[86][87] She was then featured in William A. Fraker's underseen mystery A Reflection of Fear (1972), which required her to project the image of a character nearly half her age, and held the title role in The Second Coming of Suzanne (1974), winner of three gold medals at the Atlanta Film Festival. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. [106] Locke wasn't even nominated and received mixed critical response at best: on the upside, Vincent Canby of The New York Times said "Locke is not only pretty, but also occasionally genuinely funny"[107] and Los Angeles Times critic Kevin Thomas stated that Locke "has not received such a rich opportunity since her Academy Award-nominated debut";[108] in contrast, Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune said "she's wasted here"[109] and TV Guide felt that "Locke is simply repulsive. Learn more about managing a memorial . (December 14, 2018). An alumna of Middle Tennessee State University, Locke broke into regional show business with assorted posts at the Nashville-based radio station WSM-AM, then segued into television as a promotions assistant for WSM-TV. [48] "It was just an immediate attraction between the two of us," Locke recalled in a 2012 documentary. "[41], For his part, Eastwood waved the lawsuit off as a "dime-novel plot,"[204] continuing, "it's all about money about getting something for nothing. [200][201] According to Locke's attorney Peggy Garrity, Eastwood committed "the ultimate betrayal" by arranging the "bogus" deal as a way to keep her out of work. [41] She first met Eastwood in 1972 when she unsuccessfully lobbied for the title role in his film Breezy (1973);[167] they became involved upon arrival at the shooting location of The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) in Page, Arizona. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Locke, who was nominated for an Academy Award for her first film role in The Heart is. Liz Smith. Various dates were given by the press for Locke's birth. "[212] "I feel elated. SONDRA Locke, who has died of cancer aged 74, was the long-time partner and regular co-star of Clint Eastwood in such movies as the classic 1976 western The Outlaw Josey Wales and the 1978. [114] She portrayed country singer Lynn Halsey-Taylor in the adventure-comedy. As to the abortions, I told Locke that whether to have children or terminate her pregnancies was a decision entirely hers. Brad Schmitt. She later sued Clint Eastwood for both palimony and fraud, but settled both cases. According to the Associated. Roderick Mann. I wasnt prepared for the way our eyes seemed to instantly fuse. For the next seven years, she was effectively under contract to Eastwood, who was believed to have left his wife for her. As sorry as people are going to be, it was far more devastating to me to find out who he really was.. During this period, Eastwood did a few movies that had no prominent female character for Locke to play. She was born Sandra Louise Smith in 1944 in Tennessee and took her stepfather's last name to come up with her stage name Sondra Locke. "[32] She never knew her biological father,[48] and did not attend the funerals of her mother (deceased 1997)[49] or stepfather (deceased 2007),[50] nor did she have anything to do with her brother, sister-in-law and three nieces. Try again later. They automatically assumed I was working exclusively with Clint.. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. Sign up for our daily Hollywood newsletter and never miss a story. Actress. I understood it would be at the risk of our relationship, Locke said to the Post, referring to her desire to move away from Eastwood films. In it she called Eastwood "a completely evil, manipulating, lying excuse for a man. [27][42][51][f] Donald blamed Gordon Anderson Locke's best friend since adolescence and future husband for the rift, claiming Anderson had "an almost hypnotic spell on her. [33] "He didn't like the idea of me being away from him. [181] In 1979, at the age of 35, Locke underwent a tubal ligation at UCLA Medical Center, citing Eastwood's adamancy that parenthood would not fit into their lifestyle. Theyre one of Hollywoods brightest starsand most troubled actors. She also appeared in such television series as "Night Gallery," "Kung Fu," "Barnaby Jones," and "Cannon." "Say, is that C.J. How did it come to this? [203] One juror disclosed that the panel sided with Locke by a 10-to-2 vote (nine votes are needed for a verdict) and were only debating the amount. The 42 Best Romantic Comedies of All Time, The 25 Best Shows on Netflix to Watch Right Now. "Sondra Locke: A match for the macho Clint Eastwood". In 2014, it was announced that Locke would serve as an executive producer on the Eli Roth film Knock Knock, starring Keanu Reeves. [236] By the time of Trading Favors (1997), her fourth effort, still only eight percent of all films were made by women, per the Directors Guild of America. [59] Dr. Walter Rowe Courtenay presided over the ceremony. She achieved recognition for her relationship with Clint Eastwood and the six hit films they made together. