Glass House Presents

A hodgepodge collection of friendship and camaraderie...

 

The Official Site of the

GEORGE REEVES Hall of Fame

 

Saturday, July 10, 2010


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Hollywood Celebrities & Memorabilia Show

Chicago O’Hare Marriott

March 21-22, 2009

by Colete Morlock

The chance to see Noel and Larry is always a welcome one.  This past weekend was totally unexpected, but a very welcome opportunity to leave the cares and pressures of the state of our State behind.  Each time I make the trek back to my birthplace, I have recollections of so many things I did during the first 17 years of my life there.  This time, I made the journey with my friend, Barb Frye.  We’ve been friends for over 40 years and have shared so much of each other’s lives!  Barb retired after working 30 years at GM, but manages to keep herself busy!

The weather gods smiled down on us all weekend as we enjoyed mostly sunny skies and temperatures typical of the Midwest at this time of year, and maybe even a bit warmer.  Now Barb drives a full size pickup truck, and we had a very comfortable and uneventful journey until we arrived in Chicago just in time for the beginning of rush hour.  If you know anything about the city, you’d better know exactly where you're going.  Chicago does not allow any room for error, so when the arrow is pointing to your cutoff, you’d better already be there or else you’ll be taking the scenic route like we did down Lakeshore to repeat the course once again!  Fortunately, that was the only glitch we encountered getting there.  Friday night we were winding down and also getting used to that hour that we picked up by changing time zones.  Here I had just gotten used to Daylight Savings Time and now it seemed I was going backwards.

On Saturday, we had breakfast and then took a stroll down to the ballroom where the Courts Show was taking place.  While this was smaller than our annual Comic Con, there were quite a few celebrities there.  As we entered and were banded, I was drawn to the end of one aisle.  The now familiar pixie of a woman in her yellow blazer and blue/red shirt with the \S/ on it was seated next to Larry.  I came from behind them on one side and exchanged greetings and introduced them to Barb.  Noel was all smiles with the familiar twinkle in her eye.  Larry was now sporting some whiskers on his chinny chin-chin since I’d last seen him.  What is so amazing is how many people flock to Noel’s table to catch a glimpse of her, to say a few words of appreciation, and to share with her some of their memories of the original Lois Lane.  Regardless of what other celebrities might be there, Noel always seems to attract a steady crowd of visitors, as she did that day.  For this reason, Barb and I acquiesced and decided to browse around.

We found another very busy table—that of Caroll Spinney and his wife, Debra.  For those unfamiliar with the name, he is the lifeblood behind Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch of Sesame Street fame and actual puppeteer for both.  The Spinneys were a delightful couple and we visited them several times on Saturday and returned to them on Sunday as well.  He had his autobiography, The Wisdom of Big Bird (and the Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch) Lessons Learned from a Life in Feathers, and personalized every single copy.  Not only did he autograph it; he colored the illustrations!  There were several beautiful photos also for purchase.  Everything Oscar signs is with a “rottenly”.  Mr. Spinney took great care with each, which is why the line at his table was always long.  What people may not know is that Caroll Spinney received a Living Legend award as of one of 81 bestowed by the Library of Congress on April 24, 2000.

During one of our waits at the Spinney table, a gentleman came up to me and said that Larry Ward told him to come see me.  He asked if I was the Colete who writes articles for Carl Glass’ website.  I glanced back only to Larry send me a smile so I did acknowledge the man’s comment.  That’s when he introduced himself as “the other Larry”, aka Larry Blankley with his wife.  They had driven in from St. Louis for the day to attend the show.  During the course of our chat, this Larry told me how excited he was to be going to Metropolis in June in hopes of seeing Noel’s statue be unveiled.  He also asked me if I had ever seen a Golden Boot Award, and when I said I hadn’t, he produced the 2004 award that was signed by Noel.  This was indeed one of his most treasured possessions.

Meanwhile, I was getting a signal to return to Noel’s table because Ralph Schiller and wife, Kathy had arrived.  People may know Ralph from his posts on Dave Schutz’s board, but he has become a very dear friend of mine.  Would you believe that Ralph and I have corresponded since 2006 but had never met until Saturday?  With Barb rejoining me, there were more ceremonial photos being taken on at least three different cameras to capture the moment!  While Ralph was still there, I got on the phone and called my “Ladies of TAOS” partner, Thom Hamilton.  I passed the phone around so that Thom got to speak for a bit with Ralph, Larry, Noel, and Barb, whom Thom told to “keep her in line”. 

