June allison biography actor
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June Allyson [1917-2006]
Unlike her contemporary Dutch-American actress Betty Grable, who was revered as a pinup girl and sex symbol in her younger years, June Allyson was just a consummate movie actress with enormous staying powers. Allyson was active as a performer as recently as 2004, the year she reached her 87th birthday. During her long acting career she had been involved in over 100 performances.
June Allyson was born to Clara and Robert Geisman in New York City on October 17, 1917. At birth her name was Ella Geisman. Allyson later changed it to her professional name June Allyson. Her father’s family name was Van Geisman, which was simplified to Geisman before June was born. During her childhood, June’s parents separated and the father left the family. As a result Allyson was brought up by her mother and the family was forced to live in poverty.
After a childhood accident which nearly left her crippled, Allyson took up dancing and swimming for therapy. She en
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From the Archives: June Allyson, 88; Film Sweetheart GIs Pined For
Actress June Allyson, the perky blond with the husky voice who was one of Hollywood’s most beloved stars in the 1940s and 1950s, has died. She was 88.
Allyson died Saturday at her home in Ojai of pulmonary respiratory failure and acute bronchitis after a long illness, her daughter, Pamela Powell, told The Times on Monday. David Ashrow, Allyson’s husband of 29 years, was at her side.
“She was a joy to know,” actress Ann Rutherford, who met Allyson at MGM in the 1940s, said Monday. “She was a wonderful actress and just confronted her life with vast enthusiasm.”
Aquatic film star Esther Williams, another MGM colleague, said: “Junie and I were wonderful friends. It was a wonderful relationship. Whenever we did a movie we’d trade scripts and talk about it and see if there was a way to make it more interesting. She was a very special little lady. Very strong; people didn’t know that.”
Allyson rose from teenage chorus
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In the entertainment world, those who are truly outstanding and become superstars are the performers who are "originals," that is they possess a talent or unique personality that sets them apart from their contemporaries. Garbo, Harlow, Bogart, Davis, Gable, Garland and Hepburn are all prime examples of such artists. June Allyson certainly occupies a place on this list. Her instantly identifiable husky voice, outgoing charm and appeal and utter naturalness combine to create a personality and an image that holds unforgettable appeal to audiences.
From her earliest childhood, June Allyson (born Ella Geisman in New York) was enchanted with the world of show business. Following a serious accident as a child which injured her back, doctors feared she might be left crippled. An avid fan of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musicals, she viewed one of their films 18 times and began to teach herself how to dance. This, along with her other love