June Lockhart

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June Lockhart
June Lockhart 1947.JPG
Lockhart in 1947
Born
June Kathleen Lockhart

(1925-06-25)June 25, 1925
New York City, U.S.
DiedOctober 23, 2025(2025-10-23) (aged 100)
Resting place Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City
Education Westlake School for Girls
OccupationActress
Years active1933–2021
Known for
Spouses
  • John F. Maloney
    (m. 1951;div. 1959)
  • John Lindsay
    (m. 1959;div. 1970)
Children2, including Anne
Parents
Awards Special Tony Award

June Kathleen Lockhart (June 25, 1925 – October 23, 2025) was an American actress, beginning a film career in the 1930s and 1940s in films such as A Christmas Carol and Meet Me in St. Louis . She appeared primarily in 1950s and 1960s television and with performances on stage and in film. She became most widely known for her work on two television series, Lassie and Lost in Space , in which she played mother roles. Lockhart also portrayed Dr. Janet Craig on the CBS television sitcom Petticoat Junction (1968–70). She was a two-time Emmy Award nominee and a Tony Award winner. With a career spanning nearly 90 years, Lockhart was one of the last surviving actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Contents

Early life

June Kathleen Lockhart was born on June 25, 1925, in Manhattan in New York City. [1] She was the daughter of Canadian-American actor Gene Lockhart, who came to prominence on Broadway in 1933 in Ah, Wilderness! and English-born actress Kathleen Lockhart (née Arthur). [2] Her grandfather was John Coates Lockhart, "a concert-singer". [3]

Lockhart attended the Westlake School for Girls in Beverly Hills, California. [4]

Film

Lockhart in Son of Lassie (1945) June lockhart.JPG
Lockhart in Son of Lassie (1945)

Lockhart made her film debut with her parents in a film version of A Christmas Carol in 1938. [5] [6] She also played supporting parts in All This, and Heaven Too (1940), [6] Sergeant York (1941, as Alvin York's sister), [6] Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), [6] and The Yearling (1946). [6] She played a key role in Son of Lassie (1945), a concept that she revisited at length during the television series Lassie more than a dozen years later. [6] She was the top-billed star of She-Wolf of London (1946). [6]

In 1986, Lockhart appeared in the fantasy film Troll . [6] The younger version of her character in that film was played by her daughter, Anne Lockhart. [7] They had previously played the same woman at two different ages in the "Lest We Forget" episode of the television series Magnum, P.I. (1981). [8]

Stage

Lockhart debuted on stage at the age of 8, playing Mimsey in Peter Ibbetson , presented by the Metropolitan Opera. [9] In 1947, her acting in For Love or Money brought her out of her parents' shadow and gained her notice as "a promising movie actress in her own right". One newspaper article began, "June Lockhart has burst on Broadway with the suddenness of an unpredicted comet." [4]

In 1951, Lockhart starred in Lawrence Riley's biographical play Kin Hubbard opposite Tom Ewell. [10]

Television

Lockhart as Ruth Martin in Lassie (1963) June Lockhart Lassie National Dog Week 1963.JPG
Lockhart as Ruth Martin in Lassie (1963)

In 1955, Lockhart appeared in an episode of CBS's Appointment with Adventure . About this time, she also made several appearances on NBC's legal drama Justice, based on case files of the Legal Aid Society of New York. In the late 1950s, Lockhart guest-starred in several popular television Westerns, including Wagon Train (in the episode "The Ricky and Laura Bell Story") [11] and Cimarron City (in the episode "Medicine Man" with Gary Merrill) on NBC, [12] Gunsmoke , [13] Have Gun – Will Travel , [14] and Rawhide on CBS. [14]

In 1958, Lockhart was the narrator for Playhouse 90 's telecast of the George Balanchine version of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker , featuring Balanchine himself as Drosselmeyer, along with the New York City Ballet. [15]

Lockhart is also famous for her roles as TV mothers, [1] [16] first as Ruth Martin, the wife of Paul Martin (portrayed by Hugh Reilly) and the mother of Timmy Martin (played by Jon Provost) in the 1950s CBS series Lassie (a role that she played from 1958 to 1964). [17] She replaced actress Cloris Leachman, [1] who in turn had replaced Jan Clayton. [16] Following her five-year run on Lassie, Lockhart made a guest appearance on Perry Mason as defendant Mona Stanton Harvey in "The Case of the Scandalous Sculptor". [18] Lockhart then starred as Dr. Maureen Robinson in Lost in Space , which ran from 1965 to 1968 on CBS, opposite veteran actors Guy Williams and Jonathan Harris. [1]

