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Truth, Justice and the American Way

© Tim Lasiuta

"Truth, Justice, And the American Way' is a phenomenal book about a phenomenal woman. The story of Noel Neill is the stuff that inspires young men and women to pursue their goals, and to not stop until they have reached them. As a fan of the superhero TV genre, the book is great, as a fan of Noel Neill, it is just as satisfying, and as a fan of westerns, it too fits like a familiar boot. Larry Thomas Ward has written a book that demands space on any collectors coffee table. Pull it out, look at the pictures, read a page, put it down. It is all that. Larry was given complete access to the files of Ms Neill, and the result is a book full of memories, photographs, and adventures that speak of a life well lived.

From her early days as a child entertainer in Minneapolis as part of the RKO Kiddie Review, Noel was destined for the stage. Her mother, who gave up a career in entertainment to raise her, was sure Noel was going to be a star. Her teenage years saw her as part of "Jerry and Ginger", the "RKO Kiddie Review", and "The Three Woodwards". She performed at Bing Crosby's club, the Del Mar Turf Club, and later at the Café Lamaze.

After success in Monograms Henry Aldrich films, she was signed in 1943 to a 7 year contract with Paramount. She paired with Bing Crosby in "Road To Utopia", and "Here Come The Waves" in 1944, and sparkling smile and winsome personality made her a popular co-star. Her film roles ranged from teenagers in the Aldrich films, to western heroines with future stars like Clayton Moore, Johnny Mack Brown, and Lash LaRue, to romantic leads with William Holden and of course, Lois Lane.

Noel was awarded the part of Lois Lane for the Paramount serials, "Superman" (1948), and "Atom Man Vs Superman" (1950) to great acclaim. When the TV series was proposed, she found herself on the outside looking in as Phyllis Coates won the role. George Reeves replaced Kirk Alyn, and when Neill joined the cast the second year, the cast was truly complete.

As many writers have noted, the first career woman of note on televison was Lois Lane! The fiercely independent reporter Neill portrayed inspired many young girls to pursue journalism as a career. Superman first ran on television from 1953 to 1957, and the 104 episodes still run today around the world. The simplicity of the show, and the honest, friendly rapport the actors portrayed have made it a cult legend. As a result, many fans still see Reeves and Neill as Superman/Clark and Lois. Even with the success of the Superman film franchise starring another Reeves, and Margot Kidder and the various cartoon/live action series, Noel Neill is still Lois Lane to millions of fans.

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