Luana Walters
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Luana Walters (July 22, 1912 - May 19, 1963) was a motion picture actress from Los Angeles, California. Walters was an expert horsewoman which led to her discovery as an actress at a rodeo in Palm Springs, California. She won a woman's bucking contest which was being watched by a movie scout, who noticed her. Her film career began when she visited a friend on a United Artists lot. Douglas Fairbanks Sr. was excited about her screen possibilities and arranged for a film test. However, only three days later Fairbanks went to Europe, and the test was never completed. Not long afterwards Joe Schenck saw Walters on the dance floor at the Cocoanut Grove in Los Angeles, California. After viewing the abbreviated test made by Fairbanks, Schenck offered her a contract with United Artists. The studio did not make a movie in the next six months so Walters' option was not taken up. Walters' screen credits start with an uncredited role in Reaching For The Moon (film) (1930). Her skill as an equestrian helped her in parts in westerns like Ride 'Em Cowboy (1936), Where The West Begins (1938), Mexicali Rose (1939), and Law Of The Wolf (1939). On many occasions Walters made films in which her role was cut out. This began when she made Reaching for the Moon (film) with Fairbanks. Her parts were also deleted from Spawn of the North (1938) and Souls At Sea (1937). The former was a Carole Lombard feature and the latter paired Walters with Robert Cummings. Walters was the first actress to portray Superman's biological mother Lara in a live-action format. She appeared in "Superman Comes to Earth", the first chapter of the 1948 Superman movie serial. Portions of this depiction appear in flashback in "At the Mercy of Atom Man!", the seventh chapter of the 1950 serial Atom Man vs. Superman. In the latter portion of her career Walters was in a number of B-Movie films, most of them of the sci-fi and horror genres. She plays a female reporter on the trail of a fiend's story in The Corpse Vanishes (1942), with Bela Lugosi. She appears as a cellblock guard in Girls In Prison (1956). Her final role came in The She Creature (1956). Luana Walters died of liver failure due to alcoholism in Los Angeles in 1963. Description above from the Wikipedia article Luana Walters, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Known For
Credits
- 1956 ยทGirls in Prisonas Cellblock guard
- 1948 ยทArthur Takes Overas Newspaper Woman
- 1947 ยทShoot to Killas Marian Langdon (as Susan Walters)
- 1943 ยทDrums of Fu Manchuas Mary Randolph
- 1942 ยทBad Men of the Hillsas Laurie Bishop
- 1942 ยทThundering Hoofsas Nancy Kellogg
- 1942 ยทDown Texas Wayas Mary Hopkins
- 1942 ยทThe Corpse Vanishesas Patricia Hunter, Reporter
- 1942 ยทInside the Lawas Dora Mason
- 1942 ยทLawless Plainsmenas Baltimore Bonnie Dixon
- 1942 ยทCaptain Midnightas Fury Shark
- 1942 ยทThe Lone Star Vigilantesas Marcia Banning
- 1941 ยทNo Greater Sinas Sandra James
- 1941 ยทArizona Boundas Ruth Masters
- 1941 ยทAcross the Sierrasas Anne Woodworth
- 1941 ยทThe Kid's Last Rideas Sally Rowell
- 1940 ยทMisbehaving Husbandsas Jane Forbes
- 1940 ยทBlondie Plays Cupidas Millie
- 1940 ยทThe Range Bustersas Carol Thorp
- 1940 ยทThe Tulsa Kidas Mary Wallace
- 1940 ยทThe Durango Kidas Nancy Winslow
- 1940 ยทThe Return of Wild Billas Kate Kilgore
- 1940 ยทDrums of Fu Manchuas Mary Randolph
- 1940 ยทMillionaire Playboyas Resort Girl
- 1939 ยทEternally Yoursas Girl at Shower (uncredited)
- 1939 ยทHoneymoon in Balias Girl Having Her Fortune Told (uncredited)
- 1939 ยทMutiny on the Blackhawkas
- 1939 ยทLaw of the Wolfas Ruth Adams
- 1939 ยทHotel Imperialas Nurse (uncredited)
- 1939 ยทMexicali Roseas Anita Loredo
- 1939 ยทKing of Chinatownas Nightclub Girl (uncredited)
- 1939 ยทCafe Societyas Cigarette Girl
- 1939 ยทParis Honeymoonas Angela
- 1939 ยทFangs of the Wildas Carol Dean
- 1938 ยทSay It in Frenchas Hat Check Girl
- 1938 ยทThanks for the Memoryas Model (uncredited)
- 1938 ยทMarie Antoinetteas Woman in Gaming House (uncredited)
- 1938 ยทAssassin of Youthas Joan Barry
- 1938 ยทThe Buccaneeras Suzette
- 1938 ยทWhere the West Beginsas Lynne Reed
- 1937 ยทYouth on Paroleas Salesgirl (uncredited)
- 1937 ยทUnder Strange Flagsas Dolores de Vargas
- 1936 ยทShadow of Chinatownas Sonya Rokoff
- 1936 ยทShadow of Chinatownas Sonya Rokoff
- 1936 ยทRide 'Em Cowboyas Lillian Howard
- 1936 ยทAces and Eightsas Juanita Hernandez
- 1936 ยทThe Speed Reporteras May
- 1934 ยทThe Third Sexas Elinor Gordon
- 1933 ยทFighting Texansas Jo Ann Carver
- 1932 ยทEnd of the Trailas Luana
- 1932 ยทTwo Secondsas Tart (uncredited)
- 1932 ยทMiss Pinkertonas First Nurse (uncredited)