Jana Lund

Jana Lund, born Jana Cozette Ekelund, (August 28, 1933 – July 20, 1991) was an American model, actress, and singer. She began her career as a young child actor. She had numerous roles on television shows.
== Early life ==
Lund was born in Los Angeles to a family of actors. She had five older brothers. Her sister was Caryll Ekelund, who appeared in the Shirley Temple film The Blue Bird but died as a result of a fire before the film's release. Jana Ekelund attended Marymount College for a year and College of the Pacific for a year.
== Career ==
She performed on a California radio show at age three. She appeared in Our Gang comedies.
In August 1953, Lund was featured in an eight-page swimsuit spread in the magazine Pageant. She was part of advertising campaigns and appeared on television shows.
Don't Knock the Rock (1956) was her first film as an adult. Lund appeared with Elvis Presley in the 1957 film Loving You; she gave him his first onscreen kiss. They reportedly kissed on their first meeting at the insistence of director Hal Kanter."Oh! That Kiss! And Jana, Presley Meet." Salt Lake Tribune. July 10, 1957. Page 21. Via Newspaper Archive. 
In the opening scene of Frankenstein 1970, she is pursued down a country lane. She portrayed the leader of the Hellcats in High School Hellcats. She was a guest on the "Boomerang Bait" episode of Richard Diamond, Private Detective in 1959.
Lund was also a recording artist. Variety called her album "Johnny, the Dreamer" "a moody ballad that shows off newcomer Jana Lund as a dramatic stylist" and "Wishing Well" a "fair ballad with a breathless approach that attracts listeners" She was a member of the Pied Pipers"Songs of Childhood Feature Phone Hour." Corona Daily Independent. November 1, 1954. Page 6. Via Newspaper Archive. and the Roger Wagner Chorale, the latter with whom she sang at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.Walsh, Travis. Capt. Eastwold New Cabaniss Commander. Corpus Christi Times. August 3, 1953 Page 13. Via Newspaper Archive.
Lund was a nightclub entertainer. She performed in Jerry Lewis' Los Angeles nightclub in 1962. Variety noted that she was a "pert little blonde" who was "known more for her telethesping than her singing" and that she sounded "light but pleasant". Variety called her an average singer and said that she had a "soft, sweet quality".Night Club Reviews: Jerry Lewis' L. A. Variety (Archive: 1905-2000); Los Angeles Vol. 226, Iss. 7, (Apr 11, 1962): 74. Via Proquest.
==Personal life==
She enjoyed water skiing and skin diving. While she was at her college dormitory one night in 1952, two of her classmates dumped cold water on her as she slept on a top bunk. She woke up surprised, fell off the bed, and damaged three of her teeth. She sued them for $77,400 in damages, settling for $4,000 the day after a trial began in 1954."TV Singer Wins $4,000 Damages for Two Teeth." Pacific Stars And Stripes. April 11, 1954. Page 9. Via Newspaper Archive. 
Lund and Elvis Presley dated for a time. In 1962, after several years of dating, Lund married Hollywood lawyer Arthur Crowley. They had two children; they divorced in 1976. She died on July 20, 1991.
==Partial filmography==
*Our Gang Follies of 1938 (1937) as coat check girl
*Don't Knock the Rock (1956) as Sunny Everett
*Loving You (1957) as Daisy Bricker
*High School Hellcats (1958) as Connie Harris a.k.a. Connie Ross
*Frankenstein 1970 (1958) as Carolyn Hayes
*Hot Car Girl (1958) as Janice Wheeler
*Up Jumped the Devil (1961)
*Married Too Young (1962)
==Discography==
*"Johnny the Dreamer" / "Wishing Well" on Liberty recordsGross, Mike. "Music: Jocks, Jukes and Disks." Variety (Archive: 1905-2000); Los Angeles Vol. 207, Iss. 12, (Aug 21, 1957): 44. Via Proquest.
==References==
==External links==
* 
* Jana Lund at Find a Grave
Category:1933 births
Category:1991 deaths
Category:American female models
Category:American actresses
Category:American film actresses
Category:American female singers