Sondra Locke
Encyclopedia
Sondra Locke is an American actress, singer and film director
.
She made her film debut in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
(1968), for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
. From 1976 to 1983, she appeared in six films with then partner Clint Eastwood
, starting with The Outlaw Josey Wales
, and ending with the fourth Dirty Harry
film, Sudden Impact
, where she played a serial killer seeking revenge for a past rape.
. Her parents are Raymond Smith, who served in the military, and Pauline Bayne Locke, a pencil factory worker. They separated before she was born and her mother quickly married Alfred Taylor Locke (1922–2007), a construction worker. She has a younger half-brother, Don. Locke was the valedictorian
of the Shelbyville Central High School class of 1962. She attended Middle Tennessee State University
for a year, before dropping out to pursue an acting career.
, in which she played a lonely teenage waif who develops a bond with a deaf-mute man (played by Alan Arkin
) in a small southern town. Locke, who was in her early 20s at the time, deceived the producers by stating that she was 17 and bound her breasts to be convincing for the role. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
as well as two Golden Globe Award
s, one for Best Supporting Actress and the other for Most Promising Newcomer. Despite her early success, it took several years before her career took off again. In the early 1970s, she appeared in a number of independent films such as The Second Coming of Suzanne
and Willard
. She also guest starred on television shows, including Barnaby Jones
and Kung Fu
. In the Night Gallery
episode "A Feast of Blood" she played the victim of a curse planted by Norman Lloyd
; the recipient of a brooch that devoured her.
Locke got a career boost in 1976 when she played a pioneer woman opposite Clint Eastwood
in the western classic The Outlaw Josey Wales
. With Eastwood as her leading man, Locke went on to star in a number of blockbuster hits. Her notable film roles include playing a foul-mouthed prostitute in the action film The Gauntlet and a spoiled heiress who joins a traveling Wild West show in Bronco Billy
. She played a country singer in the comedy Every Which Way But Loose, which was the second-highest grossing film of 1978. She reprised her role in the sequel, Any Which Way You Can
, in 1980. She starred as a revenge-seeking murderess in 1983's Sudden Impact
, which became the most successful of the Dirty Harry
film franchise.
Locke has recorded several songs, including some for the Which Way films. At one point, she was trying to get a record contract. Locke made her directing debut in 1986 with the comedy Ratboy
and later directed the thriller Impulse
in 1990. Both films were financed by Eastwood. Afterwards, her film work was infrequent. She directed the made-for-television movie Death in Small Doses and the independent film Do Me A Favor. After 13 years away from acting, she returned in two little-seen independent films in 1999. Locke hasn't worked in the film industry since then. She was the inspiration for the 2005 film Our Very Own
, which focuses on five southern teenagers from her native hometown who celebrate Locke's success.
. They cohabited from 1975 to 1989. During the early years of the relationship, Locke had two abortions and a tubal ligation
, which she claims were at Eastwood's request.
, after he changed the locks on their house and placed her belongings in storage. They settled in 1990, with Eastwood giving her a directing contract with Warner Bros. in exchange for her dropping the suit. However, the studio never hired her to direct and rejected all of the 30+ film projects she proposed. In 1996, Locke hired famed entertainment attorney Neil Papiano
and sued Eastwood for fraud
, alleging that he had compensated Warner Bros. for the contract. The case was left in the jury's hands, with analysts predicting that Locke would win. In 1999, Eastwood and Locke agreed to settle out of court for a reportedly large amount. The details of the settlement were not publicly disclosed. The case is used in some modern law school contracts textbooks to illustrate the legal concept of good faith
.
survivor. In 1990 she underwent a double mastectomy
. During her treatment, Locke began a relationship with Dr. Scott Cunneen, the Chief of Surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
. They began cohabiting in 1996, but are no longer together.
In 1997 she published an autobiography titled The Good, the Bad, and the Very Ugly.
In 2001, Locke purchased a large, six-bedroom home in the Hollywood Hills
, an affluent and exclusive neighborhood of Los Angeles
, California
in the southeastern Santa Monica Mountains
.
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
.
She made her film debut in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (film)
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter is a 1968 film adaptation of the Carson McCullers novel of the same name. It was directed by Robert Ellis Miller. It stars Alan Arkin, Sondra Locke, Laurinda Barrett, Stacy Keach, Percy Rodriguez, Chuck McCann and Cicely Tyson...
