Back in the 1940s, Hollywood royalty Lana Turner had her own special table at the iconic Ciro’s on the Sunset Strip. In her 1982 memoir, she reminisced about those nights out: “How I’d love to dress up and go dancing with a handsome dark man,” she wrote. “When I was seated, I’d give the room a long casing, bowing to this one or blowing that one a kiss. Silly, I guess, but it was such fun.”
From Glamour to Heartbreak: The Life of Lana Turner
Lana Turner was more than just a great beauty; she was a Hollywood legend who seemed to have everything stardom promised—fame, wealth, and power. But there was one thing her glittering career couldn’t bring her: lasting love. This absence of true love became her greatest sorrow. And unfortunately, her choices in men didn’t just affect her own life—they also had a profound impact on her daughter, Cheryl Crane.
The Accidental Start of a Legend
Lana’s story began in 1936 when she was discovered sipping a soda in an ice cream shop near her high school. Back then, she was Julia Turner, and acting wasn’t even on her radar. Her dream was to design clothing, as explained by Darwin Porter, co-author of Lana Turner: Hearts & Diamonds Take All, in an exclusive interview with Closer. But within a year, Lana would become one of MGM’s brightest stars, shining alongside the likes of Judy Garland, Ava Gardner, and Rita Hayworth.
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A Rising Star with a Wild Side
As Lana’s fame grew, so did her appeal to men. Her mother tried to keep her social life in check, but Lana was having none of it. “She wasn’t supposed to go out with servicemen, but she was just on a wild tear,” says Porter. Eventually, Lana asked her mother to leave their shared home so she could live life on her own terms. “She wanted unbridled dating privileges without restriction. I felt she was really looking for love,” adds Porter.
Love Affairs and Heartbreaks
Lana once joked, “I started out wanting one husband and seven children, but it ended up the other way around.” While it’s easy to admire her open heart, Lana did have a knack for picking the wrong men. In 1940, MGM cast her opposite Clark Gable in Honky Tonk, and they embarked on a passionate affair that ultimately fizzled out. She also fell for Desi Arnaz, another womanizer, who left her for Lucille Ball while shooting Too Many Girls.
In her memoir Lana: The Lady, the Legend, the Truth, she called Tyrone Power the love of her life. “No man except possibly Tyrone Power took the time to find out that I was a human being, not just a pretty, shapely little thing,” she wrote. Despite their intense romance, Tyrone ended things after 18 months, and Lana terminated her pregnancy with their baby.
The Complicated Relationship with Cheryl Crane
In 1943, Lana gave birth to her only child, Cheryl Crane. The delivery was fraught with complications due to their conflicting blood types, making it a life-and-death struggle for both mother and baby. Cheryl later wrote in her memoir Detour: A Hollywood Story, “That was me all over.”
Despite hiring staff to raise Cheryl, the little girl adored her mother. “To my child’s mind, she was the perfect dream of golden beauty,” Cheryl wrote. However, Lana’s inattention had devastating consequences. Her fourth husband, Tarzan actor Lex Barker, sexually abused and raped Cheryl over two years. When Cheryl was 12, she finally told her mother. Lana, conscious of avoiding a scandal, didn’t call the police but instead confronted Barker by holding a gun to his head and throwing him out of her life forever.
A Mother’s Defense
A few years later, in 1958, the roles reversed when Cheryl defended her mother by stabbing Lana’s abusive lover Johnny Stompanato to death. This time, there was no hiding the truth. Cheryl was put on trial, and Lana testified. “More than once I nearly broke down on the witness stand from the mixture of agony and shame,” Lana recalled. Ultimately, the death was ruled a justifiable homicide.
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Later Years: Finding Peace
By 1980, Lana had stopped drinking and found a sense of serenity by looking inward. “I have matured with the realization that I can live without a man,” she said. “Oh, how I love this freedom. It’s a glorious, wonderful experience.”
Before her death in 1995 at age 75, Lana and Cheryl grew very close again. The iconic actress found grace and the love she had longed for in her faith. “I’m very close to God. I read the Daily Word, and I have learned to meditate,” Lana confessed, admitting, “I’m still getting used to this new woman.”
