June Lockhart

Children2, including Anne LockhartParentsAwardsSpecial Tony Award

June Lockhart (born June 25, 1925) is an American retired actress, beginning a film career in the 1930s and 1940s in such films as A Christmas Carol and Meet Me in St. Louis. She primarily acted in 1950s and 1960s television, and with performances on stage and in film. On two television series, Lassie and Lost in Space, she played mother roles. She also portrayed Dr. Janet Craig on the CBS television sitcom Petticoat Junction (1968–70). She is a two-time Emmy Award nominee^[1][2] and a Tony Award winner. With a career spanning nearly 90 years, she is one of the last surviving actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Early life

June Lockhart was born on June 25, 1925, in New York City, New York. She is the daughter of Canadian-American actor Gene Lockhart, who came to prominence on Broadway in 1933 in Ah, Wilderness!, and English-born actress Kathleen Lockhart (née Arthur).^[3] Her grandfather was John Coates Lockhart, "a concert-singer".^[4]

Lockhart attended the Westlake School for Girls in Beverly Hills, California.^[5]

Film

Lockhart made her film debut opposite her parents in a film version of A Christmas Carol in 1938.^[6] She also played supporting parts in Meet Me in St. Louis, Sergeant York, All This, and Heaven Too, and The Yearling. She played a key role in Son of Lassie (1945), a concept that she revisited at length during the television series Lassie more than a dozen years later. She was the top-billed star of She-Wolf of London (1946).

Stage

Lockhart debuted on stage at the age of 8, playing Mimsey in Peter Ibbetson, presented by the Metropolitan Opera.^[7] In 1947, her acting in For Love or Money brought her out of her parents' shadow and gained her notice as "a promising movie actress in her own right." One newspaper article began, "June Lockhart has burst on Broadway with the suddenness of an unpredicted comet."^[5]

In 1951, Lockhart starred in Lawrence Riley's biographical play Kin Hubbard opposite Tom Ewell.

Television

In 1955, Lockhart appeared in an episode of CBS's Appointment with Adventure. About this time, she also made several appearances on NBC's legal drama Justice, based on case files of the Legal Aid Society of New York. In the late 1950s, Lockhart guest-starred in several popular television Westerns, including Wagon Train (in the episode "The Ricky and Laura Bell Story") and Cimarron City (in the episode "Medicine Man" with Gary Merrill) on NBC, and Gunsmoke, Have Gun – Will Travel, and Rawhide on CBS.

In 1958, Lockhart was the narrator for Playhouse 90's telecast of the George Balanchine version of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker, featuring Balanchine himself as Drosselmeyer, along with the New York City Ballet.

Lockhart is best known for her roles as TV mothers, first as Ruth Martin, the wife of Paul Martin (portrayed by Hugh Reilly) and the mother of Timmy Martin (played by Jon Provost) in the 1950s CBS series Lassie (a role that she played from 1958 to 1964). She replaced actress Cloris Leachman, who in turn had replaced Jan Clayton – who had played a similar character earlier in the series. Following her five-year run on Lassie, Lockhart made a guest appearance on Perry Mason as defendant Mona Stanton Harvey in "The Case of the Scandalous Sculptor". Lockhart then starred as Dr. Maureen Robinson in Lost in Space, which ran from 1965 to 1968 on CBS, opposite veteran actors Guy Williams and Jonathan Harris.

In 1965, Lockhart played librarian Ina Coolbrith, first poet laureate of California, in the episode "Magic Locket" of the syndicated Western series Death Valley Days. She then appeared as Dr. Janet Craig on the final two seasons of the CBS sitcom Petticoat Junction (1968–1970); her character was brought in to fill the void created after Bea Benaderet died during the run of the show. Lockhart was a regular in the ABC soap opera General Hospital during the 1980s and 1990s, and was also a voice actor, providing the voice of Martha Day, the lead character in the Hanna-Barbera animated series These Are the Days on ABC during the 1970s.

Lockhart appeared as a hostess on the Miss USA Pageant on CBS for six years, the Miss Universe Pageant on CBS for six years, the Tournament of Roses Parade on CBS for eight years, and the Thanksgiving Parade on CBS for five years.

In 1986, Lockhart appeared in the fantasy film Troll. The younger version of her character in that film was played by her daughter, Anne Lockhart. They had previously played the same woman at two different ages in the "Lest We Forget" episode of the television series Magnum, P.I. (1981). In 1991, Lockhart appeared as Miss Wiltrout, Michelle Tanner's kindergarten teacher on the TV sitcom Full House. She also had a cameo in the 1998 film Lost in Space, based on the television series in which she had starred 30 years earlier. In 2002, she appeared in two episodes of The Drew Carey Show as Lewis's mother, Misty Kiniski, alongside fellow TV mom Marion Ross, who played Drew's mother.

