When
June Allyson was 8 years old, a tree branch fell on her and she was seriously
injured. Everybody thought she would never walk again, even her. While she was
recovering she saw a movie with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing. She
watched it
eighteen times. She taught herself to dance by practicing their steps.
June was born with the name Ella Geisman in the Bronx in New York on October 7, 1917. Her mother and father divorced. She didn't live with her father but with her mother. Her mother had a hard time keeping things together for them.
She began dancing as a young child. She very much wanted to make a career of it because she thought she was so good… and she sure was! She entered amateur dancing contests. When she was in high school, she began looking for work as a dancer. She started getting parts in nightclubs and Broadway shows, and even made some short films. She slowly worked her way into better shows and bigger parts. Finally she got what she wanted when the star of the show fell ill and June Allyson played the part. An important director saw her and offered her a chance to go to Hollywood to make the movie, Best Foot Forward. That was just the start of a great acting career. June went on to perform in over 42 movies and even had her own TV show. June has two children and lives in California with her husband David.
Image from the collection of Jim Johnson http://www.zianet.com/jjohnson
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