What happens when an actress who played make-believe among the stars helps real astronauts reach them?

In this special tribute episode of Horror Heals, Corey honors the life and legacy of June Lockhart, who passed away at 100 after a century spent balancing the light of Hollywood with the wonder of the cosmos.

For most of us, June will always be the fearless matriarch who kept her family safe aboard the Jupiter 2 in Lost in Space, or the comforting mother who taught generations of kids kindness through Lassie. But her reach extended far beyond television screens and soundstages.

In 2013, NASA awarded June the Exceptional Public Achievement Medal for her decades of advocacy and inspiration. Her fascination with space was not an act, it was part of who she was. She spoke with astronauts, attended launches, and became a true ambassador for curiosity itself.

June also made her mark in the worlds that inspire this show: science fiction and horror. She brought heart and humor to the cult favorite Troll (1986), blended domestic warmth with cosmic dread in Lost in Space, and carried the poise of old Hollywood into the age of aliens, monsters, and magic. She proved that even in the strangest worlds, empathy matters most.

Corey shares his family’s personal connection to Meet Me in St. Louis, a Lockhart classic that his grandparents introduced to him and his siblings on SelectaVision, and reflects on how June’s artistry linked generations through story and imagination.

In this episode

• June’s evolution from Broadway debut to interstellar pioneer
• The Lost in Space legacy that launched real-life dreams
• Her forays into horror and fantasy, including Troll and other genre-bending roles
• Why NASA called her one of its brightest stars
• How she turned compassion, curiosity, and courage into a century-long career
• The enduring power of imagination as both escape and healing

Why this episode matters

June Lockhart’s story reminds us that horror and science fiction are never only about fear, they are about possibility. She showed that the same spark that lights a campfire ghost story can also ignite a rocket.

Her legacy is proof that curiosity can be sacred, that kindness can exist in the face of the unknown, and that our best stories, the dark ones, the cosmic ones, and the human ones, are all connected.

Listen now

Join Horror Heals for a heartfelt journey through the life of June Lockhart, the actress who helped us face the void, love the strange, and look to the stars.

June Lockhart

June: Hello? Hello. That's better. Oh, good. Yes, that is cool.

Corey: Yeah. Flash clear. Hold on a minute.

How long have you been writing for flir?

June: Oh, I guess it's going last six years now.

Corey: Oh, really?

June: Oh, that's great. Yes. I've had the opportunity to, to talk to a lot of fascinating people, so it's, it's very fun. Yes. Neat. Yeah, I enjoy it. Good. And this is the first chance I've had to, to talk to you, which is fantastic. As you know, as a,

Corey: But now I take it that you read the article, uh, the, the, uh, Inquirer article. Did you? Yeah.

June: I'm, I'm not familiar with the Inquire, what did the Inquirer article.

Corey: Well, the Inquirer, uh, online did a, a very nice article, um.

It's, um, quite accurate, all of it. Oh, good. And it has a lot of history there, which, uh, uh, you might want to delve into. Yeah. Also, there was a, a nifty article in the Santa Monica Daily Press with quotes from Bert Wick, who is the, uh, man who is, um, uh, in the PR department at NASA in Washington. Very nice. So, um.

I don't know. Would it help you to have read both of those first,

June: There might be, again, I think we can talk for a little bit today and then. Uh, I can, I can follow up and read those and we'll be maybe re.

Corey: the Inquirer? All right. The Inquirer online, it's, uh, you know Inquirer www andr for uh uh.com, and then it's celebrity June Lockhart still lost in space. That's the inquiry for you. And the um, uh, Santa Monica Daily press. The, their website is www fdp.com

June: Got it.

Corey: Okay. And the headline on the article is NASA recognizes local actress as one of its brightest stars.

June: Lobo's Club had Lion Dutch.

Corey: Yeah. So, uh, that's really, really neat. And um, so, um, uh, refer to those and if there's anything in there that you want to, uh, expand on when we're finished, you can call me back.

June: Excellent. Thank you so

Corey: Alright.

Corey: Well, when I got the notice and the mail that they were going to give it to me, I, I couldn't believe it. I was so thrilled and I took it with me, and as I did my LNGs around town, I had the invitation. On the, on the seat beside me in the car, and at every stop sign I pick it up and read it again and put it down and pick it up and read it again.

And we, it, it truly, there is, this, is is of such significance. I've been in the business a long time, as you probably know, it's 80 years come December 26th. And, um, during that time, I've had some lovely acknowledgements , some, uh, lovely awards, you know, a Tony Award, an Emmy nomination. Um, my family has five stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, two of which are mine.

And, uh, you, it's a lovely recognition, but nothing, nothing ever meant. As much as this. Sure. Because the best way I can put it is what I do is pretend, and what they do is.

