June Lockhart (born on June 25, 1925, in New York City, New York) is an American television and film actress, primarily on 1950s and 1960s television and soap operas.
June Lockhart is best known for her roles as the TV mothers, first as Ruth Martin, the wife of Paul Martin (portrayed by Hugh Reilly), and the mother of Timmy Martin (played by Jon Provost) in the 1954 hit CBS series, Lassie (a role that she played from 1958-1964. She replaced actress Cloris Leachman. Lockhart then became Dr. Maureen Robinson, the wife of Professor John Robinson (portrayed by Guy Williams) in the 1960s hit series, Lost in Space. The sci-fi program on CBS was popular, noted for the design of the sleek silver spacesuits, which June Lockhart wore in many publicity photos (see image at right).
Born in New York City in 1925, the daughter of actors Gene Lockhart and Kathleen Lockhart, an only child, June made her professional debut at age eight in a Metropolitan Opera production of "Peter Ibbetson", playing Mimsey in the dream sequence. In the mid-1930s, the Lockharts relocated to California, where father Gene enjoyed a long career as one of the screen's great character actors. June made her screen debut in MGM's 1938 version of Christmas Carol, A (1938), playing--appropriately enough the daughter of stars Gene Lockhart and Kathleen Lockhart. June appeared in a dozen or more movies before 1947, when she made her Broadway bow playing the ingénue in the comedy "For Love or Money" with John Loder. She got a standing ovation on opening night; one critic compared her debut to the first big hits of Helen Hayes (I) and Margaret Sullavan. The overnight toast of Broadway, she went on to win a Tony, the Donaldson Award, the Theatre World Award and the Associated Press citation for Woman of the Year for Drama for her work in that play. On TV, she has co-starred in popular series like "Lassie" (1954) and "Lost in Space" (1965).
