Sondra Locke facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sondra Locke
Locke in 1968
Born	Sandra Louise Smith (1944-05-28)May 28, 1944 Shelbyville, Tennessee, U.S.
Died	November 3, 2018(2018-11-03) (aged 74) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other names	Sandra Elkins Sandra Locke Sondra Anderson
Alma mater	Middle Tennessee State University
Occupation	Actress director
Years active	1962–2016
Agent	Michael Selsman Leonard Hirshan Gersh Agency
Spouse(s)	Gordon Anderson ​ (m. 1967)​
Partner(s)	Clint Eastwood (1975–1989) Scott Cunneen (1990–?)
Signature

Sandra Louise Anderson (born Smith; May 28, 1944 – November 3, 2018), known as Sondra Locke, was an American actress and director. She became well-known for her work with actor Clint Eastwood. They made six successful films together.

Locke studied at Middle Tennessee State University. She started her career at a radio station in Nashville, WSM-AM. Then she moved to television at WSM-TV. In 1968, she made her first film, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter. For this role, she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Sondra Locke appeared in many popular movies. These include Willard (1971), The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), The Gauntlet (1977), and Every Which Way but Loose (1978). She also starred in Bronco Billy (1980), Any Which Way You Can (1980), and Sudden Impact (1983). She often worked with Clint Eastwood. She also directed four films, like Impulse (1990). In 1997, she wrote her life story in a book called The Good, the Bad, and the Very Ugly: A Hollywood Journey.

Locke often played characters who were much younger than her. She kept her real age a secret throughout her career. Her death was not announced publicly right away. It was confirmed six weeks later that she died at age 74.

Early Life and Education

Sandra Louise Smith was born on May 28, 1944. Her father was Raymond Smith and her mother was Pauline Bayne. Her parents separated before she was born. In her book, Locke said her mother and Mr. Smith never married. She had a half-brother, Donald, from her mother's next marriage. When her mother married Alfred Locke in 1948, Sandra and Donald took his last name.

She grew up in Shelbyville, Tennessee. Her stepfather owned a construction company. The family later moved to Wartrace. Sondra was a quiet but determined person. She started working part-time at 16.

Locke's yearbook photo, 1960

Locke was a cheerleader and the best student in junior high. She went to Shelbyville Central High School from 1958. There, she was again the top student and was called "Duchess of Studiousness." She played on the girls' basketball team. She was also president of the French club.

After graduating in 1962, Locke went to Middle Tennessee State University on a scholarship. She studied drama and acted in plays like Life with Father and The Crucible. She left college after two semesters.

Around 1963, Locke stopped talking to her family. She felt it was better not to pretend to have relationships that weren't real. She never knew her biological father. She did not go to her mother's or stepfather's funerals. She also did not stay in touch with her brother or nieces.

Locke had many jobs, including a bookkeeper and a secretary. In 1964, she started working at radio station WSM-AM 650 in Nashville. The next year, she moved to its TV station, WSM-Channel 4. She also modeled for a newspaper and acted in commercials. In 1966, she decided to become a film actress. She changed the spelling of her first name to Sondra.

Acting Career

Becoming a Star

In July 1967, Locke tried out for a movie role. She competed with 590 other actresses for the part of Mick Kelly in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter. Her fiancé, Gordon Anderson, helped her look younger for the audition. They also lied about her age, saying she was six years younger. She kept this secret for her whole career. She got the role.

The film was released in 1968 and was highly praised. Locke was nominated for an Academy Award and two Golden Globe awards. She won "Most Promising New Star of the Year" at a film convention. She later said her salary for the film was much less than what newspapers reported.

Other Roles and TV Work

From the 1973 PBS show Gondola

Her next film was Cover Me Babe (1970). She had a deal for three movies with 20th Century Fox. She was paid for the other two films, but they were never made. She turned down some roles that later became famous.

With David Carradine in Kung Fu, 1974

In 1971, Locke starred in Willard, a psychological thriller. It was a big success at the box office. She then appeared in A Reflection of Fear (1972) and The Second Coming of Suzanne (1974). These films were not released right away. Over time, Suzanne gained a group of dedicated fans.

Locke appeared in many popular TV shows in the early 1970s. These included The F.B.I., Cannon, Barnaby Jones, and Kung Fu. Her agents told her to avoid TV, but she wanted to keep working between films. In a 1972 episode of Night Gallery, she played a character who was cursed. An actor she worked with, Norman Lloyd, praised her performance in the TV movie Gondola (1973).

Working with Clint Eastwood

In 1975, Locke was chosen for the Western film The Outlaw Josey Wales. She played the love interest of Clint Eastwood's character. Locke said she took the role to gain more recognition. She accepted less pay for the film. Josey Wales was one of the top movies of 1976 and helped Locke's career.

Eastwood and Locke in The Gauntlet (1977)

She then starred with Eastwood in the action film The Gauntlet (1977). The movie's advertising said Locke was the first actress to get equal billing with Eastwood. Eastwood believed she would win an Oscar for her role. However, she was not nominated and received mixed reviews.

