Truth, Justice, & the American Way: The Life and Times of Noel Neill, the Original Lois Lane

I'd love to meet miss Neill. Really. she seems like a nice lady, but the original Lois Lane was played by Joan Alexander for eleven years on radio 1940-1951. The radio show invented the characters of Jimmy Olsen and Kryptonite.Miss Alexander started plaing the role, just two years after Superman was invented. Noel Neill didn't start playing the role until eight years later. Don't get me wrong. Noel Neill did a great job and she brought a lot to the role, but she wasn't first.

If ever there was an iconic television program, the 1950's version of "The Adventures of Superman" would qualify. Seen today, the graphics are primitive, the storylines mostly laughable, and the drama thin. And yet, it survived in syndication over forty years. The show ended shrouded in shock and mystery with the unsolved crime of George Reeves' murder. Or was it suicide? A half century later, this is still unsolved, and open to debate. Backing up George Reeves' Superman, was Noel Neill, who played Lois Lane. Noel Neill had played Lois Lane in the Superman serial, beginning in the late 1940's with Kirk Allyn. She was displaced in season one by Phyllis Coates, and returned in season two and stayed until the show left the airwaves. Ms. Neill played a softer, more vivacious Lois Lane than Ms. Coates, who was edgier, and more aggressive. Lois Lane was Ms. Neill's alter-ego, and, in fact, Ms. Neill never landed another non-Superman based role after departing the "Adventures of Superman." This book takes the reader into her life as the Daily Planet reporter, and not too far beyond. It gives some of her background as a child growing up in Minneapolis, and some of her background as a journeywoman actress. Ms. Neill actually had a deep reserve of acting experience in the movies prior to her engagement on Superman, and was a highly sought after model (her pin-up during World War II was second in popularity only to Betty Grable). The book does not delve deeply into her personal life, referring only briefly to a rueful lost romance with an actor acquaintance. She was married twice, but this was not mentioned. The pictures are plentiful, and many are shown for the first time. They are of high quality, and many capture her astounding beauty. Ms. Neill seems to have maintained a boundless positive outlook, although one could easily envision her being bitter about the paltry salary she earned in her years on the set of "SUPERMAN", or the prejudice of the time, which precluded her earning endorsements like many of her cast members. As of this writing, as an octagenarian, she still appears at conventions, and maintains a high level of energy. One can only surmise if the lack of depth of this book is caused by her desire for a certain privacy at this time in her life, or by the limitations of the author. In either case, she has lived an interesting life, seems to be a likable and charismatic person, and I would like to learn more about her.

"Truth, Justice and the American Way" is a must-have book for fans of the original Superman TV series. Written by Larry Thomas Ward in close collaboration with Noel Neill, the book gives an insider's view into the making of one of the most famous TV series of all time - not to mention the two Superman serials that preceded it. The book is a quick, breezy read, and my only complaint is that when I finished it, I wanted more. The portrait of Noel Neill that emerges from this book is of an independent but upbeat and relentlessly cheerful actress. Readers who remember her only as Lois Lane will be suprised to learn of her career as a singer and dancer. If only that cut scene from "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" could be found...

'Truth, Justice, & The American Way: The Life And Times Of Noel Neill' by Larry Thomas Ward is an absolute, must have book for afficionados of the classic television series 'The Adventures Of Superman' (1951 - 1957), which starred George Reeves and Noel Neill. Movie fans will discover that Noel Neill had made over 80 feature films, and starred as Lois Lane in two Columbia studios serials, 'Superman' (1948) and 'Atom Man Vs Superman' (1950), prior to the famed TV show. Ms. Neill joined the watershed series in it's second season and made 78 episodes, a special U.S. Treasury Dept. 'Superman' film selling savings bonds, as well as extensive personal appearances with Reeves and the TV cast! This book contains hundreds of rare and never before published photographs from Ms. Neill's personal collection. It also has an exhaustive and detailed listing of Noel Neill's film, TV, and stage credits! Mr. Ward's writing skillfully transports the reader back to the golden days of Hollywood, and in the delicate footsteps of Noel Neill! Noel Neill does not place herself in the controversy surrounding the mysterious death of George Reeves, as to whether it was a homicide or suicide. However, she does describe in detail the final days of Mr. Reeves and the television series, leaving unmistakable clues to the discerning reader to follow. Several books have been written on the bizarre, violent death of George Reeves, but Noel Neill and author Larry Thomas Ward recommend only one for the reader interested in seeking the truth! "Truth Justice & The American Way' covers the fascinating life of Noel Neill and readers will enjoy this journey.