Constance Frances Marie Ockelman (November 14, 1922 – July 7, 1973), known professionally as Veronica Lake, was an American film, stage, and television actress. In the 1940s, she was a major Hollywood star. Lake was best known for her “femme fatale” roles in a series of successful film noirs, often starring opposite actor Alan Ladd, forming one of Hollywood’s most memorable on-screen duos. Notable films include Sullivan’s Travels (1941), I Married a Witch (1942), This Gun for Hire (1942), and The Blue Dahlia (1946).
Her signature long, wavy blonde hair that covered one eye became an incredibly popular style, widely imitated by women across the United States. During wartime, she even pinned her hair up to encourage women in factories to adopt safer, less hazardous hairstyles.
Lake received both popular and critical acclaim, becoming a top box-office draw and a major pin-up girl for WWII GIs. Despite her success, she gained a reputation for being difficult to work with, which contributed to later career problems.
Personal issues, financial troubles (including filing for bankruptcy in 1951), mental health struggles, and heavy drinking took a significant toll on her career. Paramount discharged her after 1948, and she struggled to find substantial work. Lake made only one film in the entire decade of the 1950s (Stronghold, 1951), though she did make several guest appearances on television programs.
After her film career ended, she moved to New York City, drifted between cheap hotels, and was arrested multiple times for public intoxication and disorderly conduct. She even worked as a barmaid under an assumed name.
Veronica Lake never regained her 1940s popularity and died in 1973 at the age of 50 from complications related to hepatitis and kidney injury caused by years of alcoholism.
That color saturation!
ReplyDelete