Phyllis Coates (born Gypsie Ann Evarts Stell; January 15, 1927 – October 11, 2023) was an American actress with a career spanning over fifty years. She was best known for her portrayal of reporter

Lois Lane Lois Lane is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1 (June 1938). Lois is an award-winning ...

in the 1951 film '' Superman and the Mole Men'' and in the first season of the television series '' Adventures of Superman''.

Early life

Gypsie Ann Evarts Stell was born on January 15, 1927, in Wichita Falls,

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

. Coates was the daughter of William Robert Rush Stell and Lorraine "Luzzie" Jack Teel. After graduating from Odessa High School, she moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

with her mother. Coates attended (as Gypsy Stell)

Los Angeles City College Los Angeles City College (LACC) is a public community college in East Hollywood, California. A part of the Los Angeles Community College District, it is located on Vermont Avenue south of Santa Monica Boulevard on the former campus of the U ...

Career

Stage

Originally billed under her birth name as Gypsy Stell, Coates was discovered in a Hollywood and Vine restaurant by

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

comedian Ken Murray, from whom she learned

comic timing Comic timing or comedic timing emerges from a performer's joke delivery: they interact with an audience— intonation, rhythm, cadence, tempo, and pausing—to guide the audience's laughter, which then guides the comedic narrative. The pacing ...

. She subsequently appeared as a dancer and a comedienne in

skits Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches" or, "skits", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. While the form developed and became popular in ...

for ten months in ''Blackouts'', his "racy" (mildly risqué)

variety show Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a comp� ...

. She later performed as one of Earl Carroll's showgirls at his Earl Carroll Theatre. In 1946, she toured with a

USO The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...

production of '' Anything Goes''.

Film

On July 13, 1944, aged 17, she began to work with

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...

, after receiving a seven year contract with option. Coates co-starred with

George O'Hanlon George O'Hanlon (November 23, 1912 – February 11, 1989) was an American actor, comedian and writer. He was best known for his role as Joe McDoakes in the Warner Bros.' live-action ''Joe McDoakes'' short subjects from 1942 to 1956 and as the voic ...

as the title character's wife in the studio's

Joe McDoakes ''Joe McDoakes'' is an American Short film, short-film comedy series produced and directed by Richard L. Bare for Warner Bros. A total of 63 black and white, black-and-white, live action, live-action, reel#Motion picture terminology, one-reel fil ...

short-subject comedies. She acted in film serials, including '' Jungle Drums of Africa'' (1953), '' Gunfighters of the Northwest'' (1953), and '' Panther Girl of the Kongo'' (1955). Her film career also included roles in '' Girls in Prison'' (1956), '' I Was a Teenage Frankenstein'' (1957), '' Blood Arrow'' (1958), '' Cattle Empire'' (1958), ''

The Incredible Petrified World ''The Incredible Petrified World'' is a 1959 science fiction film produced and directed by Jerry Warren, and starring John Carradine and Robert Clarke. The film follows four explorers who travel down into the depths of the sea and get stranded in ...

'' (1959), '' The Baby Maker'' (1970) and '' Goodnight, Sweet Marilyn'' (1989).

Television

In 1952, Coates guest-starred in "How Death Valley Got Its Name", the first episode of the

anthology series An anthology series is a written series, radio, television, film, or video game series that presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a different ca ...

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American Western (genre), Western anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program was ...

''. She appeared in the 1954 ''Death Valley Days'' episode "The Light On The Mountain". Coates was cast as the widowed Mary in the 1959 episode, "One in a Hundred". In a 1964 episode, "The Left Hand Is Damned", she portrayed the kind-hearted saloon singer Dora Hand of Dodge City,

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

. Coates was cast in ''

The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in a ...