(1968), for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
. From 1976 to 1983, she appeared in six films with then partner Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
, starting with The Outlaw Josey Wales
The Outlaw Josey Wales
The Outlaw Josey Wales is a 1976 American revisionist Western film set during and after the end of the American Civil War. It was directed by and starred Clint Eastwood , with Chief Dan George, Sondra Locke, Sam Bottoms, and Geraldine Keams.The film was adapted by Sonia Chernus and Philip Kaufman...
, and ending with the fourth Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry is a 1971 American crime thriller produced and directed by Don Siegel, the first in the Dirty Harry series. Clint Eastwood plays the title role, in his first outing as San Francisco Police Department Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan....
film, Sudden Impact
Sudden Impact
Sudden Impact is a 1983 American crime thriller and the fourth film in the Dirty Harry series, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood...
, where she played a serial killer seeking revenge for a past rape.
Early life
She was born and raised in Shelbyville, TennesseeShelbyville, Tennessee
Shelbyville is a city in Bedford County, Tennessee, United States. It had a local population of 16,105 residents at the 2000 census. Shelbyville, the county seat of Bedford County, was laid out in 1810 and incorporated in 1819...
. Her parents are Raymond Smith, who served in the military, and Pauline Bayne Locke, a pencil factory worker. They separated before she was born and her mother quickly married Alfred Taylor Locke (1922–2007), a construction worker. She has a younger half-brother, Don. Locke was the valedictorian
Valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony. Usually, the valedictorian is the highest ranked student among those graduating from an educational institution...
of the Shelbyville Central High School class of 1962. She attended Middle Tennessee State University
Middle Tennessee State University
Middle Tennessee State University, commonly abbreviated as MTSU, is a public university located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, United States....
for a year, before dropping out to pursue an acting career.
Career
Locke won a nationwide talent search for the 1968 film The Heart is a Lonely HunterThe Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (film)
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter is a 1968 film adaptation of the Carson McCullers novel of the same name. It was directed by Robert Ellis Miller. It stars Alan Arkin, Sondra Locke, Laurinda Barrett, Stacy Keach, Percy Rodriguez, Chuck McCann and Cicely Tyson...
, in which she played a lonely teenage waif who develops a bond with a deaf-mute man (played by Alan Arkin
Alan Arkin
Alan Wolf Arkin is an American actor, director, musician and singer. He is known for starring in such films as Wait Until Dark, The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Catch-22, The In-Laws, Edward Scissorhands, Glengarry Glen Ross, Marley & Me, and...
) in a small southern town. Locke, who was in her early 20s at the time, deceived the producers by stating that she was 17 and bound her breasts to be convincing for the role. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
as well as two Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
s, one for Best Supporting Actress and the other for Most Promising Newcomer. Despite her early success, it took several years before her career took off again. In the early 1970s, she appeared in a number of independent films such as The Second Coming of Suzanne
The Second Coming of Suzanne
The Second Coming of Suzanne is a 1974 film directed by Michael Barry. It stars Jared Martin as an obsessed San Francisco indie film maker who hires a beautiful young woman called Suzanne to star as a female Christ in his next film...
and Willard
Willard (1971 film)
Willard is a 1971 horror film starring Bruce Davison and Ernest Borgnine, directed by Daniel Mann. The movie is based on the novel Ratman's Notebooks by Stephen Gilbert, and was nominated for an Edgar Award for best picture...
. She also guest starred on television shows, including Barnaby Jones
Barnaby Jones
Barnaby Jones is a television detective series starring Buddy Ebsen and Lee Meriwether as father- and daughter-in-law who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles. A spin-off from Cannon, the show ran on CBS from January 28, 1973 to April 3, 1980, beginning as a midseason replacement...
and Kung Fu
Kung Fu (TV series)
Kung Fu is an American television series that starred David Carradine. It was created by Ed Spielman, directed and produced by Jerry Thorpe, and developed by Herman Miller, who was also a writer for, and co-producer of, the series...
