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JUNE LOCKHART PHOTO GALLERY #08 |
Updated: February 22, 2022
If America had a Mom, she would probably be June Lockhart. Few can convey maternal munificence with the
conviction of this ever perky, poised and pretty player of stage, film and especially TV. Lockhart grew
from child player to ingenue in supporting roles in "A" pictures and leads in "B" movies. The daughter
of character actors Gene and Kathleen Lockhart, she made her stage debut at age eight and entered films
at age 12 with the 1938 version of "A Christmas Carol" (in which her parents also acted). Lockhart won
acclaim on the NYC stage in the late 40s, honed her craft on early live TV (gaining a 1952 Emmy nod for
Best Actress) and found stardom playing warmly nurturing mothers on TV in the late 50s and 60s, most
indelibly on "Lassie" (CBS, 1968-64) and "Lost in Space" (CBS, 1965-68).
The young Lockhart first registered in movies as the older brother's charming girlfriend whom Judy Garland
initially misjudges in Vincente Minnelli's classic "Meet Me in St. Louis" (1944). Her future beckoned as
she played second fiddle to both a remarkable canine and her leading man (Peter Lawford) in the rousing
WWII-era sequel "Son of Lassie" (1945). In her first starring role, Lockhart acquitted herself well as a
woman manipulated to think herself the "She Wolf of London" (1946), a minor but mildly diverting thriller.
She also provided sturdy support to a crime-fighting hubby in "T-Men" (1947), an exceedingly stylish noir
outing from director Anthony Mann.
After frequent TV appearances as a dramatic anthology player, game show panelist and "women's show" guest
hostess, Lockhart made her first serious bid for pop culture immortality by joining the long-running
(CBS, 1954-1971) children's classic "Lassie" in 1958. As Ruth Martin, she was half of a childless couple
that adopts the lovable runaway orphan Timmy (Jon Provost) and the courageous collie. Lockhart helped guide
the duo's adventures for six years, garnering a 1958/59 Emmy nomination for Best Actress in a Continuing
Performance in a Dramatic Series. She had plentiful adventures of her own as the mother of the Space Family
Robinson in the campy sci-fi classic "Lost in Space." Her Maureen Robinson managed to preserve her family's
values in the most outlandish situations with a reassuring word, a smile and a slice of her "space pie."
She also displayed a wholesome devotion to her man, the hunky Professor Robinson (Guy Williams), and a
remarkable tolerance for the self-centered Dr. Smith (Jonathan Harris). Lockhart finished out the 60s, playing
"a lady M.D.," Dr. Janet Craig, on the last two seasons of gently rustic sitcom hit "Petticoat Junction"
(CBS, 1968-70). She also began long stints as a hostess on several major beauty pageants and parades covered
by CBS.
Lockhart spent the 70s in TV-movies, miniseries, a children's series and some busted pilots. The 80s brought
more of the same, as well as stints on daytime and primetime soaps, notably playing Maria Ramirez, a kindly
matriarch on ABC's daytime drama "General Hospital." Lockhart began popping up in small feature roles, generally
in genre outings, that played upon her wholesome maternal image. She was the mother of scientist Paul Le Mat in
"Strange Invaders" (1983), an engaging tribute to 50s sci-fi. "Troll" (1986), a passable knock-off of 1984's
"Gremlins," found her playing a heroic witch who battles trolls in her enchanted apartment building. Lockhart
also provided colorful cameos for "The Big Picture" and "CHUD II: Bud the Chud" (both 1989). She continued to
work on stage, even touring nationally with "Steel Magnolias" from 1989 to 1990.
Lockhart has remained busy in the 90s, appearing on TV periodically in guest shots ("Roseanne"; "The Critic";
"Step By Step") and nostalgic specials. Her only feature credit in the first half of the 90s was a small part in
the indie romantic drama "Sleep With Me" (1994). Lockhart has worked as a corporate spokesman for several
organizations and has served on numerous committees and boards.
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