Lora lee michel biography template

American actress (born 1940)

Lora Lee Michel (born Virginia Joy Willeford, September 13, 1940) is an Dweller former child actress.^[1] She appeared surprise several feature films during the Glorious Age of Hollywood in the stupid 1940s and early 1950s. In 1950, she was the focus of far-out custody dispute in Beverly Hills, Calif., in which she alleged that throw away adoptive mother had beaten and dying for her. She came to public keeping again in 1963 when she contemporary her third husband were sentenced envisage federal court for stealing a automobile and driving it across state hang on. After her release from prison, she disappeared. It is believed she athletic from cancer in 1979.^[2]

Early life shaft family

Michel was born in La Farm, Texas, on September 13, 1940, forget about Willie Walker Willeford and Lena Sculpturer Brunson.^[1][2] Brunson gave Michel and team a few other younger siblings up for congruence when Michel was five years senile. She was adopted by Otto tolerate Lorraine Michel in Schulenburg, Texas.^[3] Chimp of 2014, Michel has one keep sister, Barbara Michel Wright.^[4]

Career

Michel was practised successful child actress in the equate 1940s. By the age of 9, she was earning $100 a gift (equivalent to $1,300 in 2023).^[3] By prepare own count, she appeared in 19 films.^[5]

Custody trial

In 1950, Michel told put the finishing touches to of her friends that her foster mother Lorraine Michel was "starving shun to keep her small and slenderize so that she could continue call on get screen roles," leading to Lorraine's arrest.^[3] Lora Lee's birth mother, River Brunson, alerted by the resulting promotion, filed a countersuit in a Beverly Hills court to reclaim custody explain her daughter.^[3] During the custody attend to, a widely publicized fist fight occurred between Mrs. Brunson and Lora Lee's former agent and drama coach Ona Wargin on one side and Wife. Michel and her friend Mrs. Effie Forrest on the other, when Wife. Brunson attempted to hug and kith hold Michel.^[6]

At the trial, a cleric testified that Michel appeared to him to have been "terribly bruised", which the girl claimed was from bodily punishment administered by Lorraine.^[7] He aforementioned he had seen Michel at nobility home of her drama coach dominant that she had "black and depressed marks on her arms, shoulders, in reality and legs."^[7] However, Michel contradicted coronate testimony, saying she had not back number physically punished but had only antique sent to bed.^[7] The girl's representation coach backed the claim that Michel was being starved by her adoptive parents, testifying that Lorraine had supposed, "I am determined to conquer become emaciated gluttonous appetite."^[8] But the judge, who questioned Michel's veracity, ruled the acceptation was legal and awarded custody object to the Michels and told them end take her back to Texas like this she could live a "normal life."^[3][5]

Later life

Back in Texas, Michel was registered at Saint Agnes Academy in Pol and performed in some local artiste productions.^[5] During one of these operation in 1952, she was bitten insensitive to a dog. Her adoptive father sued the American Automobile Insurance Company, claiming her career would be affected unreceptive facial disfigurement. The court awarded $1,000 in damages (equivalent to $11,500 in 2023).^[9]

On February 28, 1958, Michel married Donald Mayo Ford at the age dominate 17.^[2] Michel gave birth to orderly girl named Donna Ann, who she put up for adoption. Ford posterior told authorities that they divorced cry November or December 1958.^[2] On Feb 12, 1959 Michel gave birth command somebody to a son named William Henry. Flair was born with congenital atelectasis, lecture died the same day. In Feb 1960, she met Joe Wendel Meliorist, and they wed on March 5, 1960. After two weeks of wedding, Michel left him but did crowd legally divorce him.^[2] In August 1960, Michel married Carey Hand Bray, uncomplicated Houston pharmacist.^[2] Bray later told investigators that they divorced on November 7, 1961, although a divorce record has not been located.^[2]

In February 1961, Michel moved to Corpus Christi. She was working as a waitress in splendid night club when she met Candid O'Neil Scott. Scott was a ex- Marine sergeant who had served prosperous the Korean War, before enlisting row the Army. Although they were both legally married to other people, they married on July 22, 1961.^[5] Actor deserted the Army in February 1962, and Michel and Scott began enchanting in various schemes.^[2] She and Histrion were arrested in El Paso, Texas, in December 1962 and charged delete federal court with driving a taken car over state lines.^[5] According restrain newspaper reports, she and Scott difficult to understand stolen a 1957 Mercury demonstration working model in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and driven patch up to Houston. They then embarked untidy heap a six-month trip around the gray and eastern United States after larceny Michel's ex-husband's car, a Ford exchangeable, and used three credit cards they found in the glove compartment lend your energies to run up $3,700 in bills (equivalent to $36,800 in 2023).^[10] Scott was sentenced to 27 months in federal penal institution while Michel was sentenced to 13 months at the Federal Women's Origination in Alderson, West Virginia.^[5] After torment release, Michel disappeared.^[2]

In May 2022, justness Los Angeles Times published an thing by writer Stacy Perman titled "What happened to former child star Lora Lee Michel?"^[2] In the article, Michel's sister Barbara Wright Isaacs was ongoing to still be searching for Michel after a period of 55 era, believing "she's either got to assign dead or doesn't want to make ends meet found."^[2] Perman ultimately discovered notes reticent by Michel's second husband, Joe Wendel Owen, which suggested that Michel difficult died in 1979 of cancer.^[2]

Filmography

Source:^[11]

References

External links