Lana Turner was born Julia Jean Turner in 1921 and discovered at a Hollywood café at just 16 years old. She rose fast. By the early 1940s, she was one of MGM’s biggest stars, known for her platinum blonde hair, sharp screen presence, and a nickname that stuck: the “Sweater Girl.” In 1943, she took on a role that showed a side of her audiences hadn’t fully seen before.
That role came in “Slightly Dangerous,” a romantic comedy directed by Wesley Ruggles. Turner played Peggy Evans, a young woman stuck in a dead-end factory job in a small Midwestern town. Fed up with her life, Peggy fakes her own death and travels to New York City. There, she reinvents herself as Carol Burden, a wealthy socialite with a polished look and a fabricated past.
The film co-starred Robert Young, and the two had strong on-screen chemistry. Turner balanced comedy, romance, and drama across the story’s many twists. The shift from small-town Peggy to sophisticated Carol required her to carry two very different personalities in a single film — and she did it convincingly.
Turner’s earlier work had leaned heavily on dramatic roles. “Slightly Dangerous” was a deliberate departure. The comedic timing she displayed throughout the film proved she wasn’t limited to one genre. Her ability to play Peggy’s frustration and Carol’s charm with equal ease made the performance stand out in her filmography.
The production photos from the set capture Turner at one of her most glamorous points. MGM’s costume and makeup departments kept her impeccably styled throughout filming, and the results show in every frame.
Turner was 22 during the filming of “Slightly Dangerous.” She was already a well-established name, but this film added a new dimension to how Hollywood and audiences saw her. Comedy suited her, and the role gave her room to be playful in ways her dramatic work had not.
The film itself was well-received by audiences and played into the wartime desire for lighter, feel-good entertainment. A story about reinvention, deception, and romance hit the right notes for moviegoers in 1943.
These stunning photographs from the production give a rare, close look at Turner both on and off the set. Each image reflects the polished glamour that made the Golden Age of Hollywood so visually distinct.
