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Phyllis Coates, the first actress to play Lois Lane on television, has died. She was 96.

Coates portrayed the “Daily Planet” reporter and Clark Kent’s love interest for just one season on “Adventures of Superman.”

Coates, who also appeared in Republic Pictures serial shows and in films like “I Was a Teenage Frankenstein,” died Wednesday of natural causes at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills.

Her daughter Laura Press confirmed the news to The Hollywood Reporter.

Coates grew up in Wichita Falls, Texas. She first took on the role of Lois Lane alongside George Reeves as Superman in “Superman and the Mole Men” (1951), a dark science fiction film. The success of the Lippert Pictures film — the first full-length theatrical feature starring the Man of Steel — brought about the production of a syndicated television show.

The first season of “Adventures of Superman” contained 26 episodes. “The Mole...

Phyllis Coates, who became television’s first Lois Lane when she was cast in the classic Adventures of Superman series starring George Reeves, died yesterday of natural causes at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills. She was 96.

Her death was announced by daughter Laura Press to our sister publication The Hollywood Reporter.

Born Gypsie Ann Evarts Stell in Wichita Falls, Texas, on January 15, 1927, Coates and her family later moved to Hollywood. Along with some vaudeville-style performances, Coates launched her showbix career as a chorus girl during the 1940s, often touring the the Uso. Later in the decade, she landed small roles in such pictures as Smart Girls Don’t Talk and My Foolish Heart (1949), and appeared in a series of “Joe McDoakes” comedy shorts as Alice MacDoakes.

In 1951, Coates was invited to audition for the role of Lois Lane in the low-budget...

Phyllis Coates, the actress who first played the iconic Daily Planet Reporter Lois Lane on the small screen, has died.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the beloved actress died Wednesday of natural causes at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills.

She was 96.

Coates first appeared in the superhero universe opposite George Reeves in the 1951 movie Superman and the Mole Men.

The movie was a roaring success and paved the way for the syndicated TV series The Adventures of Superman.

While the series lasted six seasons and had a devoted following, Coates stepped away following the first.

Noel Neill took over the role for the next five seasons, keeping Lois Lane a part of the franchise.

Neill had previously played the role on two occasions.

Coates' decision to leave was reportedly driven by her desire to work on a pilot for a series that would find...

Phyllis Coates, the first actress to play Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane on television, only to leave the Adventures of Superman after just one season, has died. She was 96.

Coates, who also appeared in Republic Pictures serials and in such films as I Was a Teenage Frankenstein, died Wednesday of natural causes at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, her daughter Laura Press told The Hollywood Reporter.

A native of Wichita Falls, Texas, Coates first portrayed the headstrong Lois opposite George Reeves as the Man of Steel in the dark sci-fi movie Superman and the Mole Men (1951).

The success of that Lippert Pictures film — the first full-length theatrical feature starring the comic-book hero — led to the quick decision to start production on a syndicated show for television.

Coates segued to the series and got into jams as Lois in all 26 episodes of the first season...

Expatriate Francis Lederer is a cultured menace in UA's revisit of the Dracula myth, made just before Hammer Films staked its claim on the horror genre. Avid Hitchcock fans may find the storyline very familiar, when European cousin Bellac strikes up a 'special' relationship with his American cousin Rachel. The Return of Dracula Blu-ray Olive Films 1958 / B&W / 1:85 widescreen / 77 min. / Street Date October 18, 2016 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95 Starring Francis Lederer, Norma Eberhardt, Ray Stricklyn, Virginia Vincent, John Wengraf. Cinematography Jack MacKenzie Film Editor Sherman A. Rose Original Music Gerald Fried Written by Pat Fielder Produced by Arthur Gardner, Jules V. Levy Directed by Paul Landres

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

The Levy-Gardner-Laven producing combo, minus Arnold Laven this time out, assemble what was probably their most successful drive-in cheapie for United Artists. Promoting their secretary Pat Fielder to screenwriter, they had already done okay with a contemporary, non-Gothic vampire story...

