June Allyson

June Allyson was born Eleanor Geisman on October 7, 1917 in The Bronx, New York. Her parents were Clara Provost and Robert Geisman.

In 1925, when she was eight years old, a dead tree branch fell on her while she was bicycling. Several bones were broken, and doctors said she would never walk again. She underwent months of swimming exercises, however, and ultimately regained her ability to walk. After graduating from a wheelchair to crutches to braces, she was inspired to dance by obsessively watching Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire movies.

In 1938, fully recovered, she tried out for a chorus job in the Broadway show Sing Out The News. The choreographer gave her a job and a new name: Allyson, a family name, and June, for the month.



Like other musical performers in New York, the 5'1" (1.55 m) June Allyson found work in movie short subjects that were filmed there. She starred in Swing For The Prisoner of Swing (1938), The Knight is Young (1938), and All Girl Revue (1940).

June Allyson would make her official movie debut in Best Foot Forward (1943).

Some of her most notable movies include Thousands Cheer (1943), The Three Musketeers (1948), Little Women (1949), The Stratton Story (1949), Too Young to Kiss (1951), The Glen Miller Story (1953), Executive Suite (1954), Strategic Air Command (1955), The McConnell Story (1955), and The Opposite Sex (1956).

June won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for To Young to Kiss (1951).

She played James Stewart's wife in three films: The Stratton Story, The Glen Miller Story and Strategic Air Command.

In 1950, June Allyson had been signed to appear opposite her idol Fred Astaire in Royal Wedding, but had to leave the production due to pregnancy.

Like many movie stars of the 1940s and 1950s, June frequently appeared in television shows. Her television credits include Burke's Law, Airwolf, Murder She Wrote, Hart to Hart, The Love Boat, Simon & Simon, and Vega$. She also did Depends commercials throughout the 1990s.



From 1959 to 1961 she hosted and occassionally starred in her own series, The DuPont Show with June Allyson.

On August 14, 1945, June Allyson married actor Dick Powell and would have two children. They remained married until his death on January 2, 1963.

June next married Alfred Glenn Maxwell on October 13, 1963 and they would divorce in 1965, to remarry in 1966 and divorce again in 1970.

June Allyson married David Ashrow on October 30, 1976 and they would be married 29 years until her death.



June Allyson died on July 8, 2006 from pulmonary respiratory failure and acute bronchitis at the age of 88.