Lana Turner
Born Julia Jean Turner on February 8, 1921 in Wallace, Idaho. Her family moved to San Francisco soon after Lana's birth.When Lana was 9, her father won some money playing a craps game, then tucked the money into his left sock and went back home. An hour or so later, he was found dead on a street corner with his left shoe and sock missing. The killer was never caught.
After her father died in 1931, Lana and her mother moved to Los Angeles. When Lana was sixteen years old, she skipped a typing class while attending Hollywood High School and bought a Coca-Cola at the famous Top Hat Cafe down the street- she was spotted by William R. Wilkerson, the publisher of The Hollywood Reporter. Wilkerson referred her to actor/talent agent Zeppo Marx. His talent agency immediately signed her and casted her in her first film.
Lana was married 7 times.
No. 1 Bandleader Artie Shaw (1940) They eloped on their first date and divorced 4 months later.
No. 2 Actor Joseph Stephan Crane (1942-1943, 1943-1944) Their first marriage was annulled after discovering Crane's previous divorce was not yet finalized. After a short separation, during which Crane attempted suicide, they re-married and conceived a daughter, Cheryl.
No. 3 Millionaire/Socialite Henry J. Topping Jr. (948-1952) Brother of Dan Topping, owner of the New York Yankees, and grandson of tin-plate magnate Daniel G. Reid, Henry proposed to Turner at the hip 21 Club in Los Angeles by dropping a diamond ring in her martini glass.
No. 4 Actor Lex Barker (1953-1957) Lana divorced him after her daughter, Cheryl, claimed he repeatedly molested and raped her.
No. 5 Rancher Frederick May (1960-1962) Frederick was a member of the famous May Department-Store Family.
No. 6 Movie Producer Robert P. Eaton (1965-1969) Wrote a behind-the-scenes of Hollywood book, featuring a character based on Lana.
No. 7 Hypnotist/Con Artist Ronald Pellar (1969-1972) After Lana wrote him a $35,000 investment check, Pellar disappeared for days, using that money for personal purposes. He was later accused of stealing $100,000 worth of her jewelry. Pellar is known as one of the biggest American con artists.
In 1957, Lana started dating Johnny Stompanato. After learning Stompanato was associated to the Los Angeles Mob, Lana quickly tried to break it off- however, he convinced her to stay. Their relationship turned violent and abusive. Later that year, Stompanato followed Lana to the set of her new movie with Sean Connery filmed in England. Stompanato stormed on set, waving his gun around, accusing Lana and Connery of having an affair. Connery punched Stompanato in the jaw and disarmed him. In 1958, Lana's 14 year old daughter, Cheryl, stabbed Stompanato to death in their Beverly Hills home. Fearing for her mother's life during a violent argument, Cheryl grabbed a kitchen knife and ran to Lana's defense.
Lana died in 1995, at the age of 74, at her home in Century City, Los Angeles, California due to throat cancer. In Lana's will, she left her daughter $50,000 and her her maid of 45 years, Carmen Cruz, $2.4 million.
