Movie Starlets of 1940's: Veronica Lake

Greetings ladies and gentlemen and welcome to Day 2 of Movie Starlets of 1940's.  A time honored cliche' the blonde bombshell does grab attention and invite trouble to themselves they may or may not expected.  Born Contance Frances Marie Ockelman in Brooklyn, New York began working in film in 1936 as an extra and a small role in Sorority House.  Director John Farrow first noticed our dishy blonde allowing her lightly crimp hair draped over her right eye, giving her an air of mystery and giving her natural beauty making her stand out.   Farrow immediately introduced this petite beauty Paramour producer Arthur Hornblow, Jr.  He convinced Constance she needed a stage name to suit her deep blue eyes.  This is Veronica Lake.

Evening boys.

Ellen Graham: Why don't you go to the police?
Philip Raven: I'm my own spoiler.






In 1941, Lake's breakthrough role giving her second female lead in war drama I Wanted Wings were she developed her signature look with her long blonde hair draped in front of her right eye giving her the nickname the "peek-a-boo girl" coupled with a voluptuous figure.     Following up with good starring roles such as: Sullivan's Travels, This Gun for Hire, I Married a Witch and So Proudly We Hail!  Having such chemistry with Alan Ladd giving her femme fatale began with This Gun for Hire and follow up four more film noirs The Glass Key, The Blue Dahlia, Saigon and The Sainted Sisters.  During World War II, Lake became a popular pin-up girl for the soldiers during the war and through around the States to raise money for war bonds.  Able to perform in crime drama, war drama, and romantic drama.

Must you talk of such things?

Rather than offering any acting tutors or even watch over the golden goose having the flop The Hour Before the Dawn and Slattery's Hurricane, Lake's career fell in a slump.  With two divorces under her belt, impending bankruptcy and mad being a Hollywood sex symbol she gathers the kids, walked out on Hollywood to restart her career in New York.  Lake moved to a new medium in television.

With TV doing well enough our gal gets some steam under her allowing her to pursuing Off-Broadway studies and give it her all.  By the 1970's Lake realized she had reached a plateau in her life that the little things in truly matter, being with her children and trying to move beyond acting and yet she moved to England and did her role as Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire on English stage.     Passing away in 1973 due to liver damage at age 51 she lived her dream more than most Americans have the guts and determination to do.

Another street mime!  Gonna nail him!