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Lana Turner

Birth name: Julia Jean Turner
Birth: 8 February 1921
Died: 29 June 1995
Nationality: American
Hollywood Walk Star: Yes
Lana Turner

Career / Biography

Lana Turner was a Hollywood star during the 1940's as the Hollywood blonde who was the seater girl but her troubled personal life (seven marriages to six differnt men and drink problems) limited her work from the 1950's. She was born to teenage parents who wer poor and her father was murdered. At 16 she was discovered and her first film role was They Won't Forget in 1937. It was in this film that she had a small role but wore the tight fitting sweater that labelled her the sweater girl. A label she hated. She moved to MGM and appeared in one of the Andy Harvey films and then her career was moulded by MGM through films like These Glamour Girls as the teenager. She came to wider notice when staring opposite Clark Gable in Honky Tonk. With Ziegfeld Girl her career moved staring with Judy Garland and Heddy Lamarr. With films like Slightly Dangerous she mixed drama and comedy in her first real staring role. During World War 2 she was developing as an actress and also became a pin-up for the service men. It was in The Postman Always RIngs Twice that she showed her ability as a dramatic actor ina sort of femme fatal character and this made her a major star. In Green Dolphin Street she replaced Katherine Hepburn in the lead role in this historical drama. At this point she was in the top 10 highest paid women in America. Homecoming was the second of four films with Clark Gable and then she appeared in The Three Musketeers an adventure film being a deprature from her usual roles which was her first Techicolor Film and some amazing dresses. In the early 1950's her appeal declined and MGM cast her in some musicals. The Bad and the Beautiful was one of her better films of this period. Her only Oscar nomination was for Peyton Place. Even after her daughter stabbed her lover to death she continued her career with Imitation of Life and was also one of best films. Her 1961 film By Love Possed became the first in flight film. Madame X in 1966 was her last major film roles as her career gradually faded.

Films

Madame X (1966)
Imitation of Life (1959)
Another Time, Another Place (1958)
Peyton Place (1957)
Sea Chase (1955)
The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)
The Three Musketeers (1948)
Homecoming (1948)
Green Dolphin Street (1947)
Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)
Week-End At The Waldorf (1945)
Slightly Dangerous (1943)
Ziegfeld Girl (1941)
Honky Tonk (1941)
Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde (1941)
Dancing Co-Ed (1939)
These Glamour Girls (1939)
They Won't Forget (1937)

Oscars

Nomination - Best Supporting Actress - Peyton Place (1957)

Quote

From the moment I walked down the street in that first picture, They Won’t Forget, I evidently was a so-called sex symbol - to everyone except myself. For quite a while I was ashamed to face people.
In Hollywood, a star is someone who makes a lot of money. A star is someone who is truly talented, and who also has a following.
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