June Wilkinson (born 27 March 1940 in Eastbourne) is an English model and actress, known for her appearances in '' Playboy'' magazine and in films of the 1960s. One of the world's most-photographed women in the late 1950s and early 1960s, at the height of her career she was called "the most photographed nude in America". /ref>
Life and career
June Wilkinson was born 27 March 1940 in Eastbourne, England. Having started as a stage performer at the age of 12, she went on to become the youngest topless dancer, at the age of 15, at the Windmill Theatre in London from 1957 to 1958. During a promotional tour in the United States, she was discovered by
Hugh Hefner
Hugh Marston Hefner (April 9, 1926 – September 27, 2017) was an American magazine publisher. He was the founder and editor-in-chief of ''Playboy'' magazine, a publication with revealing photographs and articles which provoked charges of obsc ...
. Her first appearance in ''Playboy'', in September 1958, was titled "The Bosom".Wilkinson, p.43. She was a brunette in those days, but in later shoots she was a blonde.
Wilkinson's second ''Playboy'' appearance was photographed by Russ Meyer. Meyer was an independent photographer at the time, and filming his ground-breaking '' The Immoral Mr. Teas'' (
1959
Events January
* January 1 - Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance.
* January 2 - Lunar probe Luna 1 was the first man-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reached the vicinity of E ...
). Because she was under contract to Seven Arts at the time, Wilkinson could not officially appear in Meyer's film. However, as an uncredited and unpaid favor to the director, Wilkinson's breasts can be seen through a window in one scene.
Wilkinson appeared in ''Playboy'' again in August 1959 in a spread titled "The Bosom in Hollywood." During this period, she appeared with Spike Jones' band, together with actor
Billy Barty
Billy Barty (born William John Bertanzetti, October 25, 1924 – December 23, 2000) was an American actor and activist. In adult life, he stood tall, due to cartilage–hair hypoplasia dwarfism. Because of his short stature, he was often cast ...
. Recalling this period in her career, Wilkinson later remembered Barty with affection, but commented that off-stage, Jones had no sense of humor. In 1960, Wilkinson was featured in ''Playboy'' five times, in June, July, August, October, and again in November. Her feature in the November issue was titled "The Bosom Revisits Playboy".Wilkinson, p.46. Wilkinson appeared in the
1960
It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism.
Events
January
* Ja ...
voodoo film, '' Macumba Love'', which promoted her measurements as "44-20-36". At times reported as up to "45-22-35", in 1963 Wilkinson stated that her measurements were actually "40-22-35".
In 1961 Wilkinson made several stage appearances on the U.S. West coast with performers such as Louis Jourdan in '' The Marriage-Go-Round'',
Sylvia Sidney
Sylvia Sidney (born Sophia Kosow; August 8, 1910 – July 1, 1999) was an American stage, screen and film actress whose career spanned over 70 years. She rose to prominence in dozens of leading roles in the 1930s. She was nominated for the Aca ...
in ''
Come Blow Your Horn
''Come Blow Your Horn'' is Neil Simon's first play, which premiered on Broadway in 1961 and had a London production in 1962 at the Prince of Wales Theatre. Simon rewrote the script more than two dozen times over several years, resulting in a hit ...
'' and
Milton Berle
Milton Berle (born Mendel Berlinger; ; July 12, 1908 – March 27, 2002) was an American actor and comedian. His career as an entertainer spanned over 80 years, first in silent films and on stage as a child actor, then in radio, movies and tel ...
in ''
Norman, Is That You?
''Norman, Is That You?'' is a 1970 play in two acts by American playwrights Ron Clark and Sam Bobrick about a Jewish couple coming to terms with their son's homosexuality. The work is notably the first play written by both writers. After 19 pr ...
''.Wilkinson, p.47. She had a brief role in John Cassavetes'
1962
Events January
* January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand.
* January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism.
* January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wors ...
film, ''
Too Late Blues
''Too Late Blues'' is a 1961 black-and-white American film directed by John Cassavetes and starring Bobby Darin, Stella Stevens and Everett Chambers. It is the story of jazz musician "Ghost" Wakefield and his relationship with both his fellow band ...
''.
