HAPPY 100th BIRTHDAY to one of the greatest TV moms

[+ BOZO T CLOWN]

This Wednesday, June 25, 2025 June Lockhart will celebrate her100th birthday 🎂.
Along with Barbara Billingsley (June Cleaver) and Florence Henderson (Carol Brady), she is considered one of the most iconic TV moms of all time.

June Lockhart played Ruth Martin, Timmy's mother, in the long-running Lassie TV series.

 

She also played Maureen Robinson, matriarch of the Robinson family, in the classic TV series Lost In Space.

 

June Lockhart also co-starred in the last few seasons of Petticoat Junction after actress Bea Benaderet, who portrayed Kate Bradley, mother to the three Bradley sisters, died. Her character, Dr. Janet Craig, town physician, moved into the Shady Rest Hotel playing a mother figure to the three girls.

 

Still looking great at 100!

BTC
🤡

Edited June 23 by BOZO T CLOWN

[jeezifonly]

In the 80’s, she had a role in a horror film, and thru the FX shop, was referred to me for a wig. So Lassie’s mom came to my house, and sat on my patio as I measured and wrapped her head for the pattern.
Terrible movie. Delightful actress. 
Cheers, June! 🥂

[+ BOZO T CLOWN]

2 hours ago, jeezifonly said:

In the 80’s, she had a role in a horror film, and thru the FX shop, was referred to me for a wig. So Lassie’s mom came to my house, and sat on my patio as I measured and wrapped her head for the pattern.
Terrible movie. Delightful actress. 
Cheers, June! 🥂

What a great story! That must have been a thrill.
Bozo is happy to hear you describe her as "delightful".

 

From YouTubeTV:
The amazing June Lockhart, who is 99 and with us as of July 8, 2024, is seen pushing back against homophobia on the September 7, 1970, episode of the daytime series "The Virginia Graham Show." Comic Art Metrano is similarly resistant to host Graham's discomfort. Note: Graham was a TV trailblazer for women, and while she felt homosexuality was against nature, should be private and should be cured, this was STILL to the left of center for the era. This is an exceedingly rare example of the topic being discussed openly on TV.

Took a lot of courage to speak out like this back in 1970.... Just another reason to ❤️ June Lockhart!

BTC
🤡

[Luv2play]

I watched Lassie on TV in the 1950’s. Is that the series she played in? I don’t recall a husband figure. I thought she played a widow or single mom, which was very unusual in those days. 
I could relate as my father’s two older brothers had died young and each left 2 young kids under 10. So my cousins were like the kid in the Lassie series. Or do I remember it wrongly. 

[MikeBiDude]

34 minutes ago, Luv2play said:

I watched Lassie on TV in the 1950’s. Is that the series she played in? I don’t recall a husband figure. I thought she played a widow or single mom, which was very unusual in those days. 
I could relate as my father’s two older brothers had died young and each left 2 young kids under 10. So my cousins were like the kid in the Lassie series. Or do I remember it wrongly. 

Sure there was a dad!

 

 

[+ BOZO T CLOWN]

June Lockhart answers the $64,000 Question: Was Dr. Smith gay?

The answer at the 2:32 mark of the video.

BTC
🤡
 

[Smokey]

June also appeared in the 1938 MGM film adaptation of "A Christmas Carol". She played Belinda Cratchit, one of Bob Cratchit’s children. It was her first movie role, and she appeared alongside her parents, Gene and Kathleen Lockhart, who played Bob and Mrs Cratchit.

[Peter Eater]

Best June quote: “I thoroughly enjoy seeing a beautifully proportioned nude male. So did Michelangelo and Rodin. But if the male is blubbery, he should keep his beer barrel to himself and not be a portly polluter.”

[MaybeMaybeNot]

Recently watched her in "Meet Me in St. Louis."

 

 

Edited June 24 by MaybeMaybeNot
Typo

[Rod Hagen]

20 hours ago, jeezifonly said:

In the 80’s, she had a role in a horror film, and thru the FX shop, was referred to me for a wig. So Lassie’s mom came to my house, and sat on my patio as I measured and wrapped her head for the pattern.
Terrible movie. Delightful actress. 
Cheers, June! 🥂

Now when you are healthy, you should get rid of that giant Hutch because as you get older, it's just another thing to stub your foot on, or worse trip and fall.

That wig is your work?  It's fantastic!  Good for you.

[Luv2play]

21 hours ago, MikeBiDude said:

Sure there was a dad!