Once Ralph and Kathy left, I meandered over to Edd Byrnes’ table.  I got a copy of his book, “Kookie” No More and have enjoyed reading his life story.  Later on we would share some of our horror stories of having Catholic nuns in grade school.  I purchased a photo of him with the “77 Sunset Strip” awning above and behind him, on which he wrote “Say your prayers”.  I then had my picture taken with him.  Next to Edd Byrnes was Linda Purl, who was another delight.  She is probably best known as daughter Charlene to Andy Griffith’s Ben Matlock.  Ms. Purl had a nice conversation with Barb on Renaissance Festivals as Barb performs at ours.  Meanwhile, Sheree J. Wilson, who is as pretty in person as she is on TV was enjoying a lull in the crowds who kept her quite busy.  Her memorable roles include April Stevens on “Dallas”, Assistant D.A. Alex Cahill on “Walker: Texas Ranger”, and Wilson in the series “Pink”.  Sheree founded the White Bridle Humane Society, a rescue group for horses outside Dallas, Texas.  A portion of the proceeds from her DVD sales is donated to this charity.

Two of the best-known stars were next to impossible to get near – Angie Dickinson and Tony Curtis.  Angie Dickinson looks absolutely fabulous!  Her hair was cropped short, just below the ear and she was wearing a sporty cap on her head.  While she will always be memorable in movies with actors like George Peppard or the “Duke”, it is the 1970s show as Sgt. “Pepper” Anderson that I feel she made a mark on us.  “Police Woman” was innovative with a woman as the central character of a show.  She was also very good as the alcoholic, homeless mother to Helen Hunt in Pay It Forward. I don’t think I ever saw a moment when she was not smiling, and I heard a hearty laugh come from her on Sunday.  Tony Curtis was sporting a 10-gallon hat and had his latest book, American Prince on hand.  He still has that twinkle in his eyes and has not lost his comedic timing when needed.  Christopher Knight (Peter), Mike Lookinland (Bobby) and Susan Olsen (Cindy) from the Brady Bunch were on hand and were in high demand for photos at the end of their table.

While the Midwest may not have as many fans as you’d find in NYC or LA, they are just as devoted and dedicated to the stars of the big and little screens.  Whether they are up and coming starlets, or icons like Noel, people will still make the pilgrimage from within the city, St. Louis, or outside Detroit to pay their respects.

March 2009

Photos by Barbara L Frye


Noel Neill at COMIC-CON

San Diego Convention Center: July 24-27, 2008

Receiving the INK POT AWARD!

 

      

Photos courtesy of John Lustig (left with Noel)

 

To the right of Noel is Gary Sassaman of 'Comic-Con International

Panel Discussion with John Field


NOEL NEILL

THE NEW GOTHAM CITY COLLECTORS' SHOW

 

EXTRA!   EXTRA!

First Lady of Metropolis Visits New York’s Lady in the Harbor!

 by Gail McIntyre 

The statue of Liberty smiled as Noel Neill flew into New York City to visit her fans on March 31st and April 1st at the NYC Gotham Collectors Show on 57th Street between 9th and 10th avenues in Manhattan.

It was a dream come true to finally meet and visit with her one on one. Her energy is awesome. I can’t imagine anyone having the “will do” attitude that Noel Neill has. But it was obvious that she truly enjoys connecting with her fans and is very comfortable with people. 

Comments such as “you were an inspiration to me” or “you meant so much to everyone growing up back then” or “you were my first girlfriend,” were recurring themes in the exchanges throughout the day.

 

On one occasion, a father came by with his 2 children, who had probably seen Superman Returns and commented on the pictures Noel had on the table. “You see, this the first Superman series on TV.” It was heartwarming to see a parent who grew up with the series are interested in educating his children about it. One lucky 4-legged fan not only got his picture taken with Noel, he was even held by her. All creatures big and small are fans of Noel Neill!

Bill, Susan and I showered Noel with tootsie rolls! They laughed when I told them Carl Glass told us they were the main staple of her diet! As an added treat I got my picture taken with Noel holding a teddy bear, something I chose as it was probably what I would have given to her had I had the opportunity to meet her when I was 5 years old.  Even Super Sue posed with Noel and the teddy.

