Noel Neill Movies
Diminutive, baby-faced actress Noel Neill entered films as a Paramount starlet in 1942. Though she was showcased in one of the musical numbers in The Fleet's In (1944) and was starred in the Oscar-nominated Technicolor short College Queen (1945), most of her Paramount assignments were thankless bit parts. She fared better as one of the leads in Monogram's Teen Agers series of the mid- to late '40s. In 1948 she was cast as intrepid girl reporter Lois Lane in the Columbia serial The Adventures of Superman, repeating the role in the 1950 chapter play Atom Man vs. Superman. At the time, she regarded it as just another freelance job, perhaps a little better than her cameos in such features as An American in Paris (in 1951 as the American art student) and DeMille's The Greatest Show on Earth (1953). But someone was impressed by Neill's appealingly vulnerable interpretation of Lois Lane, and in 1953 she was hired to replace Phyllis Coates as Lois in the TV version of Superman. She remained with the series for 78 episodes, gaining an enormous fan following (consisting primarily of ten-year-old boys) if not a commensurately enormous bank account. Retiring to private life after the cancellation of Superman in 1958, she was brought back into the limelight during the nostalgia craze of the 1970s. She made countless lecture appearances on the college and film convention circuit, and in 1978 returned to films as Lois Lane's mother in the big-budget Superman: The Movie: alas, most of her part ended up on the cutting-room floor, and neither she nor fellow Adventures of Superman alumnus Kirk Alyn received billing. Noel Neill's last TV appearance to date was a guest spot in a 1991 episode of the syndicated The Adventures of Superboy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1951
Whip Wilson rides again in the Monogram western Abilene Trail. Wilson and his grizzled sidekick Andy Clyde are accused of horse stealing, a hangin' offense around these here parts. Eluding the authorities, the boys take jobs at a ranch where the real crook is hiding out. Between whip-cracking sessions, Wilson finds time to romance the ranch owner's pretty daughter Noel Neill ("Lois Lane" on the 1950s TVer Superman). Director Lewis D. Collins keeps things moving fast enough to make up for any plot or budgetary shortcomings. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Whip Wilson, Andy Clyde, (more)
Gene Kelly does his patented Pal Joey bit as Jerry Mulligan, an opportunistic American painter living in Paris' "starving artists" colony. He is discovered by wealthy Milo Roberts (Nina Foch), who becomes Jerry's patroness in more ways than one. Meanwhile, Jerry plays hookey on this setup by romancing waif-like Lise Bouvier (Leslie Caron) -- who, unbeknownst to him, is the object of the affections of his close friend Henri (Georges Guetary), a popular nightclub performer. (The film was supposed to make Guetary into "the New Chevalier." It didn't.) The thinnish plot is held together by the superlative production numbers and by the recycling of several vintage George Gershwin tunes, including "I Got Rhythm," "'S Wonderful," and "Our Love Is Here to Stay." Highlights include Guetary's rendition of "Stairway to Paradise"; Oscar Levant's fantasy of conducting and performing Gershwin's "Concerto in F" (Levant also appears as every member of the orchestra); and the closing 17-minute "American in Paris" ballet, in which Kelly and Caron dance before lavish backgrounds based on the works of famed French artists. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, (more)
- 1944
This 1940s drama implies that children do indeed learn what they live as it tells the story of a teenage girl who runs away from her posh boarding school to be with her ne'er-do-well, blue-collar boy friend because she believes her wealthy parents do not care about her. Soon the idle kids are getting into minor trouble that turns major when they find themselves accused of murder. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Helen Vinson, Lyle Talbot, (more)
- 1948
Are You with It? is a Universal vehicle for Donald O'Connor, who in 1948 was just making the transition from juvenile parts to romantic leads. O'Connor plays an uptight insurance executive, Milton Haskins, and mathematics genius who is constitutionally incapable of having fun. He attends a carnival, and for the first time in his life enjoys himself. Falling in love with one of the performers (Olga San Juan), Milton joins the carnival, and ultimately saves it from ruin through his wizardlike math skills. Are You With It? was adapted from the Broadway musical by Sam Perrin and George Balzer -- both stalwart members of Jack Benny's writing staff. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Donald O'Connor, Charles Bedell, (more)
- 1950
The second of Columbia's Superman serials, the 15-episode Atom Man Vs. Superman stars Kirk Alyn in the dual role of Clark Kent and the "Man of Steel." This time, Kent/Superman is pitted against bald-pated Lex Luthor (Lyle Talbot), who, disguised as Atom Man, threatens to devastate Metropolis with any number of devilish devices-the deadliest of which is a disintegration machine. Luthor tumbles onto Superman's Achilles' heel: Kryptonite. Once our hero has been exposed to this fatal ore, Metropolis becomes a wide-open town for criminals of all varieties. But Superman regains his full powers in time to stop Luthor from laying waste to Metropolis with his latest demon machine, a sonic vibrator. Also appearing in Atom Man vs. Superman are Noel Neill as Lois Lane, Tommy Bond (the onetime "Butch" of The Little Rascals) as Jimmy Olson, and Pierre Watkin as Perry White. The serial is energetic enough, but the flying scenes (crudely conveyed via animation) are rather laughable. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kirk Alyn
