June Allyson was an actress of high caliber, starring in many classic films including Little Women, Royal Wedding, The Glenn Miller Story, My Man Godfrey, and my personal favorite, a little-known short subject that also starred the Crane Twins entitled All Girl Revue. Of lesser acclaim was her role on The Love Boat, but what I fear will always be associated with her name were her upbeat commercials for Depends undergarments. I had purchased the cute portrait below of June and mailed it off to her on September 21, 1997 and it was back in my mailbox on October 23, now signed and accompanying two autographed notecards.
Ironically, many years later Bob Hunsaker, one of the other fathers on Ashleigh’s Beaverettes dance team, ended up joining my Laurel and Hardy club tent and told me how he had grown up as a neighbor of June Allyson in California. He would often keep me updated of her health condition, while the tabloids were unable to get such insider scoop. Not too long before her death in 2006, he helped my friend Bob secure a signature of June on a rare photos of M-G-M stars who had gathered together for a photo op. Bob had gotten it signed by several stars and didn’t want to risk mailing it.
So don’t you think it’s a small world? Depends…
Autographs of 1997 will continue…
It’s neat that you had the inside scoop. Cool.
Jackie
July 9th, 2008
Having her on that “MGM, More Stars Than There Are in the Heavens” photo is a hugh bonus. There are only three more still alive that I did not have that I need to get now.
Bob
July 18th, 2008