5 Reasons Lana Turner Should Not Have Been a Successful Movie Star
Image Courtesy Bison Archives
Fame is an elusive and fickle beast - and prompts the question, “Why him?” or “Why her?” Is it luck or fate? This week’s birthday girl Lana Turner (Feb. 8) definitely achieved a place in the pantheon of classic Hollywood stars, and whether you believe in luck or fate, I think a little of both were on her side. Here are five realities that should have kept Lana out of the limelight, but none of them could stop her exciting and at times tumultuous career:
She should have been in class
Julia Jean Turner, a student at Hollywood High School, was skipping typing class across the street at the Top Hat Cafe when she was noticed by Billy Wilkerson, publisher of the Hollywood Reporter. His interest in her started her in films - a path she had never considered and maybe would never have pursued if not for this fateful meeting.
Her type was a dime a dozen among the sea of hopeful starlets in Hollywood in 1936
When Julia Jean Turner, rechristened as Lana Turner, first began making the rounds at the studios, she couldn’t land any sort of job - not even as an extra. Then one day her agent took her over to Warner Brothers - and Mervyn LeRoy just happened to be looking for a young girl for a small part in They Won’t Forget. It turned out that Lana was perfect for this bit part, which required little screen time but was tremendously important to the plot of the film. Lana had just leapfrogged over the land of extra work, and the grind of casting office rounds into a featured part in her first film, and as Mervyn LeRoy’s protegee, she was safe from the wolves in the casting offices that preyed upon the typical six-month contract starlets.
Lana wasn’t particularly interested in acting - at first.
Lana had never considered a career in the movies before her meeting with Billy Wilkerson, and at first for her it was all a lark. She was surrounded by women who would have given anything for the chance she had - Mervyn LeRoy had even taken her with him when he switched studios to MGM - but the money and glamour and fun were what kept Lana going on the long days. Until Ziegfeld Girl - in this film Lana was presented with a role that offered her more dramatic possibilities, and she realized she liked acting! She began to work hard, and her work paid off as the studio expanded her role during filming. This film was a turning point for Lana, and she began to take more than a casual interest in her career.
She survived a marriage scandal that included potential charges of bigamy.
In the golden era of Hollywood, nothing could kill a career faster than a breach of the morals of the day. Lana had married businessman Stephen Crane after a whirlwind courtship and became pregnant. Lana was elated until she found out Crane’s divorce from his ex-wife wasn’t final! Lana immediately had the marriage annulled. After Crane’s divorce was final, he begged Lana to remarry him and she did, mostly for the sake of her unborn child. The union did not last and the couple divorced in 1944.
Her career survived a murder scandal.
On Friday, April 4, 1958 gangster Johnny Stompanato was stabbed to death in Lana’s home. Lana’s 14 year old daughter Cheryl, had stabbed him with a kitchen knife after hearing him threaten and physically abuse her mother. Crane confessed to Stompanato's death, explaining that she wanted to protect her mother. The jury rendered a verdict of justifiable homicide. Lana was devastated, and ugly rumors circulated claiming that Lana had committed the crime and let her daughter take the rap. These stories have always been denied by Lana and her daughter Cheryl.
Lana rose to the top in Hollywood and managed to stay there despite the career and personal challenges she faced. I admire her as a woman, a survivor, and as someone with the strength of character to push through the ups and downs of her life while being in the public eye.
If you want to learn more about Lana’s fascinating life, join us this Wednesday night, February 8th, as we celebrate Lana’s birthday and take a look at her amazing journey. It’s a virtual event over Zoom, and a recording will be available for those who can’t watch live. Get all the details here.