- 1945
In this high-spirited musical comedy, J. Newport Bates (Eddie Bracken) is a millionaire who finds women are only interested in him for his money. When he becomes infatuated with Teddy Collins (Veronica Lake), a cigarette girl, he tries to hide his true identity from her, hoping she'll be interested in him for himself rather than his bank account. However, once Teddy figures out who he is, Bates drops her, and he is about to give up on women entirely when he meets Sue Thomas (Marjorie Reynolds), a nice girl who isn't interested in his money (or at least not yet). Musical satirists Spike Jones and his City Slickers also appear, though most prints are missing a bit from one of their musical numbers: a verse from a song that made fun of Eleanor Roosevelt was clipped after the film's initial engagements. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Veronica Lake, Sonny Tufts, (more)
- 1948
It was perhaps inevitable that Monogram's "Teen Agers" series would get around to a murder mystery: after all, wasn't Monogram the home of Charlie Chan, Mr. Wong and The Shadow? Campus Sleuth finds perennial co-stars Freddy Stewart and June Preisser cast as coeds Freddie Trimball and Dodie Rogers. When a magazine photographer is murdered, Freddy and June set about to solve the murder, with the dubious assistance of their college chums Lee Watson (Warren Mills) and Dodie's sister Betty (played by Noel Neill, who later gained TV fame as Lois Lane on Superman). While Inspector Watson (Donald MacBride) fumes, fusses, and jumps to all the wrong conclusions, our young heroes and heroines track down the killer -- who happens to be one of the film's musical guest stars! The film's biggest "mystery" is how the producers managed to pack a murder story, a plethora of comedy relief and four musical numbers into 57 minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Freddie Stewart, June Preisser, (more)
- 1945
Several of Paramount Pictures brightest stars make cameo appearances in this comedy set in "Duffy's Tavern," a favorite watering hole from old time radio shows. The trouble begins when the neighborhood bar is in danger of closing. The trouble begins when the proprietor, Archie, discovers that one of his regulars, Michael O'Malley, owner of a record company is going broke. This means that many veterans will soon be unemployed and therefore, unable to pay their tab at the tavern. Archie immediately begins recruiting famous stars to donate their services and help. They do, the record company is saved and so is the tavern. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bing Crosby, Betty Hutton, (more)
- 1949
Forgotten Women is Monogram's cut-rate 65-minute spin on MGM's The Women. The film deals with four lovely ladies, each of whom is plagued with Man Trouble. Elyse Knox is on the verge of divorce, Veda Ann Borg has been separated from her husband for months, Theodora Lynch's hubby doesn't want her to pursue a singing career, and Noel Neill (yes, Superman's Noel Neill) is a lonely gal looking for an eligible guy. In real life, Elyse Knox was the wife of football star Tom Harmon and the mother of film star Mark Harmon. Approximately 65 minutes too long, Forgotten Women could just as well have been titled Forgotten Movie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elyse Knox, Edward Norris, (more)
- 1946
The fun in this musical comedy begins when a popular swing singer mysteriously vanishes and a group of prank-loving college students try to pass off a schoolmate, the crooner's exact double, as the missing singer. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1947
A talented small town gal from Tennessee ends up in the big city after she is discovered by a talent scout. Though the scout is genuinely enthused about her latest discovery, her employers ignore the young girl, causing the enterprising scout to quit and team up with another former co-worker to create their own talent agency. With their help, the girl becomes a big hit. Gene Krupa and his band are the featured artists of this low-budget musical. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Krupa, Virginia Grey, (more)
- 1949
Singing cowboy Jimmy Wakely was in his final year of movie stardom when Gun Runner was released by Monogram. Wakely has more action than songs this time out, as he searches for an old pal who has gone sour and is selling guns to the Indians. The pathos of this situation is counterpointed by the pig-bladder comedy of Dub "Cannonball" Taylor. The leading-lady lineup is an interesting one: co-starring with Wakely are Noel Neill, the future Lois Lane on TV's Superman, and Mae Clarke, she of the "grapefruit massage" in 1931's Public Enemy. The comparatively sympathetic villain is portrayed by real-life sharpshooting champ Kenne Duncan. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jimmy Wakely, Noel Neill, (more)
