Veronica Lake

[posted]

Veronica Lake was born in Brooklyn, New York on November 14, 1919 (some sources say 1922) with the birth name of Constance Frances Marie Ockleman. Her father worked for an oil company as a ship employee. While still a child, Veronica's parents moved to Florida when she wasn't quite a year old.

By the time she was five, the family had returned to Brooklyn. She was expose to acting early when she starred in a primary school play. It was to be her only stage outing, at least for a while.

When Veronica was 12, her father died in an explosion on the oil ship. One year later her mother wed Anthony Keane and Veronica took his last name as her own. From that point on the family moved around a lot, living in Canada, New York State, and Miami, Florida.

By the time Veronica had graduated from high school in Miami, she was already known as one of the local Miami beauties. She felt that she was ready for films. Her mother and step-father moved to a small home in Beverly Hills, California in 1938 where Mrs. Keane enrolled her lovely daughter in the well known Bliss Hayden School of Acting in Hollywood. She didn't have to wait long for a part to come her way.

Her first movie was as one of the many coeds in the RKO film, SORORITY HOUSE in 1939. It was a minor part, to be sure, but it was a start. Veronica quickly followed up that project with two other films. ALL WOMEN HAVE SECRETS and DANCING CO-ED, both in 1939, were again bit roles for the pretty young woman from the East Coast, but she didn't complain. After all, other would-be starlets took a while before they ever received a bit part.

Veronica continued her schooling, in 1940, while taking a bit roles in two more films, YOUNG AS YOU FEEL and FORTY LITTLE MOTHERS. Prior to this time, she was still under her natural name of Constance Keane.

Now, with a better role in 1941's I WANTED WINGS, she was asked to change her name and Veronica Lake was born. Now, instead of playing coeds, she had a decent, speaking part. Veronica felt like an actress. The film was a success and the public loved this bright newcomer.

Paramount, the studio she was under contract with, then assigned her to two more films that year, HOLD BACK THE DAWN and SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS. The latter received good reviews from the always tough film critics.

As Ellen Graham, in THIS GUN FOR HIRE the following year, Veronica now had top billing. She had paid her dues and was on a roll. The public was enamored with her.

In 1943, Veronica starred in only one film. She portrayed Lieutenant Olivia D'Arcy in SO PROUDLY WE HAIL! with Claudette Colbert. The film was a box-office smash. It seemed that any film Veronica starred in would be an unquestionable hit.

However, her only outing for 1944, in THE HOUR BEFORE DAWN would not be well-received by either the public or the critics. As Nazi sympathizer, Dora Bruckmann, Veronica's role was dismal at best. Critics immensely disliked her accent because it wasn't true to life. Her acting itself suffered because of the accent.

Mediocre films trailed her for all of 1945. It seemed that Veronica was dumped in just about any film to see if it could be salvaged. HOLD THAT BLONDE, OUT OF THIS WORLD, and MISS SUSIE SLAGLE'S was just a waste of talent for the beautiful blonde. The latter film was a shade better than the previous two.

In 1946, Veronica bounced back in THE BLUE DAHLIA with Howard Da Silva. The film was a hit, but it would be the last decent film for Veronica. Paramount continued to put her in pathetic movies.

After 1948, Paramount discharged the once, prized star and she was on her own.

In 1949, she starred in the Twentieth Century film SLATTERY'S HURRICANE. Unfortunately, another weak film. She was not to be on the big screen again until 1952 when she appeared in STRONGHOLD. By Veronica's own admission, the film "was a dog."

From 1952 to 1966, Veronica made television appearances and even tried her hand at the stage. Not a lot of success for her at all. By now, alcohol was the order of the day. She was down on her luck and drank heavily.

In 1962, Veronica was found living in an old hotel and working as a bartender. She, finally, returned to the big screen in 1966 in FOOTSTEPS IN THE SNOW. Another drought ensued and she appeared on the silver screen for the last time in 1970's FLESH FEAST a very low budget film.

On July 7, 1973, Veronica died of hepatitis in Burlington, Vermont. The beautiful actress with the long blonde hair was dead at the age of 53.



Thanks to Denny Jackson for the bio on this actress

[backdoorman]

One of my favorite classic actresses. Pity how her life ended. Here's to the beautiful lady that gave us the peek-a-boo hairstyle.

[Schreibikus]

[mrcheese]

[bluenose]

some more

[marlon]

[berigan]

Free Image Hosting by ImageBam.com

[zwaik]

[berigan]

As good as she can look in photos, they just don't do her justice. If folks have never seen her in a movie, please do! I Married a Witch was no doubt the inspiration for Bewitched. Oh, she's so adorable, so sexy in that film! Sullivan's Travels would be a close 2nd, but she's not in that film as much. She was also very short, perhaps 5 ft tall!

[george anson]