At the bitter end of a ten-year slide into ever-cheaper productions, The Cannon Group sends stars David Bradley (a nice guy), Steve James (everyone's favorite) and Marjoe Gortner (a stiff) to South Africa for an anemic entry in this series. Cannon is considered a 'fun' subject this year because of those funny documentaries that came out. Savant cut the trailer for this particular picture, so takes the opportunity to talk about the wild life and times in the Cannon trailer department. American Ninja 3: Blood Hunt Blu-ray Olive Films 19 / B&W / 2:35 1:85 widescreen / 1:37 flat Academy / 90 min. / Street Date August 16, 2016 / available through the Olive Films website / 29.98 Starring David Bradley, Steve James, Marjoe Gortner, Michele Chan,Yehuda Efroni, Alan Swerdlow. Cinematography George Bartels Film Editor Michael J. Duthie Original Music George S. Clinton Written by Gary Conway from characters by Avi Kleinberger & Gideon Amir Produced by Harry Alan Towers Directed...

For many horror fans, legendary rocker Alice Cooper is synonymous with the genre. From his songs on the soundtrack for Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives to countless blood-drenched stage shows, Cooper represents just how fun horror can be. It’s fitting then, that The Godfather of Shock Rock has teamed up with Fright Rags for a new collection of shirts that embrace his strong bond with the genre:

Press Release: Alice Cooper is no stranger to horror movies. Not only does his influential brand of shock rock draw heavily from the genre, but Cooper provided the fan-favorite theme song from Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives and appeared in such films as Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, Prince of Darkness, and Dark Shadows.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer is showing his horror roots by teaming up with Fright-Rags to release a line of exclusive apparel.

The Frankenstein Monster is arguably the greatest monster in all fiction. There have been a few genuinely excellent films made about him, but all too many of them are pretty bad. While the latest attempt in Victor Frankenstein falls flat, Cinelinx looks at the film history of Frankenstein to see which of them worked and which of them didn’t.

The Frankenstein Monster was the invention of 18 year old Mary Shelly (wife of poet Percy Shelly) who was vacationing in Switzerland with her husband, their close friend Lord Byron and John Polidori. Incessant rain left them housebound and reading ghost stories to each other. This led to a challenge from Byron, daring them all to create the scariest story ever told. Mary Shelly seemed outclassed by her literary companions until she heard legends of a crazy scientist named Conrad Dipple who performed illegal experiments using parts of dead bodies and electricity.

Review by Sam Moffitt

When I was a kid I loved the monster mash ups that Universal made during the end of their run of classic monster movies. In fact the very first Universal Monster movie I ever got to see was House Of Dracula, which featured Lon Chaney’s Wolfman, John Carradine’s Dracula, Glenn Strange’s version of Frankenstein’s Monster plus a mad scientist and a hunchbacked nurse.

Many times over the years those classic monsters have been put through their paces in one form or another, in different configurations. Film makers as diverse as Paul Naschy, Jess Franco, Al Adamson and Ed Wood have thrown together two or more of the classic monsters from Hollywood’s golden age, usually to mixed results. The ultimate monster mash up, in my opinion, is Fred Dekker’s Monster Squad, one of my favorite movies of all time.

Frankenstein Vs...

The big green guy with the bolts in his neck gets his day in St. Louis when we celebrate Hollywood’s most famous movie monster at The Way out Club. Super-8 Frankenstein Movie Madness will take place on Tuesday, September 2nd beginning at 8pm.

Condensed versions (average length: 15 minutes) of these Frankenstein films will be screened on a big screen on Super-8 sound film: Frankenstein (1931), Bride Of Frankenstein, Son Of Frankenstein, Shost Of Frankenstein, Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman, House Of Frankenstein, I Was A Teenage Frankenstein, and Frankenstein Conquers The World!

Frankenstein-free movies we’re showing on September 2nd are: Bugs Bunny in All This And Rabbit Stew, Kirk Douglas and Farrah Fawcett in Saturn 3, a Sean Connery double feature of The Anderson Tapes and Darby O’Gill And The Little People, the ‘Fistful of Yen’ sequence from Kentucky Fried Movie, and Charles Bronson in The White Buffalo.