. In the Night Gallery
Night Gallery
Night Gallery is an American anthology series that aired on NBC from 1970 to 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, The Twilight Zone, served both as the on-air host of Night Gallery and as a major contributor of scripts, although...
episode "A Feast of Blood" she played the victim of a curse planted by Norman Lloyd
Norman Lloyd
Norman Lloyd is an American actor, producer, and director with a career in entertainment spanning more than seven decades. Lloyd, who currently resides in Los Angeles, has appeared in over sixty films and television shows....
; the recipient of a brooch that devoured her.
Locke got a career boost in 1976 when she played a pioneer woman opposite Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
in the western classic The Outlaw Josey Wales
The Outlaw Josey Wales
The Outlaw Josey Wales is a 1976 American revisionist Western film set during and after the end of the American Civil War. It was directed by and starred Clint Eastwood , with Chief Dan George, Sondra Locke, Sam Bottoms, and Geraldine Keams.The film was adapted by Sonia Chernus and Philip Kaufman...
. With Eastwood as her leading man, Locke went on to star in a number of blockbuster hits. Her notable film roles include playing a foul-mouthed prostitute in the action film The Gauntlet and a spoiled heiress who joins a traveling Wild West show in Bronco Billy
Bronco Billy
Bronco Billy is a 1980 American film starring Clint Eastwood and Sondra Locke. It was directed by Eastwood and written by Dennis Hackin.-Plot:...
. She played a country singer in the comedy Every Which Way But Loose, which was the second-highest grossing film of 1978. She reprised her role in the sequel, Any Which Way You Can
Any Which Way You Can
* Beers To You** Written by Steve Dorff , John Durrill , Sandy Pinkard and Snuff Garrett ** Sung by Ray Charles and Clint Eastwood* Any Which Way You Can...
, in 1980. She starred as a revenge-seeking murderess in 1983's Sudden Impact
Sudden Impact
Sudden Impact is a 1983 American crime thriller and the fourth film in the Dirty Harry series, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood...
, which became the most successful of the Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry (film series)
Dirty Harry is the name of a series of films and novels starring fictional San Francisco Police Department Homicide Division Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan, portrayed by Clint Eastwood...
film franchise.
Locke has recorded several songs, including some for the Which Way films. At one point, she was trying to get a record contract. Locke made her directing debut in 1986 with the comedy Ratboy
Ratboy
Ratboy is a film released in 1986 and directed by and starring Sondra Locke. Though the film had a troubled production and was both a critical and commercial failure , it has maintained somewhat of a cult status throughout the years due to its make-up effects designed by Rick Baker.Ratboy did...
and later directed the thriller Impulse
Impulse (1990 film)
Impulse is a 1990 thriller film about a female police officer who works undercover as a prostitute on the streets of Los Angeles. The film was directed by Sondra Locke, and stars Theresa Russell, Jeff Fahey, and George Dzundza....
in 1990. Both films were financed by Eastwood. Afterwards, her film work was infrequent. She directed the made-for-television movie Death in Small Doses and the independent film Do Me A Favor. After 13 years away from acting, she returned in two little-seen independent films in 1999. Locke hasn't worked in the film industry since then. She was the inspiration for the 2005 film Our Very Own
Our Very Own
Our Very Own is a 2005 American drama film written and directed by Cameron Watson. The screenplay focuses on five small town teenagers whose dreams of a better life have been inspired by the Hollywood success of one-time local girl Sondra Locke....
, which focuses on five southern teenagers from her native hometown who celebrate Locke's success.
Marriage
Locke married sculptor Gordon Anderson on September 25, 1967. Anderson is homosexual and Locke says their marriage was never consummated, although they have been close friends for many years and remain legally married.Domestic partnership
Sondra Locke had a fourteen-year relationship with actor Clint EastwoodClint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
. They cohabited from 1975 to 1989. During the early years of the relationship, Locke had two abortions and a tubal ligation
Tubal ligation
Tubal ligation or tubectomy is a surgical procedure for sterilization in which a woman's fallopian tubes are clamped and blocked, or severed and sealed, either method of which prevents eggs from reaching the uterus for fertilization...
, which she claims were at Eastwood's request.
Lawsuits
In 1989, Locke sued Eastwood for palimonyPalimony
Palimony is a popular term used to describe the division of financial assets and real property on the termination of a personal live-in relationship wherein the parties are not legally married. The term is a portmanteau of the words pal and alimony...
