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June HaverAmerican film actress
Date of Birth: 10.06.1926
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of June Havoc
June Havoc was an American film actress known for her roles in musicals produced by the '20th Century Fox' in the late 1940s. She gained recognition for her portrayal of the character, Rosetta, in the biographical film about the lives of two famous Broadway dancers, 'The Dolly Sisters', starring Betty Grable. Havoc was also frequently mentioned in connection with her second husband, actor Fred MacMurray.
Early Life
June Havoc was born as Beverly Jane Stovenuur on June 10, 1926, in Rock Island, Illinois. The daughter of actress Mary Stovenuur and her musician husband Fred, June later took the surname of her stepfather, Bert Havoc. After her family moved to Ohio, seven-year-old June won a competition at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Even at a young age, she impressed with her ability to impersonate famous actresses such as Greta Garbo, Katharine Hepburn, and Helen Hayes. However, her mother wanted her to have a "normal childhood" and did not allow her to pursue acting as a child. By the age of ten, June found herself back in Rock Island, where she performed with Rudy Vallée. Full of ideas, June approached a local radio station with a proposal to start a new show featuring all the talented children in the city. To her surprise, she found a sponsor herself, interesting an ice cream company in the project. The new show became so popular that it aired three times a week within a few years.
Entering Hollywood
As a teenager, June caught the attention of renowned musician Ted Fiorito, who paid her $75 a week and made her his vocalist for summer tours she went on with her mother. This time, Mary Stovenuur did not stand in her daughter's way. Instead, she decided to move to Beverly Hills in 1942, realizing the success June could achieve in Hollywood. Within a year, Havoc signed a deal with '20th Century Fox' and earned $3,500 per week. She made her screen debut in 1944 as Kri-Kri in the melodrama film 'Home in Indiana', and later that same year, she co-starred with her future husband, Fred MacMurray, in the musical 'Where Do We Go from Here?', never working with him again on the same set.
Hollywood Career
When rumors spread about a rivalry between Betty Grable and June Havoc, the two leading stars of the film 'The Dolly Sisters', Havoc responded, "Betty is a big star and I'm just starting out. I try to be nice to her, and she responds in kind. It is silly to think two girls can't work together without a feud. You know, I have two sisters. I'm like the ham between the bread and butter - the middle sister - and I understand girls perfectly. Betty likes to talk about her baby, so we talk about her baby." Despite being nicknamed the "Pocket Grable" at one point, Havoc never reached Grable's level of popularity, and the studio soon ignited a new star - Marilyn Monroe.
Retirement and Personal Life
In 1946, the native of Rock Island signed a contract with '20th Century Fox' again, this time agreeing to work as an extra. In 1947, Havoc impulsively got married in Las Vegas to trumpeter Jimmy Zito, only to divorce him less than a year later due to his nightlife and drinking habits. In 1952, she unexpectedly announced her decision to leave the film industry and become a nun. After filming the comedy 'The Girl Next Door', she entered a convent in February 1953 and spent eight months as a novice at a sisterhood in Kansas. However, due to health issues, Havoc could no longer adhere to the strict monastery rules.
Breaking her promise to return, she met an acquaintance, actor and wealthy conservative Fred MacMurray, who had been widowed with two children, Robert and Susan. On June 28, 1954, the couple married and enjoyed a happy marriage for 37 years. Fred and June had two more children together, Katherine and Lori, adopting them. MacMurray passed away at the age of 83 on November 5, 1991. June Havoc's heart stopped beating on July 4, 2005, due to pulmonary failure at the age of 79. She was buried alongside her husband at the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City.
Throughout her short-lived career, June Havoc quickly rose to fame and faded on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, never fully revealing the depth of her talent.
