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

Early life

Born Winifred June Vlasek in

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

, she was the daughter of Edith and Clarence Vlasek, After the family moved to Los Angeles, Lang trained at a school of dance and performed in revues in theaters in Los Angeles. She graduated from Beverly Hills High School.

Career

At age 16, Lang was a dancer at a vaudeville theater in Los Angeles when she left that job to seek work at the

Fox Film The Fox Film Corporation (also known as Fox Studios) was an American Independent film production studio formed by William Fox (1879–1952) in 1915, by combining his earlier Greater New York Film Rental Company and Box Office Attractions Film C ...

studio. The company had her teeth straightened and changed her name from Vlasek to Lang. Lang made her film debut in 1931, with much of her early work coming in minor roles in musical and dramatic films. She gradually securing second lead roles in mostly

B movie A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feature ...

s for

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

. She played her debut feature film role in ''Young Sinners''. 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. Early in Lang's career, she was a blonde when she worked for Fox Film, averaging "about one good role a year" and spending more time posing for publicity photographs while wearing a bathing suit. Her last film under her contract was ''Bonnie Scotland'' (1935), for which Fox loaned her to Hal Roach Studios. Fox did not renew her contract, and during her time of "brief retirement" she changed her hair color to chestnut. An encounter with producer

Darryl F. Zanuck Darryl Francis Zanuck (September 5, 1902December 22, 1979) was an American film producer and studio executive; he earlier contributed stories for films starting in the silent era. He played a major part in the Hollywood studio system as one of ...

at the Trocadero night club led to her being cast as the romantic lead in '' Captain January'' (1936) for the new 20th Century Fox. Within 12 weeks she had five significant roles in films. She soon graduated to leading roles, most notably in ''

Bonnie Scotland ''Bonnie Scotland'' is a 1935 American film directed by James W. Horne and starring Laurel and Hardy. It was produced by Hal Roach for Hal Roach Studios. Although the film begins in Scotland, a large part of the action is set in British India. ...

'' (with

Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American Double act, comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood cinema, Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–19 ...

, 1935), in ''

The Road to Glory ''The Road to Glory'' is a 1936 dramatic film depiction of World War I trench warfare in France directed by Howard Hawks, starring Fredric March, Warner Baxter, Lionel Barrymore, and June Lang, and produced by 20th Century Fox. It is vaguely i ...

'' (with

Fredric March Fredric March (born Ernest Frederick McIntyre Bickel; August 31, 1897 – April 14, 1975) was an American actor, regarded as one of Hollywood's most celebrated, versatile stars of the 1930s and 1940s.Obituary '' Variety'', April 16, 1975, ...

Warner Baxter Warner Leroy Baxter (March 29, 1889 – May 7, 1951) was an American film actor from the 1910s to the 1940s. Baxter is known for his role as the Cisco Kid in the 1928 film ''In Old Arizona'', for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor at ...

and

Lionel Barrymore Lionel Barrymore (born Lionel Herbert Blythe; April 28, 1878 – November 15, 1954) was an American actor of stage, screen and radio as well as a film director. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''A Free Soul'' (1931) ...

—written in part by

William Faulkner William Cuthbert Faulkner (; September 25, 1897 – July 6, 1962) was an American writer known for his novels and short stories set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, based on Lafayette County, Mississippi, where Faulkner spent most of ...

—1936), and as Joyce Williams in ''

Wee Willie Winkie "Wee Willie Winkie" is a Scottish nursery rhyme whose titular figure has become popular as a personification of sleep. The poem was written by William Miller and titled "Willie Winkie", first published in '' Whistle-binkie: Stories for the Fir ...

'' (directed by

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...

, with

Shirley Temple Shirley Temple Black (born Shirley Jane Temple;While Temple occasionally used "Jane" as a middle name, her birth certificate reads "Shirley Temple". Her birth certificate was altered to prolong her babyhood shortly after she signed with Fox in ...

Cesar Romero Cesar Julio Romero Jr. (February 15, 1907 – January 1, 1994) was an American actor and activist. He was active in film, radio, and television for almost sixty years. His wide range of screen roles included Latin lovers, historical figures in c ...

, and

Victor McLaglen Victor Andrew de Bier Everleigh McLaglen (10 December 1886 – 7 November 1959) was a British boxer-turned-Hollywood actor.Obituary ''Variety'', 11 November 1959, page 79. He was known as a character actor, particularly in Westerns, and made se ...

, 1937).

Personal life

Lang first married her Hollywood agent,

Victor Orsatti Victor Manuel Orsatti (November 25, 1905 – June 9, 1984) was an American talent agent and film producer. As an agent, he represented some of the biggest stars of the 1930s and 1940s, including Judy Garland, Betty Grable, and Edward G. Robin ...