Locke and Eastwood appeared with an orangutan named Clyde in Every Which Way but Loose (1978). This film was the fourth highest-grossing movie that year. Its sequel, Any Which Way You Can (1980), was also very successful. Locke sang several songs for the soundtracks of these films. She also performed live concerts with famous singers.

During this time, Eastwood made some movies without a main female role for Locke. So, she took on some TV projects. She co-starred in Friendships, Secrets and Lies (1979). She also played singer Rosemary Clooney in Rosie: The Rosemary Clooney Story (1982).

Locke starred as a wealthy woman in Bronco Billy (1980). This was her only film with Eastwood that wasn't a huge blockbuster, but it was still a top 25 movie that year. Critics noted that she and Eastwood worked well together in this film. Locke said Bronco Billy and The Outlaw Josey Wales were her favorite films with Eastwood. Their last movie together was Sudden Impact (1983). This was the highest-earning film in the Dirty Harry series. Locke played an artist seeking justice. She was paid a reported $350,000 for this role.

After Sudden Impact, Locke did not appear in any major films. Eastwood later directed her in an episode of Amazing Stories in 1985.

Directing Films

In 1986, Locke directed her first movie, Ratboy. It was about a young person who was part rat and part human. Clint Eastwood's company produced it. Ratboy was not widely released in the U.S. and did not do well there. However, it was well-received in Europe.

Locke's second film as a director was Impulse (1990). It starred Theresa Russell as a police officer. Critics gave the film positive reviews. Locke said she preferred directing to acting. She felt it was hard to go back to acting after experiencing the excitement of directing.

After a break, Locke directed a TV movie called Death in Small Doses (1995). This film was based on a true story. She also directed the independent film Trading Favors (1997), starring Rosanna Arquette.

Later Projects and Book

In 1997, Sondra Locke's autobiography, The Good, the Bad, and the Very Ugly: A Hollywood Journey, was published. In the book, she wrote about her experiences in Hollywood. She later said that Clint Eastwood had said many negative things about her to the media. She was thankful that a major publisher released her book.

After 13 years, Locke returned to acting in 1999. She had small roles in two direct-to-video films. In 2014, it was announced that Locke would be an executive producer for the film Knock Knock, starring Keanu Reeves. She acted again in 2016 in the independent film Ray Meets Helen. This was her last film role. It was shown in May 2018, a few months before she passed away.

Helping Others

While working at WSM, Locke helped with yearly telethons for United Cerebral Palsy.

In 1992, Locke was the honorary chairwoman for an event in Costa Mesa, California. This event raised money for Human Options, a shelter for victims of domestic violence. Locke said she felt great sympathy for these women. She understood how difficult it must be for them to change their lives.

Personal Life

Marriage

On September 25, 1967, Sondra Locke married sculptor Gordon Leigh Anderson. They were married at the First Presbyterian Church in Nashville. They remained married for 51 years until her death in 2018.

Chief Dan George with Locke and Eastwood at a barbecue in Santa Fe, New Mexico promoting The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)

Health and Later Years

Locke never smoked. She practiced Transcendental Meditation and exercised. In September 1990, she shared that she had breast cancer. She had surgery and chemotherapy.

In February 2001, Locke bought a large home in the Hollywood Hills. She lived there for the rest of her life. In 2015, her cancer returned and spread to her bones.

Death

Sondra Locke died at age 74 on November 3, 2018. She passed away at her Los Angeles home due to heart problems related to her breast and bone cancer. Her body was cremated on November 9. Her ashes were given to her husband, Gordon Anderson. Locke left Anderson an estimated $20 million. She had always supported him financially.

Legacy

Locke in 1961, age 17, the year before she started dyeing her hair blonde

Locke (far left) with neighbors Nancy Brantley, Helen Young and Louise Davenport, c. 1958

Sondra Locke is remembered as a pioneer for women in Hollywood. In 1990, when her second film Impulse was released, she was one of only 11 female filmmakers. By the time she directed her fourth film, Trading Favors (1997), only eight percent of all films were made by women.

She is seen as an important figure for women's rights in the film industry. Cinematographer David Worth credits Locke with helping him get his start. Actresses like Frances Fisher and Rosanna Arquette admire her strong work as a director.

Our Very Own

In 1971, Sondra Locke visited Eastside Elementary in her hometown of Shelbyville, Tennessee. She held pretend "auditions" for fifth-graders to show them what Hollywood was like. One student, Cameron Watson, was inspired by Locke. He later became an actor and director.

Watson's film Our Very Own (2005) takes place in Shelbyville in 1978. It is about teenagers who want to meet Locke when she returns to town for a movie premiere. Watson made the movie after performing a comedy routine about Locke. Locke attended one of his performances in 2004. She gave her approval for the script and attended the film's premiere. The movie was seen as a "special gift" to Locke. Another former student said Locke did not fully realize her impact on her small hometown.

Filmography

As actress

As director

Stage Performances

Images for kids

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  Locke (far left) with neighbors Nancy Brantley, Helen Young and Louise Davenport, circa 1958

See also

In Spanish: Sondra Locke para niños

• List of American film actresses
• List of female film and television directors
• List of Middle Tennessee State University people
• List of people from Los Angeles
• List of people from Tennessee