June Allyson, perky, short, blonde whom every men considered as an ideal wife is no more. June was 88 and died of of pulmonary respiratory failure and acute bronchitis after a long illness, on Monday. She was at her home in Ojai with her daughter Pamela Allyson Powell and nearly thirty years husband David Ashrow.
In an interview years back, June said that she doesn’t have a perfect face, voice or eyes but women do associate with her and men consider her as a girl to be taken home to meet his mother.
Born in October 1917, her real name was Eleanor Geisman. She had a tough childhood as her alcoholic father left her and her mom when she was only 6. Her mother worked as a telephone operator to raise her. Once June met with an accident and doctors said that she would never be able to walk on her own. However, she finally recovered from it completely and took up a chorus job in a Broadway show, ‘Sing out the News.’ Choreographer named her as June Allyson, June for the month and Allyson: a family name.
She continued dancing onstage and understudied Betty Hutton, when Betty got measles June took up her character which led her to ‘Best Foot Forward’. MGM signed her for a contract later and then there was no looking back for June. She became popular in both television and film industry.
Her first troubled filled marriage, ended up in 1963 with her husband Dick Powell’s death because of cancer. Then another unsuccessful marriage led her to breakdowns, alcoholism but David Ashrow finally came for her rescue. David is a children’s dentist who became a nutrition expert.
June’s daughter tells media that private memorial will be held in Ojai and a day of remembrance would be organized in fall.
