June Allyson | |
|---|---|
 Allyson in 1944 | |
| Born | Eleanor Geisman (1917-10-07)October 7, 1917 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | July 8, 2006(2006-07-08) (aged 88) Ojai, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park |
| Other names | June Allison |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1936–2001 |
| Known for | |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | www |
June Allyson (bornEleanor Geisman; October 7, 1917 – July 8, 2006) was an American stage, film, and television actress.
Allyson began her career in 1937 as a dancer in short subject films and onBroadway in 1938. She signed withMGM in 1943 and rose to fame the following year inTwo Girls and a Sailor. Allyson's "girl next door" image was solidified during the mid-1940s when she was paired with actorVan Johnson in six films. In 1951 she won theGolden Globe Award for Best Actress for her performance inToo Young to Kiss. From 1959 to 1961 she hosted and occasionally starred in her ownanthology series,The DuPont Show with June Allyson, which aired onCBS.[1]
In the 1970s she returned to the stage, starring inForty Carats andNo, No, Nanette. In 1982 Allyson released her autobiography,June Allyson by June Allyson, and continued her career with guest-starring roles on television and occasional film appearances. She later established the June Allyson Foundation for Public Awareness and Medical Research and worked to raise money for research for urological and gynecological diseases affecting senior citizens. During the 1980s Allyson also became a spokesperson forDepend undergarments,[2] in a successful marketing campaign that has been credited in reducing the social stigma ofincontinence.[3] She made her final onscreen appearance in 2001.
Allyson was married four times (to three husbands) and had two children with her first husband,Dick Powell. She died ofrespiratory failure andbronchitis in July 2006 at the age of 88.
Allyson was born Eleanor Geisman,[4] nicknamed Ella, inThe Bronx, New York City.[5] She was the daughter of Clara (née Provost) and Robert Geisman. She had a brother, Henry, who was two years older. She said she had been raised as a Catholic,[citation needed] but a discrepancy exists relating to her early life, and her studio biography was often the source of the confusion. Her paternal grandparents, Harry Geisman and Anna Hafner, were immigrants from Germany[4] although Allyson claimed her last name was originally "Van Geisman" and was of Dutch origin.[6] Studio biographies listed her as Jan Allyson born to Franco-English parents. Upon June's death, her daughter said Allyson was born "Eleanor Geisman to a French mother and Dutch father."[7][N 1] In an interview withLarry King Allyson denied being of German Jewish descent.[8]
In April 1918 (when Allyson was six months old), her alcoholic father, who had worked as a janitor, abandoned the family. Allyson was brought up in near poverty, living with her maternal grandparents.[9] To make ends meet, her mother worked as a telephone operator and restaurant cashier. When she had enough funds, she occasionally reunited with her daughter, but more often Allyson was "farmed" to her grandparents or other relatives.[9]
In 1925 (when Allyson was eight), a tree branch fell on her while she was riding her tricycle with her pet terrier in tow.[10] Allyson sustained a fractured skull and broken back, and her dog was killed. Her doctors said she never would walk again and confined her to a heavy steel brace from neck to hips for four years. She ultimately regained her health, but when Allyson had become famous, she was terrified that people would discover her background from the "tenement side of New York City", and she readily agreed to studio tales of a "rosy life", including a concocted story that she underwent months of swimming exercises in rehabilitation to emerge as a star swimmer.[9] In her later memoirs, Allyson describes a summer program of swimming that did help her recovery.[11][12]
After gradually progressing from a wheelchair to crutches to braces, Allyson's true escape from her impoverished life was to go to the cinema, where she was enraptured byGinger Rogers andFred Astaire movies.[9] As a teen, Allyson memorized the trademark dance routines of Ginger Rogers. She claimed later to have watchedThe Gay Divorcee 17 times.[13] She also tried to emulate the singing styles of movie stars, but she never mastered reading music.[14]
When her mother remarried and the family was reunited with a more stable financial standing, Allyson was enrolled in the Ned Wayburn Dancing Academy and began to enter dance competitions with the stage name of Elaine Peters.[15]
With the death of her stepfather and a bleak future ahead, she left high school midway through her junior year to seek jobs as a dancer. Her first $60-a-week job was as atap dancer at the Lido Club inMontreal. Returning to New York City, she found work as an actress inmovie short subjects filmed byEducational Pictures at itsAstoria, Queens NY studio.[16]
Fiercely ambitious, Allyson tried her hand at modeling but to her consternation became the "sad-looking before part" in a before-and-after bathing suit magazine ad.[17]
Her first career break came when Educational cast her as aningenue opposite singerLee Sullivan, comic dancersHerman Timberg, Jr. andPat Rooney, Jr., and future comedy starDanny Kaye in a series of shorts. These includedSwing for Sale (1937),Pixilated (1937),Ups and Downs (1937),Dime a Dance (1938),Dates and Nuts (1938), andSing for Sweetie (1938).[18]
When Educational ceased operations, Allyson moved toVitaphone in Brooklyn and starred or co-starred (with dancerHal Le Roy) inmusical shorts. These includedThe Prisoner of Swing (1938),The Knight Is Young (1938),Rollin' in Rhythm (1939), andAll Girl Revue (1940).
