Veronica Lake | |
|---|---|
 Lake,c. 1952 | |
| Born | Constance Frances Marie Ockelman (1922-11-14)November 14, 1922 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | July 7, 1973(1973-07-07) (aged 50) Burlington, Vermont, U.S. |
| Other names |
|
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1939–1970 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 4 |
Constance Frances Marie Ockelman (November 14, 1922 – July 7, 1973), known professionally asVeronica Lake, was an American film, stage, and television actress. Lake was best known for herfemme fatale roles infilms noir withAlan Ladd during the 1940s, her peek-a-boo hairstyle, and films such asSullivan's Travels (1941) andI Married a Witch (1942). By the late 1940s, Lake's career began to decline, due in part to heralcoholism. She made only one film in the 1950s, but had several guest appearances on television. She returned to the big screen in the filmFootsteps in the Snow (1966), but the role failed to revitalize her career.
Lake's memoir,Veronica: The Autobiography of Veronica Lake, was published in 1970. Her final screen role was in a low-budget horror film,Flesh Feast (1970). After years of heavy drinking, Lake died at the age of 50 in July 1973, fromhepatitis andacute kidney injury.
Lake was born Constance Frances Marie Ockelman in the New York City borough ofBrooklyn. Her father, Harry Eugene Ockelman, was of German and Irish descent,[1][2][3][4] and worked for an oil company aboard a ship. He died in an oil tanker explosion inMarcus Hook, Pennsylvania. in 1932.[5] Lake's mother, Constance Frances Charlotta (née Trimble; 1902–1992), of Irish descent, in 1933 married Anthony Keane, a newspaper staff artist also of Irish descent, and Lake began using his surname.[6]
The Keanes lived inSaranac Lake, New York, where young Lake attended St. Bernard's School. She was then sent toVilla Maria, an all-girls Catholic boarding school in Montreal, Canada, from which she was expelled. Lake later claimed she attendedMcGill University and took apremed course for a year, intending to become a surgeon. This claim was included in several press biographies, although Lake later admitted it was bogus. Lake subsequently apologized to the president of McGill, who was simply amused when she explained her habit of self-dramatizing.[7] When her stepfather fell ill during her second year,[vague] the Keane family later moved toMiami, Florida.[8] Lake attendedMiami High School, where she was known for her beauty. She had a troubled childhood and was diagnosed withschizophrenia, according to her mother.[9]
In 1938, the Keanes moved toBeverly Hills, California. While briefly under contract to MGM, Lake enrolled in that studio's acting farm, the Bliss-Hayden School of Acting (now theBeverly Hills Playhouse). She made friends with a girl named Gwen Horn and accompanied her when Horn went to audition at RKO.[8] She appeared in the playThought for Food in January 1939.[10] A theatre critic from theLos Angeles Times called her "a fetching little trick" for her appearance inShe Made Her Bed.[11]
Keane's first appearance on screen was as an extra forRKO,[12] playing a small role as one of several students in the filmSorority House (1939). The part wound up being cut from the film, but she was encouraged to continue. Similar roles followed, includingAll Women Have Secrets (1939),Dancing Co-Ed (also 1939),Young as You Feel (1940), andForty Little Mothers (also 1940).Forty Little Mothers was the first time she let her hair down on screen.[13]
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Lake attracted the interest of Fred Wilcox, an assistant director, who shot a test scene of her performing from a play and showed it to an agent. The agent, in turn, showed it to producerArthur Hornblow Jr., who was looking for a new girl to play the part of anightclub singer in a military drama,I Wanted Wings (1941). Hornblow changed the actress's name to Veronica Lake. According to him, her eyes, "calm and clear like a blue lake", were the inspiration for her new name.[14]
The film became a big hit, and made the teenage Lake a star overnight; even before the film came out, Lake was dubbed "the find of 1941".[8] During filming, Lake's long blonde hair accidentally fell over her right eye during a take and created a "peek-a-boo" effect. "I was playing a sympathetic drunk, I had my arm on a table ... it slipped ... and my hair – it was always baby fine and had this natural break – fell over my face ... It became my trademark and purely by accident", she recalled.[15] The film's success influenced women to copy the style, which became Lake's trademark.[16] However, Lake did not think this meant she would have a long career and maintained her goal was to be a surgeon. "Only the older actors keep on a long time ... I don't want to hang on after I've reached a peak. I'll go back to medical school", she said.[8]
