Lana Turner (1921–1995) was an American actress who appeared in over fifty films during her career, which spanned four decades. Discovered in 1937 at age 16, she signed a contract with Warner Bros. but soon transferred to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The studio's co-founder, Louis B. Mayer, helped further her career by casting her in several youth-oriented comedies and musicals, including Dancing Co-Ed (1939) and Ziegfeld Girl (1941), the latter of which was a commercial success and helped establish her as one of the studio's leading performers. Turner subsequently co-starred with Clark Gable in the drama Somewhere I'll Find You (1943), the first of four films she would appear in with him.

Turner's role as a femme fatale in the film noir The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) advanced her career significantly and established her as a dramatic actress. It earned her acclaim with Bosley Crowther of The New York Times deeming it "the role of her career." In addition to her film roles, Turner frequently appeared on radio programs throughout the 1940s, including Suspense and The Orson Welles Almanac. In 1952, she co-starred in the drama The Bad and the Beautiful (1952) opposite Kirk Douglas, portraying an alcoholic actress. Turner made her final film appearance with Gable in the drama Betrayed (1954). After the critical and commercial failure of Diane (1956), MGM opted not to renew Turner's contract. At the time, her films with the studio had collectively earned over $50 million

In 1957, she took a leading role portraying Constance MacKenzie in 20th Century Fox's Peyton Place, a film adaptation of the Grace Metalious novel of the same name. The film was a major box office success, and Turner earned her first and only Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for her performance. In 1959, she accepted the lead role in Douglas Sirk's remake of Imitation of Life, a drama for Universal Pictures in which she portrayed a struggling stage actress, which was another commercial success at the box office. Turner's final leading role was in 1966's Madame X, for which she earned a David di Donatello award for Best Actress. She spent the majority of the 1970s in semiretirement, appearing in touring stage plays, such as Forty Carats and Bell, Book and Candle. In 1982, she was cast in a recurring guest role on the television soap opera Falcon Crest. She made her final film appearance in the comedy horror film Witches' Brew in 1980.

Film

Year Title Role(s) Director(s) Studio 1937 They Won't Forget Warner Bros. Topper Nightclub Patron Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Warner Bros. 1938 Nazama's Maid United Artists Love Finds Andy Hardy Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer The Chaser Four's a Crowd Passerby Warner Bros. Rich Man, Poor Girl Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Dramatic School Mado 1939 Calling Dr. Kildare These Glamour Girls Dancing Co-Ed 1940 Two Girls on Broadway We Who Are Young Harold S. Bucquet 1941 Ziegfeld Girl Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Honky Tonk 1942 Johnny Eager Mervyn LeRoy Somewhere I'll Find You 1943 Herself Slightly Dangerous /Carol Burden Du Barry Was a Lady Herself 1944 Marriage Is a Private Affair Robert Z. Leonard 1945 Keep Your Powder Dry Week-End at the Waldorf Robert Z. Leonard 1946 1947 Green Dolphin Street Cass Timberlane 1948 Homecoming George Sidney 1950 1951 Mr. Imperium 1952 1953 Latin Lovers Mervyn LeRoy 1954 Flame and the Flesh Madeline Betrayed 1955 Samarra Warner Bros. 20th Century Fox 1956 Diane Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 1957 Peyton Place 20th Century Fox 1958 Universal Pictures Another Time, Another Place Paramount Pictures 1959 Imitation of Life Universal Pictures 1960 Portrait in Black 1961 By Love Possessed United Artists Bachelor in Paradise Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 1962 Who's Got the Action? Paramount Pictures 1965 Love Has Many Faces Columbia Pictures 1966 Madame X Universal Pictures 1969 Warner Bros. 1974 Persecution Fanfare Films 1976 Bittersweet Love Claire David Miller AVCO Embassy 1980 Witches' Brew United Artists 1994 That's Entertainment! III Herself Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Unrealized projects Year Title Role(s) Notes 1940 Our Dancing Daughters Remake of 1928 film; never made 1940 Set to star opposite Clark Gable; Turner was replaced with Rosalind Russell, and the film was released as They Met in Bombay 1947 Bedeviled Unfinished; Turner dropped out to appear in The Three Musketeers 1949 Samson and Delilah Delilah Role went to Hedy Lamarr 1959 Streets of Montmartre Set to star with Louis Jourdan; never made

Television

Year Title Role(s) Notes 1967 Herself Episode: "1.10" 1967 Herself Episode: "1.16" 1969–70 Harold Robbins' The Survivors 15 episodes 1971 Television film 1982–83 Falcon Crest 6 episodes 1985 Episode: "Caribbean Cruise: Call Me Grandma/A Gentleman of Discretion/The Perfect Divorce/Letting Go"

Radio

Air date Program Episode Role(s) Notes June 2, 1941 Lux Radio Theatre They Drive by Night Guest-starring with Lucille Ball January 19, 1942 Philip Morris Playhouse Co-starring with Lionel Barrymore July 5, 1944 Herself Guest-starring with Susan Hayward June 19, 1944 Fifth War Loan Drive May 3, 1945 Suspense Fear Paints a Picture Julia April 11, 1946 Lux Radio Theatre Honky Tonk Co-starring with John Hodiak June 17, 1946 Screen Guild Theater Marriage Is a Private Affair Co-starring with John Hodiak August 14, 1946 Academy Award Theater Vivacious Lady Francey April 13, 1948 Herself Skit performed with Bob Hope September 19, 1949 Lux Radio Theatre Green Dolphin Street December 15, 1949 Suspense The Flame Blue Glove Shadow

Stage Year(s) Title Role(s) Notes 1971 Forty Carats Touring performance 1975 Single performance; Arlington Park Theater, Chicago 1978 Divorce Me, Darling Performances at Drury Lane Theatre, Chicago 1976–78 Bell, Book and Candle Touring performance; co-starring with Patrick Horgan 1980–82 Murder Among Friends Touring performance

Awards and nominations Award Category Year Nominated work(s) Outcome Academy Awards Best Actress in a Leading Role 1958 Peyton Place David di Donatello Best Foreign Actress 1966 Madame X Donostia Awards Lifetime Achievement 1994 – Laurel Awards Top Female Dramatic Performance 1958 Peyton Place Top Female Star 1959 – 1960 – 1961 – Best Actress 1966 Madame X Medalla Sitges Best Actress 1975 Persecution

Notes

References

Sources

External links

Lana Turner filmography at the American Film Institute Lana Turner filmography at AllMovie