Phyllis Coates, Lois Lane in the first season of The Adventures of Superman, has died at age 96.
Phyllis was the first actor to play Lois Lane. She was Lois in Season One for 26 episodes from September 19, 1952 to 27 February, 1953. Noel Neill took over the role in 1953 and was the show’s Lois for the remaining five seasons.
Phyllis was the last surviving member of the 50’s television series. Noel Neill, her replacement Lois passed away in 2016. Jack Larson, who played Jimmy Olsen, died in 2015. Both Neill and Larson had cameos in the 2006 Superman movie ‘Superman Returns’.
John Hamilton (Perry White) died in 1958, George Reeves (Superman/Clark Kent) in 1959 and Robert Shayne (Inspector Henderson) in 1992.
Phyllis Coates did not return to Superman after the gap between season one and two while the producers were looking for a sponsor. The original producer Robert Maxwell had also left to start work on Lassie and the show went from a drama to more of a light-hearted adventure.
Phyllis also had a young child at the time and decided to concentrate on being a mother. She occasionally appeared in other shows including one season of Lassie with her friend Maxwell. She guest starred in three episodes of Perry Mason, three episodes of Gunsmoke and was in an episode of The Lone Ranger. She haas had a starring role in the shortlived 1958 sitcom ‘This Is Alice’.
Coates did return to television in 1996 for the final season of ‘Lois and Clark’ where she played Lois’ mother Ellen Lane. Her last appearances were as Mrs Howard in the final season of ‘Dr Quinn: Medicine Woman’ in 1994 and as Old Dora in Hollywood: The Movie ins 1996.
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