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Hollywood's favorite wife June Allyson succumbs to respiratory failure at age 88
by : Anne Roberts
Date : Tue, 11 Jul 2006 12:34:00 GMT
On Saturday, Hollywood actress June Allyson, best known for her supportive roles, passed away at the age of 88 in her Ojai residence due to pulmonary respiratory failure and bronchitis. One of most liked stars of the 1950s, Allyson was known for her sunny disposition and girl-next-door charm. The qualities helped her bag a number of roles as the wives of the leading men of the period, including Humphrey Bogart, James Stewart, Van Johnson and Dick Powell. The last ended up becoming her real-life husband. lt;br / gt;
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Condoling Allyson 's death, fellow actress Ann Rutherford said, “She was a joy to know. She was a wonderful actress and just confronted her life with vast enthusiasm.” Agreed actress Esther Williams. “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,” Williams said. Perhaps the strength came from struggles that were very much part of Allyson 's life, beginning childhood. lt;br / gt;
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Born Eleanor Geisman on October 7, 1917, to an alcoholic father and a devoted mother, Allyson 's life took a turn for the worse when her father left the family when she was only six. An accident left the actress injured when she was eight, threatening her chances to walk, but she overcame the injury with medical help. However, the accident left the family of two in deep financial trouble and days would go by when Allyson 's mother would go hungry just to feed her daughter. lt;br / gt;
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When she recovered from the accident, Allyson tried out for a part in the chorus of a Broadway musical lt;em gt;Sing Out the News lt;/emwhen in seventh grade and was chosen. The part led to others and Lady Luck shined on the petite blond when she managed to get Betty Hutton 's role in lt;em gt;Panama Hattie lt;/emafter the latter fell ill. The role proved to be the stepping stone for Allyson, who bagged a significant role with lt;em gt;Best Foot Forward lt;/em Later, MGM bought the musical over to make a feature film and hired Allyson, helping start her on a fruitful career in Hollywood. lt;br / gt;
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lt;emTwo Girls and a Sailor lt;/em gt;, lt;em gt;Music for Millions lt;/em gt;, lt;em gt;The Sailor Takes a Wife lt;/em gt;, and lt;em gt;Two Sisters From Boston lt;/emfollowed and Allyson was firmly established as a Hollywood sweetheart. In 1951, the actress won a Golden Globe for lt;em gt;Too Young to Kiss lt;/em gt;, and after the 1950s, moved on to play roles of a supportive wife to the leading men of films like lt;em gt;The Glenn Miller Story lt;/emand lt;em gt;Strategic Air Command lt;/em lt;br / gt;
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Allyson 's private life, however, did not move as smoothly as her film career. First married to Dick Powell in 1945, the actress fell apart when he passed away in 1963, seeking solace in alcohol. The couple shared two children, one adopted. In an interview, Allyson admitted that she was devastated by Powell 's death, with whom she shared a rocky relationship at one time. “I just locked myself away and — I found the bottle,” she had said. A marriage and divorce to barber Glenn Maxwell later, she finally found another soul mate in David Ashrow, who she married in 1976. Ashrow remained her husband till her death on Sunday. lt;br / gt;
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Allyson is survived by Ashrow, an adopted daughter Pamela and son Richard.
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