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June Allyson
June Allyson-publicity.jpg
Allyson in 1944
Born
Eleanor Geisman

(1917-10-07)October 7, 1917
Died July 8, 2006(2006-07-08) (aged 88)
Resting place Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Other names June Allison
Occupation
  • Actress
  • dancer
  • singer
Years active 1936–2001
Spouse(s)
(m. 1945; died 1963)
Alfred Glenn Maxwell
(m. 1963; div. 1965)
(m. 1966; div. 1970)
David Ashrow
(m. 1976)
Awards Golden Globe – Best Actress (1951)

June Allyson (born Eleanor Geisman; October 7, 1917 – July 8, 2006) was an American stage, film<, and television actress, dancer, and singer.

Early life

June Allyson and Dick Powell 1952
June Allyson and Dick Powell 1952

Allyson was born Eleanor Geisman, nicknamed "Ella", in the Bronx, New York City. In April 1918 (when Allyson was six months old), her father abandoned the family. Allyson was brought up in near poverty, living with her maternal grandparents. To make ends meet, her mother worked as a telephone operator and restaurant cashier. When she had enough funds, she would occasionally reunite with her daughter, but more often Allyson was "farmed" out to her grandparents or other relatives.

In 1925 (when Allyson was eight), a tree branch fell on her while she was riding on her tricycle. Allyson sustained a fractured skull and broken back. Her doctors said she would never walk again and confined her to a heavy steel brace from neck to hips for four years, she ultimately regained her health, but when Allyson had become famous, she was terrified that people would discover her background from the "tenement side of New York City", and she readily agreed to studio tales of a "rosy life" including a made up story that she underwent months of swimming exercises in rehabilitation to emerge as a star swimmer.

Poster - Flying Down to Rio 01 Crisco restoration
June was inspired by Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire movies

After gradually progressing from a wheelchair to crutches to braces, Allyson's true escape from her impoverished life was to go to the cinema, where she was enraptured by Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire movies. As a teen, Allyson memorized the trademark Ginger Rogers dance routines. She also tried to copy the singing styles of movie stars although she never mastered reading music. When the family was reunited with a more stable financial standing, Allyson was enrolled in the Ned Wayburn Dancing Academy and began to enter dance competitions with the stage name of "Elaine Peters".

She left high school after completing two and half years, to seek jobs as a dancer. Her first $60-a-week job was as a tap dancer at the Lido Club in Montreal. Returning to New York, she found work as an actress in movie short subjects filmed by Educational Pictures at its Astoria, Long Island, studio. Her first career break came when Educational cast her opposite singer Lee Sullivan, comic dancers Herman Timberg, Jr., and Pat Rooney, Jr., and future comedy star Danny Kaye. When Educational ceased operations, Allyson moved to Vitaphone in Brooklyn and starred or co-starred (with dancer Hal Le Roy) in musical shorts.

Career

Allyson began her career in 1937 as a dancer in short subject films and on Broadway in 1938. She signed with MGM in 1943, and rose to fame the following year in Two Girls and a Sailor. Allyson's "girl next door" image was solidified during the mid-1940s when she was paired with actor Van Johnson in five films.

In 1951, she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for her performance in Too Young to Kiss. From 1959 to 1961, she hosted and occasionally starred in her own anthology series, The DuPont Show with June Allyson, which aired on CBS.

In the 1970s, she returned to the stage starring in Forty Carats and No, No, Nanette. In 1982, Allyson released her autobiography June Allyson by June Allyson, and continued her career with guest starring roles on television and occasional film appearances.

As a personal friend of Ronald and Nancy Reagan, she was invited to many White House dinners, and in 1988, Reagan appointed her to the Federal Council on Aging. She later established the June Allyson Foundation for Public Awareness and Medical Research and worked to raise money for diseases affecting senior citizens.

Allyson and her later husband, David Ashrow, actively supported fund-raising efforts for both the James Stewart and Judy Garland museums.

In 1996, Allyson became the first recipient of the Harvey Award, presented by the James M. Stewart Museum Foundation, in recognition of her positive contributions to the world of entertainment. She made her final onscreen appearance in 2001.

Personal life

Allyson was married four times (to three husbands) and had two children with her first husband, Dick Powell.

Death

Following hip-replacement surgery in 2003, Allyson's health began to deteriorate. With her husband at her side, she died July 8, 2006, aged 88 at her home in Ojai, California. Her death was a result of pulmonary respiratory failure and acute bronchitis.

Awards and honors

June Allyson Dick Powell 1962
June Allyson Dick Powell 1962
  • 1951: won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Actress-Musical/Comedy, for Too Young to Kiss.
  • 1954: awarded the Special Jury Prize for Ensemble Acting at the Venice Festival, for Executive Suite, in the same year that she was voted Most Popular Female Star by Photoplay magazine.
  • 1955: named the ninth most popular movie star in the annual Quigley Exhibitors Poll and the second most popular female star, after Grace Kelly.
  • 1960: received a motion pictures star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1537 Vine Street for her contributions to the film industry.
  • 1985: received the Cannes Festival Distinguished Service Award.
  • 2007: received a special tribute during the Academy Awards as part of the annual memorial tribute.

