June Haver (born Beverly June Stovenour, June 10, 1926 – July 4, 2005) was an American film actress, singer, and dancer. Once groomed by
20th Century Fox
20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
to be "the next
Betty Grable
Elizabeth Ruth Grable (December 18, 1916 – July 2, 1973) was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer.
Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million; for 10 consecutive years (1942–1951) she reign ...
", Haver appeared in a string of musicals, but she never achieved Grable's popularity. Haver's second husband was the actor
Fred MacMurray, whom she married after she retired from show business.
Early life
Born Beverly June Stovenour, June Haver was born in
Rock Island, Illinois and later took the surname of her stepfather, Bert Haver. Because her mother Maria Haver (
née Carter) was an actress and her father Fred Christian Stovenour was a musician, Haver often considered which of the two careers she wanted to follow.
[ ''Film en Theater'', Dutch magazine. Third volume, #13. July 1948.] After the family moved to Ohio, seven-year-old Haver entered and won a contest of the
Cincinnati Conservatory of Music
The Cincinnati Conservatory of Music was a conservatory, part of a girls' finishing school, founded in 1867 in Cincinnati, Ohio. It merged with the College of Music of Cincinnati in 1955, forming the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, wh ...
.
At age eight, she won a film test by imitating famous actresses including
Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress. Regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses, she was known for her melancholic, somber persona, her film portrayals of tragic ch ...
,
Katharine Hepburn, and
Helen Hayes, but her mother prohibited her from becoming a child actress because she felt that June was too young to work in the film industry.
When Haver was 10, the family moved back to Rock Island, where she began performing for
Rudy Vallée
Hubert Prior Vallée (July 28, 1901 – July 3, 1986), known professionally as Rudy Vallée, was an American singer, musician, actor, and radio host. He was one of the first modern pop stars of the teen idol type.
Early life
Hubert Prior Vall ...
and became a well-known child star on the radio.
She worked regularly as a band singer by the time she was in her teens, performing with the
Ted Fio Rito
Theodore Salvatore Fiorito (December 20, 1900 – July 22, 1971),DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 95. known professionally a ...
Orchestra for $75 a week.
She also worked with bandleaders
Dick Jurgens
Richard Henry Jurgens (January 9, 1910 – October 5, 1995) was an American swing music bandleader and composer who enjoyed great popularity in the late 1930s and early 1940s.
Life and early career
Dick Jurgens was born in Sacramento, Californ ...
and
Freddy Martin
Frederick Alfred Martin (December 9, 1906 – September 30, 1983) was an American bandleader and tenor saxophonist.
Early life
Freddy Martin was born in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Raised largely in an orphanage and by various relatives, ...
.
Career
In the summer of 1942,
Haver moved to
Hollywood, where she finished high school. She acted in plays in her spare time, and during a performance as a
southern belle
Southern belle () is a colloquialism for a debutante in the planter class of the Antebellum South.
Characteristics
The image of a Southern belle is often characterized by fashion elements such as a hoop skirt, a corset, pantalettes, a wi ...
, she was discovered by a scout from
20th Century Fox
20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
. In 1943, Haver signed a $3,500-a-week contract with the studio and made her film debut playing an uncredited role as a hat-check girl in ''
The Gang's All Here''.
She was dropped shortly after, because the studio executives felt that she looked too young, but was later resigned, after her costume and hairstyle were changed.
20th Century Fox had plans to mold Haver as a glamour girl stand-in for the studio's two biggest stars,
Alice Faye
Alice Faye (born Alice Jeanne Leppert; May 5, 1915 – May 9, 1998) was an American actress and singer. A musical star of 20th Century-Fox in the 1930s and 1940s, Faye starred in such films as '' On the Avenue'' (1937) and ''Alexander's Ragtime ...
and
Betty Grable
Elizabeth Ruth Grable (December 18, 1916 – July 2, 1973) was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer.
Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million; for 10 consecutive years (1942–1951) she reign ...
. She debuted on screen in a supporting role as Cri-Cri in ''
Home in Indiana'' (1944). According to the actress, she had just turned 17 years old when her scenes were filmed.