Lockhart played Maureen Robinson in the sci-fi series Lost in Space (1965-1968) June Lockhart Lost in Space 1965.JPG
Lockhart played Maureen Robinson in the sci-fi series Lost in Space (1965–1968)

In 1965, Lockhart played librarian Ina Coolbrith, first poet laureate of California, in the episode "Magic Locket" of the syndicated Western series Death Valley Days . [19] She then appeared as Dr. Janet Craig on the final two seasons of the CBS sitcom Petticoat Junction (1968–1970); her character was brought in to fill the void created after Bea Benaderet died during the run of the show. [1] Lockhart was a regular in the ABC soap opera General Hospital during the 1980s and 1990s, [17] and was also a voice actress, providing the voice of the lead character in the Hanna-Barbera animated series These Are the Days on ABC for one season in 1974. [20]

Lockhart appeared as a hostess for CBS broadcasts of the Miss USA Pageant for six years, the Miss Universe Pageant for six years, the Tournament of Roses Parade for eight years, and the Thanksgiving Parade for five years. [21]

In 1991, Lockhart appeared as Miss Wiltrout, Michelle Tanner's kindergarten teacher, on the TV sitcom Full House . [18] [22] She also had a cameo in the 1998 film Lost in Space , based on the television series in which she had starred 30 years earlier. [6] In 2002, she appeared in two episodes of The Drew Carey Show as Lewis's mother, Misty Kiniski. [18]

In 2004, Lockhart voiced the role of Grandma Emma Fowler in Focus on the Family's The Last Chance Detectives audio cases. [23] Lockhart starred as James Caan's mother in an episode of Las Vegas [22] and subsequently guest-starred in episodes of Cold Case [24] and Grey's Anatomy , [22] in the 2007 ABC Family television film Holiday in Handcuffs , [18] and in the 2007 feature film Wesley as Susanna Wesley, mother of the founder of Methodism, John Wesley. [18] [25]

In May 2014, Lockhart appeared in Tesla Effect, a video game that combines live-action footage with three-dimensional graphics. [26]

Personal life and death

Lockhart in 2009 June Lockhart, 2009.jpg
Lockhart in 2009

In 1951, Lockhart married John F. Maloney. They had two daughters, Anne Kathleen and June Elizabeth. The couple divorced in 1959. [27] She married architect John Lindsay that same year, but they divorced in October 1970 and she never remarried. A Roman Catholic, Lockhart and her daughter Anne and actress Kay Lenz met Pope John Paul II in 1985. [28] [29] [30]

Lockhart had a lifelong fascination with American presidential candidates and the media's coverage of them. Her friend reporter Merriman Smith arranged for her to travel with both major-party candidates Dwight D. Eisenhower and Adlai Stevenson during the 1956 presidential election and again with both campaigns in the 1960 election. Between 1957 and 2004, Lockhart attended many presidential briefings. [31]

Although a child of the Greatest Generation, Lockhart embraced rock music and listened to emerging rock bands. In an interview, her Lost in Space co-star Bill Mumy stated that she took Angela Cartwright and him to the Whisky a Go Go nightclub in Hollywood "to hang out with The Allman Brothers Band". [32] Appearing on The Virginia Graham Show in 1970 with Art Metrano and LGBT cleric Troy Perry, Lockhart confronted Graham about her moralizing tone toward gay people. [33]

Lockhart turned 100 on June 25, 2025. [34] She died of natural causes at her home in Santa Monica, California, on October 23, 2025. [35]

Recognition

The handprints of June Lockhart in front of Hollywood Hills Amphitheater at Walt Disney World's Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park June Lockhart (handprints in cement).jpg
The handprints of June Lockhart in front of Hollywood Hills Amphitheater at Walt Disney World's Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park

In 1948, Lockhart received a Special Tony Award for Outstanding Performance by a Newcomer (a category that no longer exists) for her role on Broadway in For Love or Money. [36] Lockhart donated her Tony Award to the Smithsonian Institution in 2008 for display in the permanent entertainment archives of the National Museum of American History. [37] [5]

Lockhart was nominated for two Emmy awards. In 1953, she was nominated for Best Actress. [38] In 1959, she was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Continuing Character) in a Dramatic Series for her role in Lassie. [39]

Lockhart has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for motion pictures (6323 Hollywood Boulevard) and one for television (6362 Hollywood Boulevard). Both were dedicated on February 8, 1960. [40] In 2013, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) awarded her the Exceptional Public Achievement Medal for inspiring the public about space exploration. [41]