Broadway credits

Date Production Role
September 24, 1938 – January 7, 1939 Sing Out the News Performer
November 17, 1939 – January 6, 1940 Very Warm for May June
April 4 – June 15, 1940 Higher and Higher Higher and Higher Specialty Girl
October 30, 1940 – January 3, 1942 Panama Hattie Dancing Girl
October 1, 1941 – July 4, 1942 Best Foot Forward Minerva
January 5, 1970 Forty Carats Ann Stanley

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1937 Swing for Sale Short subject
Pixilated
Ups and Downs June Daily
Dime a Dance Harriet
Dates and Nuts Wilma Brown, Herman's girl
1938 Sing for Sweetie Sally Newton
The Prisoner of Swing Princess
The Knight Is Young June
1939 Rollin' in Rhythm
1940 All Girl Revue Mayor
1943 Best Foot Forward Ethel
Girl Crazy Specialty Singer
Thousands Cheer
1944 Two Girls and a Sailor Patsy Deyo
Meet the People Annie
Music for Millions Barbara Ainsworth
1945 Her Highness and the Bellboy Leslie Odell
The Sailor Takes a Wife Mary Hill
1946 Two Sisters from Boston Martha Canford Chandler
Till the Clouds Roll By Herself/Jane Segments: Leave It to Jane and Oh, Boy!
The Secret Heart Penny Addams
1947 High Barbaree Nancy Frazer
Good News Connie Lane
1948 The Bride Goes Wild Martha Terryton
The Three Musketeers Constance Bonacieux
Words and Music Alisande La Carteloise
1949 Little Women Josephine "Jo" March
The Stratton Story Ethel
1950 The Reformer and the Redhead Kathleen Maguire
Right Cross Pat O'Malley
1951 Too Young to Kiss Cynthia Potter
1952 The Girl in White Dr. Emily Barringer
1953 Battle Circus Lt. Ruth McCara
Remains to Be Seen Jody Revere
1954 The Glenn Miller Story Helen Burger Miller
Executive Suite Mary Blemond Walling
Woman's World Katie Baxter Alternative title: A Woman's World
1955 Strategic Air Command Sally Holland
The Shrike Ann Downs
The McConnell Story Pearl "Butch" Brown
1956 The Opposite Sex Kay Hilliard
You Can't Run Away from It Ellen "Ellie" Andrews
1957 Interlude Helen Banning Alternative title: Forbidden Interlude
My Man Godfrey Irene Bullock
1959 A Stranger in My Arms Christina Beasley Alternative title: And Ride a Tiger
1972 They Only Kill Their Masters Mrs. Watkins
1978 Blackout Mrs. Grant
2001 A Girl, Three Guys, and a Gun Joey's Grandma
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1959–1961 The DuPont Show with June Allyson Hostess 59 episodes
1960 Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre Stella Episode: "Cry Hope! Cry Hate!"
1962–1963 The Dick Powell Theatre Various roles 3 episodes
1963 Burke's Law Jean Samson
1968 The Name of the Game Joanne Robins Segment: "High on a Rainbow"
1971 See the Man Run Helene Spencer Television film
1972 The ABC Comedy Hour Episode: "The Twentieth Century Folies"
1972 The Sixth Sense Mrs. Ruth Desmond Episode: "Witness Within"
1973 Letters from Three Lovers Monica Television film
1977 Switch Dr. Trampler Episode: "Eden's Gate"
1977 Curse of the Black Widow Olga Television film
1978 Three on a Date Marge Emery Television film
1978 Vega$ Loretta Ochs Episode: "High Roller"
1978 The Love Boat Various roles 2 episodes
1979 The Incredible Hulk Dr. Kate Lowell Episode: "Brain Child"
1980 House Calls Florence Alexander Episode: "I'll Be Suing You"
1982 The Kid with the Broken Halo Dorothea Powell Television film
1982 Simon & Simon Margaret Wells Episode: "The Last Time I Saw Michael"
1984 Hart to Hart Elizabeth Tisdale Episode: "Always, Elizabeth"
1984 Murder, She Wrote Katie Simmons
1985 Misfits of Science Bessie Episode: "Steer Crazy"
1986 Crazy Like a Fox Neva Episode: "Hearing Is Believing"
1986 Airwolf Martha Stewart Episode: "Little Wolf"
1989 Wilfrid's Special Christmas Miss Nancy Television special
1991 Pros and Cons Episode: "It's the Pictures That Got Small"
1995 Burke's Law Shelly Knox
2001 These Old Broads Lady in Hotel Television film
Uncredited

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See also

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