Julia Jean Turner was born on 8 February 1921, in Wallace, Idaho USA, of Irish, Scottish, English and Dutch ancestry. She was an actress, best known for her acting career spanning nearly five decades, active from 1937 to 1985. She appeared in such films as “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”, as well as the TV series “Peyton Place”. All of her efforts helped put her net worth to where it was prior to her passing.
How rich is Lana Turner? As of late-2017, sources estimate a net worth that is at $5 million, mostly earned through a successful career in acting. She was nominated once for an Academy Award, but took the lead in numerous films. All of these achievements ensured the position of her wealth.
Lana Turner Net Worth $5 million
Turner showcased an interest in performing at a young age. She originally intended to be a nun before 1936, when lung problems prompted her to move to a drier climate at Los Angeles. Lana attended Hollywood High School, where she was discovered by publisher William R. Wilkerson who referred her to an agent who would lead her to sign her first contract, with Warner Bros in 1937.
Her first film for the company was “The Great Garrick” in which she had a supporting role. In the same year, she was cast as a teenage murder victim in “They Won’t Forget”, then signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer even before completing her high school education. She had her first leading role in “Love Finds Andy Hardy” in 1938. Up to the 1940s, her popularity increased as well as her net worth thanks to more opportunities.
Turner was given numerous youth oriented films including in “Ziegfried Girl” and “Johnny Eager”, and became a popular pin-up girl during World War II, starting to get established as a sex symbol. Other films she had during this time include “Honky Tonk”, “Slightly Dangerous” and “Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde”. After the war, she was given a lead role in “The Postman Always Rings Twice” which marked her first femme fatale part. Her acting prowess continued to develop, and she was cast in more dramatic roles, and her next would be “Green Dolphin Street” which became her first starring role that didn’t focus on her looks. Her net worth also continued to grow.
Soon, Lana would appear in her first Technicolor film – “The Three Musketeers”, but during the 1950s, she starred in a series of films that weren’t as successful at the box office, including “Mr. Imperium” and “The Bad and the Beautiful”, which nonetheless had a good critical reception. Her contract with MGM ended in 1956 and this was in part due to the increasing popularity of television. The following year, she found one of her most notable roles in “Peyton Place” which she was nominated for Academy Award for Best Actress. Despite the trouble surrounding her daughter’s involvement in the Stompanato killing, Universal Studios capitalized on Lana’s newfound notoriety by association, with “Imitation of Life” which earned huge amounts at the box office.
Later in her career, Turner found herself doing more television work, including guest appearances in several shows such as “Falcon Crest” and “The Love Boat”. In 1994, she was rewarded with the Donostia Lifetime Achievement Award during the San Sebastian International Film Festival.
For her personal life, it is known that Lana married eight times to seven different husbands. In 1940, she married band leader Artie Shaw but it lasted for only four months. She then married actor Joseph Stephen Crane two separate times during the 1940s and they had a daughter. In 1948, she married socialite Henry J. Topping Jr. which ended in divorce in 1952, then the following year she married actor Lex Barker which lasted for four years. Her next marriages would be to Frederick May and Robert Eaton during the 1960s. Her last marriage was to hypnotist Ronald Pellar from 1969 to 1972. Lana had problems with alcohol during the 1970s which affected her health, and in turn led to lesser roles. However, she passed away from complications of throat cancer in 1995, three years after being diagnosed with the disease. She was a heavy smoker all her life.
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