Corey: Oh no, I, I had always been very interested in it , and so doing Lost in Space was simply, uh, a, a, a grand extinction of my concealing enthusiasm for. For space. Space and for the work NASA was doing already. And then the way this all, first face-to-face touch with astronauts was January 1st, 1970, and I was calling the Rose Bowl parade.

But, uh, their trip had lasted 10 days, four hours and 36 minutes, and I got to interview them and talk about that. And I have a, a neat picture of myself, uh, on the air talking to them all. Very nice.

June: It was, yeah. Was really special. Well, I would imagine just, oh, I'm sorry. Go ahead. Yeah. Oh, go ahead. And for them too. I was gonna say, I mean, just, well, I mean it was such a unique experience. I mean, there's still so few people who can can say and talk about, you know, what that experience is like. So I'd imagine it must've been pretty, and so fresh in their minds at that time must've been pretty thrilling for them to just relay their experience, you know, to you.

and, uh.

And, um, so I thought that would be a great wake up, wake up tour for the boss. So, uh, I called NASA and was put in touch with, um, the, um, chief of protocol who then would referred me to astronaut in re. Who was, um, the, you know, with the ground group that was going to be sending their colleagues up into space.

So he called me back the next day and he said they love the idea and they're gonna play it. Uh, meantime, they had all heard the Let Berry Ford version, and he said it's particularly appropriate because there is a new sunrise in space every hour and a half. Wow. And of course, because the shuttle goes around the globe in an hour and a half.

Which was a new thought for me and it's for most people that I mentioned it to. And so, um, I think, let me know when you're gonna do it. I wanna be there. So he gave me the date and I was there in the, in mission control in the viewing room. And I listened to the music still the sky, uh, that they were awakened.

No, not a bunch. Some of us, some of us up here wanna know. Yeah. And, um, great. Anyway, it was one of us. So then later in the day, of course I had a superb tour facility and, um, uh, it, it was. the beginning of a long relationship with, um, my, with, with John, the space and nasa and then I, um, was able to do a lot of other work with them on the Apollo eighth Silver anniversary at a party for Frank Borman and, and James Lovel and William Anders.

And, um. There was an early morning press conference and a, uh, in combination with the Russian space people and, um, our Napa administration administrator at the time, Dan Golden. Then we go to 1994 and I was there for the 25th anniversary of the Apollo Moon landing. And, um, and I've participated in a, uh, uh.

Uh, there was a, uh, I, um, well we all sat and were interviewed today, uh, at, you know,

June: I'm from Ken.

And so I talked to the commander for, uh, uh, Bob Cabana for about nine minutes, and this is an absolutely unscheduled event, never happened. And it was a remarkable incident. And I have a picture of me, uh, at the finish of when I, I had, uh, handed back the phone and I'm holding the phone in the air, handing it back to Bill MacArthur, [00:07:00] and my head is back.

I'm looking heaven heavenward. I look as though I've had a religious experience. My other arm is in the air. I mean, it's just wonderful. Oh, that.

June: Yeah. I would imagine over the years you've had a lot of opportunities to, to just imagine what it would be like, you know, to be out there, you know, on one of the, one of the shuttles. Yes.

Corey: and these launches, you know, are, are just extraordinary. They're emotional, patriotic, sentimental. It, it's like a spiritual event. And of course it packs such a physical wall, uh, a wallop because the whole body trembles with the, the jets, with, with the, uh, truckers as they, as they leave the gun. I mean, it, it really is, uh, remarkable.

What, like up there in space, you know? And anyway, so, and, and the, uh, yeah. Uh, he was on i, the International Space Station at the time, whoop one other man, a Russian. And so, uh, we talked for the 28 minutes that it, uh, they were available in the, uh, to, to pick up the signal and, um. It, it was, it was really quite remarkable.

We had, so subsequently he cuddled again once, and then after that I got the idea to send him, um, a film of Kmu call because Kmu was coming up. And so, 'cause he had called me on in October the first time. And, um. So we sent a Christmas Carol, which is a film that my mother and father and I were in. It airs every year on Turner Classic movies.

And of course my answer was, what time and when, you know, of course. So we set it up and I had sent all these, and then while we were talking, I said, oh, did, did you get the picture I sent you? And he then floating casually up and down and slowly turned and looked over his shoulder and he had put this poster up on the wall inside the International Space Station.

He said, you are the first pin up in space. said, you are the first pin up in space.

June: I screwed.

Um, oh, this is a good one. Uh, in August of 2009, uh, buzz Aldrin and I presented the Academy of Television Arts Sciences that Emmy, uh, which is called the Philo t Farnsworth Technical Award, the Engineering Award. Farnsworth invented television, you know? Right. Yeah. And, uh, so we presented the award to a van named Richard Naper, NAF like frack, ZGER of Natha, and use innovative television transmission.