I also got a chance to connect for the first time with friends that I had only known through cyber space;  Susan Schnitzer, Lou Koza, Steve Randisi, Bill Lange, “shorty” Caruso, Eddie Caro and Brian Postman. I’d like to thank Bill Dillane for sending the group shot and Larry Ward, professional photographer!

In closing, I wanted to add a personal note.  On Sunday, April 1st, I returned to the show to sit with Noel and Larry. I was allowed to sit behind the table and talk candidly with them. While some questions were easy and others difficult, Noel handled all of them with grace, poise and style. The atmosphere was informal and lighthearted with a lot of laughter and joking around. 

On a personal note, while I was there, on more than one occasion people asked me  if I was Noel Neill’s daughter.  At first I thought nothing of it until I left and I was in the lobby, and someone else stopped me to ask the same thing. It was then that I realized that in a curious way I gotten the opportunity to be Noel Neill’s daughter for a whole afternoon! This is one of those moments where life comes full circle. What was moving was the continuum of it all.  For after 45 years, nothing had changed. This was and is my role model. The life that she lives is what I have to look up to. What do you say to someone who has given to you everyday of your life without knowing it? Probably nothing. But if I had to come up with something, I would sum it up in 2 words…“Thanks Mom.”

 April 2007


Noel Neill Sighting!

 

WHEN:

January 26-28, 2007

 

in Phoenix, Arizona

by Mike Goldman

 

It was great seeing Noel again, at the 2nd annual Phoenix ComicCon on Saturday, January 27th.  As always, Noel was lovely, and Larry was at his best too. The crowds were large, and Noel was just amazing - constantly on the go!  But what else would you expect from this 86 year old youngster! I lost track over how many people stopped at Noel and Larry's booth. There was no generation gap here - young and old, male and female, they just kept coming up to Noel, all with huge smiles on their faces. Unfortunately, (or perhaps fortunately!) the photo Larry took of Noel and me did not come out well.  But this isn't about me anyway; it's about Noel and her legion of fans, young and old alike. 


Over and over I heard middle aged people come over and say how much they appreciated Noel and The Adventures Of Superman. They remembered the show from their childhood.  Over and over, they were amazed when they saw all the photos of the other facets of Noel's long career that were on display. Lots of photos and books left the table, all personally autographed by Noel.

One woman came over to Noel and didn't ask for a photo, didn't ask for an autograph.  She simply looked at Noel and said, "May I give you a hug?" But the best fan reaction was this one.  A lovely young girl, who couldn't have been more than 12 years old, came up to the table, stared at Noel, and said,  "Oh my God - it's Lois Lane!  It's such an honor to meet you!"  Well, naturally, she got a hug and kiss from Noel. And Noel spent some time talking to her. She did that with each and every person who came up to her.  Noel's energy is amazing.

But this might be the scoop of the day! Larry asked me to escort Noel over to a booth that had been set up by Warner Home Video. They were there producing a bonus feature for the 6th season DVD of Smallville. They had something called the "Ultimate FanCam". They were having anyone who was interested sit down, and they would ask some scripted questions, and videotape the fan's responses, some of which will be included in this bonus feature on the DVD.  So, it was a real treat to watch them interview Noel.  She was their special guest interview, of course.

It was a great time spent watching Noel in the middle of her legion of fans, young and old alike. On a personal note, I'd like to thank Noel and Larry for their wonderful friendship. 

 

January 2007


Collectors and Celebrity Show

October 14 & 15, 2006

Carl and Leslie had a wonderful time seeing old friends

and meeting new ones in Burbank California!

 

Noel was as beautiful as ever!

 

Take a moment and reminisce with us as we

catalog favorite moments!

 

 

 

 

We met up with Steven Kirk and Jan! We knew Mary Spooner was going to be there--

and we would meet in person for the FIRST time! So far it has been emails and phone calls!

We were surprised with Steve Randisi showing up! What a treat!

Also, Philip (with only one L!) Doctor--it was good to see him again!

 

 

Vince Marzo came to meet Leslie (oh yeah Carl too).

It's an honor to have people come out specially to meet "Glass House."

 

   

 

Noel is as popular with the stars as she is with her fans. Bill Mumy, Gerard Christopher

and Alan Young all made special trips to see her and to get a hug.

 

   

 

Even Chubby Checker came to give a special hug to "Lois Lane!" Noel got "twisted!"

