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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...

Ben Lawrence took home the main prize – Best Direction in a Feature Film (Budget $1M+) – at last night’s Australian Directors’ Guild (Adg) Awards, for his debut narrative feature Hearts and Bones.

Held virtually and hosted by Greta Lee Jackson and Nina Oyama, this year’s Adg Awards also saw female directors take home 10 of the 19 prizes – marking the first time ever that women have made up more than 50 per cent of winners.

Among them were Josephine Mackerras, who took home Best Direction of A Feature Film (Budget under $1M) for the French-language Alice; Maya Newell whose In My Blood It Runs saw her win Best Direction of a Documentary Feature, and Emma Freeman, who won Best Direction of a TV or SVOD Mini-Series for Stateless: Episode 3.

The guild suggests this reflects the push for gender parity in the industry. Traditionally, women have been extremely underrepresented in director roles, and last week,...

Gary Conway.

One of Australia’s most respected and prolific TV directors who started his career at Crawford Productions in the 1960s, Gary Conway died on Friday in a hospice in Melbourne, aged 73.

Conway directed nearly 800 episodes of Neigbours, beginning in 1988, and worked on the Fremantle show until late last year when he was forced to stop after being diagnosed with esophageal cancer.

“Gary was a great mate to me and to many, many others,” his friend and long-time colleague, composer Garry (Sam) Hardman tells If.

“Gary started at Crawford’s a couple of years before I did. I met him when I started with the company in 1965. There were 45 people on staff back then and Gary was the company’s art department.

“He would make up the credit cards for Homicide and Hunter as well as the ‘fake signs” for filming that could turn an ordinary office building into a federal bank.

Previous | Image 1 of 20 | NextStefanie Powers from TV’s ‘Hart to Hart.’

Chicago – The TV, movie and entertainment world is coming back to Chicagoland with The Hollywood Show on March 17th and 18th, 2018, at the Hyatt Rosemont/Chicago O’Hare Hotel in Rosemont, Ill. The event gives fans and admirers an opportunity to meet and get pictures with celebrities and take advantage of vendors offering show business memorabilia.

This year’s show is focusing on 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s nostalgia, as Tony Dow and Jerry Mathers (Wally and the Beaver from “Leave it to Beaver”) will make their first Chicago appearance. Also in attendance will be Lyle Waggoner from the “Carol Burnett Show,” Linda Blair from “The Exorcist,” Parker Stevenson from “The Hardy Boys” and Julie McCullough from “Growing Pains,” among other big names. Click here for a complete list.

HollywoodChicago.com is at The Hollywood Show every year, and photographer...

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...

Interview conducted by Tom Stockman November 1st, 2012

This Saturday and Sunday (November 10th and 11th) will be Joe Dante Weekend at St. Louis’ fabulous Hi-Pointe Theater. It’s all part of Cinema St. Louis’ upcoming St. Louis International Film Festival (Sliff) where Dante will receive a lifetime achievement award from Cinema St. Louis. Directors who have previously been honored with a Sliff Lifetime Achievement Award include Paul Schrader, John Sayles, and Rob Nilsson. Joe Dante is the director of Piranha, The Howling, Gremlins, Innerspace, Matinee, and many more great films.

At 6:30pm on Saturday the 10th there will be a screening of Dante’s 2009 family friendly 3D horror film The Hole. This will be followed by an on-stage interview with Dante moderated by Video Watchdog editor Tim Lucas. Tim did a similar interview with director Roger Corman last year at the Hi-Pointe as part of Vincentennial, the Vincent Price...

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,...