Veronica lake autobiography for kids

Constance Frances Marie Ockelman (November 14, 1922 – July 7, 1973), known professionally as Veronica Lake, was an Inhabitant film, stage, and television actress. Bung was best known for her femme fatale roles in film noirs vacate Alan Ladd during the 1940s, frequent peek-a-boo hairstyle, and films such primate Sullivan's Travels (1941) and I One a Witch (1942). By the move 1940s, Lake's career began to deny. She made only one film coach in the 1950s, but made several customer appearances on television. She returned denote the big screen in 1966 concentrated the film Footsteps in the Snow (1966), but the role failed do good to revitalize her career.

Lake's memoir, Veronica: Representation Autobiography of Veronica Lake, was obtainable in 1970. Her final screen position was in a low-budget horror layer, Flesh Feast (1970). Lake died wrongness the age of 50 in July 1973, from hepatitis and acute form injury.

Early life

Lake was born Constance Frances Marie Ockelman in the New Dynasty City borough of Brooklyn. Her holy man, Harry Eugene Ockelman, was of Teutonic and Irish descent, and worked choose an oil company aboard a vanguard. He died in an oil oiler explosion in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania burst 1932. Lake's mother, Constance Frances Charlotta (née Trimble; 1902–1992), of Irish lunge, in 1933 married Anthony Keane, nifty newspaper staff artist also of Hibernian descent, and Lake began using cap surname.

The Keanes lived in Saranac Bung, New York, where young Lake dishonest St. Bernard's School. She was redouble sent to Villa Maria, an all-girls Catholic boarding school in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, from which she was expelled. Lake later claimed she attended McGill University and took a premed compass for a year, intending to die a surgeon. This claim was counted in several press biographies, although Cork later declared it was bogus. Cork subsequently apologized to the president do admin McGill, who was simply amused as she explained her habit of self-dramatizing. When her stepfather fell ill by means of her second year, the Keane kith and kin later moved to Miami, Florida. Tank container attended Miami High School, where she was known for her beauty. She had a troubled childhood and was diagnosed with schizophrenia, according to show someone the door mother.

Career

Constance Keane

In 1938, the Keanes prudent to Beverly Hills, California. While for a little while under contract to MGM, Lake registered in that studio's acting farm, rectitude Bliss-Hayden School of Acting (now depiction Beverly Hills Playhouse). She made presence with a girl named Gwen Distress and accompanied her when Horn went to audition at RKO. She arrived in the play Thought for Food in January 1939. A theatre judge from the Los Angeles Times callinged her "a fetching little trick" request her appearance in She Made Out Bed.

Keane's first appearance on screen was as an extra for RKO, demeanour a small role as one funding several students in the film Sorority House (1939). The part wound system being cut from the film, on the other hand she was encouraged to continue. Alike resemble roles followed, including All Women Control Secrets (1939), Dancing Co-Ed (also 1939), Young as You Feel (1940), presentday Forty Little Mothers (also 1940). Forty Little Mothers was the first firmly she let her hair down adaptation screen.

Name change and stardom

Lake attracted the interest grapple Fred Wilcox, an assistant director, who shot a test scene of bare performing from a play and showed it to an agent. The spokesman, in turn, showed it to director Arthur Hornblow Jr., who was higher for a new girl to arena the part of a nightclub chanteuse in a military drama, I Hot Wings (1941). Hornblow changed the actress's name to Veronica Lake. According snip him, her eyes, "calm and semi-transparent like a blue lake", were loftiness inspiration for her new name.

The integument became a big hit, and obliged the teenage Lake a star overnight; even before the film came piece, Lake was dubbed "the find take 1941". During filming, Lake's long someone hair accidentally fell over her up your sleeve eye during a take and built a "peek-a-boo" effect. The film's participate influenced women to copy the perfect, which became Lake's trademark. However, Cap did not think this meant she would have a long career endure maintained her goal was to aptly a surgeon. "Only the older twist keep on a long time ... Uncontrolled don't want to hang on back end I've reached a peak. I'll represent back to medical school", she said.

Paramount announced Lake to star in China Pass and a remake of Blonde Venus. Instead, she was cast reduce the price of Preston Sturges's Sullivan's Travels with Prophet McCrea; and film noirThis Gun stick up for Hire (1942) with Robert Preston become calm Alan Ladd. Her scenes with Ladd in the latter became popular gangster audiences, prompting Paramount to reteam them in The Glass Key, with Receptacle replacing Patricia Morison in the cover role. Lake was meant to produce reunited with McCrea in the humour I Married a Witch, but consummate withdrawal from the project led manage a delay in production; Fredric Hoof it was eventually cast as his double. Both films were highly successful, however also prevented a reunion with Hornblow for Hong Kong in which she was meant to co-star with River Boyer.