, on May 29, 1937, but they divorced on August 5, 1937. Her reputation as a wholesome leading lady was somewhat tarnished when she married

Johnny Roselli John "Handsome Johnny" Roselli (born Filippo Sacco; July 4, 1905 – August 7, 1976), sometimes spelled Rosselli, was an influential mobster for the Chicago Outfit who helped that organization control Hollywood and the Las Vegas Strip. In the ear ...

, a Chicago connected

mobster A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from ''mob'' and the suffix '' -ster''. Gangs provide a level of organization and ...

who helped control Hollywood movie unions, on April 1, 1939. Lang later said she had no idea that Rosselli was a mobster. Lang and Rosselli divorced in March, 1943.FBI FOIA
John Roselli FBI FOIA files Fox Studios had released Lang from her contract one year before she was married to Rosselli. She was released from contract in 1938, because against Fox studio orders, she left the United Kingdom, after she was cast in '' So This Is London'', which was filmed at

Pinewood Studios Pinewood Studios is a British film and television studio located in the village of Iver Heath, England. It is approximately west of central London. The studio has been the base for many productions over the years from large-scale films to te ...

in London, Fox's U.K. studio.. Lang and her mother left London because they feared an impending war in Europe. Three years after marrying him, Lang divorced Rosselli, but she later found it more difficult to secure consistent film work. Lang married John Morgan in 1946 (they divorced in 1952), with whom she had a daughter. Lang semi retired from acting in 1947, after struggling as a free lancer to re-establish her film career for several years. Lang occasionally appeared in minor roles on television. Lang died in 2005 in

Valley Village, California Valley Village is a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, located within the San Fernando Valley. History Founding According to Elke Garman, co-president of the Valley Village Homeowners Association in 1991, the history of Valley Village wen ...

. She is buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

Partial filmography

*'' Young Sinners'' (1931) - Minor Role (uncredited) *''

The Miracle Woman ''The Miracle Woman'' is a 1931 American pre-Code romance film directed by Frank Capra and starring Barbara Stanwyck, David Manners, and Sam Hardy. Based on the play ''Bless You Sister'' by John Meehan and Robert Riskin, the film is about a pr ...

'' (1931) - Church Choir Singer (uncredited) *''

She Wanted a Millionaire ''She Wanted a Millionaire'' is a 1932 American pre-Code film starring Joan Bennett and Spencer Tracy. The film, produced and distributed by Fox Film Corporation, was directed by John G. Blystone and also features Una Merkel. It is the only film ...

'' (1932) - Beauty Contest Contestant (uncredited) *'' Chandu the Magician'' (1932) - Betty Lou Regent *''

I Loved You Wednesday ''I Loved You Wednesday'' is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy drama film directed by Henry King and William Cameron Menzies and written by Philip Klein and Horace Jackson, adapted from the 1932 play of the same title by Molly Ricardel and Wil ...

'' (1933) - Ballet Dancer *'' The Man Who Dared'' (1933) - Barbara Novak *''

Now I'll Tell ''Now I'll Tell'' is a 1934 American Pre-Code drama film directed by Edwin J. Burke starring Spencer Tracy, Helen Twelvetrees, and Alice Faye. It was produced by Fox Film shortly before the company's merger with Twentieth Century Pictures. It m ...

'' (1934) - Girl at Beach (uncredited) *''

She Learned About Sailors ''She Learned About Sailors'' is a 1934 comedy film directed by George Marshall and starring Alice Faye, Lew Ayres, and Susan Fleming. The film is about a night club singer in Shanghai who falls in love with an American sailor. Songs for the fil ...

'' (1934) - Girl at Dance Hall (uncredited) *'' Love Time'' (1934) - Minor Role (uncredited) *''

Music in the Air ''Music in the Air'' is a musical written by Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics and book) and Jerome Kern (music). It introduced songs such as "The Song Is You", "In Egern on the Tegern See" and " I've Told Ev'ry Little Star". The musical premiered on ...

'' (1934) - Sieglinde Lessing *''

George White's 1935 Scandals ''George White's 1935 Scandals'' is an American musical film, written by Jack Yellen and produced in 1935 by Fox Film Corporation. It was a follow-up to (but not a sequel to) the 1934 release, ''George White's Scandals''. Plot The film centers ...

'' (1935) - Chorine (uncredited) *''

'' (1935) - Lorna MacLaurel *'' The Country Doctor'' (1936) - Mary MacKenzie *'' Every Saturday Night'' (1936) - Bonnie Evers *'' Captain January'' (1936) - Mary Marshall *''

'' (1936) - Monique La Coste *''

White Hunter White hunter is a literary term used for professional big game hunting, big game hunters of European or North American backgrounds who plied their trade in Africa, especially during the first half of the 20th century. The activity continues in t ...

'' (1936) - Toni Varek *''

Nancy Steele Is Missing! ''Nancy Steele Is Missing!'' is a 1937 American drama film directed by George Marshall and Otto Preminger and starring Victor McLaglen, Walter Connolly and Peter Lorre.Thomas p.83 The film's sets were designed by the British art director Hans ...