In 2004, Lockhart voiced the role of Grandma Emma Fowler in Focus on the Family's The Last Chance Detectives audio cases. Lockhart starred as James Caan's mother in an episode of Las Vegas, and has since guest-starred in episodes of Cold Case and Grey's Anatomy, in the 2007 ABC Family television film Holiday in Handcuffs, and in the 2007 feature film Wesley.

Lockhart also appeared in a single episode of the 2004 version of Battlestar Galactica.

In February 2013, Lockhart began filming for Tesla Effect, a video game that combines live-action footage with three-dimensional graphics, which was released in May 2014.

Recognition

In 1948, Lockhart received a Special Tony Award for Outstanding Performance by a Newcomer (a category that no longer exists) for her role on Broadway in For Love or Money.^[8] Lockhart donated her Tony Award to the Smithsonian Institution in 2008 for display in the museum's permanent entertainment archives.^{[citation needed]}

Lockhart was nominated for 2 Emmy awards. In 1953, she was nominated for Best Actress.^[1] In 1959, she was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Continuing Character) in a Dramatic Series for her role in Lassie. ^[2]

Lockhart has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for motion pictures (6323 Hollywood Boulevard) and one for television (6362 Hollywood Boulevard). Both were dedicated on February 8, 1960.^[9] In 2013, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration awarded her the Exceptional Public Achievement Medal for inspiring the public about space exploration.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life

In 1951, Lockhart married John F. Maloney. They had two daughters, Anne Lockhart and June Elizabeth. The couple divorced in 1959.^[10] She married architect John Lindsay that same year, but they divorced in October 1970 and she has not remarried. Lockhart is a Roman Catholic.^[11]

Lockhart has had a lifelong fascination with American presidential candidates and the media's coverage of them. Her reporter friend Merriman Smith arranged for her to travel with both major-party candidates in the 1956 presidential election, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Adlai Stevenson. She again traveled with both campaigns in the 1960 election. In 1957, she obtained a lifetime White House press pass and attended many presidential briefings until 2004.^[12]

Despite the fact that she is a child of the Greatest Generation, Lockhart embraced rock music and she spontaneously listened to music which was produced by emerging rock bands. In numerous interviews, her Lost in Space co-star Bill Mumy stated that she took him and Angela Cartwright to concerts at the Whisky a Go Go in Hollywood. She was a noted David Bowie fan, she frequently kept a picture of him in her wallet.^[13]

Filmography

Films

Year	Film	Role	Notes
1938	A Christmas Carol	Belinda Cratchit
1940	All This, and Heaven Too	Isabelle
1941	Adam Had Four Sons	Vance
	Sergeant York	Rosie York
1942	Miss Annie Rooney	Stella Bainbridge
1943	Forever and a Day	Girl in Air Raid Shelter	Alternate title: The Changing World
1944	Meet Me in St. Louis	Lucille Ballard
	The White Cliffs of Dover	Betsy Kenney at Age 18	uncredited
1945	Keep Your Powder Dry	Sarah Swanson
	Son of Lassie	Priscilla
1946	She-Wolf of London	Phyllis Allenby
1947	Bury Me Dead	Barbara Carlin
	It's a Joke, Son!	Marylou Claghorn
	T-Men	Mary Genaro
1957	Time Limit	Mrs. Cargill
1981	Peter-No-Tail	Mother	Voice, English version
1982	Butterfly	Mrs. Helen Gillespie
	Deadly Games	Marge Lawrence
	Aladdin and the Magic Lamp	Aladdin's Mother	Voice, English version
1983	Strange Invaders	Mrs. Bigelow
1986	Troll	Eunice St. Clair
1988	Rented Lips	Archie's Mother
1989	C.H.U.D. II: Bud the C.H.U.D.	Gracie
	The Big Picture	Janet Kingsley
1991	Dead Women in Lingerie	Ma
1994	Sleep with Me	Caroline
	Tis the Season	Mrs. Livingston
1998	Lost in Space	Principal Cartwright
1999	Deterrence	Secretary of State Clift
2000	The Thundering 8th	Margaret Howard
2001	One Night at McCool's	Bingo Player	Uncredited
2009	Wesley	Susanna Wesley
	Super Capers	Mother
2012	Zombie Hamlet	Hester Beauchamps
2016	The Remake	Irene O'Connor
2019	Bongee Bear and the Kingdom of Rhythm	Mindy the Owl

