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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ClassyCo" data-source="post: 284925" data-attributes="member: 7"> Like it's been discussed so many times before, nearly major Hollywood studio in the 1950s tried to promote their own movie blonde bombshell in response to the success Marilyn Monroe had as a contract star for 20th Century-Fox. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the Tiffany Studio of cinema's golden age, was by no means exempt from following this trend. Barbara Lang was born in Hollywood in 1928. She was stricken with a serious bout of polio in 1953, and she would spend three weeks at the polio ward of Los Angeles General Hospital. After being told she'd never walk again, Lang turned her attention towards the Bible and prayed to God to give her a miracle. Over time, the muscles in her face were paralyzed and she had difficulty speaking. Although she eventually recovered, the lingering effects of polio rendered her tiring easily for the rest of her life. Lang emerged as an actress when she appeared on DEATH VALLEY DAYS, a Western anthology series, beginning in 1955. She appeared on the show in total of six different times. In 1957, she signed with MGM, where the studio had plans of promoting her in similar fashion to Monroe. She was quickly sent to a dramatic school, and was soon given the female lead in HOUSE OF NUMBERS (1957), a prison drama co-starring Jack Palance. The film was filmed on location at San Quentin Prison in Mill Valley, California. MGM then cast her in JAILHOUSE ROCK, starring Elvis Presley. Lang hoped the film would offer her the breakthrough she longed for. Before production began, however, Lang was abruptly replaced with Judy Tyler in the role of Presley's on-screen love interest. Lang was instead reassigned to a relatively minor role in PARTY GIRL (1958), a hapless Cyd Charisse vehicle, where she played a 1930s showgirl. Her MGM contract soon expired and was not renewed. Lang spent the remainder of her career acting on television. She appeared on a variety of different shows, such as the TV version of THE THIN MAN (1957), the Westerns MAVERICK (1958), LAWMAN (1959), and OUTLAWS (1960), the sitcom THE BOB CUMMINGS SHOW (1958), and the detective series 77 SUNSET STRIP (1959). Her last television appearance was on a 1964 episode of THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON, where she guest-starred as herself. She retired from acting afterwards. Barbara Lang died at age 54 in 1982 from pneumonia. [ATTACH=full]29123[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]29124[/ATTACH] Barbara Lang was quite a beautiful woman. It's too bad her career was wasted. I've only seen her in HOUSE OF NUMBERS, where I felt she was serviceable in a rather routine "bad girl" role. Like many others, had her career had the proper guidance or chances, I'd argue she would've been a greater and better-respected actress. At least had MGM let her do JAILHOUSE ROCK she would've been remembered as one of Elvis' leading ladies. She didn't even get that. </blockquote>

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