published 30/06/1995 at 17:30 PM
Actress - Born Julia Jean Mildred Frances Turner on Feb. 8, 1920 in Wallace, ID - Died June 29, 1995 of throat
cancer in Century City, CA
Lana Turner's icy elegance and poise made her one of Hollywood's top box-office attractions in more
than 50 films.
Although Miss Turner was known as a versatile and hard-working actress who made several films each year and who
was once nominated for an Academy Award ("Peyton Place" in 1957), she gained equal notoriety because of her private life, which was marred by personal tragedy and seven unsuccessful
marriages.
In her film successes, Miss Turner's roles ranged from the Hollywood star in "The Bad and the Beautiful" (1952) to
the tragic chorine in "Ziegfeld Girl" (1941), from the self-sacrificing mother in "Madame X" (1966) to the two-timing housewife in "The Postman Always Rings Twice" (1946) and the attractive widow
in "Peyton Place" (1957).
She was dubbed the "Sweater Girl" after playing a small part in "They Won't Forget" (1937), in which she walked down the street in a tight skirt and sweater. Her "Sweater Girl" pictures became
favorite pinups of GIs around the globe during World War II.
Miss Turner won critical acclaim for "Ziegfeld Girl" in 1941, a milestone in her career because it was the first
time she was taken seriously in a role. After the movie, MGM, recognizing her as a serious actress, began casting her opposite three legendary Hollywood leading men: Spencer Tracy, Clark Gable
and Robert Taylor.
She became one of Hollywood's most popular romantic heroines and MGM's most publicized star.
Her second marriage, to Stephan Crane III, produced Miss Turner's only child, Cheryl, who gained notoriety April
4, 1958, when she stabbed her mother's then-boyfriend, John Stompanato, in the abdomen with a 10-inch kitchen knife. Cheryl said she was trying to protect her mother after violent threats by
Stompanato.
Cheryl, who was 14 at the time of the stabbing, told police that Stompanato had threatened to disfigure and kill mother and daughter that night because Miss Turner had tried to break off the relationship. A judge ruled the incident justifiable homicide.
Interestingly, the unpleasant publicity did not affect Miss Turner's career.
— Los Angeles Times June 30, 1995
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Lana Turner
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