Lola Lane was an American actress and one of the Lane Sisters, a family of singers and actresses who appeared in several films together in the 1930s and 1940s. She was also the namesake of Lois Lane, the fictional reporter and love interest of Superman in DC Comics. But how did Lola Lane die and what was her cause of death?
Early Life and Career
Lola Lane was born Dorothy Mullican on May 21, 1906, in Macy, Indiana. She was the second of five daughters born to Dr. Lorenzo A. Mullican, a dentist, and his wife, Cora Bell Hicks, a former reporter. Lola and her sisters, Leota, Rosemary, Priscilla, and Martha, were encouraged by their mother to pursue music and acting. Lola learned to play piano at age 12 and accompanied silent films in a local movie house.
Lola and her sister Leota moved to New York in the late 1920s and performed in vaudeville shows and Broadway musicals. Lola changed her name to avoid confusion with another actress named Dorothy Lane. She was discovered by a talent scout and made her film debut in Speakeasy (1929). She signed a contract with Warner Bros. and appeared in several films, mostly in supporting roles. She was often cast as a tough or glamorous woman, such as a gangster’s moll or a nightclub singer.
Lola’s most famous films were the Four Daughters series, in which she co-starred with her sisters Rosemary and Priscilla, and another actress, Gale Page. The films were Four Daughters (1938), Daughters Courageous (1939), Four Wives (1939), and Four Mothers (1941). They were popular melodramas that showcased the sisters’ singing and acting talents. Lola played the eldest and most outspoken sister, Emma Lemp, who married a composer played by Jeffrey Lynn.
Lola also appeared in the Warner Bros. classic Marked Woman (1937) with Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart. She played one of the prostitutes who testified against a mob boss. She received positive reviews for her performance and was praised for her dramatic range.
Personal Life and Death
Lola was married four times in her life. Her first husband was actor Lew Ayres, whom she married in 1931 and divorced in 1933. Her second husband was director Alexander Hall, whom she married in 1934 and divorced in 1936. Her third husband was director Roland West, whom she married in 1940 and remained with until his death in 1952. Her fourth and final husband was Robert Hanlon, a retired aircraft executive, whom she married in 1955 and stayed with until her death.
Lola was a Democrat and supported the campaign of Adlai Stevenson in the 1952 presidential election. She converted to Catholicism in 1961 and received a Pope Pius X medal for her efforts in religious training of mentally challenged people.
Lola died at her home in Santa Barbara, California, on June 22, 1981, at age 75. Her cause of death was inflammation of arteries, according to Wikipedia. She was buried at Calvary Cemetery in Santa Barbara.
Legacy and Influence
Lola Lane was one of the most versatile and talented actresses of her era. She could play comedy, drama, romance, and musicals with equal skill and charm. She was also a trailblazer for women in Hollywood, as she was one of the first actresses to form her own production company, Lola Lane Productions, in 1946. She produced and starred in two films, The Hard-Boiled Canary (1946) and The Adventurous Blonde (1946), before retiring from the screen.
Lola Lane was also the inspiration for one of the most iconic characters in comic book history, Lois Lane. Jerry Siegel, the co-creator of Superman, named Lois after Lola, whom he had a crush on. He also modeled Lois’s appearance and personality after Lola’s, as he was impressed by her strong and independent roles. Lois Lane first appeared in Action Comics #1 in 1938, the same year that Lola starred in Four Daughters. Lois Lane has since become a symbol of feminism and journalism, and has been portrayed by many actresses in various media adaptations of Superman.
Lola Lane was a star who shone brightly in Hollywood and beyond. She left behind a legacy of memorable films, songs, and performances, as well as a lasting influence on pop culture and comic books. She was a woman who lived up to her name, Lola, which means “strong woman” in Spanish.
