Lisa Lucas
| Lisa Lucas | |
|---|---|
| Born |
1961 Arizona |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Actress and journalist |
| Known for | Child actress in the 1970s |
Lisa Lucas (born 1961) is a former child actress, best known for her role as "Addie Mills" in the Emmy-winning Christmas television special, The House Without a Christmas Tree. It first aired on CBS-TV in December 1972, spawned three holiday-based sequels from 1973–1976 with the same cast, and was a regular feature of CBS programming in the 1970s. Lucas also played Shirley MacLaine's daughter in the 1977 film The Turning Point, and was nominated for the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Jill Clayburgh's daughter in the award-winning 1978 film An Unmarried Woman.
Biography
Lucas was born in 1961 in Fort Huachuca, Arizona. Her father is award-winning singer and composer David Lucas. Although she has other acting credits, including Hadley's Rebellion (1987), as Jill Clayburgh's daughter,[1] it is the 1972 Christmas program The House Without a Christmas Tree for which she is best known, as it and its sequels were regular features of CBS programming during the 1970s. The film stars Jason Robards (1922–2000) as a melancholy widowed father James Mills, and Mildred Natwick (1905–1994) as the grandmother. The success of that program spawned three sequels in the 1970s: The Thanksgiving Treasure (also listed elsewhere as The Holiday Treasure) (1973), The Easter Promise (1975) and Addie and The King of Hearts (1976), with Robards, Natwick, and Lucas reprising their roles. Lucas also had parts in the 1976 PBS series "The Adams Chronicles", and the 1980 television film A Perfect Match.
In 1999, Lucas thanked reviewers of The House without a Christmas Tree by posting a review of her own on the Amazon site although it appears to have been deleted.
Her last film credit was Heart and Souls in 1993, though she has continued to act on stage. In 2002, Lucas was in Denver, starring in the play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.[2]
As of 2011, Lucas is single, and resides in Boynton Beach, Florida with her rescued pets (a dog, a bird, fish, and turtles). She is a freelance journalist, with work published in the New York Post, New York Daily News, and People magazine.
Reception
The Washington Post described her work in An Unmarried Woman, saying the role was "smartly embodied by sharp-featured young actress Lisa Lucas".[1] USA Today called the film "A House Without a Christmas Tree" "beautifully acted", and included it on a list of top 10 holiday films in 2008.[3] The Herald-Journal called it a "Christmas treasure" and said it was full of heartwarming moments, especially when Addie gives away the Christmas tree she wins, or finds the star belonging to her mother.[4] In 1987, the Star Tribune described it as, "one of the best seasonal movies for television ever produced."[5]
Awards
The film An Unmarried Woman was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1978, and Lucas was nominated by the New York Film Critics Circle for Best Supporting Actress.[6]
References
- 1 2 Arnold, Gary (April 5, 1978). "After Love Loses Its Bloom". Washington Post.
- ↑ Moore, John (May 5, 2002). "More companies forced to compete for fewer spaces". Denver Post.
- ↑ Bianco, Robert (December 1, 2008). "Lords a-leaping! A top 10 for the holidays". USA Today.
- ↑ "Girl's desire for tree tugs at heart strings". Herald-Journal. December 22, 1999.
- ↑ Holston, Noel (December 25, 1987). "Critic's choice". Star Tribune.
- ↑ "Films on Vietnam pace awards". The Day. December 18, 1978.
External links
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