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Down On Your Heels Up On Your Toes! A Tribute to June Allyson by Len Bourret (Copyright 2006) She was the girl GIs gravitated toward, the kind of woman every man wanted to marry, and the special friend everyone wanted to know. She loved people, and they loved her back. She exuded positive energy and a sunshiny smile that was uplifting - and, somehow, just being around her was uplifting and made people feel better. She was, and shall always be, "Good News" itself. Harry James' trumpet (from "Two Girls and a Sailor") is blowing in the heavens, and one can hear and see June Allyson exuberantly singing, "He's the young man with a horn!" To know "Junie" (as she was personified by her close friends), one only had to become familiar with Ella Van Geisman, the little girl from the Bronx. She was a hard worker, and a powerhouse. She danced her way out of poverty and, on a dare from her school chums, learned to dance like and eventually befriended her #1 heroine, Ginger Rogers. And, out of a Third Avenue El, she learned to follow in the footsteps of her #1 hero, Fred Astaire. She had a distinctive voice, and a winsome personality. And it was not an accident or coincidental that she became destined to become the actress and human being that everyone wanted to emulate and have as their next door neighbor. Hers was a rags-to-riches story, a kind of Shirley Temple real-life doll (more than merely on paper), a Jo March tomboy with feminine grace. She was a princess who married a prince, Richard Ewing Powell. Richard, or Dick Powell as he is known to the world, was a kind man who loved kids. But he was (and taught June Allyson to be) as strong as a redwood, and this served to be her strength, after Richard's passing. And, indeed, June Allyson went through an extremely difficult period from 1963 (after Richard passed from this earth) to 1976 (when she married an equally-kind man, David Ashrow). But during this time of magnificent independence, the little girl became quite a woman. And she was a loyal friend and partner (she was married to Dick Powell for almost 20 years, and to David Ashrow for almost 30). When I was a little boy, Dick Powell used to call me from Four Star Television (where he became a still-respected Louis B. Mayer kind of television mogul), and he gave me a 16mm print of "Sister Mary Slugger" (a segment I loved from early-television's June Allyson Show). I deeply cherished and faithfully preserved the print, for years, and presented it to June Allyson on videocassette. And at the Judy Garland Festival in 2002, I had the rare opportunity to read my poetry to June Allyson. Some people are fortunate to meet their heroine once in a lifetime. I was privileged and proud to meet June Allyson on four special occasions: when she was appearing in Goodbye Ghost (in Coconut Grove, Florida); when she was appearing in Forty Carats (on Broadway); when she was appearing in No No Nanette in Hollywood; and at the Judy Garland Festival (an annual event held to honor June Allyson's friend in Judy Garland's hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota). But this shall not be yours and my final meeting. We shall see June, Judy, and Richard at the rainbow - and June Allyson will be dancing and singing "The Varsity Drag" (from MGM's Good News)! Part I: Introduction Part II: June Allyson Tributes and Other Pages Part III: Movie Reviews & Where to Find Her Movies Part IV: Books, Photos, Art, and Posters

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June Allyson Jean Arthur Fred Astaire Lauren Bacall Lucille Ball Anne Bancroft Brigitte Bardot Ingrid Bergman Milton Berle Humphrey Bogart Marlon Brando Lloyd Bridges James Cagney Eddie Cantor Frank Capra Charlie Chaplin James Coburn Claudette Colbert Gary Cooper Jackie Cooper Joan Crawford Tony Curtis Bette Davis Doris Day Olivia de Havilland James Dean Marlene Dietrich Walt Disney Kirk Douglas Melvyn Douglas Clint Eastwood Errol Flynn Henry Fonda Glenn Ford Clark Gable Greta Garbo Ava Gardner Judy Garland Cary Grant Alec Guinness Jean Harlow Richard Harris Rita Hayworth Helen Hayes Audrey Hepburn Katharine Hepburn Charlton Heston Alfred Hitchcock William Holden Bob Hope John Huston Van Johnson Buster Keaton Gene Kelly Grace Kelly Deborah Kerr Stanley Kubrick Burt Lancaster Janet Leigh Vivien Leigh Jack Lemmon Sophia Loren Ida Lupino Marx Brothers Shirley MacLaine Walter Matthau Roddy McDowall Robert Mitchum Marilyn Monroe Paul Newman Jack Nicholson Kim Novak Margaret O'Brien Donald O'Connor Maureen O'Hara Laurence Olivier Maureen O'Sullivan Gregory Peck Sidney Poitier Cole Porter William Powell Tyrone Power Elvis Presley Vincent Price Anthony Quinn Ronald Reagan Christopher Reeve Debbie Reynolds Jason Robards Edward G. Robinson Richard Rodgers Ginger Rogers Roy Rogers Mickey Rooney George C. Scott Peter Sellers Jean Simmons Frank Sinatra Barbara Stanwyck Rod Steiger Jimmy Stewart Gloria Swanson Elizabeth Taylor Shirley Temple Spencer Tracy Rudy Vallee John Wayne Orson Welles Billy Wilder Shelley Winters Natalie Wood Jane Wyman Loretta Young Robert Young

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