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At what age does a lady become a legend? Lana Turner asked herself this question after decades of success, scandal, romance, marriage and motherhood, and not a little heartbreak. Long after the span of her extraordinary career, an adoring public remains fascinated by a woman who was arguably the epitome of a Hollywood movie star. Immensely talented and equally beautiful, Lana lived the glamorous life to the hilt, rising to the heights of fame and experiencing everything that came with it, both good and bad. Lana's early story is virtually that of Cinderella's: a girl discovered at a soda shop aged fifteen and then made a star overnight. From blonde bombshell to box-office queen of the '40s, Lana led a whirlwind life ultimately marked by eight marriages and a murder trial that made her and her daughter infamous. The death of Johnny Stompato in 1958 was one of the most notorious scandals in Hollywood history, and the true facts of the case are still hotly disputed. Lana's remarkable memoir was originally published in 1982. This new edition features an introduction by Turner Classic Movies host and author Alicia Malone.

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9781914150791

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Julia Jean Turner was born in Idaho in 1921. She relocated with her parents to San Francisco in early childhood. Aged 15, she was discovered at a soda shop and signed a year later to a contract by Hollywood director Mervyn LeRoy. She made her film debut in 1937.Lana went on to become one of Hollywood's premier leading ladies in the 1940s. Her growing reputation as a femme fatale was burnished by her classic role in The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946).Beyond Lana's continued screen popularity in the 1950s, and the press coverage of her personal life (which ultimately included eight marriages), she was subjected to even greater media scrutiny when her lover Johnny Stompanato was stabbed to death in 1958. The following year she had one of the biggest hits of her film career, Imitation of Life.Lana accepted fewer roles from the late 1960s onwards, but she was notably popular as a recurring guest character in 1980s soap opera Falcon Crest. She died in California, after a long illness, in 1995.

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