'' in 1953 in "Stage to Estacado" and "The Perfect Crime", and in 1955 in "The Woman in the White Mask". She was cast in 1955 as Madge in the CBS sitcom ''Professional Father''. In 1955, Coates portrayed Medora De Mores in the two-part episode "King of the Dakotas" of the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

''Frontier''. In 1955, Coates portrayed teacher Miss Vernon in the season 2 episode of Lassie (Jeff's Collie) entitled "The School". In 1956, she was cast in the episode "God in the Street" of another anthology series, '' Crossroads'', based on the lives of American clergymen. That same year, Coates appeared in a second religious drama, '' This Is the Life'', as Betty in the episode "I Killed Lieutenant Hartwell". She was also cast in 1956 as Marge in the episode "Web Feet" of the military drama '' Navy Log''. She guest-starred in

David Janssen David Janssen (born David Harold Meyer; March 27, 1931 – February 13, 1980) was an American film and television actor who is best known for his starring role as Richard Kimble in the television series '' The Fugitive'' (1963–1967). Janssen a ...

's crime drama ''

Richard Diamond, Private Detective ''Richard Diamond, Private Detective'' is an American detective drama, created by Blake Edwards, which aired on radio from 1949 to 1953, and on television from 1957 to 1960. Radio Dick Powell starred in the ''Richard Diamond, Private Detective' ...

''. In 1958, Coates played the mother, Clarissa Holliday, in all thirty-nine episodes of the 1958–1959

situation comedy A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

, '' This Is Alice''. She made guest appearances in three episodes of '' Perry Mason'': Norma Carter in "The Case of the Black-Eyed Blonde" in 1958, "The Case of the Cowardly Lion" in 1961, and in "The Case of the Ice-Cold Hands" in 1964. In 1961, Coates was cast as Elizabeth Gwynn in the episode "The Little Fishes" on CBS's '' Rawhide''. Coates guest-starred as well on three episodes of ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centered on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central charact ...

'' between 1958 and 1964.

Lois Lane

Coates played Lois Lane in the first season of '' Adventures of Superman''. Noel Neill, who had played Lois Lane in two Columbia ''Superman'' serials, in 1948 and 1950, replaced Coates, who was not available for the second season. With the death of Noel Neill on July 3, 2016, Coates became the last surviving regular cast member from the ''Adventures of Superman'' TV series until her own death on October 11, 2023. Coates freelanced steadily, appearing in numerous low-budget features, many of them westerns, as well as serials and a steady stream of TV appearances, both as a regular in several series and as a guest cast member in others. All this was in addition to the "McDoakes" shorts, in which she continued to appear until Warner Brothers discontinued the series in 1956. Arguably, her best-remembered films of the 1950s—perhaps owing to their being those in which she has a substantial role, and being among the few that had been preserved on home video—are ''

Blues Busters ''Blues Busters'' is a 1950 American comedy film directed by William Beaudine and starring The Bowery Boys. The film was released on October 29, 1950 by Monogram Pictures and is the twentieth film in the series. Plot Sach develops an uncanny a ...

'' with

The Bowery Boys The Bowery Boys are fictional New York City characters, portrayed by a company of New York actors, who were the subject of 48 feature films released by Monogram Pictures and its successor Allied Artists Pictures Corporation from 1946 through 1 ...

(in which she has a musical number); '' Panther Girl of the Kongo'', a jungle serial in which she starred; '' Superman and the Mole Men;'' and '' I Was a Teenage Frankenstein''.

Later years

In the 1960s, when it became clear that ''Adventures of Superman'' would continue to enjoy great popularity in syndicated reruns, far beyond the end of its production in 1957, Coates—like many of the other supporting cast members such as Jack Larson ("Jimmy Olsen")—tried to distance herself from the ''Superman'' series, fearing it might limit her opportunities. By the mid 1960s, however, she had settled into a comfortable semi-retirement as a wife and homemaker after marrying Los Angeles family physician Howard Press in 1962. She resumed her career after their divorce in 1986, but in the period immediately before that divorce, her film and television appearances were infrequent. One notable role was that of the mother of the female lead in the 1970 film '' The Baby Maker'', directed by James Bridges. Coates agreed to appear as Lois's mother in the first season finale of the 1990s television series '' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman''. Noel Neill, who also played Lois Lane in film and TV series, had already been Lois's mother in the 1978 film ''

Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...

''.

