Lucille Lund

Born June 3rd, 1913, in Buckley, Washington, Lucille Lund (her real name) studied drama at Chicago's Northwestern University. She won a nationwide contest for ''most beautiful college coed'' in 1933 and the title included a small acting contract with Universal Studios. Lucille went to Hollywood and made her film debut that year in Horseplay, a slapstick comedy starring Slim Summerville, followed by Saturday's Millions, a football film starring Robert Young. Horseplay was released June 1, two days before Lucille's twentieth birthday.

In 1934 she would appear in six productions, including the film for which she is best remembered, The Black Cat, starring Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. The role got her noticed and selected as a WAMPAS Baby Star. Note that it would be the last year that "WAMPAS" selected actresses for that title. Unfortunately, prior to The Black Cat, Lucille had to rebuff Carl Laemmle Jr.'s advances and this didn't sit well with his cronies and she found herself in Pirate Treasure, a decidedly B serial.

When she did shoot The Black Cat, director Edgar G. Ulmer proved a tyrant and sadist, perhaps at Laemmle's urging, and once left Lund hanging in her glass casket while the company and crew went off to lunch. Lucille said it almost killed her. Suffice it to say she left Universal soon after, but little success followed and in 1937 she got married, started a family and after 30 appearances had her last film role in 1939's Charlie Chase comedy short, The Awful Goof. Lucille would continue acting in commercials well into her 50s, but otherwise disappeared from the Hollywood scene.

Lucille died at the age of 88 in Rolling Hills Ca, of natural causes.

Publicity stills

Scenes from The Black Cat

The Black Cat, 1934 - Universal
Kiss and Make-Up, 1934 - Paramount
Prison Shadows, 1936 - Mercury Pictures
Blake of Scotland Yard, 1937 - Victory Pictures

Lucille Lund - What do you think - Allure?