Made it possible for all the world to see astronaut Armstrong's first steps on the moon 40 years ago. I'll be longer than that now, 43 years ago.

June: It's as.

June: So how did you, after, um, finding out about this honor, how did you prepare yourself for, and can you talk a little bit about what the, the actual experience was like?

Corey: Well, we went to, um, JPL because the government was shut down at the times. And, uh, first of all, when I and the awards were given initially, uh, the bulk of them were given in, um. Out in Washington. I said, oh, I'll be there. They said, no, no, no, we are going to bring it to you. Said, well, that's really lovely. So, I went to JPL and Dr.

Young people. Yes. But there were really only a few senior engineers, uh, which impressed me rather a lot, that these young people with these big thoughts, and they were award for to be among this culture of, of people. Well, wonderful. And they're the people who thought. Yes, I can design a little shovel, little pickup, uh, um, a little piece of the dirt from the surface of Mars and put it in.

And there was another man who figured out how to put it in the little oven that they used to detect what's in the surface of the land, the, the ground on Mars, and somebody else that can put it in somewhere and store it. And I mean, and, and all these little bits and pieces of parts of. Great science. I mean, it's marvelous to be among these educated, intelligent people.

June: Very nice. What did you wear to the event?

Corey: I wore a, uh, a black cup velvet jacket, a black black, black, a red, uh, a red blo with a ruffle collar. Hmm. And the gold medal as shines nicely against the, uh, uh, against the ruffle. Sure. That's, and then they gave me a huge plaque to go with it, and, uh, and a little one for my lapel and another little one that I can pin on my jacket, should I wish to do that.

I, on the other hand, are carrying the metal around. I'm showing it to strangers in elevators if they're inch.

June: Oh, that's exciting me. So proud of it. Oh yeah, absolutely. That's, that's fantastic. I would imagine, you know, you've had the opportunity to, to talk to these heroes. Over the years, but I Oh yeah. And some of them probably get a little starstruck just meeting someone of your caliber.

I'm astonished.

June: Well, you mentioned, um, one of my absolute favorites and the one that I have to watch. I've been watching since I was a little boy, but I have to watch it at least once every year, and that's Meet me in St. Louis and being a video. Yes, I'm a native St. Louis, and so of course it there has, oh, I.

Corey: Really? Oh my. And this, well, Devin, oh, hold up. It would, um, you know, um. And also that was such a lovely part that I had in it. Yes. Um, it's very seldom in a, um, in, in any play or any movie that a new character is introduced in, what is the fourth act?

June: Absolutely. Absolutely.

Corey: Comes in, solve everybody's problems and takes care of business and says, oh, well, you know.

The character did that I played, solved all the problems. And then, uh, the movie goes to the end and they put the lights on and it's uh, uh, they say, well, it's fair of stars. I mean, it's quite remarkable in.

June: It really wouldn't. Yeah. Especially to have, as you said, such a pivotal role come in and, and Yes, and that's right. I think that's, I think the reason why that movie holds up so well is that it was such, it was so perfect and cast, I mean, everybody in them in the movie. Yeah.

And of course, is another tie in with my background. Um. Uh, the, this was the first big, big fair of any sort, uh, that Ed Thomas Edison had lit. 'cause it was 19 three, right. And, um, Thomas Edison had introduced my parents. Wow. How was that for something to put in your article? No kidding. They had done a play for him in 19.

Um, there were, uh, musicians and, uh, people who would lecture. Um. And, uh, it just an extraordinary accumulation of very talented people. And they left New York. They go to Chicago, down to St. Louis, across the United States, and then up the coast to California. And, uh, in this case, they went all the way up to Canada.

And when they got to Lake Louise and Banff, daddy made his move.

June: I think so. No, that's a great story.

Corey: That Thomas had, had been introduced their parent. Oh, goodness. So, uh, the, uh, and then of course, I, I tell you then the connection was, meet me in St. Louis.

June: Yeah, that's, that's a great connection. Yeah. I have to say another one of my, um, favorites from when I was a kid, I actually watched it pretty recently. It's on Netflix now, is a kind of a comedy, science, fictiony kind of movie called Troll that you made in the eighties. And your sister was

really, really fun. You know, almost like a, a little bit like a horror movie for kids.

Corey: Almost, it was supposed to take place in San Francisco,

Well, we shot it in Italy and um, that was great fun, of course, being there, uh, to, to do a film. But, um, yes, I had great fun with that and I loved the part in it. She was, uh, uh. We don't know whether she was a witch or, or just somebody who had a great extra sensory perception or not.

But yeah, I love,

June: That will be, that was fun. Not a fun, but a fun. It was. It was be to see it, and I hadn't seen it for a years and I, I think I watched it late last year again on Netflix and it was,

June: I know, isn't it, it was astounding. I thinking Sun Bel was in there too.

