June Lockhart, the graceful and soft-spoken actress who brought earnest maternal wisdom and wistful contentment to two vastly different, yet equally beloved, mid-20th-century television roles, has passed away. Known for her heartwarming portrayal of a farm wife in the classic children’s series ‘Lassie’ and her pioneering spirit as an interplanetary castaway in the futuristic ‘Lost in Space,’ she died on Thursday at her Santa Monica, California home, at the remarkable age of 100.
Her passing was officially announced by her spokesman, Harlan Boll.
Ms. Lockhart stepped into the role of Ruth Martin, a kind farm wife and foster mother to Jon Provost’s character and his heroic collie, Lassie, in 1958. This marked the beginning of the show’s fifth season, where she replaced Cloris Leachman. For six years, she was the epitome of homespun wisdom, a comforting presence for millions of viewers. Eventually, Ms. Lockhart, along with her fellow human co-stars, concluded her time on the show, making way for a new forest-ranger character, played by Robert Bray, who would guide Lassie through fresh adventures.
In 1965, Ms. Lockhart made a triumphant return to series television, taking on the role of a wife, mother, and intrepid interplanetary explorer who finds herself stranded in the hit show ‘Lost in Space.’ Her on-screen family included the unforgettable robot, who famously warned ‘Danger, Will Robinson!’ whenever extraterrestrial threats loomed—a catchphrase as iconic as Lassie’s own alerts to earthly emergencies. The series, known for its charismatic villain (Jonathan Harris as Dr. Smith) and its charmingly low-budget special effects, evolved into a cherished cult classic, gathering a devoted following long after its initial broadcast run.
However, Ms. Lockhart’s experience with stardom began much earlier in her illustrious career. At just 22, she made her Broadway debut in ‘For Love or Money,’ a delightful comedy about an actor and an endearing vagrant. Her performance earned her a Tony Award for best newcomer, a category that no longer exists today.
Her captivating performance, which also earned her the prestigious Theater World Award, led Brooks Atkinson, The New York Times’s esteemed theater critic, to declare her ‘the only fresh idea in the evening.’ He famously suggested she be ‘kept under surveillance on Broadway’ to ensure she wouldn’t return to Hollywood, where she had begun her career nearly a decade prior.
She embarked on her film journey at the tender age of 13, appearing uncredited in the 1938 adaptation of ‘A Christmas Carol.’ Her parents, the Canadian-born actor Gene Lockhart and the British-born actress Kathleen (Arthur) Lockhart, played the beloved Mr. and Mrs. Bob Cratchit, with young June cast as their daughter Belinda. Her very first stage appearance was even earlier, at age 8, in a Metropolitan Opera production of ‘Peter Ibbetson.’
June Kathleen Lockhart was born on June 25, 1925, in the vibrant borough of Manhattan, an only child.
Initially, her parents carefully curated her acting opportunities, reportedly allowing her to participate only in what they deemed particularly prestigious films. Their selections proved excellent, with young June securing supporting roles in notable productions such as ‘Sergeant York’ (1941) alongside Gary Cooper, ‘All This, and Heaven Too’ (1940) with Bette Davis, and ‘Meet Me in St. Louis’ (1944) starring Judy Garland. In a fascinating foreshadowing of her future, she also appeared in ‘Son of Lassie’ (1945) alongside Peter Lawford.
By 1946, she seemed to be charting her own course, taking the lead in ‘She-Wolf of London,’ a horror drama where she and Don Porter were the biggest names. Her foray into television commenced in 1949, portraying Amy March in a ‘Ford Theater Hour’ rendition of ‘Little Women.’ Throughout the 1950s, she graced the screens of at least three dozen television series, including esteemed anthologies like ‘Studio One in Hollywood,’ ‘The United States Steel Hour,’ and ‘Playhouse 90.’
After ‘Lost in Space’ concluded its run in 1968, Ms. Lockhart swiftly joined the cast of the rural sitcom ‘Petticoat Junction,’ stepping in after the passing of its star, Bea Benaderet. She played a new doctor in town and remained with the series until its conclusion two years later.
From 1984 onwards, she held a recurring role in the popular daytime soap opera ‘General Hospital.’ Her career continued with numerous guest appearances on television series and occasional roles in feature films, including ‘Strange Invaders’ (1983), ‘The Big Picture’ (1989), and ‘Sleep With Me’ (1994).
Her final screen appearances included ‘Zombie Hamlet’ (2012), where she played a Southern matron funding an unusual film; ‘The Remake’ (2018), a romantic comedy about actors; and the animated ‘Bongee Bear and the Kingdom of Rhythm’ (2019), lending her voice to Mindy the Owl. She also reprised her role as the voice of Alpha Control in a 2021 episode of the Netflix reboot of ‘Lost in Space.’
Ms. Lockhart married Dr. John F. Maloney, a former Navy physician, in 1951, and together they had two daughters. Following their divorce in 1959, she was briefly married to architect John Lindsay. She is survived by her two daughters, June Elizabeth Trola and the actress Anne Lockhart, as well as four grandchildren.
A staunch political liberal, Ms. Lockhart held no romantic illusions about bygone eras. In a 2004 interview, she candidly spoke of the unfortunate connection between ‘Lassie’ scriptwriters and the McCarthy-era blacklisting.
“When people come up to me and say, ‘Well, sure wish we had wonderful American shows like that the way we used to in the ’50s,’ I say: ‘Let me tell you who wrote those scripts.’ Yes, they were good Americans, and they were in jail.”
In a more lighthearted moment during an NPR interview in 2004, she shared that some astronauts had told her they were inspired to pursue their careers because of ‘Lost in Space.’ (In recognition of her contributions to space exploration, NASA honored her with the Exceptional Public Achievement Medal in 2013.) She playfully contrasted this, saying, “I did ‘Lassie’ for six years and I never had anybody come up to me and say, ‘It made me want to be a farmer.’”