Even before ''Home in Indiana'' was released, she was assigned to replace Alice Faye in the Technicolor-musical, ''
Irish Eyes Are Smiling
''Irish Eyes Are Smiling'' is a 1944 United States musical film which chronicles the life of popular Irish song composer Ernest R. Ball. The screenplay by Earl Baldwin and John Tucker Battle is based on a story by E. A. Ellington. The film was di ...
''. Later that year, she co-starred with her future husband,
Fred MacMurray, in ''
Where Do We Go From Here?'', which was the only time the pair appeared together in a film.
During her career at Fox, Haver was originally groomed to be the next Betty Grable (standing a diminutive 5'2", 1.57 metres, she was known as "Pocket Grable"). She even co-starred with Grable in the 1945 film, ''
The Dolly Sisters'', for which she had to put on weight.
While filming, rumors about a possible clash between the two actresses arose, mostly because of their frequent comparison, but Haver refuted this with: "Betty is a big star and I'm just starting. I try to be nice to her, and she reciprocated by being just as nice to me. It's silly to think two girls can't work together without quarreling. You see, I've two sisters. I'm the ham between the bread and butter — the middle sister — and I understand girls pretty well. Betty likes to talk about her baby, so we talk about her baby."
In 1946, she starred and received first-billing in ''
Wake Up and Dream'' and ''
Three Little Girls in Blue
''Three Little Girls in Blue'' is a 1946 Technicolor musical film directed by H. Bruce Humberstone and starring June Haver along with George Montgomery, Vivian Blaine, Celeste Holm, and Vera-Ellen. The 20th Century-Fox film was adapted from S ...
'', both of which were well received and brought moderate success. The following year, the role of Katie was written into the film ''
I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now'' just for Haver.
Possibly best known for her roles in optimistic musicals, Haver's comedy star-turn in 1948's ''
Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay!
''Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay!'' is a 1948 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by F. Hugh Herbert, based on the novel of the same name by George Agnew Chamberlain. Released by 20th Century Fox, the film stars June Haver, Lon McC ...
'' was a major success. The same year, she starred as
Marilyn Miller
Marilyn Miller (born Mary Ellen Reynolds; September 1, 1898 – April 7, 1936) was one of the most popular Broadway musical stars of the 1920s and early 1930s. She was an accomplished tap dancer, singer and actress, and the combination of these ...
in the musical ''
Look for the Silver Lining'' (1949). To resemble the actress as much as possible, Haver had to drive to the studio an hour earlier for make-up.
The following year, she starred in ''
The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady'' and ''
I'll Get By''. In 1951, Haver was teamed with Fox's newest asset,
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...
, and previous co-star
William Lundigan
William Paul Lundigan (June 12, 1914 – December 20, 1975) was an American film actor. His more than 125 films include '' Dodge City'' (1939), ''The Fighting 69th'' (1940), ''The Sea Hawk'' (1940), ''Santa Fe Trail'' (1940), '' Dishonored Lady ...
(her co-star from ''I'll Get By''), in the low-budget comedy, ''
Love Nest
''Love Nest'' is a 1951 American comedy-drama film directed by Joseph Newman and starring June Haver, William Lundigan, Frank Fay, and Marilyn Monroe.
The post-World War II comedy features an early supporting role for Monroe. It is one of t ...
''. Though Haver was the lead and received top billing, most of the film's publicity centered on Monroe, who had a minor role and garnered under-the-title billing. ''
Love Nest
''Love Nest'' is a 1951 American comedy-drama film directed by Joseph Newman and starring June Haver, William Lundigan, Frank Fay, and Marilyn Monroe.
The post-World War II comedy features an early supporting role for Monroe. It is one of t ...
'' was June Haver's only full-length film in black and white. Her other 15 releases between 1943 and 1953 were shot in three-strip Technicolor, something of a record for a Hollywood Golden Age actress.
Following her marriage to Fred MacMurray in 1954, Haver remained largely retired from acting (her last appearances were as herself on ''
The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'' in 1958 and ''Disneyland '59''). June Haver's final film appearance was in 1953's ''
The Girl Next Door''. Haver and MacMurray adopted two daughters and remained together until MacMurray's death in 1991.
