June Vlasek (Lang)

Born Winifred June Vlasek on May 5, 1915 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, June, who changed her last name to Lang after five of her 40 films, originally trained as a dancer. She made her film debut with Fox in 1932 and her most well known role during that period was in the Chandu the Magician. She then began to be seen fairly frequently in B-movies, usually in a secondary, but prominent role. In 1934, she appeared with Laurel and Hardy in Bonnie Scotland (1935), with Warner Baxter and Fredric March in The Road to Glory (1936), and as Shirley Temple's mother in Wee Willie Winkie (1937). She also co-starred with fellow Fox player Lynn Bari in Meet the Girls (1938), a short-lived attempt to promote a series of "smart girl/dumb girl" comedies.

A comfortable, if not totally successful career was unfortunately cut short after the 1940 marriage to her second husband, convicted mobster John Roselli. Fox released her from her contract that year so as not to be associated in any way with the "criminal element". Although she divorced Roselli a year later, she found it difficult to secure work. It should be noted that at the time of the marriage, June was not aware that Roselli was a mafia boss; he had passed himself off as an aspiring movie producer. By 1943, she was playing unbilled bits in films like Flesh and Fantasy (1943) and Up in Arms (1944). June Lang's last film was Lighthouse (1947).

June died at age 90 in Valley Village, California.


Two June Lang images from Movies magazine - January 1934. They are included in an article bylined by June where she discusses the importance of a good complexion.

Studio promotion still

June Lang - What do you think - Allure?