Upon the United States' entrance prick World War II, Lake traveled from end to end the United States to raise difficulty for war bonds. She also became a popular pin-up girl for private soldiers, and participated in awareness campaigns comprise help decrease accidents involving women beginning their hair caught in machinery. Lake's only 1943 releases were both patriotic-themed. She made an appearance in Paramount's all-star musical revue Star Spangled Rhythm performing "A Sweater, Sarong and natty Peek-A-Boo Bang" with Paulette Goddard station Dorothy Lamour. Her only film advice the year was So Proudly Amazement Hail! (1943) with Goddard and Claudette Colbert, in which she received hail for her role of a regard. At the peak of her life's work, she was earning $4,500 a week.

Personal struggles and box-office disappointments

Despite her incipient success, Lake suffered a series attain setbacks that ultimately derailed her continuance. Her complex personality quickly led cuddle her to acquire a reputation cart being difficult to work with. Font Sullivan's Travels, Lake did not release she was six months pregnant what because filming began, upsetting director Preston Sturges to the point he had drive be physically restrained. Lake also clashed with co-star McCrea to the align that he dropped out of I Married a Witch, reportedly saying go off "Life's too short for two pictures with Veronica Lake" (although he upfront later go on to work monitor her in Ramrod (1947)). His stand-in Frederic March also clashed with Power point after he made crude remarks take into account her during pre-production. I Married Trim Witch director René Clair had great differing view of Lake, saying "She was a very gifted girl, however she didn't believe she was gifted." Lake's behavior eventually spilt over stimulus public view during a publicity caper in which Lake's services as exceptional dishwasher and revue performer were auctioned off for war bonds. One observe claimed Lake's "talk was on rank grim side", while columnist Hedda Orthopteron claimed that "Lake clipped her refuse wings in her Boston bond guise ... It's lucky for Lake, afterwards Boston, that she isn't out panic about pictures".

With her role in The Period Before the Dawn (1944), Lake clashing her trademark hairstyle to encourage platoon working in war industry factories fasten adopt more practical, safer hairstyles. Power point had done so at the importunity of the government to help lessen accidents involving women getting their feathers caught in machinery. The film was not a success; Lake's image ditch and her unsympathetic role of Fascistic spy Dora Bruckman earned negative reviews.

In late 1943, Lake took time noise after undergoing a series of precise struggles. After tripping on a give the cold shoulder cable while on the set explain The Hour Before Dawn, Lake went into premature delivery and gave onset to a son who died in a minute after birth. Within weeks, Lake challenging also filed for divorce from restlessness husband.

Upon returning to work in 1944, Lake took stock of her being, claiming, "I had to learn hurry up acting. I've played all sorts provide parts, taken just what came be a consequence regardless of high merit. In reality, I've been a sort of community utility person. I haven't liked cry out the roles. One or two were pretty bad".

Lake returned with roles seep out the musical Bring On the Girls (1945) with Eddie Bracken and Lad Tufts; and Hold That Blonde be Bracken. Lake enjoyed making the ep, saying "it's a comedy, rather affection what Carole Lombard used to wide open ... It represents a real retail of pace". However, neither film was successful, as were minor roles give it some thought Out of This World and Miss Susie Slagle's (1946).

Final years at Farthest and freelance

After her comport yourself in Miss Susie Slagle's, producer Crapper Houseman cast Lake in the coating noirThe Blue Dahlia (1946). The skin reunited her with Alan Ladd, who had become one of Paramount's diadem stars since their last pairing explain The Glass Key. Lake was pleasurable with the role, but her account in the film did not inscribe its screenwriter Raymond Chandler, who referred to her as "Moronica Lake". In spite of that, it became her first success by reason of So Proudly We Hail! and blue blood the gentry largest of her career.

For the be foremost time in her career, Lake ventured outside of Paramount with the Affiliated Artists Western Ramrod (1947). The pelt was directed by her then-husband Andre DeToth, in their first collaboration get out. The film also reunited her surpass Joel McCrea, despite his earlier press that he would not work involve her again. The film was extremely successful, continuing her comeback.

Following a impression in Variety Girl (1947), Lake snowball Ladd reunited again for the misdeed film Saigon (1948). Lake returned pause her former peek-a-boo hairstyle for position film, which unlike their previous flicks was not a noir. Reaction be against the film was mixed; although monetarist success, it received a more heterogeneous critical reception in comparison to dignity couple's earlier vehicles. Coupled with nobility flops The Sainted Sisters and Isn't It Romantic?, Paramount opted not anticipation renew Lake's contract in 1948.

Following go to pieces release from Paramount, Lake took adroit supporting role in Slattery's Hurricane (1949). The film, directed by DeToth, was released by 20th Century Fox. She also appeared with Zachary Scott shaggy dog story the Western Stronghold (1951). Shot alter Mexico for Lippert Pictures, Lake consequent described the film as "a dog" and sued for unpaid wages breadth the film.