 

       

 

A fan came prepared for pictures with Noel in a "Kirk Alyn Superman" costume.

Noel is impressed with the young man of steel--

BUT Steven looks like someone stole his thunder!

 

   

 

Carl catches up with Jon Provost and gets to meet Robert Easton for the first time.

Steven stood in a long line...for a long time...to get this close to Stephanie Powers!

 

 

The crowds were constant both days! And--Leslie got to meet her artistic hero--

Ray Harryhausen!! What a treat! Carl only had eyes for Noel!!

He is her (self-proclaimed) NUMBER ONE FAN!!!

 

   

Thanks for helping us record our memories! That's what friends are for!!

 

October 2006


 

California State Fair

August 12, 2005

Sacramento, California

 

Superhero Exhibit

 

Some favorite Superheros were on hand to take pictures with. Sadly, Batman was physically absent, but a LEGO statute of him was present! It was AMAZING! The statue itself was slightly larger than life-size and was standing on a brick base with LEGO gargoyles decorating it (Wayne Manor?).

 

     

 

  

 

The crowds were perpetual and kept Noel very busy!!

 

   

 

 

We met Craig (and his brother Scott) whom we somehow missed meeting at

Wonder Con in February of this year!! Like passing ships in the night!! When we got to the exhibit, we were greeted with "It's Carl and Leslie Glass!!" like we were celebrities.

(A young girl even asked for our autographs! We declined!)

 

 

 

Craig had brought his "Truth, Justice, and the American Way" for Noel to sign.

Beyond Noel (in the photo), the US Post Office had set up shop and sold the SUPERHERO Stamp collection. There are 20 Superhero stamps, collectible pins, and other commemorative items.

It was very convenient for us to have them close,

because then we didn't have to go to the post office for our Superman memorabilia!

 

 

 

We had a wonderful time! ...Until next time!!

 

August 2006


 

 

 

Here is Noel as Gertrude in a dramatic scene from Superman Returns

 

 

This is the first public image of Noel Neill as Getrude with Kevin
Spacey as Lex Luthor in Superman Returns. This image is on one of the trading cards

being issued by the Topps Trading Card Company.
Many thanks to Steve Younis, Noel Neill, Larry Ward, and Steven Kirk.

 


 

 

  

 

 

  

 

   

          Carl finally meets Lou (after two attempts)

 

  

 

    

Efren Ramirez (Pedro in Napoleon Dynamite) our new friend!

BTW...He LOVES Noel Neill! See more at: efrenramirez.imeem.com

 

     

 

  

"Our new best friend" Scott L Schwartz--He is a really nice guy!

BUT--don't tell him we said so! Check him out at ultimatebadguy.com

 

 

 

 

 

Carl had a BLAST! Two Conventions in Two months! Gotta slow down!

 

March 2006


 

 

 

We had a great time and wanted to share these photos with you!

 

  

 

Wondercon (Homeland) Security!                

 

   

 

A small sample of the booths--before the crowds got wall-to-wall!

 

     

 

       

 

See Noel's sparkling belt? That was a birthday gift from an adoring fan!

Also, Carl with John Provost (Timmy of Lassie fame). He's really a nice guy!

 

    

 

    

 

Q & A session with Bryan Singer and surprise guest, Brandon Routh--

OUR NEW SUPERMAN!

The chemistry between Bryan and Brandon was easygoing and charming.

We were very impressed with Brandon's demeanor and humility regarding his role as an American Icon. We are looking forward to the release of SUPERMAN RETURNS.

 

     

 

       1948 "Lois Lane" in Superman The Serial                     First year episode with Jon

                 FYI--Noel is on a "walkie-talkie"                                 as Timmy in Lassie  

(not a phone--for those that have never seen one!)

 


A gathering of Supe Fans after the WonderCon for a great dinner

and nostalgic memories!

 

     

          Liz with Don Holmes                      John Raspanti and Tracy              Carl and Bruce Dettman

 

    

 

         Old Mr. Bloopers with New Mr. Bloopers!                A GREAT time was had by all!

 

February 2006


 

Press the icon on the left for photos

from Noel's 85th Birthday Bash !!  

November 2005


 

 

Noel Neill and Terry Ryan


Noel takes time out from her busy shooting schedule to visit with Australia's #1 TAOS fan, Terry Ryan.  Noel was shooting her scenes in the upcoming Superman Returns

 

The movie was released in June 2006.

 

 

 

 


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