'' (1937) - Sheila O'Neill - aka Nancy Steele *''

'' (1937) - Joyce Williams *''

Ali Baba Goes to Town ''Ali Baba Goes to Town'' is a 1937 musical film directed by David Butler and starring Eddie Cantor, Tony Martin, and Roland Young. Cantor plays a hobo named Aloysius "Al" Babson, who walks into the camp of a movie company that is making th ...

'' (1937) - Princess Miriam / June Lang *'' International Settlement'' (1938) - Joyce Parker *''

One Wild Night "One Wild Night" is a song by American Rock music, rock band Bon Jovi. It was released on April 30, 2001, as a single from their 2001 live album, ''One Wild Night Live 1985–2001''. It was written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, and produced ...

'' (1938) - Gale Gibson aka Jennifer Jewel *'' Meet the Girls'' (1938) - Judy Davis *''

Zenobia Septimia Zenobia ( Palmyrene Aramaic: , , vocalized as ; AD 240 – c. 274) was a third-century queen of the Palmyrene Empire in Syria. Many legends surround her ancestry; she was probably not a commoner and she married the ruler of the city ...

'' (1939) - Virginia *''

Forged Passport ''Forged Passport'' is a 1939 American action film directed by John H. Auer and written by Lee Loeb and Franklin Coen. The film stars Paul Kelly, June Lang, Lyle Talbot, Billy Gilbert, Cliff Nazarro and Maurice Murphy. The film was released on ...

'' (1939) - Rosa *'' For Love or Money'' (1939) - Susan Bannister *''

Captain Fury ''Captain Fury'' is a 1939 American Western film directed by Hal Roach. It is set in colonial Australia as one of Hollywood's few attempts to depict Australian history.' Plot In the 1840s, Captain Michael Fury (Brian Aherne) is an Irish patri ...

'' (1939) - Jeanette Dupre *''

Inside Information Insider trading is the trading of a public company's stock or other securities (such as bonds or stock options) based on material, nonpublic information about the company. In various countries, some kinds of trading based on insider informatio ...

'' (1939) - Kathleen Burke *''

Convicted Woman ''Convicted Woman'' is a 1940 crime film starring Rochelle Hudson and directed by Nick Grinde Nick Grinde (January 12, 1893 – June 19, 1979) was an American film director and screenwriter. He directed 57 films between 1928 and 1945. Bi ...

'' (1940) - Georgia Mason aka The Duchess *''

Isle of Destiny ''Isle of Destiny'' (aka ''Trouble Over the Pacific'') is a 1940 American comedy adventure film set in the South Seas. The film was directed by Elmer Clifton and originally produced by Franklyn Warner for Grand National Pictures in 1939. ''Isle ...

'' (1940) - Virginia Allerton *''

Redhead Red hair (also known as orange hair and ginger hair) is a hair color found in one to two percent of the human population, appearing with greater frequency (two to six percent) among people of Northern or Northwestern European ancestry and ...

'' (1941) - Dale Carter *'' The Deadly Game'' (1941) - Christine Reisner *'' Too Many Women'' (1942) - Gwenny Miller *''

Footlight Serenade ''Footlight Serenade'' is a 1942 musical comedy film directed by Gregory Ratoff, starring Betty Grable, John Payne, and Victor Mature. Plot Tommy Lundy is an arrogant champion boxer who is hired by Broadway promoter Bruce McKay to star in a sta ...

'' (1942) - June *''

The City of Silent Men ''The City of Silent Men'' is a lostProgressive ...

'' (1942) - Helen Hendricks *''

Stage Door Canteen The Stage Door Canteen was an entertainment venue for American and Allied servicemen that operated in the Broadway theatre district of New York City throughout World War II. Founded by the American Theatre Wing (ATW) in 1942, the entertainers we ...

'' (1943) - Herself (Cameo) *''

Flesh and Fantasy ''Flesh and Fantasy'' is a 1943 American anthology film directed by Julien Duvivier and starring Edward G. Robinson, Charles Boyer, Robert Cummings, and Barbara Stanwyck. The making of this film was inspired by the success of Duvivier's previous ...

'' (1943) - Angela (uncredited) *''

Up in Arms ''Up in Arms'' is a 1944 musical film directed by Elliott Nugent and starring Danny Kaye and Dinah Shore. It was nominated for two Academy Awards in 1945. Plot Danny Weems works as an elevator operator in a New York Medical building, so he can b ...

'' (1944) - Goldwyn Girl (uncredited) *'' Three of a Kind'' (1944) - Delores O'Toole *''Lighthouse'' (1947) - Connie Armitage

References

* Quinlan, David. ''Quinlan's Film Stars''. Batsford Books, 1996 edition.

External links

* *
Photographs of June Lang
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lang, June American film actresses 1917 births 2005 deaths 20th-century American actresses Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) Actresses from Minneapolis 21st-century American women