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. Locke was an accomplished actress, making her debut in the 1968 drama The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter alongside Alan Arkin. "Locke, Soul Set for Cannon Roles". Born Sandra Louise Smith, she spent a year at Middle Tennessee State University before a friend helped her prepare for a role in the 1968. Her mother married Alfred Locke, a carpenter, when she was four. [21][22][23][24] Despite this, she wasn't considered "date material" by the more socially prominent boys in her class. [123] When asked why she'd been absent from her longtime beau's recent star vehicles, Locke replied simply, "I wasn't right for the roles. And when I did, that was the beginning of the end.. [128] She filed a $70 million palimony suit on April 26,[100][168] charging Eastwood with breach of contract, emotional distress, forcible entry and possession of stolen goods. In 1968, she made her film debut in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She did have a background working her way up learning her craft, and she showed promise as a director later on in her career. "[205] According to Locke, "in this business, people get so accustomed to being abused, they just accept the abuse and say, 'Well, that's just the way it is.' They ultimately settled the suit, with Locke securing a three-year, $1.5 million deal with Warner Bros. to develop directing projects. [232] So hidden had basic facts been kept, that The New York Times oxymoronically noted 41 days after she died: "A list of survivors was not immediately [sic] available."[233]. "Hollywood stars to help Shelbyville native's film". "I think it meant just as much to her. She was 74. Siskel & Ebert gave the film "two thumbs up". [38] Self-described as introspective[39] and ambitious,[40] Locke started working part-time at age 16, drove her own car, and had a phone installed in her bedroom. "[153] Anderson, according to the scant AP report, was unreachable,[153] and a representative for Locke ignored People's request for comment. All rights reserved. Resend Activation Email. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. In a landmark decision,[240] California's Supreme Court ruled that access to civil trials could no longer be closed off to the public. The stars tell all about their relationship off-camera and on in an excerpt from the rich new oral history. Sondra Locke, Oscar-Nominated Actress for 'The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter,' Dies at 74. Im sorry he is who he is, she said just before her book came out. Which is your favorite movie produced or executive produced by Albert S. Ruddy? Please enter your email and password to sign in. [133] The film was screened at Laemmle Music Hall on May 6, 2018, less than six months before Locke died. [113] She was awarded the West Hollywood property (valued at $2.2 million), $450,000 cash and unspecified monthly support payments as well. [41] From 1958, she attended Shelbyville Central High School, where she was again valedictorian and voted "Duchess of Studiousness" by classmates. She was 74. "[105] Eastwood predicted that she would win an Oscar for her performance. She continued steadily working from that point, but her careerand lifechanged forever when she was cast alongside Eastwood in the 1976 Western The Outlaw Josey Wales. "Locke Is Big With Eastwood". Sandra Louise Anderson ( ne Smith; May 28, 1944 - November 3, 2018), professionally known as Sondra Locke, was an American actress and director. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. The pair began dating on the set, sparking a relationship that would last for 13 years and spawn five more movies, the last being Sudden Impact in 1983. Family members linked to this person will appear here. "[33] She had a maternal half-brother, Donald (born April 26, 1946) from Bayne's subsequent brief marriage to William B. [19] They remained married for 51 years until her death in 2018. If you were in Clint Eastwood movies, you were in the Clint Eastwood movie business, she explained. Eight years before they met, she had already received Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for her accomplished debut as Mick, a southern teenager who befriends a deaf-mute man (Alan Arkin) in the 1968 adaptation of Carson McCullers novel The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter. [32] In her autobiography, Locke noted that "although Momma would not admit it, I knew Mr. Smith never married my mother. Steve Ryfle. From 1990 to 1993, her lawyer Peggy Garrity claimed, Locke proposed 30 films to the studio, all of which were turned down. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Sondra Locke (1944 - 2018) was an Academy Award-nominated actress and frequent co-star of Clint Eastwood. "[96], In 1975, Locke was cast in the western film The Outlaw Josey Wales as the love interest of Clint Eastwood's eponymous character. Sondra Locke later proved herself as a film director. She would later direct and produce several films. Locke died on November 3, but her death has just been reported. By 1989, it was clear the relationship was falling apart, she said. cemeteries found in Westwood, Los Angeles County, California, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. [93] In the 1972 Night Gallery episode "A Feast of Blood",[94] she played the victim of a curse planted by Norman Lloyd; the recipient of a brooch that devoured her. Clint Eastwood Appears in Public With His Secret Daughter for the First Time, "The wild story of Clint Eastwood's eight children", "Sondra Locke & Clint Eastwood: Inside Their Rocky Hollywood Romance", "Hollywood love affair with abortions topic of 'The Choices We Made', "Sondra Locke, Oscar-Nominated Actress and Longtime Clint Eastwood Partner, Dies at 74", "Is photo of Clint Eastwood's 8 children 'blended family harmony' or cruel abandonment? Her legal name was changed four times during her first 24 years of life: from Sandra Smith to Sandra Elkins, to Sandra Locke, to Sondra Locke, to Sondra Anderson. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. Jeanne Miller. Nearly three decades later, Locke said she still got those photos in fan mail requesting her autograph. and co-chairman of Warner Bros., said when questioned that the deal did not guarantee any films would be produced and, because the deal was not exclusive, she was free to take projects to other studios. [127] She was also bumped from The Oprah Winfrey Show and, in her words, "shut out of most venues to promote the book, in particular the networks. It was only when she tried to step away from Clint's s Continue Reading 22 2 Savannah Thompson [136], On September 25, 1967,[61] Locke married sculptor Gordon Leigh Anderson[m] (born August 2, 1944, Batesville, Arkansas) at the First Presbyterian Church in Nashville,[143] one week after The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter commenced principal photography. [33] Conversely, the media's running narrative was that Eastwood "left"[148] or "walked out on"[163] his wife for Locke as opposed to simply giving up the facade. Sondra Locke, an Academy Award nominated actress, and a long-time lover of Clint Eastwood, has died at the age of 74 following a battle with breast and bone cancer, this after having undergone. Pauline Locke interviewed by Leon Wagener, 1989. [68][168][127][220][221] Unfazed by their 17-year age difference and that Locke was only three years younger than his mother[222][223] they soon went public with the romance, dining at paparazzi hotspot Spago on one of their early dates in November 1990. [83] Shortly afterwards she passed on the lead in My Sweet Charlie (1970), which won an Emmy for its eventual star Patty Duke. Try again later. Failed to delete memorial. "Eastwood's Ex Hit Hard by Sudden Impact of Breakup". For a long time it was falsely presumed that Locke and Anderson had divorced. She was nominated for her screen debut in "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter" (1968), based. [77] The Playboy layout established Locke's status as a sex symbol, and the images were recycled in other men's magazines as her fame increased. Sources are divided as to whether she was born in Alabama or Tennessee. Smith departed the scene before Sondra's birth. [248] Locke attended one of those performances in 2004 at the Tiffany Theater in West Hollywood. She was 74. [33] Locke later defensively declared: "Clint is not good at direct communication. Sorry! She starred with him in The Gauntlet (1977), as a prostitute escorted by a cop to testify in a mafia trial, and in the redneck comedies Every Which Way But Loose (1978) and its sequel Any Which Way You Can (1980) though they were both upstaged in those movies by their co-star, Clyde the orangutan. "Sex Stars of 1969'". [168][r] After wrapping the film in December 1975, the couple shuttled between Eastwood's houses in Sherman Oaks and Carmel, as well as rented homes in San Francisco and Tiburon. So she filed another suit, alleging that Eastwood defrauded her, and that the Warner Bros. deal she had been given was not real. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? [i] After callbacks in New Orleans and Manhattan, she was cast in the role by recommendation from Marion Dougherty. Newer Post Home CONTACT US [204] Before any court decision could be made, Locke settled the case with Eastwood for an undisclosed amount of money. [91] The San Francisco-set drama was to be directed by Mal Karman and shot by cinematographer Robert Primes, who did camerawork for Gimme Shelter, but it was scrapped for lack of funds. [111] The home invasion film Death Game (1977), though released after they became an item, was actually shot in 1974. [115] The New York Times critic Janet Maslin noticed that "each of them works more delicately here than they have together previously. Play. This browser does not support getting your location. She claimed to have been born several years later than 1944, and her true age remained a secret throughout her career. [126] In a subsequent interview with Siskel, Locke said she wasn't eager to act again.