Phyllis Coates
Born: 1927-01-15 in Wichita Falls, Texas, USA
Died: 2023-10-11
Known For: Acting
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Phyllis Coates (born Gypsie Ann Evarts Stell; January 15, 1927) was an American actress best known for her portrayal of reporter Lois Lane in the 1951 film Superman and the Mole-Men and in the first season of the television series Adventures of Superman. Coates signed a movie contract with Warner Bros. extending from 1948 to 1956. She co-starred with George O'Hanlon as the title character's wife in the studio's Joe McDoakes short-subject comedies. She acted in film serials including Jungle Drums of Africa (1953), Gunfighters of the Northwest (1953), and Panther Girl of the Kongo (1955). Her film career also included roles in Girls in Prison (1956), I Was a Teenage Frankenstein (1957), Blood Arrow (1958), Cattle Empire (1958), The Incredible Petrified World (1959), The Baby Maker (1970) and Goodnight, Sweet Marilyn (1989). Coates was one of Hollywood's most consistently employed actresses of the 1950s and '60s. She freelanced steadily, appearing in numerous low-budget features, many of them Westerns, as well as serials and a steady stream of TV appearances, both as a regular in several series and as a guest cast member in others. All this was in addition to the "McDoakes" shorts, in which she continued to appear until Warner Bros. discontinued the series in 1956.
Filmography
2002
- Reel Radicals: The Sixties Revolution in Film as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Added Attractions: The Hollywood Shorts Story as Self (uncredited)
1996
- Hollywood: The Movie as Old Dora
1993
- Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman as Ellen Lane
- Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman as Mrs. Howard
1991
- Mrs. Lambert Remembers Love as Katherine
1989
- Christine Cromwell as Friend
- The Story of Superman as Self / Lois Lane (archival footage)
- Kiss Shot
- Goodnight, Sweet Marilyn as Gladys Baker
1988
1970
- The Baby Maker as Tish's Mother
1966
- Summer Fun
- U-238 and the Witch Doctor as Carol Bryant
- The Claw Monsters as Jean Evans (archive footage)
1963
1962
- The Virginian as Mrs. Marden
1961
- Gunslinger as Teresa Perez
1959
- The Untouchables as Angela Lamberto
- Rawhide as Nora Sage
- Hawaiian Eye as Laura Seldon
- The DuPont Show with June Allyson as Penny
- Black Saddle as Maggie
- The Incredible Petrified World as Dale Marshall
1958
- Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
- Cattle Empire as Janice Hamilton
- Blood Arrow as Bess Johnson
1957
- Perry Mason as Norma Carter
- Leave It to Beaver as Betty Donaldson
- Richard Diamond, Private Detective as Monica Freeborn
- I Was a Teenage Frankenstein as Margaret
- Chicago Confidential as Helen Fremont (uncredited)
1956
- So Your Wife Wants to Work as Alice McDoakes (uncredited)
- So You Want to Play the Piano as Alice McDoakes
- Girls in Prison as Dorothy
- So You Want to Be Pretty as Alice McDoakes aka Cynthia (uncredited)
- Once to Every Woman as Marsha
1955
- Gunsmoke as Hattie Kelly
- The Millionaire as Alice Sands
- Navy Log
- Frontier as Medora De More
- Science Fiction Theatre
- The Great Gildersleeve
- Panther Girl of the Kongo as Jean Evans, Panther Girl
- Professional Father
1954
- Lassie as Miss Vernon
- Public Defender as Amberlee Tolliver
- The Wonderful World of Disney as Mrs. Martin
- Gunfighters of the Northwest as Rita Carville
- The Duke as Gloria
1953
- Topper as Queen
- I'm the Law
- General Electric Theater
- Jungle Drums of Africa as Carol Bryant
- So You Want to Be an Heir as Alice McDoakes (uncredited)
- Perils of the Jungle as Jo Carter
- Marshal of Cedar Rock as Martha Clark
- So You Want a Television Set as Alice McDoakes (uncredited)
- So You Think You Can't Sleep as Alice McDoakes
- Topeka as Marian Harrison
- El Paso Stampede as Alice Clark
1952
- Four Star Playhouse as Marsha
- Adventures of Superman as Lois Lane
- The Abbott and Costello Show as Millie Montrose
- Cavalcade of America as Barbara Leland
- Death Valley Days as Virginia Arcane
- Terry and the Pirates
- Invasion, U.S.A. as Mrs. Mulfory
- Flat Top as Dorothy Collier
- Scorching Fury as Mrs. Penn
- So You Want to Wear the Pants as Alice McDoakes (uncredited)
- The Maverick as Della Watson
- So You Never Tell a Lie as Alice McDoakes (uncredited)
- Fargo as Kathy MacKenzie
- So You Want to Go to a Convention as Alice McDoakes
- The Gunman as Anita Forester
- Wyoming Roundup as Terry Howard
- Canyon Ambush as Marian Gaylord
1951
- The Red Skelton Show
- The Adventures of Kit Carson
- Racket Squad
- Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
- Superman and the Mole Men as Lois Lane
- Craig Kennedy, Criminologist as Natalie Larkin
- Oklahoma Justice as Goldie Vaughn
- So You Want to Be a Bachelor as Alice
- So You Want to Be a Cowboy as Alice McDoakes
- So You Want to Be a Paper Hanger as Alice McDoakes
- The Screen Director as Self (staged 'archive' footage) (uncredited)
- The Sun Was Setting as Rene
- Nevada Badmen as Carol Bannon
- The Longhorn as Gail
- Stage to Blue River as Joyce Westbrook
- So You Want to Be a Plumber as Alice McDoakes (uncredited)
- Canyon Raiders as Alice Long
- Man from Sonora as Cinthy Allison
1950
- The Cisco Kid as JoAnn Doran
- So You Think You're Not Guilty as Alice McDoakes (uncredited)
- My Blue Heaven as Party Girl (uncredited)
- So You Want to Throw a Party as Alice McDoakes (uncredited)
- So You Want to Move
- Blues Busters as Sally Dolan
- So You Want to Hold Your Husband as Alice McDoakes / Baby McDoakes
- So You Want a Raise
- Outlaws of Texas as Annie Moore
1949
- The Lone Ranger as Jane Johnson
- So You Want to Be a Baby Sitter as Alice McDoakes
- So You Want to Get Rich Quick as Alice
- So You Want to Be a Muscle Man as Alice McDoakes
- So You're Having In-Law Trouble as Alice
- So You Want to Be Popular as Office secretary
1948
- Smart Girls Don't Talk as Cigarette Girl (uncredited)
- So You Want to Be on the Radio as Alice McDoakes (uncredited)
- So You Want to Be in Politics as Alice McDoakes