June Lang

Infobox actor
bgcolour =
name = June Lang


imagesize =
caption = publicity still from "Bonnie Scotland" (1935)
birthname = Winifred June Vlasek
birthdate = birth date|1917|05|5
location = Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
deathdate = death date and age|2005|05|16|1917|05|5
deathplace = Valley Village, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
occupation = Actress
spouse = John Morgan (1946-1952) (divorced) 1 Child
John Roselli (1940-1943) (divorced)
Victor M. Orsatti (1937-1938) (divorced)

June Lang (May 5, 1917 – May 16, 2005) was an American film actress.

Biography

Early life

Born Winifred June Vlasek in Minneapolis, Minnesota (parents: Edith and Clarence Vlasek), she originally trained as a dancer in "kiddie reviews" and went to Hollywood at the urging of her mother.

Career

She made her film debut in 1932 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 and Lionel Barrymore—written in part by William Faulkner—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). [http://foia.fbi.gov/roselli/roselli5a.pdf FBI FOIA] John Roselli FBI FOIA files] 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.

She is buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.

References

* Quinlan, David. "Quinlan's Film Stars". Batsford Books, 1996 edition. ISBN 0-7134-7751-2

External links

*imdb name|id=0485806|name=June Lang
* [http://film.virtual-history.com/person.php?personid=978 Photographs of June Lang]
*Find A Grave|id=11852377