Thanks, David, for quoting from my obit of Allyson. However, there was a paragraph cut from the piece which I will here take the opportunity to air.

' In 1985, when she was in London plugging the re-issue of The Glenn Miller Story, she looked almost the same as she did many years before in the MGM musicals. Being out of the limelight for almost 30 years was obviously as beneficial to her complexion as keeping out of the hot sun. When asked why she gave up show business, she said that the only roles she was being offered were as psychologically disturbed older women wanting younger men. However, she would love to play Pat Nixon in a biopic of 'this remarkable woman.' 'Who would play Richard Nixon?', she was asked. When I suggested Bela Lugosi, she wagged an admonishing finger at me - apparently she and Dick Powell were great buddies with the Nixons and the Reagans. We still all loved you, Junie.'

Oooh, with a few knob-tweaks on the time machine, Bela Lugosi would have given us an excellent Richard Nixon. Many thanks, Ronald.

Link: http://www.thejudyroom.com/poems.html

In 1939, the very romantic
Judy Garland wrote a book
of poetry. She had her poems
printed, and bound into book
form, and gave them to several
of her closest friends. One of
those friends was June Allyson.

One of her poems (co-authored
by her then-husband David Rose)
was written for song, and inspired
me to write the following poem:

Love Supreme
by Len Bourret
(Copyright 2006)

I can tell of my love for you,
I can sing of my heart's great love.
As long as there are memories of
every smile and every kiss,
My lips you whisper into,
Feelings,
Sentiments,
Thoughts,
Flood my soul.
How strong we are,
Known,
Unknown,
To our hearts and minds.
How gainful,
Our life experiences be,
Fighting,
Fighting,
Among hopes and fears.
Our struggles continue,
To great avail.
Our destiny,
More than luck or fate.
Drumbeats sound,
Taps beat to rhythm,
Peace beyond the turmoil.
Victories waiting to greet us,
At heaven's rainbow turn.
Sun,
Moon,
Wind,
Rain,
Hope springs eternal.
More than conquerors,
Fighting,
Fighting,
Tread softly into brightness,
And light through darkness.
Triumphing,
Triumphing,
Over peace, not war.
Failure,
Success,
Tragedy,
Side by side.
Pleasure and ectasy,
Pain and agony,
Steps unfaltering,
Sure and steady.
Paths of choice,
Unswerving time.
Dancing,
Swimming,
Swirling,
Through still waters,
And ghostly reality.
Into a sea of fire,
Sorrows vanquished.
Love shall find us,
With joy supreme.
In sweet surrender,
Wrapped in splendor.
No fools romance,
Through smile and glance.
Love supreme comes true now,
Dreams belong to us now.
Guarding,
Protecting,
Surrounding,
Engulfing our hearts with love.

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My Tribute to June Allyson (1917 to 2006)...
http://www.reeljewels.com/allyson/fanarticle1.htm

Jack Heinzman's Tribute to June Allyson (1917 to 2006)...
http://www.venturacountystar.com/vcs/opinion/article/0,1375,VCS_125_4839860,00.html

Charles Michel's Tribute to June Allyson (1917 to 2006)...
http://www.reeljewels.com/allyson/rememberingjunie.htm

Jim Bishop's Tribute to June Allyson (1917 to 2006)...
http://news.pajamasmedia.com/entertainment/2006/07/14/9626631_Victoria_Advocat.shtml

"Like the memory of her smile and her tears and her raspy little voice, some things will stay with us forever." -- from Jim Bishop's Tribute to June Allyson

Down on Your Heels, and Up On Your Toes!
by Len Bourret (Copyright 2006)

She was the girl GIs gravitated towards, the kind of woman every man wanted to marry, and the special friend everyone wanted to know. She loved people, and they loved her back. She exuded positive energy and a sunshiny smile that was uplifting--and, somehow, just being around her was uplifting and made people feel better. She was, and shall always be, "Good News" itself. Harry James' trumpet (from "Two Girls and
a Sailor") is blowing in the heavens, and one can hear and see June Allyson exuberantly singing, "He's the young man with a horn!"

To know "Junie" (as she was personified by her closed friends), one only had to become familiar with Ella
Van Geisman, the little girl from the Bronx. She was a hard worker, and a powerhouse. She danced her
way out of poverty and, on a dare from her schoolchums, learned to dance like and eventually befriended
her #1 heroine, Ginger Rogers. And, out of a Third Avenue el, she learned to follow in the footsteps of her
#1 hero, Fred Astaire. She had a distinctive voice, and a winsome personality. And, it was not an accident
or coincidental that she became destined to become the actress and human being that everyone wanted to
emulate and have as their nextdoor neighbor. Hers was a rags-to-riches story, a kind of Shirley Temple
real-life doll (more than merely on paper), a Jo March tomboy with feminine grace. She was a princess,
who married a prince, Richard Ewing Powell. And Richard, or Dick Powell as he is known to the world,
was a kind man who loved kids. But, he was--and taught June Allyson to be, strong as a redwood--
and this served to be her strength, after Richard's passing. And, indeed, June Allyson went through an
extremely difficult period from 1963 (after Richard passed from this earth) to 1976 (when she married
an equally-kind man, David Ashrow). But, during this time of magnificent independence, the little girl became quite a woman. And, she was a loyal friend and partner (she was married to Dick Powell for
almost 20 years, and was married to David Ashrow for almost 30 years).

When I was a little boy, Dick Powell used to call me from Four Star Television (where he became a
still-respected Louis B. Mayer kind of television mogul), and he gave me a 16m.m. print of "Sister
Mary Slugger" (a segment I loved from early-television's June Allyson Show). I deeply cherished
and faithfully preserved the print, for years, and presented it to June Allyson on videocassette. And,
at the Judy Garland Festival in 2002, I had the rare opportunity to read my poetry to June Allyson.
Some people are fortunate to meet their heroine once in a lifetime. I was privileged and proud to
meet June Allyson on four special occasions: once when she was appearing in "Goodbye Ghost"
(in Coconut Grove, Florida), twice when she was appearing in "Forty Carats" (on Broadway), thrice
when she was appearing in "No No Nanette" (in Hollywood), and at the Judy Garland Festival (an
annual event held to honor June Allyson's friend in Judy Garland's hometown of Grand Rapids,
Minnesota). But, this shall not be yours and my final meeting. We shall see June, Judy, and Richard
at the rainbow--and June Allyson will be dancing and singing The Varsity Drag (from MGM's
"Good News")!

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=================================
L e o n a r d J . B o u r r e t
4 0 - B P a s c a l L a n e
M a n c h e s t e r , C T 0 6 0 4 0 - 4 6 2 6
P h o n e : ( 8 6 0 ) 6 4 7 - 9 6 0 6
e - M a i l : Len9876@juno.com
=================================

July 12, 2006

Dr. David Ashrow
1651 Foothill Road
Ojai, CA 93023-1748

Dear Dr. David:

Junie was, and shall always be, "Good News" itself. Harry James' trumpet (from "Two Girls
and a Sailor") is blowing in the heavens, and one can hear and see June Allyson exuberantly
singing, "He's the young man with a horn!"

This shall not be a final meeting of yours and mine. We shall see June, Judy, and Richard at
the rainbow--and Junie will be dancing and singing The Varsity Drag! Down on your heels,
and up on your toes!

To you, Pam and Rick, I send my best wishes.


Warmest Regards,


Len Bourret
Poet and Writer

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