Paramount announced Lake to star inChina Pass and a remake ofBlonde Venus.[17] Instead, she was cast inPreston Sturges'sSullivan's Travels withJoel McCrea; andfilm noirThis Gun for Hire (1942) withRobert Preston andAlan Ladd. Her scenes with Ladd in the latter became popular with audiences, prompting Paramount to reteam them inThe Glass Key, with Lake replacingPatricia Morison in the leading role.[18] Lake was meant to be reunited with McCrea in the comedyI Married a Witch, but his withdrawal from the project led to a delay in production;Fredric March was eventually cast as his replacement. Both films were highly successful, but also prevented a reunion with Hornblow forHong Kong in which she was meant to co-star withCharles Boyer.[19]
Upon the United States' entrance into World War II, Lake traveled throughout the United States to raise money forwar bonds. She also became a popularpin-up girl for soldiers,[20] and participated in awareness campaigns to help decrease accidents involving women getting their hair caught in machinery.[21][22][20] Lake's only 1943 releases were both patriotic-themed. She made an appearance in Paramount's all-star musical revueStar Spangled Rhythm performing "A Sweater, Sarong and a Peek-A-Boo Bang" withPaulette Goddard andDorothy Lamour. Her only film of the year wasSo Proudly We Hail! (1943) with Goddard andClaudette Colbert, in which she received acclaim for her role of a suicidal nurse. At the peak of her career, she was earning $4,500 a week.[16]
Despite her initial success, Lake suffered a series of setbacks that ultimately derailed her career. Her complex personality quickly led to her acquiring a reputation for being difficult to work with. OnSullivan's Travels, Lake did not disclose she was six months pregnant when filming began, upsetting director Preston Sturges to the point he had to be physically restrained.[23] Lake also clashed with co-star McCrea to the point that he dropped out ofI Married a Witch, reportedly saying that "Life's too short for two films with Veronica Lake" (although he did later go on to work with her inRamrod (1947)).[24] His replacement Fredric March also clashed with Lake after he made crude remarks[which?] about her during pre-production.[25]Eddie Bracken was quoted as saying, "She was known as 'The Bitch' and she deserved the title."[26][27]I Married A Witch directorRené Clair had a differing view of Lake, saying "She was a very gifted girl, but she didn't believe she was gifted."[28] Lake's behavior eventually spilt over into public view during a publicity stunt in which Lake's services as a dishwasher and revue performer were auctioned off for war bonds. One paper claimed Lake's "talk was on the grim side",[29] while columnistHedda Hopper claimed that "Lake clipped her own wings in her Boston bond appearance ... It's lucky for Lake, after Boston, that she isn't out of pictures".[30]
With her role inThe Hour Before the Dawn (1944), Lake changed her trademark hairstyle to encourage women working in war industry factories to adopt more practical, safer hairstyles. Lake had done so at the urging of the government to help decrease accidents involving women getting their hair caught in machinery.[21][22][20] The film was not a success; Lake's image change and her unsympathetic role ofNazi spy Dora Bruckman earned negative reviews.
In late 1943, Lake took time off after undergoing a series of personal struggles. After tripping on a lighting cable while on the set ofThe Hour Before Dawn, Lake went into premature delivery and gave birth to a son who died shortly after birth. Within weeks, Lake had also filed for divorce from her husband. Lake also began drinking more heavily during this time.
Upon returning to work in 1944, Lake took stock of her career, claiming, "I had to learn about acting. I've played all sorts of parts, taken just what came along regardless of high merit. In fact, I've been a sort of general utility person. I haven't liked all the roles. One or two were pretty bad".[31] Lake also expressed interest in renegotiating her deal with Paramount:
The studio feels that way about it too. They have indicated they are going to fuss more about the pictures in which I appear. I think I'll enjoy being fussed about ... I want this to be the turning point and I think that it will. I am free and clear of unpleasant characters, unless they are strongly justified. I've had a varied experience playing them and also appearing as heroines. The roles themselves haven't been noteworthy and sometimes not even especially spotlighted, but I think they've all been beneficial in one way or another. From here on there should be a certain pattern of development, and that is what I am going to fight for if necessary, though I don't believe it will be because they are so understanding here at Paramount.[31]
Lake returned with roles in the musicalBring On the Girls (1945) with Eddie Bracken andSonny Tufts; andHold That Blonde with Bracken. Lake enjoyed making the film, saying "it's a comedy, rather like whatCarole Lombard used to do ... It represents a real change of pace".[31] However, neither film was successful, as were minor roles inOut of This World andMiss Susie Slagle's (1946).