We...

We told you over the weekend that horror photog Joshua Hoffine has joined Mezco's Living Dead Dolls art book project, and now we have a look at some work he did recently for Sony UK featuring a monster of a prom!

Hoffine has created some incredibly chilling works throughout his career, but we all need a little levity in our dark world of nightmares now and then, which is what Hoffine provided for Sony UK to show off their new full-frame Sony A7 camera.

Taking a step back from the blood and terrors of his usual works, Hoffine got a little cute on this one and decided to do a photo shoot that featured three iconic monsters of horror… at their prom! Hoffine teamed with frequent collaborator "Face/Off" champion J. Anthony Kosar, and together they brought the idea to life.

Check out all three of the photos below, and...

Trailers From Hell welcomes all movies great and small but sometimes a particular trailer may not be up to the visual quality of the rest of our catalog or is simply too oddball to present in our usual format. Nevertheless, there’s such a wealth of exciting, strange and unusual films out there, we’d be remiss not to call attention to them. We’re happy to present the Tfh Misfits.

Directed by the legendarily speedy director, William (One-Shot) Beaudine, 1966′s Billy the Kid Vs Dracula and Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s Daughter were almost certainly pre-manufactured by producer Carroll Case as a double-bill to appeal to both horror and cowboy fans.

Each film featured much the same crew, including cinematographer Lothrop B. Worth (I Was a Teenage Frankenstein and TV’s I Dream of Jeannie), and so share the same rushed, low rent vibe. As usual, the one true star to be found here,...

Marc Buxton Oct 22, 2019

Frankenstein’s monster has fought werewolves, vampires, cowboys, masked wrestlers, and rubber suited hellbeasts. Seriously.

Along with Dracula, the most enduring horror icon of horror fiction is certainly Frankenstein’s Monster. When Boris Karloff starred in Universal’s Frankenstein (1931), directed by the great James Whale, audiences were riveted (ahem) by the tale of science gone mad. Karloff’s portrayal of the monster transcended the boundaries of the genre and became one of the most enduring images in the history of film.

Universal didn't stop there, delivering sequel after sequel, such as 1935’s Bride of Frankenstein (considered by many to be the most complete horror movie ever made), Son of Frankenstein (1939), Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), where Karloff was replaced by Lon Chaney Jr., the immortal 1942 monster mash-up Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man starring Bela Lugosi as the Monster, and finally, House of Frankenstein, a battle between all the marquee Universal monster characters.

By Darren Allison, Cinema Retro Soundtrack Editor

When considering the scores for movie Westerns, film music collectors often refer to classics such as Max Steiner's The Searchers, Dimitri Tiomkin's Rio Bravo or Victor Young's Shane, all of which are, of course, fabulous scores. Monstrous Movie Music have again, (and in keeping with their refreshing style), ventured into new territories with the release of Paul Dunlap’s Western score to Hellgate (1952) (Mmm-1972). Rather surprisingly, this CD marks the first full release to feature Dunlap’s film music. The composer was incredibly prolific throughout his career scoring diverse projects which spanned from many of The Three Stooges movies to the cult classic Aip horrors including the Teenage Frankenstein/Werewolf series of films. For a B movie western, there was something a little different about Hellgate – it was really rather good! Hellgate was directed by Charles Marquis Warren, a tough...

Many movies unavailable on DVD are difficult to find, but if you beat the bushes with hard work and patience (online traders, DVD-Rs at collectibles shows, long out-of-print VHS tapes), most “rare” movies can eventually be tracked down. Then there are movies like The Farmer. I saw the violent revenge thriller The Farmer at the I-44 Drive-In movie theatre in Valley Park, Missouri in 1977 on a double-bill with John Flynn’s The Outfit. It’s a vivid memory and I recall my friends and I loving it and talking about it for months after. I began collecting movies in the early 80’s and just assumed The Farmer would one day find it’s way into my collection. But I’ve searched far and wide and here it is 2009 and, after years of it topping my want list, a return visit to The Farmer has eluded me. When I mention the title to fellow movie collectors,...