Phyllis Coates, the first actor to portray Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane on television, died on Oct. 11 in Woodland Hills, Calif., her daughter Laura Press confirmed to the New York Times. She was 96.
Coates starred as Lois Lane in the “Adventures of Superman” when the series first aired in 1952, only to leave after one season. She initially played Lois opposite George Reeves as Clark Kent/the Man of Steel in “Superman and the Mole Men.” The 1951 black-and-white superhero film follows Clark and Lois as they arrive in the small town of Silsby, where a race of small, balding humanoids emerge from their underground home deep in an oil well.
The “Adventures of Superman” series debuted the following year, with Reeves and Coates reprising their respective roles as Clark and Lois from “Mole Men.”
Noel Neill, who had played Lois in two 15-part film serials starring Kirk Alyn — “Superman” (1948) and “Atom Man vs. Superman...
Coates starred as Lois Lane in the “Adventures of Superman” when the series first aired in 1952, only to leave after one season. She initially played Lois opposite George Reeves as Clark Kent/the Man of Steel in “Superman and the Mole Men.” The 1951 black-and-white superhero film follows Clark and Lois as they arrive in the small town of Silsby, where a race of small, balding humanoids emerge from their underground home deep in an oil well.
The “Adventures of Superman” series debuted the following year, with Reeves and Coates reprising their respective roles as Clark and Lois from “Mole Men.”
Noel Neill, who had played Lois in two 15-part film serials starring Kirk Alyn — “Superman” (1948) and “Atom Man vs. Superman...
- 10/18/2023
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety Film + TV
Phyllis Coates, the actress who first played the iconic Daily Planet Reporter Lois Lane on the small screen, has died.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the beloved actress died Wednesday of natural causes at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills.
She was 96.
Coates first appeared in the superhero universe opposite George Reeves in the 1951 movie Superman and the Mole Men.
The movie was a roaring success and paved the way for the syndicated TV series The Adventures of Superman.
While the series lasted six seasons and had a devoted following, Coates stepped away following the first.
Noel Neill took over the role for the next five seasons, keeping Lois Lane a part of the franchise.
Neill had previously played the role on two occasions.
Coates' decision to leave was reportedly driven by her desire to work on a pilot for a series that would find...
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the beloved actress died Wednesday of natural causes at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills.
She was 96.
Coates first appeared in the superhero universe opposite George Reeves in the 1951 movie Superman and the Mole Men.
The movie was a roaring success and paved the way for the syndicated TV series The Adventures of Superman.
While the series lasted six seasons and had a devoted following, Coates stepped away following the first.
Noel Neill took over the role for the next five seasons, keeping Lois Lane a part of the franchise.
Neill had previously played the role on two occasions.
Coates' decision to leave was reportedly driven by her desire to work on a pilot for a series that would find...
- 10/12/2023
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
Phyllis Coates, the first actress to play Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane on television, only to leave the Adventures of Superman after just one season, has died. She was 96.
Coates, who also appeared in Republic Pictures serials and in such films as I Was a Teenage Frankenstein, died Wednesday of natural causes at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, her daughter Laura Press told The Hollywood Reporter.
A native of Wichita Falls, Texas, Coates first portrayed the headstrong Lois opposite George Reeves as the Man of Steel in the dark sci-fi movie Superman and the Mole Men (1951).
The success of that Lippert Pictures film — the first full-length theatrical feature starring the comic-book hero — led to the quick decision to start production on a syndicated show for television.
Coates segued to the series and got into jams as Lois in all 26 episodes of the first season...
Coates, who also appeared in Republic Pictures serials and in such films as I Was a Teenage Frankenstein, died Wednesday of natural causes at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, her daughter Laura Press told The Hollywood Reporter.
A native of Wichita Falls, Texas, Coates first portrayed the headstrong Lois opposite George Reeves as the Man of Steel in the dark sci-fi movie Superman and the Mole Men (1951).
The success of that Lippert Pictures film — the first full-length theatrical feature starring the comic-book hero — led to the quick decision to start production on a syndicated show for television.
Coates segued to the series and got into jams as Lois in all 26 episodes of the first season...
- 10/12/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
What a great title to revisit — John Ford’s ‘Kabuki’ western is less about action and more about form and tradition — especially the way the truth gets plowed under in ‘the West,’ which is of course America reduced to a mythological keepsake. John Wayne, James Stewart and Lee Marvin’s characters seem to know they are playing roles that never change. We might question the values but there’s no denying that said values prevailed as the country’s consensus self-image. Paramount’s new 4K makes a great-looking movie look even better, Pilgrim — and we don’t tolerate no disloyal debates ’bout film grain North of the Picket Wire.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray
Paramount Presents
1962 / B&w / 1:85 widescreen / 123 min. / Street Date May 17, 2022 / Available from Amazon
Starring: John Wayne, James Stewart, Vera Miles, Lee Marvin, Edmond O’Brien, Andy Devine, Ken Murray, John Carradine, Jeanette Nolan,...
