Phyllis Coates, who played Lois Lane on the first season of The Adventures of Superman, has died at the age of 96. In addition to playing Lois, she also played the title character’s wife in the “Joe McDoakes” theatrical shorts and appeared in the cult classic I Was a Teenage Frankenstein. She was also a very popular pinup. Anyway, she was always one of my favorite actresses to play Lois Lane.
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RIP
What a legacy she kicked off.
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Sad news.
Kicked it off for so many.
Rest in Peace
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So sorry and sad to hear that, she was a good actress to play Lois Lane, Her best episode in The Adventures of Superman is ‘The Human Bomb’ That was one of her best.
Also she played Lois’ mother in the last episode from Season 1 of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures Of Superman.
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she was very pretty
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Here is one of the many Joe McDoakes shorts in which she appeared, “So You Want to Play Piano.” They were produced by Warner Bros.
And here is one of her pinup pictures. Both she and Noel Neill were popular pinups back in the day!
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If I was more motivated I would start a petition to bring back classy pinups.
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So sad. She was a wonderful Lois Lane.
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Sad to hear – I do remember watching some of Adventures of Superman back when this was just DC Universe and the show was on the service, and I thought she was a pretty solid Lois, one who helped build the foundation of how to best play her that others followed. But she lived a long life and left a big mark on the world, which is a comforting, if cold thought.
RIP
Speaking of which, is Adventures of Superman streaming anywhere?
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Unfortunately, it looks like it’s for rent on Prime and Vudu and YouTube and that’s it. 
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The Superman series was unusual in that season one was filmed and in the can, then waited a year to find a sponsor before it was aired. That season is more violent and adult than future seasons of the show. She’d been offered another series when season 2 of Superman finally rolled around, so opted not to return, however the other pilot was filmed but not picked up.
Her longest role was as Joe McDoakes wife - those were being made well before and well after Superman. She starred as the “Panther Girl of the Kongo” several years after Superman, which was one of the very last movie serials.
She had an impressive career and will be greatly missed.
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Aside from Lois, I always remember Phyllis Coates best as Alice McDoakes.
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Goodbye Lois, and thank you.
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