Once billed as the next Shirley Temple, child star Lora Lee Michels’ future was bright. The 7-year-old was a Hollywood sensation. By the age of 9, she was starring in films with A-list actors. But, as she rose to fame, Lora Lee’s life and career began unraveling. LA Times enterprise reporter Stacy Perman investigated the mystery of Lora Lee and joined Lisa McRee on “LA Times Today” with more.

Lora Lee Michel was born in La Grange, Texas, and the Michel family adopted her when she was 5 years old. Her talent for performance was quickly discovered. Perman said Lora Lee and her adoptive mother headed to Hollywood in 1946.

“The trades of the day, the publicity machine, all referred to her as the next Shirley Temple. She, pretty early on, captivated directors. She was in a number of movies. She was in ‘Good Sam’ with Gary Cooper. She was in ‘Tokyo Joe’ with Humphrey Bogart. ... She was in ‘The Snake Pit.’ She played the younger version of Olivia de Havilland. She was well on her way, in a very short period of time, about two years. By the time she was 9, she was well on her way,” Perman said.

However, as Lora Lee’s career bloomed, trouble at home started making headlines.

“One day her drama coach and agent, a woman named Ona Wargin, showed up at their apartment in Hollywood to take her for an interview. Rather than taking her to the interview, she took her to the police and alleged that Lora Lee’s adoptive mother, Lorraine Michel, had beaten her. And Lora Lee echoed that story, telling the police that her adoptive mother beat her with a hairbrush if she gained a pound. ... Her mother was arrested on abuse charges and Lora Lee was put in foster care with a pastor in Burbank. ... And there began two very salacious trials, a custody hearing and one for abuse that her mother was facing. That garnered headlines not only all over the country, but the world,” Perman said.

A judge sent Lora Lee back to Texas to have a childhood out of the spotlight. After her adoptive parents died, Lora Lee lived in several foster homes. She became pregnant at 17 years old, got married and was seemingly lost to history. 

“She was married four times. She would be with these men for a matter of weeks or a matter of months before she moved on, not necessarily legally divorcing them, either," Perman explained. "With husband No. 4, they stole a car, and they were both in prison. And husband No. 2, I guess held a candle to her. ... There were several points along the way that he was looking for her, but the most recent was in 1985. A friend in Houston, a guy named Herb Fisher, was helping him. And he came back and said she died in 1979 of cancer."

Perman said that Lora Lee’s family was heartbroken to hear about her fate, but Perman’s reporting gave them the closure they were seeking.

Click the arrow above to watch the full interview. 

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