Lori Martin

Dawn Catherine Menzer (April 18, 1947 – April 4, 2010), known professionally as Lori Martin, was an American actress. A child actress for most of her career, she first achieved recognition as the title character of the NBC drama series National Velvet (1960–1962). Her most prominent film role was in the 1962 thriller Cape Fear, where she portrayed Gregory Peck's daughter. Early career Lori Martin was born Dawn Catherine Menzer in Glendale, California, at 10:02 a.m.; her fraternal twin sister, Doree, arrived four minutes later. She weighed only 5 pounds and measured just 18 inches at birth. She spent the first few weeks of her life in an incubator, during which time her survival was somewhat doubtful. Her father, Russell C. Menzer, was an MGM and Warner Brothers commercial artist and art director. She had a younger brother, Stephen Menzer, and an older sister, Jean Coulter, a veteran Hollywood stuntwoman who doubled for the lead actresses on Ironside and Charlie's Angels. When Lori was six years old, her mother took her to an agent who specialized in child actors. She thought that acting might be a healthy outlet for Lori. When later asked what inspired her to be an actress, Martin said, "The best time in my life was when I was about four. Doree and I had to go live with my aunt in Ponca City, Oklahoma. My mother got sick and Daddy had to go to work every day, so we couldn't stay here. I didn't want to come back. I cried and cried. That was when I decided, if I had to come back, I'd be an actress. I started getting parts immediately, and my little brother was signed by the same agent, but he lacked my interest in acting. I just loved it." Martin auditioned so well that her parents soon allowed her to attend them by herself. Her mother recalled, "I'll never forget the first interview she went on. It was for a Chrysler commercial, and my car broke down about six blocks from the studio. I had to stay with the car, but Lori was all for going on in herself. She got out of the car, walked six blocks, found the right office, told the receptionist who she was, went in for her interview and got the job. Since then I've usually waited outside in the car and she's handled everything herself."