After her role inMiss Susie Slagle's, producerJohn Houseman cast Lake in thefilm noirThe Blue Dahlia (1946). The film reunited her with Alan Ladd, who had become one of Paramount's top stars since their last pairing inThe Glass Key. Lake was pleased with the role, but her performance in the film did not impress its screenwriterRaymond Chandler, who referred to her as "Moronica Lake".[32] Nonetheless, it became her first success sinceSo Proudly We Hail! and the largest of her career.
For the first time in her career, Lake ventured outside of Paramount with theUnited Artists WesternRamrod (1947). The film was directed by her then-husbandAndre de Toth, in their first collaboration. The film also reunited her with Joel McCrea, despite his earlier insistence that he would not work with her again. The film was also successful, continuing her comeback.
Following a cameo inVariety Girl (1947), Lake and Ladd reunited again for the crime filmSaigon (1948). Lake returned to her former peek-a-boo hairstyle for the film, which unlike their previous films was not a noir. Reaction to the film was mixed; although financial success, it received a more mixed critical reception in comparison to the couple's earlier vehicles. Coupled with the flopsThe Sainted Sisters andIsn't It Romantic, Paramount opted not to renew Lake's contract in 1948.
Following her release from Paramount, Lake took a top supporting role inSlattery's Hurricane (1949). The film, directed by de Toth, was released by20th Century Fox. She also appeared withZachary Scott in the WesternStronghold (1951). Shot in Mexico forLippert Pictures, Lake later described the film as "a dog" and sued for unpaid wages on the film.[33]
Lake and de Toth announced plans to makeFlanagan Boy andBefore I Wake, the latter from a suspense novel by Mel Devrett.[34] However, neither were made as the couple ran into financial difficulties. In April 1951, theIRS seized their home for unpaid taxes.[35] Later that same year, Lake and de Toth filed for bankruptcy.[36] Bankrupt and on the verge of a nervous breakdown, Lake left de Toth and flew alone to New York. Reflecting on her departure years later, Lake said:
"They said, 'She'll be back in a couple of months,'" recalled Lake. "Well I never returned. Enough was enough already. Did I want to be one of the walking dead or a real person?"[15]
Lake performed insummer stock theatre and in stage roles in England.[37] In October 1955, she collapsed in Detroit, where she had been appearing on stage inThe Little Hut.[38]
After her third divorce, Lake drifted between cheap hotels in New York City, and was arrested several times for public drunkenness and disorderly conduct. In 1962, aNew York Post reporter found her living at the all-women'sMartha Washington Hotel inManhattan, working as a waitress downstairs in the cocktail lounge.[39] She was working under the name "Connie de Toth". Lake said she took the job in part because "I like people. I like to talk to them".[40]
The reporter's widely distributed story led to speculation that Lake was destitute. After the story ran, fans of Lake sent her money which she returned as "a matter of pride".[37] Lake vehemently denied that she was destitute and stated, "It's as though people were making me out to be down-and-out. I wasn't. I was paying $190 a month rent then, and that's a long way from being broke".[41] The story did revive some interest in Lake and led to some television and stage appearances, including the 1963 off-Broadway revival of the musicalBest Foot Forward.[41][42]
In 1966, she had a brief employment as a hostess on a tv show inBaltimore, Maryland, along with a largely ignored film role inFootsteps in the Snow. She also continued appearing in stage roles.[20] She went to Freeport in the Bahamas to visit a friend and stayed on, living there for a few years.[15]
Lake's memoirs,Veronica: The Autobiography of Veronica Lake, which she dictated to writerDonald Bain, were published in the United Kingdom in 1969 and in the United States the following year. In the book, Lake discusses her career, her failed marriages; romances withHoward Hughes,Tommy Manville andAristotle Onassis; her alcoholism; and her guilt over not spending enough time with her children.[16] In the book, Lake stated to Bain that her mother pushed her into a career as an actress. Bain quoted Lake, looking back at her career, as saying, "I never didcheesecake likeAnn Sheridan orBetty Grable. I just used my hair". She also laughed off the term "sex symbol" and instead referred to herself as a "sex zombie".[37]
When she visited the UK to promote her book in 1969, she received an offer to appear on stage inMadam Chairman.[15] Also in 1969, Lake essayed the role ofBlanche DuBois in a revival ofA Streetcar Named Desire on the English stage; her performance won rave reviews.[43] With the proceeds from her autobiography, after she had divided them with Bain, she co-produced and starred in her final film,Flesh Feast (1970), a low-budget horror movie with a Nazi-myth storyline.[citation needed]
Lake's first marriage was to art directorJohn S. Detlie, in 1940. They had a daughter, Elaine (born in 1941),[44] and a son, Anthony (born July 8, 1943). According to news from the time, Lake's son was born prematurely after she tripped on a lighting cable while filming a movie. Anthony died on July 15, 1943.[45] Lake and Detlie separated in August 1943 and divorced in December 1943.[44]
In 1944, Lake married film directorAndre de Toth with whom she had a son, Andre Anthony Michael III (known as Michael DeToth), and a daughter, Diana (born October 1948). Days before Diana's birth, Lake's mother sued her for support payments.[46] After purchasing an airplane for de Toth, Lake earned her pilot's license in 1946. She later flew solo between Los Angeles and New York when leaving him.[47] Lake and de Toth divorced in 1952.[48]
In September 1955, she married songwriterJoseph Allan McCarthy.[49] They were divorced in 1959. In 1969, she revealed that she rarely saw her children.
