Metropolis, Illinois, was officially declared “Hometown of Superman” by DC Comics in 1972. But it wasn’t until 1993 that the town replaced a shrimpy, homely statue with a decent, 15-foot-tall heroic Superman. Now, 17 years later, Superman has been joined by a slightly less supersized Lois Lane.
The new Lois statue is modeled on actress Noel Neill, the “First Lady of Metropolis,” who played the plucky foil to George Reeves in the late 1950s Adventures of Superman TV series, and who’s been a frequent guest at Metropolis’s annual Superman Celebration. She was already in her mid-thirties when she played “girl reporter” Lois Lane on the show, and at age 89 she helped to unveil the statue along with a broad-chested Superman stand-in and the Metropolis mayor.
The 6+ foot-tall statue dwarfs the real Noel, who barely reaches five feet. It shows Lois in her tailored reporter’s suit and high heels, wearing a triple strand of pearls — standard lady TV journalist attire in the formal 1950s. With her purse dangling from one arm, Lois clutches a note pad, her pencil forever poised to get the latest scoop on Metropolis’s bottomless supply of thugs, spies, gangsters, mad scientists, and berserk robots.
The Lois Lane statue is actually only about 6″ 2′. I’m not sure where you got your information, but she isn’t that tall. Trust me…I’ve lived here all my life and live about 2 blocks from the Lois Lane statue.
Hey “Clark,” thanks for the size clarification. “Nine feet tall” was the size mentioned by Noel Neill in the ABC news story, apparently her guess looking up at it!
June 23rd, 2010 at 7:04 pm
The Lois Lane statue is actually only about 6″ 2′. I’m not sure where you got your information, but she isn’t that tall. Trust me…I’ve lived here all my life and live about 2 blocks from the Lois Lane statue.
June 24th, 2010 at 11:20 am
Hey “Clark,” thanks for the size clarification. “Nine feet tall” was the size mentioned by Noel Neill in the ABC news story, apparently her guess looking up at it!