, after he changed the locks on their house and placed her belongings in storage. They settled in 1990, with Eastwood giving her a directing contract with Warner Bros. in exchange for her dropping the suit. However, the studio never hired her to direct and rejected all of the 30+ film projects she proposed. In 1996, Locke hired famed entertainment attorney Neil Papiano
Neil Papiano
Neil Papiano born , in Salt Lake City, Utah, is an American lawyer, and managing partner of Iverson, Yoakum, Papiano & Hatch. He received B.A. and M.A. degrees from Stanford University, the latter in 1957, and an LL.B. from Vanderbilt University Law School in 1961...
and sued Eastwood for fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
, alleging that he had compensated Warner Bros. for the contract. The case was left in the jury's hands, with analysts predicting that Locke would win. In 1999, Eastwood and Locke agreed to settle out of court for a reportedly large amount. The details of the settlement were not publicly disclosed. The case is used in some modern law school contracts textbooks to illustrate the legal concept of good faith
Good faith
In philosophy, the concept of Good faith—Latin bona fides “good faith”, bona fide “in good faith”—denotes sincere, honest intention or belief, regardless of the outcome of an action; the opposed concepts are bad faith, mala fides and perfidy...
.
Cancer and later life
Locke is a breast cancerBreast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
survivor. In 1990 she underwent a double mastectomy
Mastectomy
Mastectomy is the medical term for the surgical removal of one or both breasts, partially or completely. Mastectomy is usually done to treat breast cancer; in some cases, women and some men believed to be at high risk of breast cancer have the operation prophylactically, that is, to prevent cancer...
. During her treatment, Locke began a relationship with Dr. Scott Cunneen, the Chief of Surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Originally established as Kaspare Cohn Hospital in 1902, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a non-profit, tertiary 958-bed hospital and multi-specialty academic health science centre located in Los Angeles, California, US. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over...
. They began cohabiting in 1996, but are no longer together.
In 1997 she published an autobiography titled The Good, the Bad, and the Very Ugly.
In 2001, Locke purchased a large, six-bedroom home in the Hollywood Hills
Hollywood Hills
The Hollywood Hills is an affluent and exclusive neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, in the southeastern Santa Monica Mountains. It is bound by Laurel Canyon Boulevard to the west, Vermont Avenue to the east, Mulholland Drive to the north, and Sunset Boulevard to the south.-Hollywood Hills...
, an affluent and exclusive neighborhood of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in the southeastern Santa Monica Mountains
Santa Monica Mountains
The Santa Monica Mountains are a Transverse Range in Southern California, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean in the United States.-Geography:...
.
Films
- The Heart Is a Lonely HunterThe Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (film)The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter is a 1968 film adaptation of the Carson McCullers novel of the same name. It was directed by Robert Ellis Miller. It stars Alan Arkin, Sondra Locke, Laurinda Barrett, Stacy Keach, Percy Rodriguez, Chuck McCann and Cicely Tyson...
(1968) - Cover Me BabeCover Me BabeCover Me Babe is a 1970 drama film about a young filmmaker who will do anything to get a studio contract. The film was directed by Noel Black, and stars Robert Forster and Sondra Locke....
(1970) (limited releaseLimited releaseLimited release is a term in the American motion picture industry for a motion picture that is playing in a select few theaters across the country ....
) - WillardWillard (1971 film)Willard is a 1971 horror film starring Bruce Davison and Ernest Borgnine, directed by Daniel Mann. The movie is based on the novel Ratman's Notebooks by Stephen Gilbert, and was nominated for an Edgar Award for best picture...
(1971) - The Gondola (1973) (made-for-TV)
- A Reflection of Fear (1973)
- The Second Coming of SuzanneThe Second Coming of SuzanneThe Second Coming of Suzanne is a 1974 film directed by Michael Barry. It stars Jared Martin as an obsessed San Francisco indie film maker who hires a beautiful young woman called Suzanne to star as a female Christ in his next film...
(1974) (limited release) - The Outlaw Josey WalesThe Outlaw Josey WalesThe Outlaw Josey Wales is a 1976 American revisionist Western film set during and after the end of the American Civil War. It was directed by and starred Clint Eastwood , with Chief Dan George, Sondra Locke, Sam Bottoms, and Geraldine Keams.The film was adapted by Sonia Chernus and Philip Kaufman...
