Deanna Lund

Deanna Lund
Lund in Land of the Giants.
Born(1937-05-30)May 30, 1937
DiedJune 22, 2018(2018-06-22) (aged 81)
Century City, Los Angeles, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1961–2017
Spouse(s)James E. Duffy (1980-?) (divorced)[1]
Don Matheson (1970-1980) (divorced) (1 child)
Wilbur Owen Upson (1958-1963) (divorced) (2 children)[2]
Children3, including Michele Matheson[3]
Websitedeannalund.com

Deanna Lund (May 30, 1937 – June 22, 2018) was an American film and television actress best known for her role in the Irwin Allen television series Land of the Giants, in which she played Valerie Ames Scott.

Early years

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Lund was the daughter of attorney Arthur Lund, who at one time served in the legislature of Illinois. The family moved to Daytona Beach, Florida, when she was eight. She dropped out of Rollins College, where she was studying drama, to get married. Before becoming an actress, she attended modeling school and worked as a secretary. Later, she did commercials on television and became a weather person at a television station.[4]

Career

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Lund's early career included minor roles in the 1960s spy film parodies Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine (1965) and Dimension 5 (1966), as well as the horror film Sting of Death (1965), the beach film Out of Sight (1966), and the western Johnny Tiger (1966). She appeared as a lesbian stripper in the 1967 Frank Sinatra movie Tony Rome,[5] but Lund was so embarrassed by the role that she had her name removed from the credits. Her performance was favorably received and led to a starring role in Irwin Allen's television series Land of the Giants.[5]: 237  While waiting for filming to start, Lund was offered the part of Rosemary's friend Terry Gionoffrio in Rosemary's Baby but had to decline when, despite Roman Polanski's assurances, Allen did not believe she would be finished in time.[5]: 238 

Valerie in Giantland, a novella written by Lund, is based on the Land of the Giants series, and set ten years later; written from the point of view of Lund's character, Valerie Ames. In 1976, she appeared on the drama General Hospital as Peggy Lowell, the secretary and mistress of Cameron Faulkner, who was played by Lund's husband Don Matheson. Her later films included the Jerry Lewis comedy Hardly Working (1980), Stick (1985) starring Burt Reynolds, and horror movies such as the Christmas horror film Elves (1989), Witch Story (1989),[6] and the comedy Transylvania Twist (1989).

Personal life

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Lund dropped out of college to marry her high school sweetheart. They had two children but divorced after four years.[4] After Land of the Giants was cancelled, she married co-star Don Matheson, but they were divorced in the late 1970s. Their daughter, Michele Matheson, is also an actress. Lund is an alumna of Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida.[7]

In 1995, she dated Larry King. The couple were engaged five weeks after they met[8] but the relationship ended before they could be married.[9]

Lund died on June 22, 2018, at her home in Century City, California, of pancreatic cancer, aged 81.[10]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1965 Once Upon a Coffee House Corrine
1965 Run for Your Wife Unknown Uncredited
1965 Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine Robot
1966 The Oscar Bikini Girl Uncredited
1966 Johnny Tiger Louise
1966 Paradise, Hawaiian Style Nurse Uncredited
1966 Out of Sight Tuff Bod
1966 Spinout Redhead Beauty Uncredited
1966 Sting of Death Jessica, Honey Blond
1966 Dimension 5 Miss Sweet
1966 The Swinger Model Uncredited
1967 Batman (TV series) Anna Gram year 2, episodes 45 and 46
1967 Tony Rome Georgia McKay Uncredited
1968 Panic in the City Blonde
1968 Land of the Giants (TV series) Valerie Scott
1975 Hustle Unknown Uncredited
1978 The Incredible Hulk (TV series) Terri Ann Season 1, episode 3: Of Guilt, Models and Murder
1980 Hardly Working Millie
1985 Stick Diane
1987 If We Knew Then Unknown
1987 Hammerhead Dee-Dee
1989 Streghe Helena
1989 Elves Kirsten's Mother
1989 Transylvania Twist Teacher
1989 Girl Talk Dana
1990 The Girl I Want Mrs. Andrews
1992 Roots of Evil Marissa
2001 Extreme Honor Martha Brascoe
2015 Boned Faye

References

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  1. ^ Leitereg, Neal J. (9 April 2019). "Longtime Century City home of actress Deanna Lund sells for $1.45 million". baltimoresun.com.
  2. ^ Barnes, Mike (June 25, 2018). "Deanna Lund, Actress on 'Land of the Giants,' Dies at 81". The Hollywood Reporter.
  3. ^ "Deanna Lund - The Private Life and Times of Deanna Lund. Deanna Lund Pictures". www.glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com.
  4. ^ a b Lewis, Dan (August 19, 1968). "Deanna Lund in 'Land of Giants'". Detroit Free Press. Michigan, Detroit. p. 16. Retrieved September 1, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  5. ^ a b c Tom Lisanti (2001). Fantasy Femmes of Sixties Cinema: Interviews with 20 Actresses from Biker, Beach, and Elvis Movies. McFarland. pp. 234–. ISBN 978-0-7864-0868-9.
  6. ^ Della Casa, Steve; Giusti, Marco (2013). "Il Grande Libro di Ercole". Edizione Sabinae. Page 338. ISBN 978-88-98623-051
  7. ^ Hollywood Xpo 2010: List of Guests Archived March 17, 2012, at the Wayback Machine from www.hollywoodxpo.com
  8. ^ Adams, Kathleen; Lofaro, Lina; Quinn, Michael; Rubin, Jeffery C.; Sanders, Alain L.; Urquhart, Sidney (April 3, 1995). "Time Milestones Apr. 3, 1995". Archived from the original on December 1, 2008. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
  9. ^ "The Wedding is Off: Larry King Gets Big Hang-Up From Fiance". Daily News. New York. August 17, 1995. Archived from the original on January 23, 2021.
  10. ^ "Deanna Lund, Actress on 'Land of the Giants,' Dies at 81". The Hollywood Reporter. June 25, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
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