Veronica Lake Part II

Veronica suffered growing anxiety, and she medicated herself with alcohol. John joined the army and moved to a base in Seattle. He was infuriated that Veronica wouldn't abandon her career to be with him. The few times that they say each other, they argued constantly.

When Veronica became pregnant again, she hadn't seen John for months. She was rushed to the hospital after tripping over a cable on the set one day on the set. There she gave birth early. The child died of uremic poisoning soon after. Though John attended services for the baby, the marriage was over.

Now Veronica was beginning to lose her appeal with the public. The hair gimmick was fading and the studio continued to give her low quality films, assuming her popularity would draw the crowds. Her increasingly cocky behavior on the set, most of it common symptoms of schizophrenia, earned her the nickname "the bitch". In 1946, she appeared with Alan Ladd in the last successful film of her career, the film noir The Blue Dahlia.

As her career failed, she had married Hungarian director Andre DeToth in 1944. DeToth had an explosive temper that often led to him being replaced on films. He was also manipulative of Veronica and spent her money so freely that they were nearly bankrupt. They had two children, Michael and Diane, but the marriage only lasted until 1952.

Veronica moved the children to New York and found an apartment in Greenwich Village. There she enjoyed minor success on television and in her first stage roles. She also met and married songwriter Joe McCarthy Jr.. Unfortunattely, the marriage was only peaceful when they were drinking. They divorced in 1959.

While married, Veronica hadn't been acting and her alimony didn't cover the rent. She was evicted, and moved into a less expensive apartment. Elaine was now married and Diane went to boarding school in Switzerland near her father. With only Michael to take care of, she put him in boarding school and joined a touring company. The productions were modest, but she enjoyed the work.

However, Veronica suffered another setback. She was dancing at a party when her partner fell on her leg and broke it. She had to wear a cast for months, and without work, she ran out of money again. Veronica was dependent on friends for groceries and rent money.

Go To Page: 1 2 3