At the urging of friends
Ann Miller and
Ann Rutherford
Therese Ann Rutherford (November 2, 1917 – June 11, 2012) was a Canadian-born American actress in film, radio, and television. She had a long career starring and co-starring in films, playing Polly Benedict during the 1930s and 1940s in the And ...
, Haver finally joined the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motio ...
at the age of 75. For her contribution to the motion picture industry, June Haver has a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1777 Vine Street.
[
]
Personal life
Haver insisted she had always been very close with her family. Her sisters followed her to Hollywood and served as her stand-ins, while her mother was Haver's personal secretary.
On March 9, 1947, Haver married trumpet player James Zito. She met him at age 15, while touring with Ted Fio Rito's orchestra. They initially lost contact after Haver moved from Illinois to Beverly Hills, but started dating when Haver made a short visit to her home town when she was already a film actress. Haver filed for divorce less than a year after eloping with Zito, winning interlocutory decree on March 25, 1948. She admitted to the press the marriage was a failure from the beginning, saying: "I want to forget as soon as possible. We hadn't been married hours before I realized I had never really known Jimmy. He was a stranger. He was either down in the dumps or up high. I never knew from one moment to the next how he would be." Because she was a devout Catholic, Haver tried to make the marriage work, turning to the church to forget her unhappiness.
After her divorce from Zito, Haver started dating Dr. John L. Duzik, whom she had dated before her marriage to Zito; they planned on marrying, but Duzik died on October 31, 1949, following surgery complications. While taking care of him in his final days, she started attending church more often. According to friends, she was inspired to become a nun during this period. Following Duzik's death, Haver reportedly became tired of Hollywood, and never was really in love with the men she dated afterward. In February 1953, Haver became a postulant
A postulant (from la, postulare, to ask) was originally one who makes a request or demand; hence, a candidate. The use of the term is now generally restricted to those asking for admission into a Christian monastery or a religious order for the pe ...
nun with the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth
The Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth is a Catholic religious institute based in Leavenworth, Kansas who follow in the tradition of Saints Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac. A member of the Sisters of Charity Federation in the Vincentian-Se ...
, an organization based in Leavenworth, Kansas, and she stayed until October, saying she left because of "poor health".
Around this time, Haver met Fred MacMurray, one of the wealthier and more conservative men in Hollywood, and a romantic relationship developed. (When she was 18, she had worked on a film with him, but he was married at the time.) On June 28, 1954, they were married. She told the press: "When I married Fred, he was terribly set in his ways. He was a fuss-budget. He hadn't quite progressed to being a lint picker, but he was already an ash-tray emptier, and that's just about as set in his ways as a man can get." Haver insisted on adopting a girl, but MacMurray, 18 years her senior, initially refused, explaining he already had been a father. Shortly after, he agreed on adopting a child, and with the help of a doctor, they were able to take in twin daughters. He died in 1991.
Haver died from respiratory failure
Respiratory failure results from inadequate gas exchange by the respiratory system, meaning that the arterial oxygen, carbon dioxide, or both cannot be kept at normal levels. A drop in the oxygen carried in the blood is known as hypoxemia; a rise ...
on July 4, 2005, in Brentwood, California, at the age of 79. She was buried with MacMurray at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.
Haver was a Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
and supported Dwight Eisenhower during the 1952 presidential election.
Archive
The Academy Film Archive
The Academy Film Archive is part of the Academy Foundation, established in 1944 with the purpose of organizing and overseeing the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ educational and cultural activities, including the preservation of m ...
houses the Fred MacMurray-June Haver Collection. The film material at the Academy Film Archive is complemented by material in the Fred MacMurray and June Haver papers at the Academy's Margaret Herrick Library.
Filmography
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Haver, June
1926 births
2005 deaths
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American actresses
20th-century American singers
20th Century Studios contract players
Actresses from Illinois
American film actresses
Burials at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City
Deaths from respiratory failure
People from Brentwood, Los Angeles
People from Rock Island, Illinois
Catholics from Illinois
Illinois Republicans
California Republicans