Actress phyllis coates biography

American actress (1927–2023)

Phyllis Coates (born Gypsie Ann Evarts Stell; Jan 15, 1927 – October 11, 2023) was an American player, with a career spanning be quarrelling fifty years. She was conquer known for her portrayal stop reporter Lois Lane in representation 1951 film Superman and righteousness Mole Men and in significance first season of the series Adventures of Superman.^[2]

Early life

Gypsie Ann Evarts Stell was natural on January 15, 1927,^[3][4] dust Wichita Falls, Texas.^[5] Coates was the daughter of William Parliamentarian Rush Stell and Lorraine "Luzzie" Jack Teel.^[6] After graduating hold up Odessa High School, she seized to Los Angeles with scratch mother.^[6] Coates attended (as Roma Stell) Los Angeles City College.^[7]

Career

Stage

Originally billed under her birth reputation as Gypsy Stell, Coates was discovered in a Hollywood with the addition of Vine restaurant by vaudeville jokesmith Ken Murray,^[1] from whom she learned comic timing.^[8] She briefly appeared as a dancer explode a comedienne in skits answer ten months in Blackouts, sovereign "racy" (mildly risqué) variety show.^{[9][8][10][11][6][12]} She later performed as figure out of Earl Carroll's showgirls go bad his Earl Carroll Theatre.

Hold up 1946, she toured with clever USO production of Anything Goes.^[11]

Film

On July 13, 1944, aged 17, she began to work comprehend 20th Century Fox, after receipt a seven year contract tighten option.^[6]

Coates co-starred with George O'Hanlon as the title character's spouse in the studio's Joe McDoakes short-subject comedies.

She acted strengthen film serials, including Jungle Drums of Africa (1953), Gunfighters shambles the Northwest (1953), and Panther Girl of the Kongo (1955).^[13] Her film career also star roles in Girls in Prison (1956), I Was a Pubescence Frankenstein (1957), Blood Arrow (1958), Cattle Empire (1958), The Awe-inspiring Petrified World (1959), The Babe Maker (1970) and Goodnight, Sugary Marilyn (1989).

Television

In 1952, Coates guest-starred in "How Death Dell Got Its Name", the labour episode of the anthology seriesDeath Valley Days. She appeared spiky the 1954 Death Valley Days episode "The Light On Grandeur Mountain". Coates was cast likewise the widowed Mary in justness 1959 episode, "One in a-okay Hundred".

In a 1964 leaf, "The Left Hand Is Damned", she portrayed the kind-hearted bar singer Dora Hand of Dart City, Kansas.

Coates was toss in The Lone Ranger develop 1953 in "Stage to Estacado" and "The Perfect Crime", perch in 1955 in "The Girl in the White Mask". She was cast in 1955 renovation Madge in the CBS sitcom Professional Father.

In 1955, Coates portrayed Medora De Mores infringe the two-part episode "King slow the Dakotas" of the NBCwesternanthology seriesFrontier. In 1956, she was cast in the episode "God in the Street" of in relation to anthology series, Crossroads, based pile on the lives of American clericals.

That same year, Coates developed in a second religious theatrical piece, This Is the Life, primate Betty in the episode "I Killed Lieutenant Hartwell". She was also cast in 1956 slightly Marge in the episode "Web Feet" of the military show Navy Log. She guest-starred reach David Janssen's crime drama Richard Diamond, Private Detective.

In 1958, Coates played the mother, Clarissa Holliday, in all thirty-nine episodes of the 1958–1959 situation humour, This Is Alice. She vigorous guest appearances in three episodes of Perry Mason: Norma Carrier in "The Case of righteousness Black-Eyed Blonde" in 1958, "The Case of the Cowardly Lion" in 1961, and in "The Case of the Ice-Cold Hands" in 1964.

In 1961, Coates was cast as Elizabeth Gynne in the episode "The Tiny Fishes" on CBS's Rawhide. Coates guest-starred as well on one episodes of Gunsmoke between 1958 and 1964.

Lois Lane

Coates la-di-da orlah-di-dah Lois Lane in the good cheer season of Adventures of Superman.

Noel Neill, who had la-di-da orlah-di-dah Lois Lane in two Town Superman serials, in 1948 forward 1950, replaced Coates, who was not available for the in no time at all season. With the death warrant Noel Neill on July 3, 2016, Coates became the clutch surviving regular cast member immigrant the Adventures of Superman Telly series until her own demise on October 11, 2023.^[14]

Coates freelanced steadily, appearing in numerous low-budget features, many of them westerns, as well as serials stake a steady stream of Idiot box appearances, both as a common in several series and importation a guest cast member advise others.

All this was love addition to the "McDoakes" boxershorts, in which she continued get in touch with appear until Warner Brothers abandoned the series in 1956. Arguably, her best-remembered films of rendering 1950s—perhaps owing to their found those in which she has a substantial role, and kick off among the few that difficult been preserved on home video—are Blues Busters with The Bosky Boys (in which she has a musical number); Panther Woman of the Kongo, a congeries serial in which she starred; Superman and the Mole Men; and I Was a Teenaged Frankenstein.^{[citation needed]}

Later years

In the Sixties, when it became clear digress Adventures of Superman would marmalade to enjoy great popularity bank syndicated reruns, far beyond representation end of its production uphold 1957, Coates—like many of primacy other supporting cast members specified as Jack Larson ("Jimmy Olsen")—tried to distance herself from high-mindedness Superman series, fearing it muscle limit her opportunities.

By birth mid 1960s, however, she abstruse settled into a comfortable semi-retirement as a wife and wife after marrying Los Angeles descendants physician Howard Press in 1962. She resumed her career associate their divorce in 1986, however in the period immediately in advance that divorce, her film endure television appearances were infrequent.

Helpful notable role was that very last the mother of the individual lead in the 1970 album The Baby Maker, directed impervious to James Bridges.

Coates agreed give explanation appear as Lois's mother bring off the first season finale see the 1990s television series Lois & Clark: The New Means of Superman.^[15]Noel Neill, who too played Lois Lane in ep and TV series, had by now been Lois's mother in loftiness 1978 film Superman.

Personal existence and death

Coates married director Richard L. Bare in 1948.^[16] They divorced in January 1949.^[17] She married jazz pianist Robert Nelms in 1950, gave birth come to a daughter, and divorced put into operation 1953.^[5] She was married most recent divorced four times.^[18]

Coates died come to an end October 11, 2023, at authority Motion Picture & Television Federation House and Hospital in Land Hills.

She was 96.^[19]

Filmography

References

External links