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June Lockhart, a TV icon who was also one of the last surviving veterans of a 1930s movie, died Thursday at 100, People magazine reports.
Lockhart had enjoyed an extraordinarily long, successful career.
Born June 25, 1925, in NYC, she was the daughter of accomplished actors Gene and Kathleen Lockhart. She made her stage debut 92 years ago, at age 8, in “Peter Ibbetson” at the Metropolitan Opera, before the family moved to Beverly Hills.
In 1938, she made her movie debut in an adaptation of the Dickens tale “A Christmas Carol,” playing Belinda opposite her parents as the Cratchits.
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Her early film résumé included small roles in the noteworthy films “All This, and Heaven Too” (1940) with Bette Davis and Charles Boyer; “Adam Had Four Sons” (1941) with Ingrid Bergman; “Sergeant York” (1941) with Gary Cooper; “Miss Annie Rooney” (1942) with Shirley Temple; the Judy Garland classic “Meet Me in St. Louis” (1944); “Keep Your Powder Dry” (1945) with Lana Turner; and “Son of Lassie” (1945), the latter of which was a name that would later figure prominently in her television career.
In 1948, she drew raves with her Broadway debut in “For Love or Money,” earning a special Tony Award for Outstanding Performance by a Newcomer. (This category was retired.)
Lockhart debuted on TV in 1949, earning an Emmy nomination for Best Actress in 1953. After a final return to Broadway, in 1955’s “The Grand Prize,” she guested on such early hits as “Wagon Train” (1958) and “Gunsmoke” (1958). Also in 1958, she began a 200-episode run as Ruth Martin, Lassie’s “mom.” Having joined the phenomenally popular series in Season 5, she stayed on through Season 10.
Her “Lassie” co-star Jon Provost remembered her on Facebook, writing, “She truly was my second mother. I remember some advice June gave me early on. We were on the set and I was misbehaving a bit, being a little mischievous. June took me aside, and very firmly explained to me that we were professionals and that we had a job to do. She told me that I was a young boy playing a young boy, but that one day I would be an adult, playing an adult like her. June was a true professional, with a kind heart and an open mind.”
He went on, “We kept in touch all these years after Lassie until recently, we never missed a Birthday card, Christmas card and phone calls. Love you June, and I will miss you a bunch.”
Lockhart received her second and final Emmy nomination in 1959 for her work on “Lassie.” Lockhart reprised her role (kinda) for a fantasy sequence of “Roseanne” in 1995 that brought together fellow TV moms Alley Mills from “The Wonder Years,” Isabel Sanford from “The Jeffersons,” Barbara Billingsley from “Leave It to Beaver,” and Patricia Crowley from “Please Don’t Eat the Daisies.”
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After guest spots on “Perry Mason,” “Bewitched,” and “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” (all 1964), Lockhart originated the role of Maureen Robinson, the warm but no-nonsense mom on “Lost in Space” (1965-1968). She appeared on all 84 episodes of the show, which developed a cult following thanks to reruns and was revived as a 1998 feature film, as “The Robinsons: Lost in Space” for TV in 2004, and again as “Lost in Space” for TV from 2018-2021.
She was remembered warmly by her son from that show, Billy Mumy, who wrote on Facebook, “Goodbye to the brilliant June Lockhart. A one of a kind, talented, nurturing, adventurous, and non compromising Lady. She did it her way. June will always be one of my very favorite moms. 100 years here. Wow! R.I.P. “
Lockhart had a cameo in the feature film, contributed her voice to a 2021 episode of the last series, and made appearances with her original TV cast from time to time.
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Lockhart recurred as Dr. Craig on “Petticoat Junction” (1968-1970) as a replacement for the late Bea Benaderet. Also in the late ’60s, Lockhart spent six years as a co-host of both the Miss USA Pageant and the Miss Universe Pageant. Her hosting aplomb led to long stints covering the Tournament of Roses Parade and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
A 1970 talk show appearance on “The Virginia Graham Show” has gone viral in recent years, showing Lockhart calmly speaking out for LGBTQ+ rights, a cause she continued to hold dear throughout her life.
Lockhart was a political buff, and traveled with both the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates in 1956 and 1960 — just for fun!
Her later career on TV was dominated by guest appearances on hits like “Happy Days” (1976), “Quincy, M.E.” (1976), “Magnum, P.I.” (1981), “Falcon Crest” and “Knots Landing” (both 1982), “Murder, She Wrote” (1985), a few stints on “General Hospital” (1985, 1992 & 1993), “Roseanne” (1995), “Step by Step” (1996), “Beverly Hills, 90210” (1997-1998), and “The Drew Carey Show” (2002).
Along with the cult-classic made-for-TV spider flick “Curse of the Black Widow” in 1977, her later films included the tawdry drama “Butterfly” (1982) with Pia Zadora, the slasher flick “Deadly Games” (1982), the highly regarded alien-invasion remake “Strange Invaders” (1983), and the monster movie “Troll” (1986).
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She continued working, including in high-profile releases “Sleep with Me” (1994), “Deterrence” (1999), and “One Night at McCool’s” (2001).
Lockhart’s final feature was “The Remake” in 2016. Her voice work as Alpha Control on the next-to-last episode of “Lost in Space” in 2021 marked the finale of an 88-year career in entertainment.
Married and divorced twice, Lockhart is survived by her daughters, actress Anne Lockhart and June Elizabeth Lockhart (who acted briefly as Lizabeth Lockhart), and by her granddaughter.
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