Veronica Lake was born Constance Frances Marie Ockelman on November 14, 1922, in Brooklyn, New York. She was the daughter of Constance Charlotte and Harry Eugene Ockelman, a ship clerk for an oil company. Her father was of half German and half Irish descent, while her mother was Irish. For more details about the life of this famous American actress and Brooklyn native, visit brooklyn-trend.com.
A Happy Childhood at Saranac Lake
When Veronica was a baby, not even a year old, her parents moved to Florida. However, after five years, the family returned to Brooklyn. When Connie was twelve, tragedy struck the Ockelman family: her father was killed in an explosion on an oil tanker. A year later, her mother married Anthony Keane, and Connie took his last name.
In 1934, after her stepfather was diagnosed with tuberculosis, the family moved to Saranac Lake, where Connie Keane enjoyed a rustic life, boating on the lakes, swimming, cycling around Moody Pond, and hiking up Mount Baker. In the winter, she skated and skied, leading an active lifestyle. The family settled at 1 Watson Place in 1935 before moving to 1 Riverside Drive. Both Connie and Anthony benefited immensely from their time in the Adirondacks. In 1936, the family left the Adirondacks and moved to Miami, Florida, but the memories of those carefree days at Saranac Lake remained with the actress forever.
Two years later, Connie graduated from high school in Miami. Her natural beauty, charm, and clear acting talent prompted her mother and stepfather to move to Beverly Hills, California, where they enrolled her in the well-known Bliss-Hayden School of Acting in Hollywood. Connie had previously been diagnosed with schizophrenia, and her parents believed that acting was a form of therapy for the illness. The young woman showed considerable ability and didn’t have to wait long for her first role.
A Career Takes Off
It happened in 1939. Her first film role was as one of many college students in “Sorority House.” It was a minor part, of course, but it was a start. Veronica quickly and successfully followed up with two more films: “All Women Have Secrets” (1939) and “Dancing Co-Ed” (1939). The roles were again insignificant for the pretty young woman from the East Coast, but Veronica didn’t complain. After all, other aspiring starlets had to wait a while before getting any role at all. Veronica continued her training, appearing in two more films: “Young as You Feel” (1940) and “Forty Little Mothers” (1940). Up to this point, she was still using her birth name, Constance Keane. But when she landed a slightly more prominent role in the film “I Wanted Wings” (1941), she was asked to change her name. And so, Veronica Lake was born. In her new role, instead of playing college girls, she played a respectable, serious heroine. Veronica had found her calling. The film was a success, and the public loved the bright newcomer.
Paramount, the studio she was under contract with, cast her in two more films that year, “Hold Back the Dawn” and “Sullivan’s Travels.” The latter received rave reviews from typically harsh film critics. In her role as Ellen Graham in “This Gun for Hire” the following year, 1942, Veronica outdid herself. The public was absolutely captivated. In 1943, she appeared in just one film, playing Lieutenant Olivia D’Arcy in “So Proudly We Hail!” with Claudette Colbert. The film was a huge success, which was clearly reflected in the box office. It seemed that any film Veronica starred in was an undeniable hit.
The Decline Begins
However, her only role in 1944 in “The Hour Before the Dawn” was not well received by either the public or critics. In particular, critics strongly disliked her accent, finding it inauthentic. Her acting suffered because of it. After this, mediocre films plagued her throughout 1945. “Bring on the Girls!” (1945), “Out of This World” (1945), and “Miss Susie Slagle’s” (1946) were an incredible waste of the beautiful blonde’s talent.
But in 1946, Veronica made a comeback with the film “The Blue Dahlia,” co-starring Alan Ladd and Howard da Silva. The film was a hit, but sadly, it was Veronica’s last worthy movie. Paramount continued to cast her in underwhelming films for a while, but after 1948, the company released its once-valuable star.
From 1952 to 1966, Veronica performed on television and even tried her hand at the stage. It wasn’t a success, especially as the actress developed problems with alcohol. In 1962, it was revealed that she was living in a run-down hotel and working as a bartender. In 1966, she made a return to the big screen in the film “Footsteps in the Snow,” followed by another dry spell. In 1970, Veronica made her last appearance in the very low-budget film “Flesh Feast.”
On July 7, 1973, Veronica Lake died of hepatitis in Burlington, Vermont. The beautiful actress with the long blonde hair was only 50 years old.