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray
Paramount Presents
1962 / B&w / 1:85 widescreen / 123 min. / Street Date May 17, 2022 / Available from Amazon
Starring: John Wayne, James Stewart, Vera Miles, Lee Marvin, Edmond O’Brien, Andy Devine, Ken Murray, John Carradine, Jeanette Nolan,...
- 5/14/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
We still love John Ford's bitter-sentimental look back at the lost Myth of the West. John Wayne and James Stewart are at least thirty years too old for their roles, but everything seems to be happening in a foggy reverie, so what's the difference, Pilgrim? Great comedy and Lee Marvin's marvelous villain, plus the assertive 'print the Legend' message that's been hotly debated ever since. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance Blu-ray Warner Home Video / Paramount 1962 / B&W / 1:85 widescreen / 123 min. / Street Date October 13, 2015 / 14.98 Starring John Wayne, James Stewart, Vera Miles, Lee Marvin, Edmond O'Brien, Andy Devine, Ken Murray, John Carradine, Jeanette Nolan, John Qualen, Willis Bouchey, Carleton Young, Woody Strode, Denver Pyle, Strother Martin, Lee Van Cleef Cinematography William H. Clothier Production Designer Eddie Imazu & Hal Pereira Film Editor Otho Lovering Original Music Cyril J. Mockridge Writing credits James Warner Bellah & Willis Goldbeck from a story by...
- 10/20/2015
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Male impersonator Kitty Doner According to the Encyclopedia of Vaudeville press release, you interviewed a number of vaudeville stars. Could you share a couple of anecdotes? [See previous post: The Encyclopedia Of Vaudeville Q&A with Anthony Slide: Vaudeville History.] I had the good fortune to talk with a number of vaudevillians: Milton Berle, George Burns, Fifi D’Orsay, May Foy (of the Seven Little Foys), Nick Lucas, Ken Murray, Fayard Nicholas (of the Nicholas Brothers), Al Rinker (of the Rhythm Boys), Rose Marie, Virginia Sale, Joe Smith (of Smith and Dale), Arthur Tracy, Rudy Vallee, Nancy Welford, and the brilliant Senor Wences (photo). I was [...]...
- 7/5/2012
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
It’s been several years since I dipped into my collection of movie stills and celebrated the holidays with some of the often-silly publicity photos that movie studios turned out by the carload—from the silent era onward. I’ll continue doing this throughout 2012 and I hope you enjoy these time-capsule photos. Let’s begin with Ken Murray, who was promoting his CBS-tv show along with Joan Shea, Lillian Farmer, Kathy Hild in this picture which is exactly sixty years old! Murray’s film career was long (beginning in 1929 and extending into the 1970s) if sporadic, but he gained latter-day reputation for his Hollywood home movies, which yielded a number of entertaining...
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- 1/1/2012
- Leonard Maltin's Movie Crazy
Bette Davis, Joan Blondell, Ann Dvorak, Three on a Match Ann Dvorak on TCM Part I: Scarface, I Was An American Spy Another cool Ann Dvorak performance is her drug addict in Mervyn LeRoy's Three on a Match (1932), which features a great cast that includes Warren William, Joan Blondell, and a pre-stardom Bette Davis. Never, ever light three cigarettes using the same match, or you'll end up like Ann Dvorak, delivering a harrowing performance without getting an Academy Award nomination for your efforts. As Three on a Match's young Ann Dvorak, future Oscar nominee Anne Shirley is billed as Dawn O'Day. (And for those who believe that remakes is something new: Three on a Mach was remade a mere six years later as Broadway Musketeers: John Farrow directed; Ann Sheridan, Marie Wilson, and Margaret Lindsay starred.) I've never watched David Miller's family drama Our Very Own...
- 8/8/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
John Clifford wrote a single feature film during his career, but it proved to be memorable. He teamed with director Herk Harvey to write Carnival of Souls in the early 1960s. The 1962 release starred Candace Hilligoss as a woman haunted by eerie apparitions after a car accident, and was filmed on a low budget ($30,000) primarily in Lawrence, Kansas. It developed a cult following as a creepy classic, and spawned a less successful remake in 1998.
Clifford was born in Springfield, Illinois, in 1918, and was raised by relatives in Chicago after the death of his parents. He began his career writing jokes for radio comedian Ken Murray. He served in the military during World War II, and studied screenwriting after his discharge. He began writing industrial and educational films at Centron Films in Lawrence, Kansas. He worked on numerous productions there from the 1950s through the 1980s.
He also penned the western...
Clifford was born in Springfield, Illinois, in 1918, and was raised by relatives in Chicago after the death of his parents. He began his career writing jokes for radio comedian Ken Murray. He served in the military during World War II, and studied screenwriting after his discharge. He began writing industrial and educational films at Centron Films in Lawrence, Kansas. He worked on numerous productions there from the 1950s through the 1980s.
He also penned the western...
- 3/15/2010
- by Jesse
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
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