, 1911, (and 1916) as does the California Death Index. It is clear Toni had reasons of her own, perhaps professionally to adjust her birth date accordingly. But what reasons would she hide the fact she had a sister? Jack explained one day he received a call form Florice Talley to inform him Toni was in the hospital. He was at the time quite discouraged from all the events that had happened throughout the years and felt uneasy about the call. He'd never known Toni had a sister. He learned Florice lived near the Los Angeles Farmers Market. I sent Jack a photo of George and Florice posing in their Sunday best outside this location. Jack said that the photo of George and Florice was most likely taken by Toni and it would stand to reason the photo was taken at the Los Angeles Farmers Market because Florice lived close by. He also remembers Florice and her husband having moved into the Mannix home on El Retiro Way not long after Toni passed away. In another surprise and turn of events is a 1920 Census document from which Serena provides. It lists a total of 10 siblings, a father and mother going by the last name of Froomess. Jack was completely unaware of the number of siblings Toni had, no knowledge of her true birth name and the fact her father was born a Russian Jew (in 1871) from French parents and her mother was born in France (in1881) from Canadian parents. Jack was unaware Toni had a Jewish bloodline and found a slight humor in the fact she considered herself a devout Catholic. The reasonable answer to this is Toni was raised by a Catholic mother. However nothing in the documents suggest Elizabeth was Catholic. But it is probable she was. Elizabeth was born in 1881 France and according to the Census it lists her parents as Canadian. All this came to Jack in a startling discovery because he'd always believed Toni was from Irish decent. It is true Eddie came from an Irish background. Below is the 1920 Census for your review.

Wow, talk about things aren't what they seem to be. In Serena's own words, the following:

I found that Toni Mannix may have given inaccurate information about her birth date to authorities. Mrs. Mannix's Social Security Death Index information list her birth date as February 22, 1911. The California Death Index lists her birth date as February 19, 1906, which is consistent with the 1920 Census data.. The California Passenger and Crew Lists 1893-1957 for a May 16-23, 1936 lists her a Camille Lanier, " age 24 (born about 1912).

A California passenger list dated July 1948 list Eddie and Toni returning from a trip to Hawaii. Toni lists her age as 32, which boost her up to 1916. Actor Jack Harris, a friend of George's from the Playhouse years was also present on this voyage.

The U.S. Census lists the Froomess family in the 1920 Census in Rochester, New York. "Camille" is listed as about age 13, which would place her at the 1906 date. Florice, her sister is listed as age 12. The Social Security Death Index lists "Florice Talley" as having been born in 1907.

(Because Diane Lane took a great interest in her role as Toni Mannix I hope she is reading this.)

And so, Toni Mannix, the woman we've known as Camille Lanier, is actually Camille Froomess. She is French Catholic decent with a quarter trace of Jewish, not Irish 100% Catholic. She had ten siblings, not just Florice. Jack would suggest the name Lanier must have come about as her Ziegfeld Follies stage name.

Edgar J. Mannix: Born: February 25, 1891. Died: August 30, 1963. Place of birth: Fort Lee, New Jersey. Father: John Mannix from Ireland. Mother: Lizabeth Streike from England born to German parents. In June 1959, Eddie was 68 years old.

Toni Mannix: Name at birth: Camille Antoinette Froomess. Born: February 19, 1906. Died: September 2, 1983. Place of birth: Rochester New York. Father: Charles Froomess from France. Mother: Elizabeth from Canada. In June 1959, Toni was 53 years old.

George Reeves: Name at birth: George Brewer. Adopted name: George Bessolo. Born January 5, 1914. Died: June 16, 1959. Father: Don Brewer. Mother: Helen Lescher. Step-father: Frank J. Bessolo. In June 1959, George was 45 years old. Interesting to note is George passed away on Gilmor Brown's birthday. Mr. Brown was born on June 16, 1890.

Speaking of Gilmor Brown, remember above the discussions of George not ever traveling to Europe? The documents shown below show otherwise. Below you will find two passenger and crew ship lists, one dated September 23, 1937, the other September 21, 1938. Included on the list is Gilmor Brown, the renowned director of the Pasadena Community Playhouse. Discussing this with Jack he believes George traveled as Mr. Brown's traveling secretary. Gilmor was scouting plays in France to bring to the Pasadena Community Playhouse. Up to 1948 it would seem Mr. Brown visited Europe once a year. Serena would make note that it might seem risky traveling to France during this turbulent time in world history. Other passenger lists provided by Serena would include Murray Yeats (1931 & 1935) Jack Harris (1947) and Charles Davis (1950 & 1951). All traveling with Mr. Brown.

You will notice George Bessolo's birth date is listed April 6, 1914. By 1937, George was aware of his true birthdate January 5, 1914 and his real last name being Brewer. Most likely, his official date of birth documents were still inaccurate and traveled accordingly. Also, according to Speeding Bullet: The Life and Bizarre Death of George Reeves, The Second Edition, page 8, Jan Alan Henderson informs us that in a late 30's Warner Brothers contract it states George's given name as George Brewer and professional name as Bessolo. It also mentions that Frank adopted George at age 13 (1927). It is unknown if George referred to himself as Lescher or Brewer up to the point of being adopted by Frank Bessolo. It would seem he would be aware by age 13 something was not in sync.

As one chapter ends, another one begins. By 1938, George Bessolo would begin filming his first major motion picture, Gone with the Wind released in 1939. From this moment on he would be known as George Reeves. Toni Lanier and Eddie Mannix would begin their life together. All three unaware of a future fate that would eventually bind them together forever. Midway across America in the city of Cleveland, Ohio two very shy young teenagers named Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster would after years of fustration finally attract a publisher for a new sensational creation they boldly called.....SUPERMAN. A name George Reeves would become synonymous with for years to come.

I want to especially thank Serena Enger who just happened on by at the right time to send me an e-mail with some very interesting information. She is very resourceful and astute to Hollywood history. For me it was interesting to be the dovetailing focal point of Jack's stories and the supporting information provided by Serena. And of course, a huge THANK YOU to the one and only Mr. Jack Larson for his valuable time to discuss these topics.

At this point I feel I'm just skimming the surface of the subjects you've just read above and therefore it seems applicable to consider this page a work in progress and as we learn more information it will be duly noted for your consideration. Coming soon is the Census information on the Mannix family. Until then, I hope you found this information interesting as The Adventures Continue.

Thanks for Watching.

Lou (January 9, 2007)

Update alert: 4/03/07