Trivia of June Allyson

 Trivia of June Allyson (7 October 1917 - 8 July 2006)

*When Allyson was 8, a tree branch fell on her while she was riding her tricycle with her pet terrier in tow. Allyson sustained a fractured skull and broken back, and her dog was killed. Her doctors said she never would walk again and confined her to a heavy steel brace from neck to hips for four years.She ultimately regained her health, but when Allyson had become famous, she was terrified that people would discover her background from the "tenement side of New York City", and she readily agreed to studio tales of a "rosy life", including a concocted story that she underwent months of swimming exercises in rehabilitation to emerge as a star swimmer.

*As a teen, Allyson memorized the trademark dance routines of Ginger Rogers. She claimed later to have watched The Gay Divorcee (1934) 17 times. She also tried to emulate the singing styles of movie stars, but never mastered reading music.Her first $60-a-week job was as a tap dancer at the Lido Club in Montreal.

*Allyson’s big break into Hollywood came with her starring role in 1944’s Two Girls and a Sailor. The film would see her typecast as the quintessential “girl next door”, and her on-screen chemistry with co-star Van Johnson was such a hit with audiences that they would play similar roles in four more films together : Till The Clouds Roll Bye (1946), High Barbaree (1947), The Bride Goes Wild (1948), Too Young to Kiss (1951) , Remains to Be Seen (1953).

*James Stewart was also her frequent costar, teaming up with Allyson in three popular biographies : The Stratton Story (1949), The Glenn Miller Story (1954) , and Strategic Air Command (1955).

*Although dating David Rose, Peter Lawford and John F. Kennedy, Allyson was actually being courted by movie heartthrob and powerful Hollywood "player" Dick Powell, who was 13 years her senior and had been previously married to Mildred Maund and Joan Blondell.On August 19, 1945, Allyson caused MGM studio chief, Louis B. Mayer some consternation by marrying Dick Powell. After defying him twice by refusing to stop seeing Powell, in a "tactical master stroke", she asked Mayer to give her away at the wedding. He was so disarmed that he agreed but put Allyson on suspension anyway. The Powells had two children, Pamela Allyson Powell (adopted in 1948 through theTennessee Children's Home Society in an adoption arranged by Georgia Tann) and Richard Powell, Jr. (born December 24, 1950).The couple briefly separated in 1961, but reconciled and remained married until his death on January 2, 1963.

*Allyson had been signed to appear opposite her childhood idol Fred Astaire in Royal Wedding (1951), but had to leave the production due to pregnancy. (She was replaced initially by Judy Garland, and later Jane Powell.)

*Was as huge a fan of Agatha Christie.She collected every novel Agatha Christie ever wrote. She also cited the Christie character Jane Marple to be her favorite female detective.