- 1944
Paramount's "Henry Aldrich" series came to a quiet conclusion with 1944's Henry Aldrich's Little Secret. The titular secret is a baby, the son of woebegone Helen Martin (Ann Doran). Because her husband is in jail, Helen has been adjudged an unfit mother by the local welfare board, headed by the father of our hero Henry Aldrich (Jimmy Lydon). Taking pity on Helen, Henry hides the baby in his own home while Helen leaves town to prove her husband's innocence. The finale finds Henry lampooning Mr. Smith Goes to Washington with a comic-pathetic filibuster on behalf of poor Helen. Way at the bottom of the cast list is Noel Neill, TV's future Lois Lane. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jimmy Lydon, Charles Smith, (more)
- 1942
James Lydon makes his second screen appearance as "typical" teenager Henry Aldrich in Henry and Dizzy. The plot complications begin insuinating themselves when Henry and his pal Dizzy Stevens (Charles Smith) inadvertently wreck an outboard motor. Our heroes spend the rest of the picture trying to raise the necessary 120 bucks to repair the damage before Henry's dad (John Litel) finds out. As a result, they wreak plenty more damage before the film's slapstick denoument at beautiful Lake Wopacotapotalong. As always, Henry and Dizzy scores its biggest points with its stellar supporting cast, including Maude Eburne as a snooty dowager, Warren Hymer as a cheeful bum, former "Our Gang" kid Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer as an obnoxious brat and future "Lois Lane" Noel Neill as Dizzy's waterlogged girl friend. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jimmy Lydon, Mary Anderson, (more)
- 1944
This peppy wartime musical stars Bing Crosby as radio crooner Johnny Cabot, the heartthrob of millions. To escape his frenzied fans, Johnny joins the Navy, where is he ordering to aid a WAVE recruiting drive. He is helped(?) in this endeavor by Betty Hutton, amusingly cast in a dual role as twin sisters Susie and Rosemary, one a shy retiring brunette, the other a bold and brassy blonde (Vera Marshe doubles for Hutton is some scenes). Part of Johnny's recruiting strategy is to stage a musical show, as good an excuse as any for a steady stream of bouncy musical numbers. This is the film in which Bing Crosby and Sonny Tufts, both in blackface, introduce the Johnny Mercer-Harold Arlen standard "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive." Sharp-eyed viewers will spot Yvonne de Carlo, Mona Freeman, Mae Clarke, and Noel "Lois Lane" Neill in small roles. Here Come the Waves was partially remade by Martin & Lewis as Sailor Beware. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bing Crosby, Betty Hutton, (more)
- 1946
High School Hero is all about a high school hero (what else?), played by Monogram musical star Freddy Stewart. A student at Whitney High, Freddy agonizes when the Big Football Game approaches with the school's principal rival, who have emerged victorious in all previous gridiron clashes. Director Arthur Dreifuss makes things easy for the audience by dressing the "good" football players in white and the "bad" ones in black, which is perhaps the film's comic highlight. To amplify the budget, the film is rife with "product placement" advertising plugs, a practice that would reach its nirvana in 1949's Love Happy (and would be revived, with a vengeance, in the 1980s). In addition to Freddy Stewart's perennial leading lady June Preisser, High School Hero costars Noel Neill, later to achieve TV fame as Lois Lane on Superman. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frankie Darro, Curly Joe DeRita, (more)
A handful of strangers are suddenly thrown together as America goes face-to-face against the Communist threat in this curious example of Cold War exploitation. A few people are enjoying drinks in a Manhattan cocktail lounge - television reporter Vince Potter (Gerald Mohr), vacationing tractor tycoon George Sylvester (Robert Bice), cattle baron Ed Mulfory (Erik Blythe), Congressman Arthur Harroway) (Wade Crosby), aimless party girl Carla Sandford (Peggie Castle), and cheerfully dunderheaded bartender Tim (Tom Kennedy). As they discuss the state of the world and their disinterest with U.S. defense and paying taxes, one Mr. Ohman (Dan O'Herlihy) begins swirling his brandy snifter, and before long the other patrons are lulled into a hypnotic state, where they're given a sneak preview of what to expect when an unnamed Communist nation invades the West Coast. Mulfory is able to return home just in time to see his ranch flooded by enemy sabotage, armed troops take over Sylvester's factory, the Congressman watches as Reds seize power, and the suddenly patriotic Carla falls in love with Vince as he covers the brave but futile resistance dished out by our ill-equipped and poorly-prepared military forces. Spectacularly paranoid and loaded with often tattered stock footage, Invasion USA was shot in a mere seven days on a budget of $127,000, and ended up earning its producers well over a million dollars upon its initial release in 1952. Superman fans take note: Phyllis Coates and Noel Neill, both of whom played Lois Lane in the 50's television series The Adventures of Superman, appear in Invasion USA's supporting cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gerald Mohr, Peggie Castle, (more)
- 1950
