Lucille Lund
USA- Early Life and Career
- Hollywood Debut
- Recognition and Disappointment
- Personal Life and Later Years
- Legacy
Early Life and Career
Lucille Lund, born on June 3, 1913, in Buckley, Washington, was the daughter of Norwegian immigrants Olaf and Laura Lund. Displaying an early talent for performance, she began reciting and performing in local plays. After graduating high school, she joined the Henry Duffy Players, a repertoire theater company.
Lund went on to study drama at Northwestern University in Chicago. Her beauty and poise led her to win the "Most Beautiful College Girl" contest in 1933, earning her a minor contract with Universal Pictures. Her first film role came that same year in "Horseplay."
Hollywood Debut
In 1934, Lund secured a more prominent role in "Saturday's Millions," a sports drama about college football. Her breakthrough came with her casting in "The Black Cat," a horror film based on Edgar Allan Poe's story. The film, starring Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, remains Lund's most notable screen performance.
Recognition and Disappointment
In 1934, Lund was included among the "WAMPAS Baby Stars," a group of promising young actresses promoted by Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers. However, despite the promotion, only a few of the thirteen chosen achieved stardom.
By 1939, Lund had appeared in 30 films, but only 10 had credited her in the cast. Disheartened by the lack of significant roles and the challenges she faced, she left Hollywood.
Personal Life and Later Years
In 1937, Lund married writer and radio performer Kenneth Higgins. They had two daughters, Terry and Kim. Lund retired from acting to raise her family.
In the 1960s, she briefly returned to the screen for commercials. In the 1990s, she attended film festivals honoring the early Golden Age of Hollywood. Her final on-camera appearance was in the 2000 documentary "I Used to be in Pictures."
Legacy
Lucille Lund died on February 15, 2002, at her home in Rolling Hills, California. She was 88 years old and survived by her two daughters, three grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
Despite the modest nature of her Hollywood career, Lund's beauty and talent left a mark on the industry. Her performance in "The Black Cat" remains a testament to her acting ability and is often cited among the highlights of the early horror genre.
