Christopher Reeve (Village Of The Damned) as, 'Superman'![/caption]Most people generally tend to recognize the work that Christopher Reeve (Switching Channels), and Margot Kidder (The Amityville Horror) did in the Superman movie series that went from 1978 - 1987. You may even recognize the work that actor George Reeves (So Proudly We Hail) and actress Phyllis Coates (I Was A Teenage Frankenstein) did for TV with, Adventures Of Superman (1952 - 1958) and for the movies, Superman and the Mole Men (1951)... Both the time that Christopher Reeve, George Reeves, Phyllis Coates and Margot Kidder spent playing the roles of Superman & Lois Lane was great, and as for Margot Kidder and Christopher Reeve, it might seem like they spent the longest time in the world of, 'Superman'.... But as it turns out that it wasn't!
The longest running was the first onscreen duo to play Superman/Clark Kent and Lois Lane, Kirk Alyn (Call Of The Rockies), and Noel Neill (The Adventures Of Superboy)!
The first time we would see Kirk Alyn and Noel Neill on the big screen would be in the 1940s at the height of the serials in the theater, with the first movie just called, Superman (1948). Now this movie had to do with the classic story of how Superman ended up making it to Earth and eventually how he made it to Metropolis as the glasses wearing Clark Kent, and how he eventually would become Superman.... fighting for truth, justice and the American way, (in the case of this movie,) fighting against Spider Lady (Played by: Carol Forman)!
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Kirk Alyn as, 'Superman' with Noel Neill as, 'Lois Lane' in Superman (1948)[/caption]A few years later Mr. Alyn and Ms. Neill would dawn their roles again as, 'The Man Of Steel' and, 'Lois Lane'. This time the man of steel would go up against a villain that would become one of the most famous villains that he would ever face... That of course being, Lex Luthor... or in the case of this serial, 'Atom Man'... This time the movie would tell the story of how Superman, will do everything he can to stop the ultra smart Atom Man, including the damage that is caused to him due to the artificial, 'kryptonite', as well as being dropped in to the, 'Phantom Zone'!
Now unfortunately Kirk Alyn would never dawn the Superman uniform again despite the fact that he had been offered the role when Superman was being adapted for TV in the early 1950s... But Noel Neill would continue to play a prominent role in Superman, when she was called to take over for Phyllis Coats (when it was found out that she had other obligations and had to leave the role.)
Noel Neill would go on to play the role she had made famous in the movie serials in, Adventures Of Superman alongside George Reeves from 1953 till the end of the series in 1958...
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Noel Neill as, 'Lois Lane' with the new, 'Superman' actor George Reeves![/caption]In 1954 she would play, 'Lois Lane' again with George Reeves as, 'Clark Kent/Superman' in the 1954 short film, Stamp Day For Superman!
After the end of the series, Noel Neill would return to Superman when it came back to the big screen in 1978 for, Superman: The Movie, playing the role of Lois Lane's mother, 'Ella' alongside her former Superman serials co-star, Kirk Alyn!
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General Sam Lane (Kirk Alyn) with his wife, 'Ella' (Noel Neill) in, 'Superman: The Movie' (1978)[/caption]This would be the last time Kirk Alyn would be connected to, 'Superman' but it wouldn't be the last time for Noel Neill though!
You see in 1988 her role as Lois's mother, 'Ella' would return in a documentary that was released in 1988 called, Superman 50th Anniversary, as well she would go on to guest star on, The Adventures Of Superboy, a TV series in the late 80s - early 90s that told the story of the, 'Man Of Steel' during his teenaged years... In the case of Noel Neill she guest starred on the series in the role of, 'Alexis' in an episode during their 1991 season titled, 'paranoia'.
Now the last time she would be attached to, 'Superman' is when Superman would come back to the big screen when Brandon Routh (Number Nine) would take over the role of 'Superman' in Superman Returns (2006)!
For that Noel would go on to play a completely different role that is separate from her attachment to the Lois Lane character, and that is the role of, 'Gertrude Vanderworth', who was the dying elderly wife of, 'Lex Luthor' (played by: Kevin Spacey)!
In the end, Kirk Alyn would be connected to Superman from 1948 - 1978 and Noel Neil would be honored to have worked with all of the Supermans from the first one (Kirk Alyn) to Brandon Routh's, 'Superman' movie!
Due to the fact that Noel Neill worked with Kirk Alyn on, Superman (1948) for Kirk Alyn in the role of, 'Superman' and Noel Neill in the role of, 'Lois Lane', and again in, Superman: The Movie (1978) as Lois Laine's mother, 'Ella' and Kirk Alyn in the role of Lois Laine's father, 'General Sam Laine' it makes, Kirk Alyn and Noel Neill's 30 year connection to Superman, as the longest running on screen duo to have played roles on, 'Superman' of all time!
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Noel Neil and Kirk Alyn have the longest running history of playing a role in a Superman movie, TV, Or Radio show of all time, what with having worked together in 1948 in, 'Superman' and again in 1978 having worked on Superman: The Movie together![/caption]
