“Women identify with me... while men desire Cyd Charisse, they’d take me home to meet Mom.”
Darlings! Another centenary to celebrate today - that of the lovely June Allyson, star of many a Van Johnson or James Stewart vehicle in the 40s and 50s, inevitably in the part of "doting girlfriend or wife".
To the end, Miss Allyson was described as "the screen embodiment of sweetness and light" - yet she showed a good deal of feistiness when she openly defied the omnipotent studio boss Louis B Mayer by marrying the much older, twice-divorced Dick Powell (he argued that it would ruin her image), and went on to carve for herself a fair-to-middling career in a series of Technicolor remakes of black and white classics such as Little Women, My Man Godfrey, and (of course) the musical "update" of every queen's favourite The Women.
And by way of a tribute to the lady I have rediscovered this extravagant number of hers, replete with a whole army of athletic safety gays, from that very musical - The Opposite Sex:
Sublime.
June Allyson (born Eleanor Geisman, 7th October 1917 – 8th July 2006)
Sublime indeed. One of my favorite Allyson dance scenes.. But would you believe I have yet to see her version of the Women???? For some reason tcm and another movie channel never seem to play it.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen it either - maybe we should start a petition... Jx
DeleteAs much as it pains me to disagree with you, I loathe June Allyson. Trying to watch her "act" makes my teeth hurt, and her singing is worse. So simpering and insipid; I'd like to smack her with a bag of used Depends.
ReplyDeleteI have no opinion either way on Miss Allyson (she's never left much of a lasting impression) - other than I found this clip marvellous! Jx
DeleteThe clip is rather marvelous (fuchsia string basses!) and an army of beefy safety and it points up Alyson's faults. There she is all dolled up in her Going to the Grocery Store for the Brussel Sprout Sale outfit with longsleeves, high collar and cuffs and the absolute minimum of lady bits on parade. Is she a Puritan spinster school marm? Could be.
DeleteI think she was a conservative republican off-screen (not on everything, early supporter of civil rights). Doesn't seem to have spoiled her friendship with Judy, presumably they never got drunk together on election night.
DeleteI've seen "The Opposite Sex,' can't remember much about it apart from a joyous routine of her singing with the Harry James band. She was great friends with Judy Garland despite the studio's attempts to foster resentment between them.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favourite song titles, ever: Young Man With A Horn!
DeleteAs for "studio/media/publicist-created feuds"; that's a tale as old as the hills, I'm sure. Jx
Yeah but I love it when actresses won't play along with that (quite sexist) idea, eg Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell, or Marilyn and Betty Grable for that matter.
ReplyDeleteSome were entertainingly real, however - Joan Crawford vs Mercedes McCambridge, Bette Davis vs Celeste Holm, Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper... Jx
DeleteOr Eva (then Duarte) Peron and Libertad Lamarque when they were filming together.
ReplyDeleteSheila Hancock wasn't impressed by Bette Davis when they filmed the nanny, either
I doubt Eva Peron got along with anybody, really...
DeleteSheila Hancock was in The Anniversary with Miss Davis and apparently could hear everything she said about her through the pipes connecting their dressing-rooms! Apparently Bette had loads of crew sacked, and apparently wanted her replaced with Jill Bennett. [Ironically, Miss Hancock ended up playing the Bette Davis role in a stage version years later...]
Jx
Really? Wow. I just thought Sheila (Quaker and socialist) didn't think much of Hollywood and star mentality. Bette was unwilling to meet her friend, Frankie Howerd.
ReplyDeleteNoelle Gordon had a bad experience working with Mae West - someone needs to do a series on this, Hollywood Divas meet the Divas of British tv
Noele Gordon and Mae West? That's enough to explode my brain! Jx
DeleteThey toured in a stage version of "She Done Him Wrong". Noelle played "Russian Rita."
ReplyDeleteLordy! Jx
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