Interspersing jobs in thechorus line at theCopacabana Club with acting roles atVitaphone, the diminutive 5'1", below 100-lb Allyson landed a chorus job in theBroadway showSing Out the News in 1938.[19]
The “legend” around her stage name is that the choreographer gave her a job and a new name: Allyson, a family name, and June, for the month,[10] although, like many aspects of her career résumé, the story is highly unlikely since she was already dubbing herself June Allyson prior to her Broadway engagement. At one point she attributed the name to a director she worked with even later.[N 2]
Allyson subsequently appeared in the chorus in theJerome Kern–Oscar Hammerstein II musicalVery Warm for May (1939).[16]
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When Vitaphone discontinued New York production in 1940, Allyson returned to the stage to take on more chorus roles inRodgers and Hart'sHigher and Higher (1940) andCole Porter'sPanama Hattie (1940).
Her dancing and musical talent led to a stint as anunderstudy for the lead,Betty Hutton, and when Hutton contractedmeasles, Allyson appeared in five performances ofPanama Hattie.[16] Broadway directorGeorge Abbott caught one of performances and offered Allyson one of the lead roles in his production ofBest Foot Forward (1941).[20][18]
After her appearance in the Broadway musical, Allyson was selected for the 1943 MGM film version ofBest Foot Forward.[21] When she arrived inHollywood, the production had not started, soMGM "placed her on the payroll" ofGirl Crazy (1943). Despite playing abit part, Allyson received good reviews as asidekick toBest Foot Forward's star,Lucille Ball, but was still relegated to the "drop list."[22]
MGM's musical supervisorArthur Freed saw herscreen test sent up by anagent and insisted that Allyson be put oncontract immediately.[23] Another musical,Thousands Cheer (1943), was a showcase for her singing, albeit still in a minor role.[24]
As a newstarlet, although Allyson had already been a performer on stage and screen for over five years, she was presented as an "overnight sensation", with Hollywoodpress agents attempting to portray her as an ingenue, selectively slicing years off her true age. Studio bios listed her variously as being born in 1922 and 1923.[9]
Allyson's breakthrough was inTwo Girls and a Sailor (1944) in which the studio image of the "girl next door"[25] was fostered by her being cast alongside long-time acting chumVan Johnson, the quintessential "boy next door."[26] As the "sweetheart team", Johnson and Allyson were to appear together in four later films.[27][28]
Allysonsupported Lucille Ball again inMeet the People (1944), which was aflop.[1] It was on this film she metDick Powell, whom she later married.[29]
She supportedMargaret O'Brien inMusic for Millions (1944) and was billed afterRobert Walker andHedy Lamarr in theromantic comedyHer Highness and the Bellboy (1945).
Allyson wastop-billed along with Walker inThe Sailor Takes a Wife (1945). She had a role inTwo Sisters from Boston (1946) withKathryn Grayson andPeter Lawford, and she was one of several MGM stars inTill the Clouds Roll By (1946). She also appeared in her firstdrama,The Secret Heart, in 1946 withClaudette Colbert andWalter Pidgeon.[28]
She was reunited with Johnson inHigh Barbaree (1947) and followed with the musicalGood News that same year.[20]
Allyson starred with Johnson in the 1948 comedyThe Bride Goes Wild, then portrayed Constance in the hugely popularThe Three Musketeers (1948). Her song "Thou Swell" was a high point of theRodgers and Hart biopicWords and Music (1948), as performed in the "A Connecticut Yankee" segment with the Blackburn Twins.[28]
Allyson played thetomboyJo March inLittle Women (1949),[5] which was a huge hit. She was adept at crying on cue, and many of her films incorporated a crying scene. Fellow MGM playerMargaret O'Brien recalled that she and Allyson were known as "the town criers".[30] "I cried once in a picture and they said 'Let's do it again', and I cried for the rest of my career", she later said.[31]
The same year, MGM announced Allyson would be inForever by Mildred Crann, but the project was dropped.[28] Instead, she starred inThe Stratton Story (1949) withJames Stewart, which she later said was her favorite film.[31]
She made two films withDick Powell:The Reformer and the Redhead (1950) andRight Cross (1950), after which she was reunited with Johnson inToo Young to Kiss (1951).[32]
In 1950 Allyson had been signed to appear opposite her childhood idolFred Astaire inRoyal Wedding but had to leave the production due to pregnancy. She was replaced initially byJudy Garland, who in turn was replaced byJane Powell.