 

 

Not in the original series that went from 1954 to 1957. I just looked it up. Jan Clayton played the war widow and she had a son (Retig) and the original Lassie. By 1957 I had outgrown the series and moved on to the Lone Ranger. Lol.

I also think my mother was influenced by that program as she would watch it with me sometimes. The family lived on a farm and the mother was very self sufficient. She drove her own car. My mother lived in the city but didn’t drive. Her younger sister who lived in the US did and after we came back from a visit my mother told my father “I want to drive” and that was that. She took lessons and started driving. 

Edited June 24 by Luv2play

[MikeBiDude]

26 minutes ago, Luv2play said:

Jan Clayton played the war widow and she had a son (Retig)

You’re right! But since the thread was about June Lockhart I guess I was thinking of the post 1957 series.

[+ BOZO T CLOWN]

22 minutes ago, Luv2play said:

Not in the original series that went from 1954 to 1957. Jan Clayton played the war widow and she had a son (Retig) and the original Lassie. By 1957 I had outgrown the series and moved on to the Lone Ranger. Lol.

 @Luv2play is correct.  For the first three seasons (1954 - 1957) Tommy Rettig played the farm boy and Jan Clayton portrayed his widowed mother. The series was revamped in 1957. Jon Provost replaced Tommy Rettig, June Lockhart replaced Jan Clayton, and a father suddenly appeared. 

Little known Lassie fact:
Although Lassie was a female TV role (hence the name Lassie), all of the dogs that portrayed Lassie were male.

"All the dogs portraying Lassie have been male. A female collie was hired to play the lead in Lassie Come Home, but when an opportunity came to film "Lassie" negotiating some rapids, the female reportedly would have nothing to do with the rushing water. Rudd Weatherwax's collie "Pal" was substituted, and not only stole the stunt but won the role. Weatherwax continued to use male collies in the role for a good reason: both sexes shed in the summer (when most movies and television shows traditionally film most of their episodes), an event called "blowing coat," but since the male has thicker fur, he wouldn't look so scrawny during filming. Also, fans tend to think of Lassie as a "big heroic dog." Female collies are usually 10-15 pounds lighter than their male counterparts, therefore a male dog playing Lassie would look more impressive. Female collies were not ignored because they are any less intelligent; in fact, some of Lassie's stunt doubles have been females."

Lassie Web: Lassie Facts

WWW.LASSIEWEB.ORG

---

Trivia and interesting facts about Lassie, the television series, and the people who appeared on it.

Before Bosom Buddies, before Flip Wilson, and before RuPaul's Drag Race there was Lassie! The first drag performer on television 😀.

BTC
🤡

[Luv2play]

My memory is pretty good on details and I would bet that the car she drove in the early series was a Ford Tudor. In those days I could tell every make of car and model year on the road. I would make a game of it driving with my parents.

[JayCeeKy]

Barbara Billingsley played the filthiest mom on TV. I remember one time she said "Ward, don't you think you were a little hard on the beaver last night?"

(Yeah, I know, that's an oldie.) 

[jeezifonly]

15 hours ago, Rod Hagen said:

Now when you are healthy, you should get rid of that giant Hutch because as you get older, it's just another thing to stub your foot on, or worse trip and fall.

That wig is your work?  It's fantastic!  Good for you.

It’s a production still from the film, titled TROLL.

I made the wig, but the production’s hairstylist sure did a great job - Credit where it’s due, thx. 
And I do have a lot of shit to stub on/trip over. But my hutch is built in… 😉

[jeezifonly]

On 6/23/2025 at 12:51 PM, BOZO T CLOWN said:

What a great story! That must have been a thrill.
Bozo is happy to hear you describe her as "delightful".

 

From YouTubeTV:
The amazing June Lockhart, who is 99 and with us as of July 8, 2024, is seen pushing back against homophobia on the September 7, 1970, episode of the daytime series "The Virginia Graham Show." Comic Art Metrano is similarly resistant to host Graham's discomfort. Note: Graham was a TV trailblazer for women, and while she felt homosexuality was against nature, should be private and should be cured, this was STILL to the left of center for the era. This is an exceedingly rare example of the topic being discussed openly on TV.

Took a lot of courage to speak out like this back in 1970.... Just another reason to ❤️ June Lockhart!

BTC
🤡

June was relaxed and a little salty and seemed not put off at all by my “raised by Lassie” fandom. A thrill indeed. (I was sad to have hated the movie…)

[Peter Eater]

13 hours ago, BOZO T CLOWN said:

All the dogs portraying Lassie have been male.

Lassie was trans.