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In June 1973, Lake returned from her autobiography promotion and summer stock tour inEngland to the United States and while traveling in Vermont, visited a local doctor, complaining of stomach pains. She was discovered to havecirrhosis of the liver as a result of her years of drinking, and on June 26, she checked into theUniversity of Vermont Medical Center inBurlington.[43]
She died there on July 7, 1973, ofacute hepatitis andacute kidney injury.[50][51] Her son Michael claimed her body.[52] Lake's memorial service was held at the Universal Chapel in New York City on July 11.[53]
She was cremated and, according to her wishes, her ashes were scattered off the coast of the Virgin Islands. In 2004, some of Lake's ashes were reportedly found in a New York antique store.[54]
For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Lake has a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame at 6918 Hollywood Boulevard.[55]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | Sorority House | Student | Uncredited, alternative title:That Girl from College |
| 1939 | The Wrong Room | The Attorney's New Bride | Credited as Connie Keane |
| 1939 | Dancing Co-Ed | One of a Couple on a Motorcycle | Uncredited Alternative title:Every Other Inch a Lady |
| 1939 | All Women Have Secrets | Jane | Credited as Constance Keane |
| 1940 | Young as You Feel | Bit part | Credited as Constance Keane |
| 1940 | Forty Little Mothers | Granville girl | Uncredited |
| 1941 | I Wanted Wings | Sally Vaughn | First featured role |
| 1941 | Hold Back the Dawn | Movie Actress | Uncredited |
| 1941 | Sullivan's Travels | The Girl | Directed byPreston Sturges |
| 1942 | This Gun for Hire | Ellen Graham | First film withAlan Ladd |
| 1942 | The Glass Key | Janet Henry | WithAlan Ladd |
| 1942 | I Married a Witch | Jennifer | Directed byRené Clair |
| 1942 | Star Spangled Rhythm | Herself | One of a number of Paramount stars making cameos |
| 1943 | So Proudly We Hail! | Lt. Olivia D'Arcy | |
| 1944 | The Hour Before the Dawn | Dora Bruckmann | |
| 1945 | Bring On the Girls | Teddy Collins | |
| 1945 | Out of This World | Dorothy Dodge | |
| 1945 | Duffy's Tavern | Herself | One of a number of Paramount stars making cameos |
| 1945 | Hold That Blonde | Sally Martin | |
| 1946 | Miss Susie Slagle's | Nan Rogers | |
| 1946 | The Blue Dahlia | Joyce Harwood | WithAlan Ladd |
| 1947 | Ramrod | Connie Dickason | Directed by her then-husbandAndre de Toth; first film made outside Paramount since becoming a star |
| 1947 | Variety Girl | Herself | One of a number of Paramount stars making cameos |
| 1948 | Saigon | Susan Cleaver | Last film with Alan Ladd |
| 1948 | The Sainted Sisters | Letty Stanton | |
| 1948 | Isn't It Romantic | Candy Cameron | |
| 1949 | Slattery's Hurricane | Dolores Greaves | Directed by André de Toth |
| 1951 | Stronghold | Mary Stevens | |
| 1966 | Footsteps in the Snow | Therese | |
| 1970 | Flesh Feast | Dr. Elaine Frederick | Alternative title:Time Is Terror |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Your Show of Shows | Herself – Guest Performer | Episode #2.11 |
| 1950 | Lights Out | Mercy Device | Episode: "Beware This Woman"[56] |
| 1950–1953 | Lux Video Theatre | Various | 3 episodes |
| 1951 | Somerset Maugham TV Theatre | Valerie | Episode: "The Facts of Life" |
| 1952 | Celanese Theatre | Abby Fane | Episode: "Brief Moment"[57] |
| 1952 | Tales of Tomorrow | Paula | Episode: "Flight Overdue" |