Allyson played a doctor inThe Girl in White (1952), which lost revenue, and a nurse inBattle Circus (1953), a hit.[27] She starred inRemains to Be Seen (1953) with Johnson, which was a flop. In May 1953, she and MGM agreed to part ways by mutual consent.[33]
In 1954 Allyson was in a hugeUniversal Pictures hit,The Glenn Miller Story,[34] as well as another successful MGM film,Executive Suite. She also starred theFox FilmWoman's World, which was less successful.
Allyson was teamed with Stewart again inStrategic Air Command (1955) atParamount, another success.[35]
She had a change of pace inThe Shrike (1955) withJosé Ferrer at Universal; it flopped. More popular wasThe McConnell Story (1955) withAlan Ladd atWarner Bros.
In 1956 Allyson starred in some musical remakes of classic films:The Opposite Sex, a remake ofThe Women at MGM, andYou Can't Run Away from It, a remake ofIt Happened One Night atColumbia, which was directed by Powell.[18]
In 1957 she signed with Universal to do two more remakes:Interlude, a drama forDouglas Sirk, andMy Man Godfrey, a comedy withDavid Niven. She then madeA Stranger in My Arms (1958) withJeff Chandler. The box office failures of these films effectively ended her reign as anA-list movie star.[31]
The DuPont Show with June Allyson (1959–60) ran for one season onCBS and was an attempt to use a high-budget formula. She later called it "the hardest thing I ever did."[36] Her efforts were dismissed by an entertainment critic in theLA Examiner as "reaching down to the level ofmag fiction."[37] However,TV Guide and otherfan magazines such asTV Magazine considered Allyson's foray into television as revitalizing her fame and career for a younger audience and remarked that hertypecasting by the movie industry as the "girl next door" was a "waste and neglect of talent on its own doorstep."[38]
She also appeared on shows likeZane Grey Theater,The Dick Powell Theatre,The Judy Garland Show, andBurke's Law before retiring for several years after the death of Powell in 1963.[18]
Allyson returned to acting with an appearance inThe Name of the Game. In 1970, she briefly starred inForty Carats on Broadway. Throughout the 1970s, she appeared regularly on television shows such asSee the Man Run (1971),The Sixth Sense (1972), andLetters from Three Lovers (1973), as well as a cameo in the filmThey Only Kill Their Masters (1972).[18] Later television appearances includeCurse of the Black Widow (1977),Three on a Date (1978),Vega$ (1978),Blackout (1978),House Calls,The Kid with the Broken Halo (1982)Simon & Simon,The Love Boat,Hart to Hart,Murder, She Wrote,Misfits of Science,Crazy Like a Fox, andAirwolf. Her last appearance was inThese Old Broads (2001). She made a special appearance in 1994 inThat's Entertainment III, as one of the film's narrators. She spoke about MGM's golden era and introduced vintage film clips. Until 2003, Allyson remained busy touring the country making personal appearances, headlining celebrity cruises, and speaking on behalf of Kimberly-Clark, a long-time commercial interest.[39]
Allyson became the spokesperson forDepend, a diaper line for adults with incontinence, in 1984.[1][40][41] The American Urogynecologic Society established the June Allyson Foundation in 1998, made possible by a grant fromKimberly-Clark. The foundation raises money for incontinence education and research.[1] As the first celebrity to undertake the role of public spokesperson for promoting the use of the Depend undergarment, Allyson did "more than any other public figure to encourage and persuade people with incontinence to lead fuller and more active lives".[2]
On her arrival in Hollywood, studio heads attempted to enhance the pairing of Van Johnson and Allyson by sending out the two contracted players on a series of "official dates", which were highly publicized and led to a public perception that a romance had been kindled.[42] Although datingDavid Rose,Peter Lawford, andJohn F. Kennedy, Allyson was actually being courted byDick Powell.[43]
On August 19, 1945, Allyson caused MGM studio chiefLouis B. Mayer some consternation by marrying Dick Powell.[44] After defying him twice by refusing to stop seeing Powell, in a "tactical master stroke", she asked Mayer to give her away at the wedding.[45] He was so disarmed that he agreed but put Allyson on suspension anyway.[46]
The Powells had two children, Pamela Allyson Powell[47] (adopted in 1948 through theTennessee Children's Home Society in an adoption arranged byGeorgia Tann) and Richard Powell, Jr., born December 24, 1950.[48]
In the mid 1950s, Allyson reportedly had an affair with actorAlan Ladd.[49]