Filmography

Films

YearFilmRoleNotesRefs.
1938 A Christmas Carol Belinda Cratchit [42]
1940 All This, and Heaven Too Isabelle [21]
1941 Adam Had Four Sons Vance [21]
Sergeant York Rosie York [21]
1942 Miss Annie Rooney Stella Bainbridge [21]
1943 Forever and a Day Girl in air raid shelterAlternate title: The Changing World [21]
1944 Meet Me in St. Louis Lucille Ballard [21]
The White Cliffs of Dover Betsy Kenney at age 18Uncredited [21]
1945 Keep Your Powder Dry Sarah Swanson [21]
Son of Lassie Priscilla [21]
1946 She-Wolf of London Phyllis Allenby [43]
1947 Bury Me Dead Barbara Carlin [21]
It's a Joke, Son! Mary Lou Claghorn [21]
T-Men Mary Genaro [21]
1957 Time Limit Mrs. Cargill [43]
1981 Peter-No-Tail MotherVoice, English version [18]
1982 Butterfly Mrs. Gillespie [21]
Deadly Games Marge [42]
Aladdin and the Magic Lamp Aladdin's MotherVoice, English version [44]
1983 Strange Invaders Mrs. Bigelow [42]
1986 Troll Eunice St. Clair [42]
1988 Rented Lips Archie's mother [18]
1989 C.H.U.D. II: Bud the C.H.U.D. Gracie [42]
The Big Picture Janet Kingsley [45]
1991Dead Women in LingerieMa [42]
1994 Sleep with Me Caroline [21]
1998 Lost in Space Principal Cartwright [6] [18]
1999 Deterrence Secretary of State Clift [6] [44]
2000The Thundering 8thMargaret Howard [6]
2001 One Night at McCool's Bingo PlayerUncredited [44]
2009 Wesley Susanna Wesley [18]
Super Capers Mother [18]
2012Zombie HamletHester Beauchamps [18]
2016The RemakeIrene O'Connor [18]
2019Bongee Bear and the Kingdom of RhythmMindy the OwlVoice [18]