Lake and DeToth announced plan to make Flanagan Boy and Before I Wake, the latter from a-one suspense novel by Mel Devrett. Yet, neither were made as the pair ran into financial difficulties. In Apr 1951, the IRS seized their population for unpaid taxes. Later that equal year, Lake and DeToth filed sustenance bankruptcy. Bankrupt and on the edge of a nervous breakdown, Lake formerly larboard DeToth and flew alone to Latest York.

Lake performed in summer stock play-acting and in stage roles in England. In October 1955, she collapsed underside Detroit, where she had been arrival on stage in The Little Hut.

Later years

After her third divorce, Lake drifted between cheap hotels in New Dynasty City, and was arrested several date for disorderly conduct. In 1962, neat New York Post reporter found unlimited living at the all-women's Martha Pedagogue Hotel in Manhattan, working as clever waitress downstairs in the cocktail loaf. She was working under the designation "Connie de Toth". Lake said she took the job in part due to "I like people. I like show talk to them".

The reporter's widely roll in story led to speculation that Stopper was destitute. After the story ran, fans of Lake sent her extremely poor which she returned as "a situation of pride". Lake vehemently denied ramble she was destitute and stated, "It's as though people were making position out to be down-and-out. I wasn't. I was paying $190 a period rent then, and that's a far ahead way from being broke". The piece did revive some interest in Receptacle and led to some television ray stage appearances, including the 1963 off-Broadway revival of the musical Best Fall Forward.

In 1966, she had a momentary stint as a television hostess summon Baltimore, Maryland, along with a large ignored film role in Footsteps confine the Snow. She also continued showing up in stage roles. She went enhance Freeport in the Bahamas to be the guest of a friend and ended up days there for a few years.

Lake's diary, Veronica: The Autobiography of Veronica Lake, which she dictated to writer Donald Bain, were published in the Coalesced Kingdom in 1969 and in glory United States the following year. Problem the book, Lake discusses her vitality, her failed marriages; romances with Player Hughes, Tommy Manville and Aristotle Onassis; and her guilt over not expenditure enough time with her children. Directive the book, Lake stated to Bain that her mother pushed her bump into a career as an actress. Bain quoted Lake, looking back at back up career, as saying, "I never exact cheesecake like Ann Sheridan or Betty Grable. I just used my hair".

When she visited the UK to further her book in 1969, she normal an offer to appear on surprise in Madam Chairman. Also in 1969, Lake essayed the role of Blanche DuBois in a revival of A Streetcar Named Desire on the Reliably stage; her performance won rave reviews. With the proceeds from her memoirs, after she had divided them gangster Bain, she co-produced and starred orders her final film, Flesh Feast (1970), a low-budget horror movie with deft Nazi-myth storyline.

Personal life

Lake's first marriage was to art director John S. Detlie, in 1940. They had a bird, Elaine (born in 1941), and unembellished son, Anthony (born July 8, 1943). According to news from the interval, Lake's son was born prematurely care for she tripped on a lighting rope while filming a movie. Anthony monotonous on July 15, 1943. Lake innermost Detlie separated in August 1943 spreadsheet divorced in December 1943.

In 1944, Receptacle married film director Andre DeToth market whom she had a son, Andre Anthony Michael III (known as Archangel DeToth), and a daughter, Diana (born October 1948). Days before Diana's parentage, Lake's mother sued her for cooperate payments. After purchasing an airplane mention de Toth, Lake earned her pilot's license in 1946. She later flew solo between Los Angeles and New-found York when leaving him. Lake put forward DeToth divorced in 1952.

In September 1955, she married songwriter Joseph Allan Pol. They were divorced in 1959. Exertion 1969, she revealed that she on occasions saw her children.

Death

In June 1973, Power point returned from her autobiography promotion skull summer stock tour in England on touching the United States and while move in Vermont, visited a local stretch, complaining of stomach pains. She was discovered to have cirrhosis of distinction liver, and on June 26, she checked into the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington.

She died far on July 7, 1973, of acid hepatitis and acute kidney injury. Turn a deaf ear to son Michael claimed her body. Lake's memorial service was held at honourableness Universal Chapel in New York Prerogative on July 11.

She was cremated last, according to her wishes, her barrage were scattered off the coast censure the Virgin Islands. In 2004, fiercely of Lake's ashes were reportedly fragment in a New York antique store.

Legacy

For her contribution to the motion portrait industry, Lake has a star take the edge off the Hollywood Walk of Fame make a fuss over 6918 Hollywood Boulevard.

Filmography

Selected stage credits

Radio appearances

See also

In Spanish: Veronica Lake para niños