Lana Turner—discovered sipping soda in a California cafe—turned heads with her brief appearance as a sexy co-ed in They Won’t Forget in 1937. “The Sweater Girl” didn’t utter a line. Hollywood’s latest busty blonde bombshell inspired a generation of fashionistas, and the sheep couldn’t lose their wool fast enough.
She was a World War II pin-up, with her autograph adorning a bomber. It rendered a sexy moment for that aircrew cindering the daylights out of Germany.
Her name electrified marquee signs opposite those of Clark Gable, Spencer Tracey, Mickey Rooney, James Stewart, Hume Cronyn, Ricardo Montalban, John Wayne, Richard Burton. . . . She was alternately ingénue, dream scream queen, and the sexually inhibited mother with a mysterious past in Peyton Place.
But Lana played her greatest role in reality with a string of leading men—starting with four husbands by the age of 30. The junior Johnny Stompanato became her man in the late 1950s.
He hid behind the name John Steele. The alias shadowed his past: a Turkish girlfriend and child, a failed nightclub, two broken marriages to actresses, suspicion of armed robbery, and association with mobsters.
Lana loved him. He broke into her apartment, attacked her in England, lured her back, held a gun to her head, and beat her up.
Lana’s daughter Cheryl wasn’t so tolerant. She stabbed Johnny in the belly with a carving knife, and he gasped his last. She was only 15.
The jury acquitted Cheryl, and her mother kept looking for Mr. Right.
WordPress Daily Post Prompt: Willy-nilly
Real life out-dramas fiction.
Well, that happens plenty, T.K.!
Lana Turner was stunning. A tragic tale of her life but I have to hand it to the daughter as I feel she gave the guy his just rewards. Great post!
Thanks for reading. It’s a fascinating–but sad–story of someone desperate for love.
Go Cheryl! you want to talk about odd…. look up the mental illness story of Veronica Lake – who also liked to hide an eyes with her hair…. that look fit her personality.
Karen, I will do that. I did not know she suffered from that. Thanks for stopping by. Hope summer is going well!
Enjoyed reading! Lana, must have been a broken lady inside! Looking for something, that could satify her, but never did…..so sad!
It is sad. She was so successful in other ways–but lonely. Thanks for reading!
Some really like it hot!