June Lockhart is a centenarian. She was born on June 25, 1925 in New York City. The legendary actress celebrates her 100th birthday today, so what is her recipe for a long and satisfying life? "I don't spend any time dwelling on things I can't change, she told Closer Weekly in 2024. She said that she has learned to be patient and trust her inner voice. "Everything is in flux. Wait a moment and things will work out."
June is the daughter of Canadian-American actor Gene Lockhart and English-born actress Kathleen Lockhart (née Arthur). Her parents named her "June" because that month played a recurring role in their early lives. It was the great the inventor Thomas Edison who introduced Gene and Kathleen to each other in his office in West Orange, New Jersey. Edison held a cross-country train tour every year to promote his new inventions. He would entertain the dealers by presenting his own theatre productions. June's father performed in one of the plays in 1922 and also in 1923, when her mother was hired in June of that year.
Gene and Kathleen were married in Chicago in June of 1924. They had been expecting a son, whom they intended to name Gene Jr. "My birth certificate reads. "Female Lockhart," June told a Pennsylvania paper, The Beaver County Times. "They later chose June as my name because it was a significant month in their lives."
June started her career ss a child on stage at New York's Metropolitan Opera. At the age of eight, she made her professional debut in a production of Peter Ibbetson, playing Mimsey in a dream sequence. In the mid-1930s, the Lockhart family moved to California, where June's father, Gene, enjoyed a successful career on screen as a character actor. Meanwhile, June appeared in movie classics such as 1938's A Christmas Carol (her film debut. Her parents played Bob Cratchit and his wife, while June played their daughter, Belinda. In 1944's Meet Me in St. Louis, June portrayed Lucille Ballard alongside Judy Garland.
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| June (left) with Judy (centre) in Meet Me in St. Louis |
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| June in 1947 |
June is known for her appearance in three popular TV series: Lassie, Lost in Space and Petticoat Junction. She played Timmy's mother, Ruth Martin, in Lassie, from 1958 to 1964, replacing Cloris Leachman in the role of Ruth at the beginning of the show's fifth season.
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| June and Lassie |
From 1965 to 1968, June portrayed matriarch Maureen Robinson in Lost in Space, and Dr. Janet Craig on Petticoat Junction during its final two seasons from 1968 to 1970. "When I wasn't shooting Lassie, I became the mistress of Scrabble, " she told Closer Weekly. Lost in Space was her favourite role. "It was so campy," she said. "And I truly enjoyed my relationship with my space family.
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| June on Lost in Space |
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| June as Dr. Janet Craig on Petticoat Junction |
Over the years, June has guest-starred in episodes of a wide variety of TV shows. Here is a list of some of them: Gunsmoke (1958), Have Gun-Will Travel (2 episodes, 1957, 1958), Wagon Train (2 episodes (1958, 1960), Rawhide (1959), Perry Mason (1964), Bewitched (1964), Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964), The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964), Death Valley Days (1965), The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1965), Mr. Novak (1965), The Red Skelton Hour (1965), Family Affair (1968), The Beverly Hillbillies (1968), Marcus Welby, M.D. (1974), Adam-12 (1974), Police Story (1975), Happy Days (1976), Falcon Crest (1982), Knots Landing (1982), Murder She Wrote (1985),The Colbys (2 episodes, 1986), Hotel (1986), The New Lassie (1989), Full House (1991), The Drew Carey Show (2 episodes, 2002), Las Vegas (2004) and Grey's Anatomy (2006)
June has been married twice. In 1951, she wed John F. Mahoney. They had two daughters, Anne Kathleen (born September 6, 1953) and June Elizabeth. However, June and Mahoney divorced in 1959. That same year, on April 5, 1959, June married architect John Lindsay, but they divorced in October of 1970. She never remarried.
END NOTES:
* June Lockhart's grandfather, John Coates Lockhart, was a concert singer.
* June's daughter, born Anne Kathleen Mahoney, is also an actress. Known professionally as Anne Lockhart, she is best recognized for her role as Lieutenant Sheba in the 1978-79 television series Battle Star Galactica.
* From 1984 to 1998, June portrayed Mariah Ramirez in episodes of the daytime soap General Hospital.
* In a 1989 episode of The New Lassie, June did not reprise her role as Ruth Martin. She played Mrs. Chadwick.
* June has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for motion pictures and one for television.
SOURCES: Closer Weekly, "June Lockhart Reveals What She's Learned at 99," by Louise A. Barile, August 21, 2024; The Beaver County Times, "Who put the 'June" in June Lockhart?," by Nick Thomas; June 9, 2019; Wikipedia; IMDb (Internet Movie Database)
- Joanne
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