Personal life and death

Coates married director Richard L. Bare in 1948. They divorced in January 1949. She married jazz pianist Robert Nelms in 1950, gave birth to a daughter, and divorced in 1953. She was married and divorced four times. Coates died on October 11, 2023, at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills. She was 96.

Filmography

* ''So You Want to Be in Politics'' (1948, short) as Alice McDoakes (uncredited) * '' Smart Girls Don't Talk'' (1948) as Cigarette Girl (uncredited) * ''So You Want to Be on the Radio'' (1948, short) as Mrs. Alice McDoakes / Radio Voice (uncredited) * ''So You Want to Be a Baby Sitter'' (1949, short) as Alice McDoakes (uncredited) * ''

Your Show Time ''Your Show Time'' is an American anthology drama series that debuted on NBC Television on the East Coast in September 1948 and then on both the East and the West Coast, as a network show, on January 21, 1949. The show was produced by Marsha ...

'' (1949, TV series) * ''So You Want to Be Popular'' (1949, short) as Office Secretary (uncredited) * '' A Kiss in the Dark'' (1949) as Mrs. Hale (uncredited) * '' Look for the Silver Lining'' (1949) as Rosie (uncredited) * ''So You Want to Be a Muscle Man'' (1949, short) as Alice McDoakes (uncredited) * ''So You're Having In-Law Trouble'' (1949, short) as Alice McDoakes (uncredited) * '' The House Across the Street'' (1949) as Gorgeous (uncredited) * ''So You Want to Get Rich Quick'' (1949, short) as Alice McDoakes (uncredited) * '' My Foolish Heart'' (1949) as College Girl on Phone (uncredited) * ''So You Want to Throw a Party'' (1950, short) as Alice McDoakes (uncredited) * ''So You Think You're Not Guilty'' (1950, short) as Alice McDoakes (uncredited) * ''So You Want to Hold Your Husband'' (1950, short) as Alice McDoakes / Baby McDoakes (uncredited) * ''So You Want to Move'' (1950, short) as Alice McDoakes (uncredited) * '' My Blue Heaven'' (1950) as Party Girl (uncredited) * ''So You Want a Raise'' (1950, short) as Alice McDoakes (uncredited) * ''

'' (1950) as Sally Dolan * '' Outlaws of Texas'' (1950) as Anne Moore * ''

The Cisco Kid The Cisco Kid is a fictional character found in numerous film, radio, television and comic book series based on the fictional Western character created by O. Henry in his 1907 short story "The Caballero's Way", published in ''Everybody's Maga ...

'' (1950–1951, TV series) as Marge Lacey / Miss Lacey / JoAnn Doran * '' Valentino'' (1951) as Universal Studios Casting Clerk (uncredited) * '' Man from Sonora'' (1951) as Cinthy Allison * '' Canyon Raiders'' (1951) as Alice Long * ''So You Want to Be a Cowboy'' (1951, short) as Alice McDoakes / Cindy Lou (uncredited) * ''

Stars Over Hollywood ''Stars Over Hollywood'' (also known as ''Armour Theatre'') is an American anthology television series of "original comedies and light dramas" produced by Revue Productions. Revue's first television series, it was a filmed in Hollywood and ai ...

'' (1951, TV series) * '' Nevada Badmen'' (1951) as Carol Bannon * ''So You Want to Be a Paper Hanger'' (1951, short) as Alice McDoakes (uncredited) * ''So You Want to Buy a Used Car'' (1951, short) as Alice McDoakes (uncredited) * '' Oklahoma Justice'' (1951) as Goldie Vaughn * ''So You Want to Be a Bachelor'' (1951, short) as Alice Peckinpah McDoakes (uncredited) * ''So You Want to Be a Plumber'' (1951, short) as Alice McDoakes (uncredited) * '' Superman and the Mole Men'' (1951) as Lois Lane * '' The Longhorn'' (1951) as Gail * '' Stage to Blue River'' (1951) as Joyce Westbrook * ''The Sun Was Setting'' (1951, TV short) as Rene * ''So You Want to Get It Wholesale'' (1952, short) as Alice McDoakes (uncredited) * '' The Gunman'' (1952) as Anita Forester * ''

Racket Squad ''Racket Squad'' is an American TV crime drama series that aired from 1951 to 1953. The format was a narrated anthology drama, as each individual episode featured various ordinary citizens getting ensnared in a different confidence scheme. Ep ...

