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Flora M. Lang, also known as Flora M. Gordon, was born on March 24, 1925, in St. Paul, Minnesota. She and her sisters, Rose Jean and Sylvia, were raised by their parents, Harry and Lillian Lang, in St. Paul. Flora graduated from St. Paul Central High School in 1942 and went on to study at the University of Minnesota and the University of Southern California (USC). She was among the first women admitted to the Directors Guild of America (DGA) and played a key role as a founding member of the DGA Women's Committee in 1979.
Between 1955 and 1976, Flora was involved in producing most of the first 17 films directed by her husband, Bert I. Gordon, from whom she divorced in 1979. Despite limited budgets, they created memorable films featuring giant creatures and humans caught in terrifying situations. Their effects included miniatures, mattes, split screens, rear projections, and oversized props. Flora served as production coordinator on two notable Bert I. Gordon films without giant creatures: the horror Picture Mommy Dead (1966) and the crime drama The Mad Bomber (1973). She then pursued a career independent of her husband's projects, working in various production roles and as a unit production manager (UPM) on the TV series Dynasty (1981). During her four seasons on Dynasty, the show climbed to the top spot in the Nielsen ratings.
Flora’s credits as assistant director and UPM include the horror film Dogs (1976), The Food of the Gods (1976)—a horror adaptation of an H. G. Wells story—and Acapulco Gold (1976), a satirical action-comedy about a bumbling drug-smuggling group. She was production manager on The Great Smokey Roadblock (1977), a comedy road film starring Henry Fonda and Susan Sarandon, and on the fantasy When I Am King (1982), inspired by a Brothers Grimm fairy tale. In 1985, Flora co-produced and served as UPM on There Were Times, Dear, a drama about the devastating effects of Alzheimer's disease. The film aired on PBS and helped raise millions for Alzheimer's research. These projects cemented her reputation as a pioneering woman in film and television production.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Flora dedicated herself to raising her three daughters—Carol, Susan, and Patricia—in a charming West Los Angeles neighborhood. Each daughter later pursued creative careers involving painting, photography, graphic arts, writing, music, and acting. Under Flora’s guidance, her daughter Susan Gordon achieved significant success as a child actress, securing roles from renowned directors including Alfred Hitchcock, Rod Serling, Melville Shavelson, and Michael Curtiz. Flora’s six grandchildren—Hana, Ariel, Shira, Eitan, Lilly, and Yair—and eleven great-grandchildren brought her immense pride and joy, serving as a living legacy to Susan's life. (Susan Lynn Gordon Aviner passed away on December 11, 2011.)
At 90 years old, Flora remained active, frequently engaging in social events with her longtime partner, William "Billy" Martin of Los Angeles. Despite her busy life, in 2012 she shared how she woke each day thinking of Susan. She said, “In my heart I still feel she will be home to visit again. No doubt it will be me visiting her … in heaven.” Holding onto this hope, Flora Lang passed away on January 26, 2016.
