They called her “The Sweater Girl” – and she became the highest-paid woman in America.
Lana Turner, born Julia Jean Mildred Frances Turner on February 8, 1921 in Wallace, Idaho, had the most legendary discovery story in Hollywood history.
Discovered Sipping a Soda
In 1937, at just 16 years old, Lana was skipping school and sipping a soda at Schwab’s Drugstore on Sunset Boulevard. A Hollywood Reporter publisher spotted her and told her she should be in pictures.
He was right.
MGM signed her immediately. She first attracted attention in They Won’t Forget (1937) and as the ingenue in Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938) with Mickey Rooney.
By the early 1940s, she was a leading lady in Johnny Eager (1941) and Ziegfeld Girl (1941) alongside Judy Garland and Hedy Lamarr.
The Films That Made Her a Goddess
1. The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946): As Cora Smith, in a white outfit that made history, Lana gave one of the most sensual performances ever seen on screen. Film noir was never the same. It’s considered one of her greatest films.
2. Peyton Place (1957): As Constance MacKenzie, she earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. The film was a massive scandal and a massive hit – the 50 Shades of Grey of the 1950s.
3. Imitation of Life (1959): Douglas Sirk’s heartbreaking melodrama became one of the biggest grossing films of the year and is now considered a masterpiece.
During her 18-year contract at MGM, her films earned the studio over $50 million. In the mid-1940s, she was one of the highest-paid women in the United States.
The Scandals
Lana’s personal life was as dramatic as her movies – 8 marriages, highly publicized romances, and the infamous 1958 scandal where her daughter Cheryl Crane was involved in the death of Lana’s boyfriend Johnny Stompanato. The case was ruled justifiable homicide, but it dominated headlines worldwide.
She wrote about it all in her autobiography Lana: The Lady, The Legend, The Truth.
She battled cancer and passed away on June 29, 1995, after a nearly 50-year career with over 50 films.
Final Thought: Lana Turner was discovered because she looked good in a sweater. She stayed a star because when the camera turned on, you couldn’t look away.
