Lana Turner (/ˈlÉ'Ë nÉ™/;[a] born Julia Jean Turner; February , â€"
June , ) was an American actress. Over the course of her nearly -year
career, she achieved fame as both a pin-up model and a film actress,
as well as for her highly publicized personal life. In the mid-s, she
was one of the highest-paid actresses in the United States, and one of
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's (MGM) biggest stars, with her films earning the
studio more than $ million during her -year contract with them. Turner
is frequently cited as a popular culture icon of Hollywood glamour and
a screen legend of classical Hollywood cinema.Born to working-class
parents in northern Idaho, Turner spent her childhood there before her
family relocated to San Francisco. In , when Turner was , she was
discovered while purchasing a soda at the Top Hat Malt Shop in
Hollywood. At the age of , she was signed to a personal contract by
Warner Bros. director Mervyn LeRoy, who took her with him when he
transferred to MGM in . She soon attracted attention by playing the
role of a murder victim in her film debut, LeRoy's They Won't Forget
(), and she later transitioned into supporting roles, often appearing
as an ingénue.During the early s, Turner established herself as a
leading lady and one of MGM's top stars, appearing in such films as
the film noir Johnny Eager (); the musical Ziegfeld Girl (); the
horror film Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (); and the romantic war drama
Somewhere I'll Find You (), one of several films in which she starred
opposite Clark Gable. Turner's reputation as a glamorous femme fatale
was enhanced by her critically acclaimed performance in the noir The
Postman Always Rings Twice (), a role which established her as a
serious dramatic actress. Her popularity continued through the s in
dramas such as The Bad and the Beautiful () and Peyton Place (), the
latter for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best
Actress.
June , ) was an American actress. Over the course of her nearly -year
career, she achieved fame as both a pin-up model and a film actress,
as well as for her highly publicized personal life. In the mid-s, she
was one of the highest-paid actresses in the United States, and one of
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's (MGM) biggest stars, with her films earning the
studio more than $ million during her -year contract with them. Turner
is frequently cited as a popular culture icon of Hollywood glamour and
a screen legend of classical Hollywood cinema.Born to working-class
parents in northern Idaho, Turner spent her childhood there before her
family relocated to San Francisco. In , when Turner was , she was
discovered while purchasing a soda at the Top Hat Malt Shop in
Hollywood. At the age of , she was signed to a personal contract by
Warner Bros. director Mervyn LeRoy, who took her with him when he
transferred to MGM in . She soon attracted attention by playing the
role of a murder victim in her film debut, LeRoy's They Won't Forget
(), and she later transitioned into supporting roles, often appearing
as an ingénue.During the early s, Turner established herself as a
leading lady and one of MGM's top stars, appearing in such films as
the film noir Johnny Eager (); the musical Ziegfeld Girl (); the
horror film Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (); and the romantic war drama
Somewhere I'll Find You (), one of several films in which she starred
opposite Clark Gable. Turner's reputation as a glamorous femme fatale
was enhanced by her critically acclaimed performance in the noir The
Postman Always Rings Twice (), a role which established her as a
serious dramatic actress. Her popularity continued through the s in
dramas such as The Bad and the Beautiful () and Peyton Place (), the
latter for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best
Actress.
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