| 1952 | Goodyear Television Playhouse | Judy "Leni" Howard | Episode: "Better Than Walking" |
| 1953 | Danger | Episode: "Inside Straight" | |
| 1954 | Broadway Television Theatre | Nancy Willard | Episode: "The Gramercy Ghost" |
| Play | Venue | Her run |
|---|---|---|
| Thought for Food | Bliss Hayden Theatre,Beverly Hills | 1939: January–February |
| She Made Her Bed | Bliss Hayden Theatre, Beverly Hills | 1939: July–August |
| Private Confusion | Bliss Hayden Theatre, Beverly Hills | 1940: October |
| Direct Hit | 1944: June[58] | |
| The Voice of the Turtle | Atlanta | 1951: February[59] |
| The Curtain Rises | Olney Theatre | 1951[60] |
| Peter Pan | Road tour | 1951 |
| Brief Moment | 1952 | |
| Gramercy Hill | 1952[61] | |
| Masquerade | Walnut Street Theatre,Philadelphia | 1953[62] |
| The Little Hut | Road tour, including: Erlanger Theatre,Buffalo[63] Murat Theatre,Indianapolis[64] Shubert Theatre,Detroit[65] Shubert Theatre,Cincinnati[66] | 1955: September[63] October[64][65][66] |
| Bell Book and Candle | 1956 | |
| Fair Game | Road tour, including: Arena Playhouse,Atlanta[67] Hinsdale Strawhatter,Chicago[68] | 1959: July[67][68] |
| Best Foot Forward | Stage 73 (Off-Broadway),Manhattan | 1963[69] |
| Madam Chairman | Tour ofEnglish provinces | 1969[15] |
| A Streetcar Named Desire | New Theatre,Bromley | 1969[70] |
Clips from her role inThe Glass Key (1942) were integrated into the 1982 filmDead Men Don't Wear Plaid as character Monica Stillpond.
Lake was one of the models for the animated characterJessica Rabbit in the 1988 filmWho Framed Roger Rabbit?, especially for her hairstyle.[71][72]
In the 1997 filmL.A. Confidential,Kim Basinger won theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of a prostitute who is a Veronica Lake look-alike.[73][74]
A geographical feature called "Lake Veronica" was a recurring joke in theRocky and Bullwinkle series and film.[75]
In the video gameBioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea (2013–14), the visual style of the characterElizabeth was inspired by Veronica Lake's femme fatale roles.[76]
In April, 2023,Sparks released "Veronica Lake", a single from their albumThe Girl Is Crying in Her Latte. The song describes how Lake was asked to change her hairstyle so that women on the war assembly lines who imitated it wouldn't harm themselves by catching their hair in the machinery, and that, by agreeing to do so, she voluntarily gave up much of the popularity that she had gained by her distinctive hairstyle.[77]
| Date | Program | Episode/source |
|---|---|---|
| March 30, 1943 | Lux Radio Theater | I Wanted Wings |
| February 9, 1943 | Bob Hope | Guest star Paulette Goddard and Veronica Lake[78] |
| February 16, 1943 | Burns and Allen | Guest star Veronica Lake |
| November 1, 1943 | Lux Radio Theater | So Proudly We Hail! |
| January 8, 1944 | Command Performance | Guest star Veronica Lake |
| February 18, 1945 | Charlie McCarthy | Guest stars Ginny Simms and Veronica Lake[79] |
| April 2, 1945 | The Screen Guild Theater | This Gun for Hire[80] |
| November 18, 1946 | Lux Radio Theatre | O.S.S.[81] |
| April 20, 1947 | Exploring the Unknown | The Dark Curtain |
| April 21, 1949 | The Screen Guild Theater | The Blue Dahlia[82] |
| March 6, 1950 | Lux Radio Theatre | Slattery's Hurricane |
| December 15, 1950 | Duffy's Tavern | "Archie Wants Veronica Lake to Help Promote a New Latin Singer" |
| December 12, 1954 | The Jack Benny Program | "A Trip to Palm Springs" |