(1976) - Death Game (1977) (limited release)
- The Shadow of Chikara (1977) (limited release)
- The Gauntlet (1977)
- Every Which Way But Loose (1978)
- Friendships, Secrets and Lies (1979) (made-for-TV)
- Tales of the UnexpectedTales of the UnexpectedTales of the Unexpected may refer to:*Tales of the Unexpected , a 1950s-1960s comic book*Tales of the Unexpected , a collection of short stories by Roald Dahl...
(1979) (made-for-TV) - Bronco BillyBronco BillyBronco Billy is a 1980 American film starring Clint Eastwood and Sondra Locke. It was directed by Eastwood and written by Dennis Hackin.-Plot:...
(1980) - Any Which Way You CanAny Which Way You Can* Beers To You** Written by Steve Dorff , John Durrill , Sandy Pinkard and Snuff Garrett ** Sung by Ray Charles and Clint Eastwood* Any Which Way You Can...
(1980) - Rosie: The Rosemary Clooney Story (1982) (made-for-TV)
- Sudden ImpactSudden ImpactSudden Impact is a 1983 American crime thriller and the fourth film in the Dirty Harry series, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood...
(1983) - RatboyRatboyRatboy is a film released in 1986 and directed by and starring Sondra Locke. Though the film had a troubled production and was both a critical and commercial failure , it has maintained somewhat of a cult status throughout the years due to its make-up effects designed by Rick Baker.Ratboy did...
(1986) - The Prophet’s Game (1999) (direct-to-video)
- Clean and Narrow (1999) (direct-to-video)
Television guest appearances
- Night GalleryNight GalleryNight Gallery is an American anthology series that aired on NBC from 1970 to 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, The Twilight Zone, served both as the on-air host of Night Gallery and as a major contributor of scripts, although...
(1972) 1 episode - The F.B.I. (1972) 1 episode
- The ABC Afternoon PlaybreakThe ABC Afternoon PlaybreakThe ABC Afternoon Playbreak is an American television anthology series that was broadcast on ABC from 1973 to 1975. The ninety-minute dramas aired once a month and featured some of the more popular television and film stars of the 1970s .-Episodes:Season 1#"The Things I Never Said" #"A...
(1973) 1 episode - CannonCannon (TV series)Cannon is a CBS detective television series produced by Quinn Martin which aired from March 26, 1971 to March 3, 1976.The primary protagonist was the title character, Frank Cannon, played by William Conrad....
(1973 and 1975) 2 episodes - Kung FuKung Fu (TV series)Kung Fu is an American television series that starred David Carradine. It was created by Ed Spielman, directed and produced by Jerry Thorpe, and developed by Herman Miller, who was also a writer for, and co-producer of, the series...
(1974) 1 episode - Planet of the ApesPlanet of the Apes (TV series)Planet of the Apes was a short-lived American science fiction television series that aired on Friday evenings at 8:00 PM Eastern/7:00 PM Central on CBS in 1974. The series starred Roddy McDowall, Ron Harper, and James Naughton, Mark Lenard and Booth Colman...
(1974) 1 episode - Barnaby JonesBarnaby JonesBarnaby Jones is a television detective series starring Buddy Ebsen and Lee Meriwether as father- and daughter-in-law who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles. A spin-off from Cannon, the show ran on CBS from January 28, 1973 to April 3, 1980, beginning as a midseason replacement...
(1975) 1 episode - Joe Forrester (1976) 1 episode
- Tales of the UnexpectedTales of the Unexpected (TV series)Tales of the Unexpected is a British television series originally aired between 1979 and 1988, made by Anglia Television for ITV. Filming began in 1978.The series was an anthology of different tales...
(1984) episode "Bird of Prey"
Directorial work
- RatboyRatboyRatboy is a film released in 1986 and directed by and starring Sondra Locke. Though the film had a troubled production and was both a critical and commercial failure , it has maintained somewhat of a cult status throughout the years due to its make-up effects designed by Rick Baker.Ratboy did...
(1986) - ImpulseImpulse (1990 film)Impulse is a 1990 thriller film about a female police officer who works undercover as a prostitute on the streets of Los Angeles. The film was directed by Sondra Locke, and stars Theresa Russell, Jeff Fahey, and George Dzundza....
(1990) - Death in Small Doses (1995) (TV)
- Do Me a Favor (1997) (direct-to-video)