This 12-part serial concerns the efforts of the infamous James brothers (of which Jesse was a prominent member) to become normal everyday citizens. Of course, there's no room in the Wild West for reformed outlaws, and the duo inevitably find themselves caught up in showdowns and robberies. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- 1946
Freddy Stewart and June Preisser, Monogram's answer to Donald O'Connor and Peggy Ryan, star in Junior Prom. The plot concerns a high-school election, with a snotty rich kid literally buying his way to the class presidency. The backers of hero Freddy Stewart garner votes by using music, specifically big-band numbers and dancing specialties. Guest stars include bandleaders Abe Lyman and Eddie Heywood, Harry "The Hipster" Gibson and the Airliners. Junior Prom represented one of producer Sam Katzman's final Monogram efforts before moving his base of operations to Columbia. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Freddie Stewart, June Preisser, (more)
- 1943
Let's Face It is adapted from the Broadway musical of the same name, which in turn was based on the old Norma Mitchell/Russell G. Medcraft stage chestnut The Cradle Snatchers. The basic story of three neglected wives who hire a trio of young men as professional companions is updated for the World War II era: The three young men are now lonely GIs. Bob Hope is the funniest member of the threesome engaged by the wives in order to make their wandering hubbies jealous. He is paired off with vivacious Betty Hutton, both of whom fight a complex situation-comedy plotline in order to find time for their expected specialties. Hope's best moment is a parody of the cigarette-lighting bit from Now, Voyager, in which he winds up with six burning cigarettes in his mouth. The stage version of Let's Face It was essentially a vehicle for Danny Kaye, who of course played the role essayed in the film by Bob Hope. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Hope, Betty Hutton, (more)
- 1942
- NR
14-year-old Shirley Temple receives her first on-screen kiss in this innocuous romantic comedy. Temple is cast as the titular Annie Rooney, the starry-eyed, idealistic daughter of erstwhile --and impoverished--inventor Tim Rooney (William Gargan). Annie is swept off her feet by intellectual high-schooler Marty White (Dickie Moore), the son of a millionaire rubber magnate (Jonathan Hale). At first cold-shouldered by Marty's snooty friends, Annie wins them over at a party with a lively jitterbug dance (future choreographer Roland DuPree, who appears in the film as Joey, doubled for Dickie Moore in the dance sequence). It is, however, a different story with Marty's socially conscious parents, who are appalled by such riff-raff as Annie's dad and grandpop (Guy Kibbee). But circumstances change when, in true "touring stock company" fashion, Tim Rooney comes up with a new form of synthetic rubber which Mr. White simply cannot do without. In later years, Shirley Temple's co-star Dickie Moore would recall that the much-publicized scene in which he kisses Temple was extremely embarrassing for him, inasmuch as it was the first time he had ever kissed any girl; conversely, in her autobiography Temple cheekily pointed out that it most certainly wasn't her first time, and that she breezed through the scene with her customary professional aplomb. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shirley Temple, William Gargan, (more)
- 1944
Our Hearts Were Young and Gay was based on the lighthearted joint autobiography of actress Cornelia Otis Skinner and humorist Emily Kimbrough. Gail Russell and Diana Lynn star respectively as Cornelia and Emily, two innocent but fun-loving young girls at loose in the Roaring 20s. The story concerns the girls' first trip abroad to London and Paris, and the various misadventures encountered therein. The more amusing moments involve a pair of rabbit-skin capes that begin shedding at the most inopportune moments, and a lengthy episode in which the girls are stranded atop Notre Dame Cathedral at midnight. And of course there's romance, in the form of handsome young doctor Tom Newhall (Bill Edwards) and college "Lothario" Avery Moore (James Brown). Also appearing are Charlie Ruggles as Cornelia's actor-father Otis Skinner and Dorothy Gish (whose talkie film appearances were sadly infrequent) as Mrs. Skinner. So well-received was Our Hearts Were Young and Gay that Paramount commissioned a 1946 sequel, Our Hearts Were Growing Up . ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gail Russell, Diana Lynn, (more)
- 1944
Rainbow Island is a lavish Technicolor confection designed to show off the physical attributes of star Dorothy Lamour. This time Lamour is a white girl raised as native on a tropical isle. Barry Sullivan, Eddie Bracken and Gil Lamb play merchant-marine sailors hiding from Japanese troops on Lamour's island. The storyline may have had dramatic inclinations, but these are forgotten amidst several seductive musical numbers and numerous shots of Dorothy swaying in her patented sarong. Perhaps aware that no one could have taken this film seriously, Ms. Lamour plays her role for laughs, and gets them. Rainbow Island was based on a story by silent screen star Seena Owen, the "Dorothy Lamour" of her time. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dorothy Lamour, Eddie Bracken, (more)