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1949	The Ford Theatre Hour	Amy March	1 episode
1952	Hallmark Hall of Fame	Dolly Madison[14]	Episode: Mistress of the White House
1956	Science Fiction Theatre	Eve Patrick	1 episode
1957	The Joseph Cotten Show	Julie Baggs	1 episode
	The Kaiser Aluminum Hour	Verna	1 episode
	Have Gun – Will Travel	Dr. Phyllis Thackeray	2 episodes
1958	Shirley Temple's Storybook	Beauty's Sister	1 episode
	Wagon Train	Sarah Drummond	1 episode
	Matinee Theater	Connie	1 episode
	Gunsmoke	Beulah	1 episode
	Playhouse 90	Narrator	1 episode
1958–1964	Lassie	Ruth Martin	200 episodes
1959	Rawhide	Rainy Dawson	1 episode
	General Electric Theater	Vera	1 episode
1960	Wagon Train	Laura Bell	1 episode
1964	Perry Mason	Mona Stanton Harvey	1 episode
	Bewitched	Mrs. Burns	1 episode
	Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea	Dr. Ellen Bryce	1 episode
	The Man from U.N.C.L.E.	Sarah Taub	1 episode
1965	Branded	Mrs. Sue Pritchett	1 episode
	The Magic Locket	Miss Ina Coolbrith	Episode 44
	The Alfred Hitchcock Hour	Martha Hunter	Episode: "The Second Wife"
	Mr. Novak	Mrs. Nelby	Episode: "Once a Clown"
1965–1968	Lost in Space	Maureen Robinson	84 episodes
1968–1970	Petticoat Junction	Dr. Janet Craig	45 episodes
1968	Family Affair	Miss Evans	3 episodes
1971	The Man and the City	Ellen Lewis	1 episode
1974	Marcus Welby, M.D.	Lila	1 episode
	Adam-12	Mrs. Whitney	Episodes: "Camp" Part 1 & 2
1975	Ellery Queen	Claudia Wentworth	1 episode
	New Zoo Revue	Penelope Potter	1 episode
1976	Happy Days	Judge McKay	1 episode
	Quincy, M.E.	Clara Rhoades	1 episode
1978	The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries	Mrs. Migley	1 episode
1981	Vega$	Dr. Michaels	1 episode
	Magnum, P.I.	Diane Westmore Pauley	1 episode
	Darkroom	Margo Haskell	1 episode
1982	Falcon Crest	Mara Wingate	1 episode
	Knots Landing	Hilda Grant	1 episode
1981	The Greatest American Hero	Alice Davidson	2 episodes
1984	Whiz Kids	Mrs. Butterfield	1 episode
	The Night They Saved Christmas	Mrs. Claus	1 episode
1985	Murder, She Wrote	Beryl Hayward	1 episode
1986	The Colbys	Dr. Sylvia Heywood	2 episodes
	Hotel	Betty Archer	1 episode
	Amazing Stories	Mildred	1 episode
1987	Pound Puppies	Aunt Millie	1 episode
1989	The New Lassie	Mrs. Chadwick	1 episode
1991	Full House	Miss Wiltrout	2 episodes
1992	Danger Island	Kate	TV movie
1992; 1993	General Hospital	Maria	14 episodes
1993	The John Larroquette Show	John's mother	1 episode
1994	The Mommies	Bev – Barb's Mom	1 episode
	Babylon 5	Dr. Laura Rosen	1 episode
	'Tis The Season: A Hawaiian Christmas Story	Mrs. Livingston	Television film
	The Ren & Stimpy Show	Dr. Brainchild's Mother	1 episode
1995	The Critic	Herself	1 episode
	The Colony	Mrs. Billingsley	Television film
	Duckman	Oppressed Wife	1 episode
	Roseanne	Leon's mother	1 episode
Out There	Donna	Television film
1996	Step by Step	Helen Lambert	3 episodes
1997	7th Heaven	Veterinarian	1 episode
	Beverly Hills, 90210	Celia Martin	4 episodes
2001	Au Pair II	Grandma Nell Grayson	Television film
2002	The Drew Carey Show	Misty Kiniski	2 episodes
2003	Andy Richter Controls the Universe	Grandma Evelyn	1 episode
2004	Complete Savages	Grammy Na-Na	2 episodes
2004	Las Vegas	Grandma Deline	1 episode
2006	Grey's Anatomy	Agnes	1 episode
2006	Cold Case	Muriel Bartleby	1 episode
2007	Holiday in Handcuffs	Grandma	Television film
2021	Lost in Space	June, aka the Voice of Alpha Control	1 episode; Netflix series

References

Further reading

• Thomas, Nick (2011). Raised by the Stars: Interviews with 29 Children of Hollywood Actors. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-6403-6. (Includes an interview with June Lockhart)

External links

• June Lockhart at the Internet Broadway Database
• June Lockhart at IMDb
• June Lockhart at the TCM Movie Database