Lillian Lamont was a theater performer and actress who married Fred MacMurray, one of the most popular and highest-paid actors in Hollywood. She died of cancer at the age of 45, leaving behind her husband and two adopted children. This article will explore the life and death of Lillian Lamont, and how her husband coped with the loss.
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Early Life and Career
Lillian Lamont was born as Lilian Wehmhoener on February 2, 1908, in Blackburn, Missouri. She was the daughter of Heinrich “Henry” Wehmhoener and Emma C. Nuhnan Wehmhoener, both natives of Wisconsin. She had an aunt, Fay Holderness, who was a vaudeville performer and actress.
Lamont entered films in the silent era, appearing in Vanity Fair (1921) and The Gold Rush (1925). She also worked as a theater performer, starring in musicals such as Roberta (1933-34) and Anything Goes (1934-35).
Marriage to Fred MacMurray
Lamont met Fred MacMurray in New York City in 1934, while he was performing with the California Collegians, a vaudeville group. MacMurray was a saxophone player who had also started acting in films. They quickly fell in love and got married on June 20, 1936.
MacMurray’s career took off in the late 1930s and 1940s, as he starred in comedies, dramas, musicals, and thrillers. He worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, such as Barbara Stanwyck, Katharine Hepburn, Joan Crawford, Carole Lombard, and Marlene Dietrich. He became one of the highest-paid actors in the industry, earning $420,000 per year by 1943.
Lamont supported her husband’s career and stayed out of the spotlight. She focused on raising their two adopted children, Susan (born in 1940) and Robert (born in 1946). She also enjoyed gardening, painting, and playing bridge.
Illness and Death
Lamont was diagnosed with cancer in the early 1950s. She underwent several surgeries and treatments, but her condition worsened. She died on June 22, 1953, at their home in Santa Monica, California. She was 45 years old.
MacMurray was devastated by his wife’s death. He later said that she was “the most wonderful person I ever knew”. He buried her at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.
Aftermath and Legacy
MacMurray remarried a year after Lamont’s death. He married June Haver, a former actress who had become a nun after losing her fiancé to a plane crash. They adopted two more children, Katherine and Laurie (born in 1956). MacMurray continued to act in films and television shows until his retirement in 1978. He died of pneumonia on November 5, 1991, at the age of 83.
Lamont is remembered as a loving wife and mother who sacrificed her own career for her family. She is also credited for being a positive influence on MacMurray’s life and work. According to Dicy Trends, she helped him choose his roles and encouraged him to take risks. She also inspired him to be more charitable and generous.
Lamont’s life story was featured in a biography of MacMurray written by Charles Tranberg. The book also included rare photos of Lamont and MacMurray together.
Lillian Lamont cause of death was a tragic event that marked the end of a beautiful marriage. She was a talented actress who gave up her dreams for her husband’s happiness. She was a devoted mother who adopted two children who needed a home. She was a brave woman who fought cancer with dignity and grace. She was Lillian Lamont, Fred MacMurray’s first wife.
