Biography
Flora M. Lang (aka Flora M. Gordon) was born March 24, 1925, in St. Paul, Minnesota. Flora and her two sisters, Rose Jean and Sylvia, were raised in St. Paul by their parents, Harry and Lillian Lang. She graduated from St. Paul Central High School in 1942, then attended the University of Minnesota and the University of Southern California (USC). Flora Lang was one of the first women to be accepted as a member of the Directors Guild of America (DGA) and she was one of the founding members of the DGA Women's Committee in 1979.
From 1955 through 1976, Flora contributed to the production of most of the first 17 films directed by her husband, Bert I. Gordon. (They divorced in 1979.) Despite often working on shoestring budgets, the couple managed to create films which had giants and giant creatures terrorizing seemingly overmatched humans. The many interesting effects were created using miniatures, mattes, split screens, rear projections, and oversized props. Flora worked as production coordinator on two of the finest Bert I. Gordon productions, neither of which included their trademark giant creatures: the horror film Picture Mommy Dead (1966), and the police crime drama The Mad Bomber (1973), before setting out to establish herself beyond the realm of her husband's productions. Flora Lang went on to work in numerous production roles on films, and as a unit production manager (UPM) on the television series Dynasty (1981). By the end of her 4-season stint, the show had risen to #1 in the Nielsen TV ratings.
Flora's work as both assistant director and unit production manager (UPM) included: Dogs (1976), a truly terrifying horror film; The Food of the Gods (1976), a horror film based on a story by H. G. Wells; and Acapulco Gold (1976), a satirical action-comedy film about an inept drug-smuggling ring. She worked as production manager on: The Great Smokey Roadblock (1977), a comedy "road film" starring Henry Fonda and featuring Susan Sarandon; and When I Am King (1982), a fantasy film loosely based on a fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. She was co-producer and unit production manager of an important 1985 film drama based on the horrific effects of Alzheimer's Disease: There Were Times, Dear (1985). The film aired on PBS stations and helped to raise a few million dollars for Alzheimer's research. Working on these projects gave Flora Lang the opportunity to continue to make inroads as a trailblazer for women working in film and TV production.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Flora was devoted to raising her daughters (Carol, Susan and Patricia) in a picturesque residential section of West Los Angeles. All three daughters would later demonstrate entrepreneurial vision in their chosen career endeavors and each pursued a passion for one (or more) of the creative arts of painting, photography, graphic arts, writing, music and acting. With Flora's guidance, her daughter Susan Gordon had a great deal of success as a child actress as she was cast in many movie and TV roles by directors of the ilk of Alfred Hitchcock, Rod Serling, Melville Shavelson, and Michael Curtiz. Flora Lang's 6 grandchildren (Hana, Ariel, Shira, Eitan, Lilly and Yair) and 11 great-grandchildren were a tremendous source of pride and joy for her, and are a living tribute to her daughter Susan's life. (Susan Lynn Gordon Aviner passed away on December 11, 2011.)
At the age of 90, Flora remained active and continually participated in social activities with her long-time partner, William "Billy" Martin of Los Angeles. While she kept busy doing things she liked, Flora lamented in 2012 that she would wake up every morning with Susan on her mind. She said to me, "In my heart I still feel she will be home to visit again. No doubt it will be me visiting her ... in heaven." With that hope in her heart, Flora Lang left us on January 26, 2016.
