From the 1966 Topps The Adventures of Superman trading card set, this card measures 2.5 by 3.5 inches (the same as an average-sized baseball trading card), is in excellent condition overall (especially considering its age), and will be shipped with the utmost care. Best of all, it is signed by hand by Noel Neill. Please note- the signature is real. It is the actual, hand-signed signature of Neill. It is not a pre-printed image on the card.
About Noel Neill: Beautiful, warm, funny and kindhearted, Noel Neill (1920 – ) – opposite Kirk Alyn, and later most famously with George Reeves- played Lois Lane on screen in more venues and instances than any other actress. In her teens, she was a model and her photo ranked second only to Betty Grabel’s as the most popular pin-up among GI’s during World War II. Bing Crosby signed her as a singer and dancer and she ultimately went to to portray “the girl reporter” in the Kirk Alyn Saturday movie serials (1948 and 1950), taking the first key steps that would ultimately link her to Superman in the minds of fans worldwide.
In seasons two through six of the classic The Adventures of Superman television series (1952-1958), Neill cemented her place in the Superman mythos forever, playing a much kinder and gentler Lois than Phyllis Coates had portrayed in Season 1. She also reestablished the trait of Lois Lane being head over heels in love with Superman, though she was in no way a bitter rival of Clark’s as Coates’ Lois had been. They were friends and even had affection for each other, at least as much as was permissible in the world of 1950′s television.
Neill embraced her association with Lois Lane, making appearances when interest in the show rekindled during the 1970′s and on into the early 2000′s. She appeared in a cameo in Superman: The Movie (1978) as Lois Lane’s mother (in the scene where young Clark Kent is racing the train). She also guest starred in The Adventures of Superboy television series alongside Jack Larson (Jimmy Olsen inThe Adventures of Superman television series), appeared as a tourist in the American Express internet commercials featuring Jerry Seinfield and an animated Superman, and also appeared in Superman Returns. While younger fans and casual viewers might fail to realize just who they are really seeing in these appearances, those for whom the George Reeves television series remains a much beloved childhood memory share in a moment of brief homage to all that went before in building the Superman mythos, a legend of which Noel Neill is so much a part.
A statue of Neill as Lois Lane stands in Metropolis, IL, home of the annual Superman Celebration, and the city claims her as the “First Lady of Metropolis.” A well-deserved honor for this wonderful lady.