'' (1952, TV series) * ''So You Want to Go to a Convention'' (1952, short) as Alice McDoakes (uncredited) * ''So You Never Tell a Lie'' (1952, short) as Alice McDoakes (uncredited) * '' Fargo'' (1952) as Kathy MacKenzie * '' Canyon Ambush'' (1952) as Marian Gaylord * '' Eagles of the Fleet'' (1952) as Dorothy Collier * ''So You Want to Wear the Pants'' (1952, short) as Alice McDoakes (uncredited) * '' Wyoming Roundup'' (1952) as Terry Howard * '' Invasion, U.S.A.'' (1952) as Mrs. Mulfory * ''

The Maverick ''The Maverick'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by Thomas Carr and starring Wild Bill Elliott, Myron Healey and Phyllis Coates.Fitzgerald & Magers p.35 Plot Cast * Wild Bill Elliott as Lieutenant Pete Devlin * Myron Healey as S ...

'' (1952) as Della Watson * '' Schlitz Playhouse'' (1952, TV series) * '' The Range Rider'' (1952, TV series) as Doris Burton / Jane Tracy * '' The Files of Jeffrey Jones'' (1952, TV series) * '' Scorching Fury'' (1952) as Mrs. Penn, woman on sidewalk * '' Craig Kennedy, Criminologist'' (1952, TV series) as Natalie Larkin * '' Adventures of Superman'' (1952–1953, TV series) as Lois Lane * ''

'' (1952–1964, TV series) as Dora Hand / Edna Wiley / Lois Bouquette / Mary / Annie Stewart / Margie McMahon / Virginia Arcane * '' Jungle Drums of Africa'' (1953, serial) as Carol Bryant * '' Marshal of Cedar Rock'' (1953) as Martha Clark * '' She's Back on Broadway'' (1953) as Blonde (uncredited) * '' Perils of the Jungle'' (1953) as Jo Carter * '' Ramar of the Jungle'' (1953, TV series) as Donna Sharp * ''So You Want a Television Set'' (1953, short) as Alice McDoakes (uncredited) * ''Summer Theatre'' (1953, TV series) as Marge Minter * ''

I'm the Law ''I'm the Law '' is the title of a 30-minute syndicated American television police drama series which aired in 1953 starring George Raft as Lt. George Kirby, a New York Police Department detective involved in solving a variety of crimes in New Yo ...

'' (1953, TV series) * ''So You Love Your Dog'' (1953, short) as Alice McDoakes (uncredited) * ''

Topeka Topeka ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County, Kansas, Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, in northeaste ...

'' (1953) as Marian Harrison * '' Here Come the Girls'' (1953) as Chorus Girl (uncredited) * '' El Paso Stampede'' (1953) as Alice Clark * '' The Red Skelton Hour'' (1953, TV series) as Supporting Sketch Player * ''So You Think You Can't Sleep'' (1953, short) as Alice McDoakes (uncredited) * '' Your Jeweler's Showcase'' (1953, TV series) as Betty Tucker * '' The Abbott and Costello Show'' (1953, TV series) as Millie Montrose * ''So You Want to Be an Heir'' (1953, short) as Alice McDoakes (uncredited) * ''

Terry and the Pirates ''Terry and the Pirates'' is an action-adventure comic strip created by cartoonist Milton Caniff, which originally ran from October 22, 1934, to February 25, 1973. Captain Joseph Patterson, editor for the Chicago Tribune New York News Syndica ...

'' (1953, TV series) as Georgia Pettigrew * ''

'' (1953–1955, TV series) as Jane Johnson / Naomi Courtwright / Ann Wyman * '' Crown Theatre with Gloria Swanson'' (1954, TV series) * ''So You're Having Neighbor Trouble'' (1954, short) as Alice McDoakes (uncredited) * '' Gunfighters of the Northwest'' (1954) as Rita Carville * ''

The Adventures of Kit Carson ''The Adventures of Kit Carson'' is an American Westerns on television, Western television series that aired from 1951 to 1955 and consisted of 104 episodes. While airing, the show was shown in over 130 markets and was sold to the Coca-Cola Bott ...

