Locke, Sondra, 1944-2018

Sandra Louise Anderson (née Smith; May 28, 1944 – November 3, 2018), professionally known as Sondra Locke, was an American actress and director. In 1967, Locke auditioned for the role of Mick Kelly in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter and lied about her age; sources cite or imply every year from 1943 to 1950 and her true age remained a secret throughout her career. She achieved worldwide recognition for her relationship with Clint Eastwood and the six hit films they made together. For reasons never made clear, her death was not publicly announced, and was only confirmed by vital statistics six weeks after she died of cardiac arrest at the age of 74. She is remembered as an early pioneer for women in Hollywood, being one of eleven female filmmakers in 1990.

Locke was the daughter of Raymond Smith and Pauline Bayne. Her parents separated before her birth and when her mother married Alfred Locke in 1948 they adopted his surname. Locke grew up on Shelbyville, TN where her stepfather owned a construction company. She attended Shelbyville Central High School (1958-1962) and Middle Tennessee State University (then called Middle Tennessee State College) in Murfreesboro where she majored in drama but dropped out after two semesters. Around 1963 she ceased contact with her family.

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