From CNN: Actress and spokeswoman June Allyson dies

It was pretty sad to read this as she was one of the few surviving major MGM musical stars from the forties. But according to the article she had been in ill health for awhile.

I only have a couple of her movies on DVD (Good News, The Glen Miller Story) and I’ve only seen a couple more of her filmes off TCM at most. But she was always so sunny in her movies, very much playing the girl next door role or the perfect little wife. But with an independent streak…

I also got a copy of her autobiography last year. She certainly didn’t have an easy life - the childhood accident, her first couple of marriages (being married to a much older man such as Dick Powell didn’t seem like a fairytale to me) and other assorted dramas. I am also thankful for her participation in Thats Entertainment 3 and other interviews that she has done over the years, so I have gotten to understand some of her percetptions on Hollywood when she was a film star.
She will be missed.

It was my birthday a week ago. Just one more year… and I’ll be 30.

If my sister reminds me of that one more time… well….

There wasn’t a lot that I really wanted for my birthday. The only thing I didn’t get that I really want is that damn Rodgers & Hart compilation CD that I”ve mentioned before.

I’ve also been on the hunt for books again. I got a copy of Jackie Cooper’s autobiography and I just finished it yesterday. I found his view of working as a child actor extremely interesting but definitely a touch bitter. I can see why… pushed into the industry by his mother and then he felt that his he didn’t enjoy a satisfying film directing career.

I also bid on an auction by the book on child stars by Dick Moore: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. I was fortunate to find a US seller who went to the post office to find out how much it would cost to send it to me in New Zealand. I’m part-way through it and it’s been amusing to find out more about some stars I already know (eg. Donald O’Connor) and learn about others I know nothing about.

I think though in the next few weeks… I”ll definitely be watching a few more films. I’m going house-sitting for 4 weeks and I’ll only have dialup access for that time so I don’t know how often I’ll want to be logging on.