'' (1954, TV series) as Jane Sanders * '' The Duke'' (1954, TV series) as Gloria * ''Public Defender'' (1954, TV series) as Amberlee Tolliver * '' It's a Great Life'' (1954–1956, TV series) as Lola Denton / Ann * ''

General Electric Theater ''General Electric Theater'' is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations. Radio After an audition show ...

'' (1954–1958, TV series) as Heather * '' Panther Girl of the Kongo'' (1955) as Jean Evans * ''Professional Father'' (1955, TV series) as Nurse Madge Allen * '' Topper'' (1955, TV series) as Queen * ''

Cavalcade of America ''Cavalcade of America'' is an anthology drama series that was sponsored by the DuPont Company, although it occasionally presented musicals, such as an adaptation of ''Show Boat'', and condensed biographies of popular Composer, composers. It was ...

'' (1955, TV series) as Barbara Leland * '' The Millionaire'' (1955, TV series) as Alice Sands * ''

Willy Willy or Willie is a masculine, male given name, often a diminutive form of William or Wilhelm, and occasionally a nickname. It may refer to: People Given name or nickname * Willie Allen (basketball) (born 1949), American basketball player and ...

'' (1955, TV series) as Betty Estrada * ''

Stage 7 ''Stage 7'' is a 30-minute American TV drama anthology series that was broadcast on CBS from December 12, 1954, through September 25, 1955. This program premiered in December 1954 with the title ''Your Favorite Playhouse'' with all episodes being ...

'' (1955, TV series) as Alice / Kay Murray * ''

Science Fiction Theatre ''Science Fiction Theatre'' is an American science fiction anthology television series that was produced by Ivan Tors and Maurice Ziv and originally aired in syndication. It premiered on April 9, 1955, and ended on February 9, 1957, with a to ...

'' (1955, TV series) as Karen Sheldon * '' Lassie'' (1955, TV series) as Miss Vernon * ''

The Great Gildersleeve ''The Great Gildersleeve'' was a radio situation comedy broadcast in the United States from August 31, 1941 to 1958. Initially written by Leonard Lewis Levinson, it was one of broadcast history's earliest spin-off programs. The series was buil ...

'' (1955, TV series) as Sally Fuller * ''Frontier'' (1955, TV series) as Medora De More * ''Western Union'' (1955, TV pilot) as Nancy Carnes * ''

TV Reader's Digest ''TV Reader's Digest '' is a 30-minute American television anthology drama series, which aired on ABC from January 17, 1955, to July 9, 1956. Its theme music was "Polonaise" from Act III of ''Eugene Onegin''. Format Based on articles that ap ...

'' (1955–1956, TV series) as Nancy / Mother * '' Navy Log'' (1956, TV series) as Marge * '' Four Star Theatre'' (1956, TV series) as Marsha * ''So You Want to Be Pretty'' (1956, short) as Alice McDoakes aka Cynthia (uncredited) * '' Chevron Hall of Stars'' (1956, TV series) as Mary * ''So You Want to Play the Piano'' (1956, short) as Alice McDoakes (uncredited) * '' Crossroads'' (1956, TV series) * ''So Your Wife Wants to Work'' (1956, short) as Alice McDoakes (uncredited) * '' Girls in Prison'' (1956) as Dorothy * ''

Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color The Walt Disney Company has produced an anthology series, anthology television series since 1954 under several titles and formats. The program's current title, ''The Wonderful World of Disney'', was used from 1969 to 1979 and again from 1991 onwa ...

'' (1956, TV series) as Mrs. Martin * ''God Is in the Streets'' (1956, short) * '' This Is the Life'' (1956, TV series) * '' Chicago Confidential'' (1957) as Helen Fremont (uncredited) * ''

Leave It to Beaver ''Leave It to Beaver'' is an American television sitcom that follows the misadventures of a suburban boy, his family and his friends. It starred Barbara Billingsley, Hugh Beaumont, Tony Dow and Jerry Mathers. CBS first broadcast the show ...

