Lora Lee Michel

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Lora Lee Michel
Born (1940-09-13) September 13, 1940 (age 81)
Schulenburg, Texas, US
NationalityAmerican
OccupationChild actress
Years active1948–1950s

Lora Lee Michel (born Virginia Joy Willeford, September 13, 1940) is a former American child actress.[1] She appeared in several A-list feature films in the late 1940s. In 1950 she was the focus of a custody dispute in Beverly Hills, California, in which she alleged that her adopted mother had beaten her and starved her. She came to public attention again in 1963 when she and her third husband were sentenced in Federal court for stealing a car and driving it across state lines.

Early life and family[]

Lora Lee was born in La Grange, Texas, on September 13, 1940.[1] She has one living sister, Barbara Michel Wright.[2] Her birth mother, Lena Smith Brunson, gave her and two other younger siblings up for adoption when Lora Lee was five years old. She was adopted by Otto and Lorraine Michel in Schulenburg, Texas.[3]

Career[]

Lora Lee was a successful child actress in the late 1940s. By the age of 9, she was earning $100 a day.[3] By her own count, she appeared in 19 films.[4]

Custody trial[]

In 1950, Lora Lee told one of her friends that Lorraine Michel was "starving her to keep her small and 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 publicity, filed a countersuit in a Beverly Hills court to reclaim custody of her daughter.[3] During the custody hearing, a widely publicized fist fight occurred between Mrs. Brunson, with Lore Lee's former agent and drama coach, Ona Wargin, and Mrs. Michel, along with her friend, Mrs. Effie Forrest when Mrs. Brunson attempted to hug and physically hold Lora Lee.[5]

At the trial, a clergyman testified that Lora Lee had appeared "terribly bruised" to him, which the girl claimed was from a physical punishment administered by Lorraine.[6] He said he had seen Lora Lee at the home of her drama coach and that she had "black and blue marks on her arms, shoulders, buttocks and legs".[6] However, Lora Lee contradicted his testimony, saying she had not been physically punished but had only been sent to bed.[6] The girl's drama coach backed the claim that Lora Lee was being starved by her adopted parents, testifying that Lorraine had said, "I am determined to conquer her gluttonous appetite".[7] But the judge, who questioned Lora Lee's veracity, ruled the adoption was legal and awarded custody to the Michels and told them to take her back to Texas so she could live a "normal life".[3][4]

Later life[]

Back in Texas, Lora Lee was enrolled at Saint Agnes Academy in Houston and performed in some local theatrical productions.[4] During one of these performances in 1952, she was bitten by a dog. Her foster father sued the American Automobile Insurance Company, claiming her career would be affected by facial disfigurement. The court awarded $1,000 in damages.[8]

Lora Lee went on to marry a man who worked in a drug store. After their divorce, she married Frank Scott, a deserter from the United States Army.[4] She and Scott were arrested in El Paso, Texas, in December 1962 and charged in Federal court with driving a stolen car over state lines.[4] According to newspaper reports, she and Scott had stolen a 1957 Mercury demonstration model in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and drove it to Houston. They then embarked on a six-month trip around the southern and eastern United States after stealing Lora Lee's ex-husband's car, and used three credit cards they found in the glove compartment to tote up $3700 in bills.[9] Scott was sentenced to 27 months in Federal prison while Lora Lee was sentenced to 13 months at the Federal Women's Institution in Alderson, West Virginia.[4]

Filmography[]

Source:[10]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Barrileaux, Gladys (2 Feb 1950). "Mrs. Brunson of Nederland Asks Custody". The Beaumont Journal.
  2. ^ "Lora Lee Michel?". filmboards.com. March 18, 2014. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Little Lora Lee Mixup". Newsweek. 35: 22. 1950.
  4. ^ a b c d e f United Press International (March 3, 1963). "Ex-Child Star Jailed as Thief". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 59 – via Newspapers.com.open access
  5. ^ unknown (9 Feb 1950). "Movie Moppet's Adoption Upheld; Career Ends to Begin Normal Life". The Mirror (Los Angeles).
  6. ^ a b c United Press (March 22, 1950). "Lora Lee Tells Tearful Tale of Hunger and Filched Food". Knoxville News Sentinel. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.open access
  7. ^ "Movie Child Lost Weight, Jury Told". Los Angeles Times. March 23, 1950. p. 33 – via Newspapers.com.open access
  8. ^ "Former Child Film Starlet Awarded $1,000 Damages". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Associated Press. July 18, 1952. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.open access
  9. ^ "Former Schulenberg Child Star Jailed for Stealing Car". The Weimar Mercury. Weimar, Texas. March 7, 1963. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.open access
  10. ^ "Lora Lee Michel". TV Guide. 2020. Retrieved January 30, 2020.

External links[]

  1. ^ "Home". Mysite. Retrieved 2021-06-23.
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