In December 1962, Wilkinson made her last appearance in ''Playboy'', though her photos continued to appear in the magazine in anniversary and retrospective features. Though she was never an official Playboy Playmate, she was featured in the magazine on seven separate occasions and was one of the magazine's most popular photo subjects. She appeared in more than fifty other men's magazines and newspapers from 1958 to 1970, making her one of the most-photographed models of the era.
Wilkinson was the star of director Myron Gold's
1963
Events January
* January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cov ...
film, ''La Rabia'' or ''The Rage''. Directed in Mexico City, the film has Wilkinson as a stripper with a gigolo boyfriend. She met Dan Pastorini, NFL quarterback for the Houston Oilers and
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
in 1972, and they were married in 1973.Wilkinson, p.48. They co-starred in the
1974
Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...
film ''Florida Connection'' (also known as ''Weed''), for the producer of ''Rage''. The couple divorced in 1982, and Wilkinson never remarried.Wilkinson, p.49. She has a daughter, Brahna, by Pastorini.
In the 1970s-1980s Wilkinson starred in a series of sex comedy teasers, such as "Three in a Bedroom", "The Ninety-Day Mistress" (with Eve McVeagh) and "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?"
In 1997, in her late 50s, June came back for another nude shoot in ''The Best of Glamour Girls: Then and Now'' vol. 2 (Winter 1997). In 1999 when ''Playboy'' published its list of the "100 Sexiest Stars of the Century", June came in at #30. Currently she hosts ''The Directors'', a cable show in which she interviews filmmakers. She is also putting together a show about the history of fashion called ''Glamour's First 5000 Years''.
Filmography
* ''
Thunder in the Sun
''Thunder in the Sun'' is a 1959 American Western film directed by Russell Rouse and starring Susan Hayward and Jeff Chandler.
Plot
The film shows a family of French Basque immigrants pioneering into the Wild West while carrying their ancestr ...
'' (1959) as Buxom Blonde At Marie's Place (uncredited)
* ''Mr. Tease and His Playthings'' as Nude Torso In The Window (uncredited)
* ''
Grand Jury
A grand jury is a jury—a group of citizens—empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury may subpoena physical evidence or a pe ...
Too Late Blues
''Too Late Blues'' is a 1961 black-and-white American film directed by John Cassavetes and starring Bobby Darin, Stella Stevens and Everett Chambers. It is the story of jazz musician "Ghost" Wakefield and his relationship with both his fellow band ...
'' (1961) as 'Shorty', Girl At Bar (uncredited)
* ''
The Bellboy and the Playgirls
''The Bellboy and the Playgirls'' is a 1962 American film by Francis Ford Coppola and Jack Hill. The film is a re-edited version of a West German film of 1958 originally titled '' '', directed by Fritz Umgelter with Coppola and Hill shooting nud ...
'' (1962) as Madame Wimpepoole
* '' The Rage'' (1962) as Rita, The Starlet
* '' Who's Got the Action?'' (1962) as Bride (uncredited)
* '' The Candidate'' (1964) as Angela Wallace
* ''
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
'' (1968) as Evelina
* '' The Doris Day Show'' (1971) as Laura
* '' The ABC Comedy Hour'' (1972) as Unknown
* '' The Mack'' (1973) as Unknown (uncredited)
* ''The Florida Connection'' (1975) as Britt Claiborne
* ''
Frankenstein's Great Aunt Tillie
''Frankenstein's Great Aunt Tillie'' is a 1984 comedy film about Frankenstein that is based in Transylvania.
June Wilkinson, who had a part in the film, was interviewed in the book ''Screen Sirens Scream!'' about her role. The film's music was wri ...
'' (1984) as Randy
* ''Texas Godfather'' (1985) as Audrey
* '' Vasectomy: A Delicate Matter'' (1986) as Mrs. Cromwell
* ''Talking Walls'' (1987) as Blonde
* ''
Medium Rare
Doneness is a gauge of how thoroughly cooked a cut of meat is based on its color, juiciness, and internal temperature. The gradations are most often used in reference to beef (especially steaks and roasts) but are also applicable to other ty ...
'' (1987) as Unknown
* '' Keaton's Cop'' (1990) as Sandra 'Big Mama' Channing
* '' Three Bad Men'' (2005) as Billie