'' (1957, TV series) as Betty Donaldson * '' I Was a Teenage Frankenstein'' (1957) as Margaret * '' The Sheriff of Cochise'' (1958, TV series) as Vera Watson * '' Blood Arrow'' (1958) as Bess Johnson * ''

'' (1958, TV series) as Monica Freeborn * '' Cattle Empire'' (1958) as Janice Hamilton * '' This Is Alice'' (1958, TV series) as Clarissa Holliday * ''

Tales of Wells Fargo ''Tales of Wells Fargo'' is an American Westerns on television, Western television series starring Dale Robertson in 201 episodes that aired from 1957 to 1962 on NBC. Produced by Revue Productions, the series aired in a half-hour format until i ...

'' (1958–1961, TV series) * ''

'' (1958–1964, TV series) as Edna / Rose Kinney / Hattie Kelly * '' Perry Mason'' (1958–1964, TV series) as Inez Fremont / Frieda Crawson / Norma Carter * '' Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse'' (1959, TV series) as Belle * '' Black Saddle'' (1959, TV series) as Maggie * ''

Lux Playhouse ''Lux Video Theatre'' is an American television anthology series that was produced from 1950 until 1957. The series presented both comedy and drama in original teleplays, as well as abridged adaptations of films and plays. Overview The ''Lux Vi ...

'' (1959, TV series) as Ellen Packer * ''

'' (1959) as Dale Marshall * '' Hennesey'' (1959, TV series) as Dr. Patricia Granger * '' Rawhide'' (1959–1961, TV series) – Nora Sage ("Incident of the Judas Trap"); Elizabeth Gwynn ("The Little Fishes") * '' The Untouchables'' (1959–1962, TV series) as Angela Lamberto / Ellie Morley / Renee Sullivan * '' The DuPont Show with June Allyson'' (1960, TV series) as Penny * ''

Hawaiian Eye ''Hawaiian Eye'' is an American detective television series that ran from October 1959 to April 1963 on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television network. Premise Private investigator Tracy Steele (Anthony Eisley) and his half-Hawaiian ...

'' (1960, TV series) as Laura Seldon * '' The Best of the Post'' (1960, TV series) as Mollie * ''

Gunslinger Gunfighters, also called gunslingers () or in the late 19th and early 20th century gunmen, were individuals in the American Old West who gained a reputation of being dangerous with a gun and participated in shootouts. Today, the term "gunslin ...

'' (1961, TV series) as Teresa Perez * '' The Patty Duke Show'' (1963–1964, TV series) as Secretary * '' The Virginian'' (1964, TV series) as Mrs. Marden * ''

'' (1964, TV series) as Edna * ''

Slattery's People ''Slattery's People'' is a 1964–65 United States, American television series about local politics starring Richard Crenna as title character James Slattery, a state legislator, co-starring Ed Asner and Tol Avery, and featuring Carroll O'Conno ...

'' (1964, TV series) as Helen Mayfield * '' Thompson's Ghost'' (1966, TV movie) as Milly Thompson * '' Summer Fun'' (1966, TV series) as Milly Thompson * '' The Baby Maker'' (1970) as Tish's Mother * ''Whisper Kill'' (1988, TV movie) * ''Kiss Shot'' (1989, TV movie) * '' Goodnight, Sweet Marilyn'' (1989) as Gladys Pearl Baker * '' Midnight Caller'' (1991, TV series) as Meredith Gaynor * ''Mrs. Lambert Remembers Love'' (1991, TV movie) as Katherine * '' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'' (1994, TV series) as Ellen Lane * '' Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman'' (1994, TV series) as Mrs. Howard * ''Hollywood: The Movie'' (1996, video) as Old Dora (final appearance)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Coates, Phyllis 1927 births 2023 deaths 20th Century Studios contract players 20th-century American actresses Actresses from Texas American film actresses American television actresses Film serial actresses Los Angeles City College alumni People from Wichita Falls, Texas Warner Bros. contract players Western (genre) film actresses