NOEL NEILL

by Steve Randisi

If you ever find yourself at a film festival or memorabilia show, and there are dozens of people waiting in line for autographs, there's a good chance that Noel Neill is appearing there.  Noel, of course, is known the world over for her portrayal -- make that the definitive portrayal -- of Lois Lane, the feisty reporter with a soft spot in her heart for Superman.  Noel has appeared in more incarnations of the Superman legend than any other actress.  She originated her character in two successful film serials (1948 and 1950) then perfected it on TV's Adventures of Superman, starring  George Reeves, from 1953 to 1957.  Two decades later, Noel delighted audiences with a guest cameo as Lois Lane's mom in the first big-budget epic, Superman (a/k/a Superman, The Movie, 1978) with Christopher Reeve.  Next came a guest spot on the syndicated series The Adventures of Superboy (1990), in which she was reunited with former co-star Jack Larson.  And she's still going strong!  Noel recently landed a role in the much anticipated Superman Returns (2006).

The weekend gigs at conventions, collector shows, and film festivals merely attest to Noel's perpetual popularity.  Just ask any of her fans.  To them, meeting Noel approximates the feeling one gets when being reunited with an old friend, or crossing paths with a favorite teacher from grade school.  While some admirers can be a bit brash in their approach, others are shy, if not downright tongue-tied, when they find themselves face to face with this great lady.  Fortunately, Noel has an ineffable smile that puts people immediately at ease.  When she isn't smiling, she's laughing.  And if for some reason she isn't smiling or laughing, she's doing something that cause others to smile.

Noel Darleen Neill was born on November 25 (just in time for Thanksgiving) in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Her parents, LaVere and David Neill, enrolled her in the Seton Guild of Dance and Dramatic Arts, an institution catering to the development of young talent.  It was there that Noel, at the incredible age of four, gave her first public performance in a little melodrama called The Sick Doll. The Seton directors must have liked what they saw, for they not only cast Noel in the lead role, but also featured her in every one of the school's subsequent productions.  At an age when most youngsters are still developing their motor skills, Noel was honing her abilities as a dancer and singer.  She studied at the Knickerbocker School of Dance, and made her professional debut in a vaudeville show called Kid Nite Follies.  Teamed with some of her fellow Knickerbocker students, Noel became part of a well-polished dancing act that would precede such now-forgotten films as She's My Weakness (1932).  She excelled in both her academic studies and stage engagements, and even did some radio acting.  In short, Noel had matured into a highly-skilled, diversified performer.

After graduating from high school in 1938, Noel and her mother embarked on a three-month auto trip that ultimately brought them to Los Angeles.  Noel soon found work as a singer at the famous Hotel Del Mar (located about two hours away from Hollywood) where she caught the attention of Bing Crosby.  The crooner was so impressed with Noel's style that he signed her -- and the band she had been performing with -- for his own establishment called The Turf Club, situated just across the street.

More singing engagements followed, but Hollywood eventually beckoned and Noel found herself working in such films as Henry Aldrich for President (1941); Miss Annie Rooney (1942); Lady of Burlesque (1943); and a host of others.  In 1943, she was put under contract to Paramount Pictures (where George Reeves was also a contract player) and would appear in a steady succession of features and short subjects.  Her biggest roles, however, were in the B westerns produced by Monogram Pictures, where she had also been cast as one of producer Sam Katzman's Teen-Agers in the popular series of the same name.  Noel was also adept at slapstick, as evidenced by her work in Man or Mouse (1948), a two-reel Columbia comedy starring the perpetually perplexed Sterling Holloway (who would later make several appearances on Superman).

It was at Columbia Pictures that Noel would bring to life a character that would forever be ingrained in American pop culture.  When Katzman needed an actress to play Lois Lane, he found the perfect candidate in Noel.  As a result, Noel took on the role in two of Katzman's best-remembered serials: Superman (1948) and Atom Man vs. Superman (1950).  From these, Kirk Alyn made a name for himself as the mighty Man of Steel.  But in 1951, George Reeves made a greater and far more lasting impression when he took over the role in Lippert's feature-length Superman and the Mole Men.  Two years later, after George's Superman had landed on TV, the producers needed to recast the role of Lois Lane.  Noel was only too happy to oblige.  She joined the cast at the beginning of the show's second season, with the episode Five Minutes to Doom (black and white, 1953), and remained with the company through the final episode, All That Glitters (color, 1957).