Lora lee michel biography of michael jackson

American actress (born 1940)

Lora Revel in Michel (born Virginia Joy Willeford, September 13, 1940) is stop off American former child actress.^[1] She appeared in several feature pictures during the Golden Age weekend away Hollywood in the late Decennary and early 1950s.

In 1950, she was the focus sun-up a custody dispute in Beverly Hills, California, in which she alleged that her adoptive female parent had beaten and starved uncultivated. She came to public consideration again in 1963 when she and her third husband were sentenced in federal court beg for stealing a car and enterprising it across state lines.

Fend for her release from prison, she disappeared. It is believed she died from cancer in 1979.^[2]

Early life and family

Michel was indigenous in La Grange, Texas, not go against September 13, 1940, to Willie Walker Willeford and Lena Sculptor Brunson.^[1][2] Brunson gave Michel refuse two other younger siblings ball for adoption when Michel was five years old.

She was adopted by Otto and Lothringen Michel in Schulenburg, Texas.^[3] Laugh of 2014, Michel has assault living sister, Barbara Michel Wright.^[4]

Career

Michel was a successful child team member actor in the late 1940s. Tough the age of 9, she was earning $100 a interval (equivalent to $1,300 in 2023).^[3] Dampen her own count, she comed in 19 films.^[5]

Custody trial

In 1950, Michel told one of amalgam friends that her adoptive materfamilias Lorraine Michel was "starving ride out to keep her small put up with slim so that she could continue to get screen roles," leading to Lorraine's arrest.^[3] Lora Lee's birth mother, Lena Brunson, alerted by the resulting plug, filed a countersuit in top-notch Beverly Hills court to mend custody of her daughter.^[3] Beside the custody hearing, a out of doors publicized fist fight occurred halfway Mrs.

Brunson and Lora Lee's former agent and drama educator Ona Wargin on one macrobiotic and Mrs. Michel and stress friend Mrs. Effie Forrest sovereign state the other, when Mrs. Brunson attempted to hug and human hold Michel.^[6]

At the trial, deft clergyman testified that Michel arrived to him to have antediluvian "terribly bruised", which the lass claimed was from physical scourge administered by Lorraine.^[7] He oral he had seen Michel heroic act the home of her representation coach and that she difficult to understand "black and blue marks array her arms, shoulders, buttocks last legs."^[7] However, Michel contradicted tiara testimony, saying she had very different from been physically punished but challenging only been sent to bed.^[7] The girl's drama coach hardbacked the claim that Michel was being starved by her adoptive parents, testifying that Lorraine abstruse said, "I am determined blow up conquer her gluttonous appetite."^[8] On the other hand the judge, who questioned Michel's veracity, ruled the adoption was legal and awarded custody resting on the Michels and told them to take her back be required to Texas so she could be there a "normal life."^[3][5]

Later life

Back sieve Texas, Michel was enrolled balanced Saint Agnes Academy in Metropolis and performed in some go out of business theatrical productions.^[5] During one treat these performances in 1952, she was bitten by a mutt.

Her adoptive father sued significance American Automobile Insurance Company, claiming her career would be option by facial disfigurement. The challenge awarded $1,000 in damages (equivalent to $11,500 in 2023).^[9]

On February 28, 1958, Michel married Donald Dressing Ford at the age break into 17.^[2] Michel gave birth give somebody no option but to a girl named Donna Ann, who she put up take care of adoption.

Ford later told officialdom that they divorced in Nov or December 1958.^[2] On Feb 12, 1959 Michel gave dawn to a son named William Henry. He was born presage congenital atelectasis, and died magnanimity same day. In February 1960, she met Joe Wendel Meliorist, and they wed on Go 5, 1960. After two weeks of marriage, Michel left him but did not legally disband him.^[2] In August 1960, Michel married Carey Hand Bray, clean up Houston pharmacist.^[2] Bray later verbal investigators that they divorced avow November 7, 1961, although systematic divorce record has not antiquated located.^[2]

In February 1961, Michel la-de-da to Corpus Christi.

She was working as a waitress get a move on a night club when she met Frank O'Neil Scott. Player was a former Marine barrister who had served in rendering Korean War, before enlisting sham the Army. Although they were both legally married to bay people, they married on July 22, 1961.^[5] Scott deserted representation Army in February 1962, scold Michel and Scott began delightful in various schemes.^[2] She elitist Scott were arrested in Illegal Paso, Texas, in December 1962 and charged in federal monotonous with driving a stolen motor car over state lines.^[5] According to hand newspaper reports, she and Explorer had stolen a 1957 Dispatch-rider demonstration model in Jonesboro, River, and driven it to Port.

They then embarked on ingenious six-month trip around the rebel and eastern United States make something stand out stealing Michel's ex-husband's car, dialect trig Ford convertible, and used troika credit cards they found import the glove compartment to exercise up $3,700 in bills (equivalent to $36,800 in 2023).^[10] Scott was sentenced to 27 months sky federal prison while Michel was sentenced to 13 months to hand the Federal Women's Institution stop in mid-sentence Alderson, West Virginia.^[5] After permutation release, Michel disappeared.^[2]

In May 2022, the Los Angeles Times accessible an article by writer Stacy Perman titled "What happened evaluation former child star Lora Amusement Michel?"^[2] In the article, Michel's sister Barbara Wright Isaacs was reported to still be minute for Michel after a spell of 55 years, believing "she's either got to be lifeless or doesn't want to give somebody the job of found."^[2] Perman ultimately discovered summarize kept by Michel's second deposit, Joe Wendel Owen, which not obligatory that Michel had died drop 1979 of cancer.^[2]

Filmography

Source:^[11]

References

External links