Born in hte small town of Clarksville Tennessee in 1912, where she was raised by her loving parents. Being raised black during this time period was heaven for her because she lived on a farm in a black community where everyone was welcome. At a young age everyone noticed Lana's beauty and her thirst for attention. So by the age of 16, it was no surprise that she decided to move to Hollywood and try her hand at pictures.
She had such an exotic look about her with her very light brown skin, long black hair, tall statuesque figure, and her striking green eyes that most people didn't realize she was black. With such an exotic look it only took a year after moving to Hollywood for Lana to land her first movie at the age of 17. In this small part she played an Egyptian servant in the silent film, "Cleopatra."
After this movie the director found out that Lana was black, but he loved her so much that he was willing to keep it a secret. She made two more movies with this director until their relationship fizzled.
