Joe Farmer's Close Encounter with George Reeves......

(August 12, 2005)

Jim,
I just saw your website today. We are about the same age, but I was fortunate enough to meet George Reeves when I was a kid. We lived at 600 Elizabeth Street in Pasadena, California, with my grandparents. I had a young friend across the street who lived with his mother. George Reeves used to come and visit. My friend, whose name I cannot remember, said that George Reeves was his uncle. I don't know if he was actually his uncle, or if that's just what he called him.

My friend had a full Superman costume. My mother made a Superman cape for me. When George came to visit, he would stand off of the end of my friend's front porch. With our costumes on, we would run up the steps, across the porch and jump off into George's arms. Then he'd put us down, and we'd do it all over again.

I remember how devastated I was when he was killed. I couldn't understand how Superman could die. I just thought I would share that memory with you.

I asked Joe for a few more details....

Jim,
I'm trying to come up with approximate dates, or periods in time. I was born in 1947. My grandparents lived at 600 Elizabeth Street, Pasadena, CA for many years. We lived with them on two different occasions. I would guess that I was about from seven to ten years old. I don't remember what my friend's name was, but he lived directly across the street. That would have been either 599, 601 or 603 Elizabeth Street. We would have been the same age. I remember his mother, but don't recall that his father lived there. It's possible that he did, but I just don't remember.

He usually came over to our house to play. The only times that I remember going to his house, were the times that George Reeves was there, and they would invite me over. His mother and George must have been very nice to invite a neighbor kid over to play with Superman. I do remember George Reeves stressed to us that my cape, and my friend's Superman suit did not have any super powers, so we shouldn't try any stunts with them.

It's funny, I can remember certain things that we did together, other than when Superman would visit, but I can't remember his name. I remember the front porch was more like a large concrete step rather than a proper porch. We would run up the steps, across to the end and jump off of the end. George would catch us each, set us down and we would run around and repeat this until either he or we got tired.