Book Review: Phyllis Coates: Not Just Lois Lane

There has been quite a scuffle among Superman TV fans since around 1955 as to whether Phyllis Coates or Noel Neill was the best Lois Lane.  The argument for Ms. Coates was that the first season episodes in which she appeared were solid noir, while during Neill’s tenure they gradually developed into children’s entertainment.

In Bill Cassara’x new book for BearManor media, a case is not only made for Phyllis as Lois, her long and varied career is examined.  As per its subtitle, Phyllis Coates was indeed not just Lois Lane.

A very thorough and interesting book, Cassara discusses Coates’ early life and the beginnings of her career, then spends time on her appearances in Richard L. Bare’s Behind The Eight Ball series of short comedies for Warner Bros.  Bare and Coates were later married, but only for a year.  The Eight Ball series was popular and long running, from 1942-1956, Coates leaving the series in 1951 to play Lois Lane on TV’s The Adventures of Superman.

Superman began with the low budget feature Superman and the Mole Men (1951) then episodes for a series were shot.  They were not broadcast until 1952 when Kellogg’s picked up sponsorship.  Dark and gritty, often violent, these were dramas for grownups, not typical children’s entertainment, but truly resonated with kids.  When the success of the show warranted another season, Coates was replaced. Cassara’s book covers all of this in great detail.

Phyllis Coates was in many TV shows, including several episodes of The Twilight Zone, and on popular western series like The Cisco Kid and The Lone Ranger.  She was in the Bowery Boys’ best feature Blues Busters, and the cult horror movie I Was a Teenage Frankenstein. Leaving showbiz in 1966, Coates later returned for a few roles in the late 1980s into the 1990s.  She died at 96 in 2023.

Bill Cassara culls from deep and extensive research to offer a great deal about Phyllis Coates’ life and career, providing fascinating details at every turn.  Interviews with friends and colleagues present material heretofore unknown.  A concluding interview by Stan Taffel at the end of the book shows Phyllis reuniting with ex-husband Richard Bare, who lived to be 101 years old.

Phyllis Coates: Not Just Lois Lane is a fascinating look at the actress’s life and career, written by one of our finest film historians and biographers.  The book’s wide appeal would not only include libraries and research centers, but fans of early television, short comedies, B-movies, and Superman. 

The book can be ordered at this link: COATES