Corey: Oh, it was the most mixed cast of people you can imagine. Yes. San Bono. And, uh, I remember I was on the flight with him over and I don't think he'd ever been to Italy. And uh, that's my memory of it, and I could be wrong. Right. And he was thrilled to be going to Italy.

June: Oh, I bet, I bet. Yeah, that's, yeah, very fun. And what a great opportunity. Good to, you know. Make a movie in Italy.

I would imagine that you've heard from many, many, many, many people over the years about, uh, their, just their excitement of you being such an iconic TV mom. What is being that part of that, that TV mom icon meant to you over the years?

Uh, and it was sort of my secret. I thought, well, they think I'm, I'm an entrepreneur. I'm a, uh, or, or, or a young leading, you know, woman on Broadway or something. But I'm a character actress and of course, I'm sure I got this from my parents who were both character actors and I knew that being a character actor was something that was really.

Yeah. Quite wonderful. Yes. And longer lacking Yes. Than being an a, an ANU who does three or four films and then you never hear from them again. Right, right. Which so often is what happens now with young people in new television series with all the hoop. They come on and they're introduced and there's lots of in coverage, and then boom, they're gone.

You'd never hear from them again. It's PE Cure, is it?

June: Well, I think that you're very clever and, and realizing that how important character actors are.

Corey: Oh yes. And even when I was on Broadway and one of Tony and, and had all that debut hoopla, uh, and the great, great great press and, and you know, the won the, um, well, so, so many always the Associated Press Woman of the Year in drama and all kinds of awards for that debut and. I just thought they don't know I'm,

June: Our. Oh, I did want to ask, um, if you've had the opportunity to see the, the new, the Gravity film that's out. That's, no, I have, yeah. It's, did you see it did, it's pretty starving. Yeah.

Corey: you're like.

June: Did you? I did like it. Yeah. It's um. Uh, I had read a couple of articles where they've talked to, you know, folks at nasa. Bill said to kind of debunked things that happened.

But I mean, if you take it entertainment, it's certainly du rating, you know, and, and entertainment. Right. But it's, yeah, if you get the opportunity to see it, I think it's, it's pretty, yes, I will a pretty open.

Corey: I certainly will.

June: Excellent. Well, I think those are all the questions I've got for you, but I will follow up and, and check out those articles and see, make sure there's, there's nothing I might eat.

Yes.

June: Excellent. Well, thank you so much for taking some time to speak with me today. It's been [00:20:00] such a pleasure.

Corey: Well, thank you very much and all the best to you and in your career, and I wish you will. You've been with the youth how long,

June: I've been writing for them for about six years.

Corey: right? And before that.

June: I'd, um, worked for a couple of different newspapers, um, in the Midwest. I worked, did a, uh, there was a daily paper called The Telegraphs that I was their features editor for a handful of years.

Corey: In St. Louis. In St. Louis. Yes. Yes. Well, I must tell you, during the early years, did, have you ever heard of the Emperor Theater?

June: Those sound familiar.

Corey: Well, it was a theater, which is now a parking lot. Or at least it was torn down. It was a parking lot for a while. And during the fifties, I must have done about eight or nine shows there.

It was winter stock as we called it. And, uh, I did, uh, so many plays for them. And I was, uh, quite hot in St. Louis. That's, and, uh, it had a, a great following there and I really enjoyed it. Um, also during the same time I was doing a show, uh, a current events news quiz with the White House press. Oh wow. And so, and it was on, in St.

Louis. So that was a, a built-in audience and the show that we would do from New York where the White House Press was called. Who said that? And it was a current events news quiz, which I did. Uh, and the White House press. Guys for the rest of the panel would come up from the Washington and we would tape it every Monday night.

And it was the, like the Merriman Smith, the names, you probably know Merriman Smith and William Lawrence of the New York Times, Richard Hartness of NBC, even H HB Cal born, other names like that. And I was the only regular woman on the. Uh, on the panel and John Daley was the moderator. So that show was a big, big hit in St.

Louis, which is one of the reasons I, I would fill the theater down there every time I went down. But I loved the Emrich Clay House. It was one of those wonderful old, uh, theaters that was built, um, for road companies and, uh, lovely old house. And I had. Though I have fond memories of St. Louis. Wonderful. Yes.

I also was able to do a couple of plays with my father down there, like our town and, um, I, a couple of other things. Yeah, it was really grand. Wonderful. Yeah. Well, I wish you good luck in your career.

June: So much. I appreciate that. Yeah,

Corey: Thank you. And uh, take care. Call me back if you need anything more and. Uh, I, I think this is just lovely that you're doing this.

June: thank you. Thank you. I appreciate that. Alright, you have a.