Television

YearTitleRoleNotesRefs.
1949 The Ford Theatre Hour Amy March1 episode [44]
1952 Hallmark Hall of Fame Dolly MadisonEpisode: Mistress of the White House [46]
1956 Science Fiction Theatre Eve PatrickEpisode: "Death at My Fingertips" [47] [42]
1957 The Joseph Cotten Show Julie Baggs1 episode
The Kaiser Aluminum Hour Verna1 episode [44]
Have Gun – Will Travel Dr. Phyllis Thackeray2 episodes [48] [48]
1958 Shirley Temple's Storybook Beauty's SisterEpisode: "Beauty and the Beast" [42] [42]
Wagon Train Sarah DrummondEpisode: "The Sarah Drummond Story" [49] [50]
NBC Matinee Theater Connie1 episode [44]
Gunsmoke BeulaEpisode: "Dirt" [49]
Playhouse 90 Narrator1 episode [14]
1958–1964 Lassie Ruth Martin200 episodes [51]
1959 Rawhide Rainy DawsonEpisode: "Incident at Barker Springs" [49]
General Electric Theater Vera1 episode [44]
1960 Wagon Train Laura BellEpisode: "The Ricky and Laura Bell Story" [49] [11]
1964 Perry Mason Mona Stanton HarveyEpisode: "The Case of the Scandalous Sculptor" [18]
Bewitched Mrs. BurnsEpisode: "Little Pitchers Have Big Ears" [42]
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea Dr. Ellen BryceEpisode: "The Ghost of Moby Dick" [42]
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Sarah TaubEpisode: "The Dove Affair" [42]
1965 Branded Mrs. Sue PritchettEpisode: "The Vindicator" [52] [49]
Death Valley Days Miss Ina Coolbrith Episode: "The Magic Locket" [19]
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour MarthaEpisode: "The Second Wife" [42]
Mr. Novak Mrs. NelbyEpisode: "Once a Clown" [14] [44]
1965–1968 Lost in Space Maureen Robinson84 episodes [53]
1968–1970 Petticoat Junction Dr. Janet Craig45 episodes [21]
1968 Family Affair Miss Evans3 episodes [18] [44]
1971 The Man and the City Ellen Lewis1 episode [44]
1974 Marcus Welby, M.D. Lila1 episode [18]
Adam-12 Mrs. WhitneyEpisodes: "Camp" Part 1 & 2 [18]
These Are the Days 1 season [20]
1975 Ellery Queen Claudia Wentworth1 episode [44]
New Zoo Revue Penelope Potter1 episode
1976 Happy Days Judge MacBride1 episode [18]
Quincy, M.E. Clara Rhoades1 episode [44]
1978 The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries Mrs. MigleyEpisode: "The Pirates" [42]
1981 Vega$ Dr. Michaels1 episode [44]
Magnum, P.I. Diane Westmore Pauley1 episode [18]
Darkroom Margo HaskellEpisode: "Uncle George" [42]
1982 Falcon Crest Mara Wingate1 episode [44]
Knots Landing Hilda Grant1 episode [44]
1981 The Greatest American Hero Mrs. Davidson2 episodes [42]
1984 Whiz Kids Mrs. Butterfield1 episode [44]
The Night They Saved Christmas Mrs. ClausTV movie [42]
1985 Murder, She Wrote Beryl Hayward1 episode [18]
1985; 1992; 1993 General Hospital Mariah Ramirez14 episodes [54]
1986 The Colbys Dr. Sylvia Heywood2 episodes [44]
Hotel Betty Archer1 episode [44]
Amazing Stories MildredEpisode: "The Pumpkin Connection" [42]
1987 Pound Puppies Aunt Millie1 episode [21]
1989 The New Lassie Mrs. Chadwick1 episode [21]
1991 Full House Miss Wiltrout2 episodes [18]
1992 Danger Island KateTV movie [42]
1993 The John Larroquette Show John's mother1 episode [44]
1994 The Mommies Bev – Barb's Mom1 episode [44]
Babylon 5 Dr. Laura RosenEpisode: "The Quality of Mercy" [42]
'Tis The Season: A Hawaiian Christmas StoryMrs. LivingstonTelevision film [55]
The Ren & Stimpy Show Dr. Brainchild's Mother1 episode [44]
1995 The Critic Herself1 episode [21]
The Colony Mrs. BillingsleyTelevision film [42]
Duckman Oppressed Wife1 episode [44]
Roseanne Leon's mother1 episode [21]
Out ThereDonnaTelevision film [42]
1996 Step by Step Helen Lambert3 episodes [21]
1997 7th Heaven Veterinarian1 episode [18]
Beverly Hills, 90210 Celia Martin4 episodes [18]
2001 Au Pair II Grandma Nell GraysonTelevision film [18]
2002 The Drew Carey Show Misty Kiniski2 episodes [18]
2003 Andy Richter Controls the Universe Grandma Evelyn1 episode [18]
2004 Complete Savages Grammy Na-Na2 episodes [18]
Las Vegas Bette Deline1 episode [18]
2006 Grey's Anatomy Agnes1 episode [18]
Cold Case Muriel Bartleby1 episode [18]
2007 Holiday in Handcuffs GrandmaTelevision film [18]
2021 Lost in Space June, aka the Voice of Alpha Control1 episode; Netflix series [44]

