The Chilling Story of Veronica Lake

Icy Facts About Veronica Lake, The Peek-A-Boo Girl
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Icy Facts About Veronica Lake, The Peek-A-Boo Girl
Aug 25
PEOPLE
Kyle Climans
In the long history of Hollywood heartbreaks, the story of Veronica Lake is still the most tragic. This screen siren became iconic for her icy blonde hair draped mysteriously over one eye, as well as for her frigid femme fatales. But inside, the placid-looking Lake was a flame burning far too bright, and when her end came, it was quick and brutal.
Veronica Lake Facts
1. She Had A Fake Name
Like so many Hollywood starlets, Veronica Lake had to invent herself from the ground up. Born Constance Frances Marie Ockelman in 1922 in Brooklyn, New York, her early life was about as far away from the silver screen as you can get. After all, her father Harry, who worked for an oil company, and her mother Connie were strictly working middle class. But then, the girl’s ho-hum life took a devastating turn.
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2. Her Father Died Horrifically
When Lake was just 10 years old, her father perished in a horrific Philadelphia industrial explosion. Although her mother remarried, moved Lake around from school to school, and tried to proceed like things were normal, nothing was really ever the same again. Perhaps this is why the matriarch began trying to live vicariously through her daughter, and doing it in an incredibly alarming way…
Film Star Vintage, Flickr
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3. She Had An Intense Stage Mom
Although Lake had an itinerant and alienating childhood, one thing was certain: She was gorgeous. Indeed, by the time Lake attended Miami High School in Florida, she was literally famous around the grounds for her looks. And while Lake wasn’t sure if she wanted to capitalize on her stunning face, her ambitious mother certainly was.
The overbearing Connie pushed Veronica into acting despite the girl's protestations and the immense strain it put on their relationship. Unwilling to take no for an answer, Connie even moved the whole family down to Beverly Hills when Lake was still just 16, all in the hopes she was a star in the making. The women were in for a rude awakening.
Keystone Features, Getty Images
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4. Hollywood Tried To Spit Her Out
After years with no lasting relationships, Lake had trouble connecting with other people or even herself. So, surprise! The rigors of making it in Hollywood only further smashed her self-confidence to smithereens. Lake’s first film role, under the name “Constance Keane,” was a measly part as an extra…which the director eventually chopped entirely from the film.
Embarrassed and discouraged, Lake nearly crumbled under the pressure. Still her mother pushed her on, sure she could dazzle audiences. Unfortunately for Lake, her mother was right.
Paramount Pictures, Wikimedia Commons
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5. A Pro "Discovered" Her
In 1940, Lake got the break of her life. That year, producer Arthur Hornblow, Jr. was on the hunt for a nightclub singer role for his upcoming flick I Wanted Wings , starring William Holden . The moment Hornblow watched Lake's test scene, he knew she was his girl and hired her for the lead female part. This was going to be “it” for Veronica at last—but first, Hornblow made one crucial request.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
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6. Her Stage Name Has A Secret Meaning
Like so many impresarios before him, Hornblow knew that his new find was never going to make it as “Constance Keane.” Accordingly, he suggested she use the name “Veronica Lake.” Besides, Hornblow explained, her eyes were also “calm and clear like a blue lake,” so it fit perfectly. The words were flattering, but the burgeoning starlet’s response shocked the man.
Paramount Pictures, Wikimedia Commons
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7. She Hated Her Name
Although Hornblow had come up with a star-making name, he was missing one excruciating detail. Lake herself hated it, and for a heartbreaking reason.  As it happened, “Veronica” was her mother’s real name, and Lake wanted nothing more than to be free of her domineering parent. According to the star, when she heard that was her new stage name, “I just sat down and cried.” But before she could speak up, it was way too late...
Trailer screenshot, Wikimedia Commons
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8. She Was An Instant Success
Lake was still a teenager when I Wanted Wings came out, but she turned into a full-blown star overnight. Although she had never grown much beyond five feet in height, audiences couldn’t help but notice her; as one review put it, she was "seductive, mischievous, with a delectable voice and mien." The hype was so big, people called her the “find of 1941” before the film even came out.
Even so, her burgeoning fans didn’t know the nightmare going on behind the scenes.
Paramount, I Wanted Wings (1941)
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9. She Was A Huge Diva
In a problem that would become increasingly pronounced, Lake wasn’t very reliable or likable on the set of I Wanted Wings.  To be frank, the tiny teenager already had a big attitude. She missed her call times so frequently that director Mitchell Leisen ordered her to stay on set for the whole day so he'd always know where she was. But if Lake was already something of a diva, it wasn't going to get any better.
Paramount, I Wanted Wings (1941)
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10. She Made A Happy Mistake On Set
In I Wanted Wings , one scene turned Veronica Lake into a household name . During one day of the shoot, Lake’s hair kept accidentally falling into one of her eyes, creating a “peek-a-boo” draping effect. Although the self-conscious actress thought “I had ruined my chances for the role,” her producer Arthur Hornblow, as always, understood the star-power in front of him, and encouraged her to keep doing it. What followed was a sensation.
Paramount, I Wanted Wings (1941)
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11. She Had An Iconic Hairstyle
Men couldn’t get enough of Veronica Lake, but women couldn’t get enough of her hairstyle. The I Wanted Wings  peek-a-boo look quickly became all the rage among the stylish set, and continues to be synonymous with mysterious elegance today; just ask Jessica Rabbit, who sports Lake’s swoop, too. At long last, Lake was at the top of her game…but she was already getting dangerously distracted.
Touchstone, Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
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12. She Liked Older Men
In 1940, the teenaged Lake met and fell in love with the art director John S. Detlie. Yet this was no fairy tale . Although Lake was something like 18 years old, Detlie was 14 years her senior and much more established in the Hollywood industry. Still, this didn’t stop Lake from jumping in with both feet and marrying him soon after meeting him. It all happened way too fast—and boy, did it catch up with her.
Gene Lester, Getty Images
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13. She Tried To Be A Rom-Com Darling
Following the success of I Wanted Wings , Lake’s studio plopped her into Sullivan’s Travels opposite actor Joel McCrea and under hot-ticket rom-com director Preston Sturges. The  Veronica Lake was officially a star, so everyone expected the film was going to be a huge hit. But when Lake walked onto set the first day, her director nearly gasped out loud.
United Artists studio photographer, Wikimedia Commons…

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