TUCSON, ARIZONA–Actress Noel Neill, best remembered as Lois Lane from the TV series “Adventures of Superman” from 1953 to 1958, died at her home here July 3 after a long illness. She was 95.MSTies will remember that she played an airline desk clerk in the movie in episode 602- INVASION USA. (And those who saw the recent RiffTrax Live: MST3k Reunion show saw her in the “Stamp Day for Superman” short).
Her friend and biographer Larry Ward has a nice long bio.
Thanks to Kathy, Paul and Timmy (in that order) for their headses ups.
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A fine actress. She brought a lot of charm to her Lois Lane. RIP.
Growing up watching Superman re-runs in the 60s, Lois/Noel was one of my first childhood crushes! She helped cement my love for all things sci-fi and corny, a love that has lasted a lifetime. RIP, Noel!
I saw her as Lois Lane growing up in the 70’s. She out lived more than 1 Superman.
Wow, yet another Abe Vigoda (“I can’t believe he/she was still alive”) award — never would have thought she was still around up until now. Both Phyllis Coates and her did a fine job in the role in the TV show that I grew up watching during first run (because I’m just that old).
Sorry she had a long illness but at least she had many good years. R.I.P.
I had just looked up her info on Wikipedia and IMDb last week after the short “Stamp Day For Superman” was riffed at the MST3K reunion.
I like this passage of her Wikipedia entry.
“Neill remarked that a frequent question she would get from children was, ‘Why don’t you know that Clark Kent was Superman, just wearing a pair of those darn eyeglasses?’ She replied to the children (and later to college audiences), ‘I don’t want to lose my job!’
On June 15, 2010, the southern Illinois city of Metropolis (the city that calls itself the ‘official home of Superman’), unveiled a statue of Lois Lane. The Lois Lane statue is modeled on Noel Neill. Neill stated that she was honored to be memorialized with the statue.”
Wonderful irony… I live in Tucson and never knew she was here, plus I recently recorded an old Lone Ranger episode [COZI-TV] that had her in it.
J/P=?
Yeah, I guess it is a toss up for me between Noel (yes, I saw her in reruns in the late 60s & early 70s, as well) and Margot Kidder as to which is the “definitive” Lois Lane for me. But her Lois definitely had a lot of charm and class. Wow, 95 years: God love ‘ya! Rest in Peace.
I have the Superman serials she did in the late 1940s on DVD and they are a lot of fun. I was thinking while they were riffing the “Stamp Day for Superman” that it was cool that she was still alive. She had a good long run and really enjoyed her work and life.
Goodbye Ms. Neill!! YOU will be missed!!!
I wonder if they’ll add in a note about her passing when they show the Rifftrax encore next week.
Had the pleasure of meeting her at Comic-con a few years ago.
She got a standing ovation and gladly signed anything we had for her.
Oddly enough, she did not charge for her autograph, which everyone else does there now.
All of us would have gladly paid whatever she asked as she was truly a celebrity in our eyes.
She had a lot of “direct” comments about the. then current” movie on Reeves, and had good things and honest things to say about fellow cast members, and “previous” Lois Lanes.
It is refreshing to here people who are honest and no longer fear ruining their careers.
She was a class act and earned all of the love and gratitude we paid her that day.
Hey, a third Tucsonan on this site! (That we know of…) Me, schippers, and you sir!
Noell was about the same age as my mom and they were about the same height or so it seemed to me watching Superman on our old Zenith. My dad was six foot three and Mom was barely 5 feet, so when I saw Lois standing next to Superman the similarity seemed remarkable from the perspective of a six year old.
PS – Lois got to fly in Superman’s arms, but Mom’s first flight was as a flower girl in a wedding aboard a Ford Trimotor airplane. Zowie! And don’t call me Chief!!