See also

References

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  2. "A Star Is Born". Life . November 24, 1947. p. 59. ISSN   0024-3019.
  3. Maays, Stan (February 15, 1970). "June Lockhart Jr. To Make TV Debut". Abilene Reporter-News . p. 5E. Retrieved March 13, 2020 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  4. 1 2 Meegan, Jean (November 23, 1947). "Winsome June Lockhart Draws Broadway 'Raves'". Corpus Christi Caller-Times . p. 3B. Retrieved September 26, 2015 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  5. 1 2 "Photo Flash: Legendary Leading Ladies Donate to National Museum of American History". BroadwayWorld . February 1, 2008. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Monush, Barry (2003). The Encyclopedia of Hollywood Film Actors: From the Silent Era to 1965. Hal Leonard Corporation. pp. 432–433. ISBN   1-55783-551-9.
  7. Weaver, Tom (1995). They Fought in the Creature Features. McFarland. p. 197. ISBN   978-1-4766-1686-5.
  8. Tate, Marsha Ann; Houser, Earl (2022). What America Watched: Television Favorites from the Cornfields to the Cosmos, 1960s-1990s. McFarland. p. 236. ISBN   978-1-4766-4465-3.
  9. Boyle, Hal (March 13, 1959). "Gene Lockhart Versatile Man". Florence Times . p. 5. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
  10. Calta, Louis (August 17, 1951). "Westport to Give 5 Plays to Rialto; Lawrence Langner Predicts Broadway Runs for Summer Tryouts". The New York Times. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
  11. 1 2 Lentz 1997, p. 444.
  12. Lentz 1997, p. 88.
  13. Lentz 1997, p. 168.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Inman, David (1991). The TV Encyclopedia. Perigee Books. pp. 531–532. ISBN   978-0-399-51704-4.
  15. Kodat, Catherine Gunther (2000). "Dancing Through the Cold War: The Case of "The Nutcracker"". Mosaic: An Interdisciplinary Critical Journal. 33 (3): 6, 17. ISSN   0027-1276. JSTOR   44029692.
  16. 1 2 Associated Press (October 25, 2025). "June Lockhart, beloved mother figure from 'Lassie' and 'Lost In Space,' dies at 100". NPR . Retrieved October 30, 2025.
  17. 1 2 Bergen, Ronald (October 26, 2025). "June Lockhart obituary". The Guardian . Retrieved October 30, 2025.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 "June Lockhart - Actress". TV Insider . NTVB Media. October 26, 2025. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
  19. 1 2 Romanko, Karen A. (2025). "Coolbrith, Ina (1841–1928)". Historical Women on Television: Portrayals of 120 Notable Figures in Scripted Programs. McFarland. ISBN   978-1-4766-5597-0.
  20. 1 2 Lloyd, Robert (October 27, 2025). "Appreciation: Strong and warm, June Lockhart was a model of TV motherhood". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved October 30, 2025.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 "June Lockhart". TCMDB. Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on August 29, 2011. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
  22. 1 2 3 Marble, Steve (October 25, 2025). "June Lockhart dies; TV's favorite mom on 'Lassie' and 'Lost in Space'". 2025-10-30.
  23. Phan, Katherine T. (June 8, 2004). "FOTF Announces New Radio Series 'The Last Chance Detectives'". Christian Post. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
  24. "In Memoriam: June Lockhart". Overstreet Access. October 27, 2025. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
  25. "June Lockhart (Susannah Wesley)". wesleythemovie.com. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
  26. "TESLA EFFECT: A TEX MURPHY ADVENTURE". FMV World. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
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  28. Stagnaro, Angelo (February 26, 2017). "Where the Stars Go to Pray: The Churches of Hollywood". National Catholic Register .
  29. Belmond, Sylvie (April 7, 2005). "Locals reflect on the life of Pope John Paul II". Moorpark Acorn. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  30. Lockhart, June (October 30, 2014). "Guideposts Classics: June Lockhart on Where She Prays".
  31. Sanderson, Bill (August 7, 2016). "June Lockhart was America's greatest presidential groupie". New York Post . Retrieved October 26, 2025.
  32. "June Lockhart kept one picture in her wallet and you'll never guess who it was". MeTV. May 10, 2019. Archived from the original on May 14, 2019. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
  33. "Clips: 1970, June Lockhart gently challenges homophobia on THE VIRGINIA GRAHAM SHOW w/Rev Troy Perry". YouTube. June 25, 2023.
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  37. "Nine Legendary Leading Ladies From Stage and Screen Donate Career Memorabilia to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History" (Press release). Smithsonian Institution. January 29, 2008. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
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  39. "Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series Nominees / Winners 1959". Television Academy. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  40. "June Lockhart". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Retrieved September 27, 2015.
  41. Archuleta, Daniel (November 6, 2013). "NASA recognizes local actress as one of its brightest stars". Santa Monica Daily Press . Retrieved October 26, 2025.
  42. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Lentz 2001.
  43. 1 2 Dye, David (1988). Child and Youth Actors: Filmographies of Their Entire Careers, 1914-1985. McFarland. p. 132. ISBN   978-0-89950-247-2.
  44. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 "June Lockhart". TV Guide . Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  45. "The Big Picture - Full Cast & Crew". TV Guide . Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  46. ""Hallmark Hall of Fame" Season 1 (1951-52)". Classic TV Archive. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
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  48. 1 2 Tate & Houser 2022, p. 64.
  49. 1 2 3 4 5 Lentz 1996.
  50. Lentz 1997, p. 440.
  51. Lapham, Jake (October 26, 2025). "Lassie and Lost in Space actress June Lockhart dies aged 100". British Broadcasting Company . Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  52. Lentz, Harris (1997). Television Westerns Episode Guide. McFarland & Co. p. 61. ISBN   0786403772.
  53. "Actress June Lockhart Dead at 100 ... 'Lassie,' 'Lost in Space' Star". TMZ. October 25, 2025. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  54. Amber, Ashley (October 25, 2025). "General Hospital Star June Lockhart Dies at 100". Yahoo Entertainment. SoapHub. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
  55. "Tis The Season - A Hawaiian Christmas Story". Yellow Brick Studio. Retrieved October 29, 2025.

Further reading