Top Models by Samuel Claesson - HTML preview

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I've wanted to write about these seven women for

 

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In 1958, she appeared in Traffic Court -a series that reenacted actual court cases- starring Edgar Allan Jones Jr where she demonstrated great acting ability by sobbing on the witness stand in handcuffs. She had enough of forgettable acting gigs, so she had a brief fling with singing. She flew to Russia with singer Toni Carrol during the height of the Cold War, where they performed a well-received duet together. It was clear that being a star in the Soviet Union was a lost effort, so she returned to Hollywood

 

Arthur Freed asked her to do Bells Are Ringing (1960), which would be her last film. She had a role as one of the party guests. She was reunited with several has-been models including Suzanne Ames, Lorraine Crawford, Helen Chapman, and Sue Casey. It was Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ' s last big-budget musical. June Kirby once said in an interview with Vincent Adams that, "I would trade it [fame] for a little place out in the country, a husband, and a couple of kids to worry about." That' s exactly what she did when she married Roy

Whitlock, a veteran of World War II who was 28

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awarded the Purple Heart. You wouldn't think that a model from New York City would fall in love with a ex-marine southerner, but that' s exactly what happened.

 

They were wed on August 20, 1960, and planned to start their happy family in Decatur, Georgia. It was another surprise to friends of June, as the rural neighborhoods of Georgia were a sharp contrast to her glamourous life in Hollywood and New York. They had a daughter named Shawn, who 'd later become a schoolteacher. Although June loved her new life, she couldn't quit Hollywood forever. She continued to do wardrobe for several films including Supergirl (1984).

 

Sadly, Roy Beekman Whitlock died on December 23, 1984 in Augusta, Georgia after a brief illness. The grieving widow left Georgia shortly thereafter. She moved to Aiken, South Carolina where she met Bogumil "Bob" Przybysz, a veteran who immigrated from Poland as a child. They got married, and remained married

happily. In marrying Przybysz, she became a 29 stepmother as well. She did not care about fame, nor did she dwell on her past life in Hollywood. When I last spoke with her in September 2020, I encouraged her to write her memoirs. She said, "It was so long ago..." I eventually asked her if she 'd do an interview with me, which she politely declined.

 

She died on March 6, 2022 in Aiken, South Carolina at the age of 94 with her husband by her side. Classic Images and The Augusta Chronicle published her obituaries, while a service was held days later at Westover Memorial Park. Although she never achieved the stardom that she expected to, she has a special place in history among filmgoers.

 

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