June Shirley Kirby (January 5, 1928 – March 6, 2022) was an American actress[1][2] and model,[3] who spent most of her career as a wardrobe mistress in Hollywood productions' costume departments.[4] She was a showgirl at The Diamond Horseshoe[5] in the late forties and was spotted by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer which offered her a couple of film parts as a Goldwyn Girl[6][7][8] such as in Vincente Minnelli's Kismet (1955) and Joseph L. Mankiewicz's Guys and Dolls (1955)[9] featured opposite Marlon Brando,[10] Larri Thomas and Pat Sheehan.[11][12] Kirby also performed on Broadway in As the Girls Go (1948-1950),[13] and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.[14]
June Kirby | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 5, 1928 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Died | March 6, 2022 (aged 94) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1951–1984 |
| Spouses |
|
Early years edit
Born in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, Kirby was raised in Jersey City, New Jersey[15] and earned a diploma at James J. Ferris High School in Jersey City.[16] She later attended Kingston University where she studied fashion.[17]
Modeling edit
Kirby also worked as a model. In 1946, she was named "posture queen of America" by the National Chiropractic Association.[18] She was in Famous Models Magazine dated June 1950.[19]
Personal life edit
Kirby dated men such as Mickey Rooney.[20] She married Roy B. Whitlock on August 20, 1960, and they had a daughter named Shawn. Whitlock died on December 23, 1984. She later married Bob Przybysz.[21] Kirby died on March 6, 2022, aged 94, in Aiken, South Carolina.[22]
Filmography edit
Actress edit
| Year | Title | Director | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Kismet | Vincente Minnelli | Harem lady - Goldwyn Girl | |
| 1955 | Guys and Dolls | Joseph L. Mankiewicz | The Hot Box Girls number | The number included Kirby, Pat Sheehan and Larri Thomas. |
| 1955 | The Eddie Cantor Comedy Theatre | Eddie Davis | - | Season 1, Episode 26: What Do You Want in a Show. |
| 1957 | Highway Patrol | Eddie Davis | Barbara Franklin | Season 2, Episode 18: Statute of Limitations. |
| 1957 | The Garment Jungle | Vincent Sherman & Robert Aldrich. | The model | |
| 1957 | Silk Stockings | Rouben Mamoulian | Model | |
| 1958 | The Last Hurrah | John Ford | Model | |
| 1960 | Bells Are Ringing | Vincente Minnelli | Party Guest |
Costume designer edit
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | The Diamond | Dennis O'Keefe & Montgomery Tully | |
| 1955 - 1956 | Fabian of the Yard | Charles Saunders | 5 episodes: - The Masterpiece - Cocktail Girl - The Ribbon Trap - The Sixth Dagger - The Lover's Knot |
| 1962 | Lunch Hour | James Hill | |
| 1972 | Along the Way (1972) | T.S. Lyndon-Haynes & John Reeve |
Wardrobe department edit
This section needs expansion with: missing credits. You can help by adding to it. (October 2021) |
| Year | Title | Director | Head of Costume | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | The Adventures of the Big Man | Don Chaffey | 10 episodes: - The Smugglers - The Frightened Angels - The Door of Gold - The Thief - Lady Killer - The Gun Runners - Secret Enemy - The Magenta Box - The Amazon Bandit - The Bomb | |
| 1971 | On the Buses | Harry Booth | Rosemary Burrows | |
| 1983 | The Keep | Michael Mann | Anthony Mendleson | |
| 1984 | Supergirl | Jeannot Szwarc | Emma Porteous |
Special effects edit
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | The Dark Crystal | Jim Henson & Frank Oz | Creatures fabricator for the Mystic Unit |
References edit
- ^ Koper, Richard (2010-03-31). Fifties Blondes: Sexbombs, Sirens, Bad Girls and Teen Queens. BearManor Media. ISBN 978-1-59393-521-4.
- ^ Terrace, Vincent (2009). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 Through 2007: F-L. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-3305-6.
- ^ Pageant. Good Earth Corporation. 1955.
- ^ Samuel Claesson (March 31, 2023). Top Models. Sequoia Press. p. 187. ISBN 9798889921806.
- ^ Monahan, Patrick (2014-01-24). "The Diamond Horseshoe, the World War II-Era Nightclub Resurrected by Randy Weiner and Simon Hammerstein". Vanity Fair Blogs. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
- ^ "Stars Find World Tour Broadening". Kingsport News. Kingsport, Tennessee. Kingsport News. July 7, 1956. p. 2. Retrieved November 2, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Marill, Alvin H. (1976). Samuel Goldwyn Presents. A. S. Barnes. ISBN 978-0-498-01658-5.
- ^ Cinéma (in French). Fédération française des ciné-clubs. 1985.
- ^ Kurtti, Jeff (1996). The Great Hollywood Musical Trivia Book. New York: Applause Books. p. 41. ISBN 1-55783-222-6.
- ^ Guérif, François (1977). Marlon Brando (in French). PAC. ISBN 978-2-85336-108-8.
- ^ Perone, James E. (2005). Woodstock: An Encyclopedia of the Music and Art Fair. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-313-33057-5.
- ^ Cahiers Du Cinema in English. Cahiers Publishing. 1966.
- ^ "June Kirby". Playbill Vault. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
- ^ Kilgallen, Dorothy (August 11, 1951). "Voice of Broadway". The News-Herald. Pennsylvania, Franklin. The News-Herald. p. 4. Retrieved January 11, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Cail, Howard L. "Here’s A Goldwyn Quintet In Guys And Dolls", Evening Express, September 15,1955. Accessed March 19, 2023, via Newspapers.com. "June.... A native of Bay Ridge, N.Y., she grew up in Jersey City. Following high school Miss Kirbv went back over the Hudson River to train as a model and study dramatics"
- ^ Adams, Vincent. "Modeling, Teaching, Acting, Keep June of Bay Ridge Busy", New York Daily News, November 23, 1948. Accessed March 19, 2023, via Newspapers.com. "One of the busiest girls in Brooklyn is lovely June Kirby of Bay Ridge, who scarcely has time to say 'good morning' before plunging into her daily routine.... In the class book at Ferris High School in Jersey City June is listed as the prettiest member of her class and the girl with the most glamorous hair."
- ^ Lentz, Harris (March 2023). "Obituaries". Classic Images. p. 42.
- ^ "(photo caption)". Corsicana Daily Sun. Texas, Corsicana. Corsicana Daily Sun. October 26, 1946. p. 9. Retrieved January 11, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Office, Library of Congress Copyright (1950). Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series.
- ^ Lait, Jack (April 1, 1952). "Broadway and Elsewhere". The Pocono Record. Pennsylvania, Stroudsburg. The Pocono Record. p. 16. Retrieved January 11, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "June Whitlock Przybysz". Augusta Journal. March 2022. p. 1.
- ^ "June Kirby - The Private Life and Times of June Kirby. June Kirby Pictures". glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com. Retrieved 2021-10-31.
External links edit
- June Kirby at IMDb
- June Kirby at the Internet Broadway Database
