June Lang (May 5, 1917 â€" May 16, 2005) was an American film actress.
Early life
Born Winifred June Vlasek in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the daughter of Edith and Clarence Vlasek, she originally trained as a dancer in "kiddie revues" and went to Hollywood at the urging of her mother.
Career
She made her film debut in 1931 and caught the eye of Darryl F. Zanuck at 20th Century Fox, gradually securing second lead roles in mostly B movies. Noted for her fragile and demure appearance, she was usually cast as the little sister or the heroine's best friend in light comedies and adventure films. She soon graduated to leading roles, most notably in Bonnie Scotland (with Laurel and Hardy, 1935), in The Road to Glory (with Fredric March, Warner Baxter and Lionel Barrymoreâ€"written in part by William Faulknerâ€"1936), and in Wee Willie Winkie (directed by John Ford, with Shirley Temple, Cesar Romero, and Victor McLaglen, 1937).
Personal life
June Lang first married her agent, Victor Orsatti, in 1937 (divorced 1938), but her reputation as a wholesome leading lady was tarnished when she married Johnny Roselli, a reputed mobster, April 1, 1940 (divorced March 1943). Her studio released her from her contract the same year, and although she divorced Roselli, she found it difficult to secure film work. She married John Morgan in 1946 (divorced 1952), with whom she had a daughter.
She retired in 1947 after struggling to reestablish her film career for several years, although she occasionally appeared in minor roles on TV.
Lang died in Valley Village, California. She is buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.
Selected filmography
- Music in the Air (1934)
- Bonnie Scotland (1935)
- Captain January (1936)
- The Road to Glory (1936)
- Wee Willie Winkie (1937)
- International Settlement (1938)
- Convicted Woman (1940)
- Three of a Kind (1944)
References
- Quinlan, David. Quinlan's Film Stars. Batsford Books, 1996 edition. ISBN 0-7134-7751-2
External links
- June Lang at the Internet Movie Database
- June Lang at Find a Grave
- Photographs of June Lang