In 1961, Allyson underwent a kidney operation and later,throat surgery, temporarily affecting her trademark raspy voice.[50] She filed for divorce that year, the reason being Powell's devotion to work. In February 1961, Allyson was awarded $2.5 million insettlement, along withcustody of their children,[51] in an interlocutory divorce decree. However, before the divorce was final, they reconciled[52] and remained married until his death on January 2, 1963. Later, Allyson reflected on how Powell's death affected her:
I felt I had no props. I'm not really that wise to be able to live life alone and know where I'm going. I felt fear. I felt loneliness. I felt guilt and anger. I was afraid that I would not be able to stand on my own two feet. The loneliness made me feel empty. Then I had an awful guilt. I had always complained that Richard worked too hard, that he had no time for me. I gave him a bad time about this. When he left, I realized that he was working for our future and he wasn't there for me to say, "I'm sorry." I was angry because God had taken Richard away. God should have taken me. He should have left Richard, who had so much more to give.[49]
Powell's death prompted Allyson to start drinking heavily. In 1963, she was going to elope with Powell's barber, Glenn Maxwell, but decided against it.[53] She and Maxwell would later get married and divorced, then married and divorced again between 1963 and 1970.[49][5]
She also went through a bitter court battle with her mother over the custody of the children. Reports at the time revealed that writer/director Dirk Summers, with whom Allyson was romantically involved from 1963 to 1975, was namedlegal guardian for Ricky and Pamela as a result of a court petition. Members of the nascentjet-set, Allyson and Summers were frequently seen inCap d'Antibes, Madrid, Rome, and London. However, Summers refused to marry her and the relationship did not last.[54]
During this time, Allyson struggled with alcoholism, which she overcame in the mid-1970s.
In 1976, Allyson married David Ashrow, a dentist turned actor. The couple occasionally performed together inregional theater, and in the late 1970s and early 1980s, toured the US in the playMy Daughter, Your Son. They also appeared oncelebrity cruiseship tours on theRoyal Viking Sky ocean liner in a program that highlighted Allyson's movie career.[39]
After Dick Powell's death, Allyson committed herself to charitable work on his behalf, championing the importance of research inurological andgynecological diseases in seniors.
Allyson represented theKimberly-Clark Corporation in commercials for adultincontinence products. She was initially reticent to participate, but her mother, who had incontinence, convinced her that it was her duty in light of her successful career. The product proved a success.[55] In 1993, actor-turned-agentMarty Ingels publicly charged Allyson with not paying his large commission on the earlier deal on incontinence product advertising. Allyson denied owing any money, and Ashrow and she filed a lawsuit forslander andemotional distress, charging that Ingels was harassing and threatening them, stating Ingels made 138 phone calls during a single eight-hour period. Earlier that year, Ingels had pleaded no contest to making annoying phone calls.[56]
Following a lifelong interest in health and medical research (Allyson had initially wanted to use her acting career to fund her own training as a doctor),[24] she was instrumental in establishing the June Allyson Foundation for Public Awareness and Medical Research.
Allyson also financially supported her brother, Dr. Arthur Peters, through his medical training, and he went on to specialize inotolaryngology.[6]
Allyson was a staunchRepublican and strong supporter ofRichard Nixon.[57] Her daughter served as Chairman of the Inaugural Concerts for Nixon'ssecond inauguration in 1973.[58] Allyson also supportedBarry Goldwater in the1964 United States presidential election.[59]
Powell's wealth made it possible for Allyson effectively to retire from show business after his death, making only occasional appearances on talk and variety shows. Allyson returned to the Broadway stage in 1970 in the playForty Carats[19] and later toured in a production ofNo, No, Nanette.
Her autobiography,June Allyson by June Allyson (1982), received generally complimentary reviews due to its insider look at Hollywood in one of its golden ages. A more critical appraisal came fromJanet Maslin at theNew York Times in her review, "Hollywood Leaves Its Imprint on Its Chroniclers", who noted: "Miss Allyson presents herself as the same sunny, tomboyish figure she played on screen in Hollywood... like someone who has come to inhabit the very myths she helped to create on the screen."[10] Privately, Allyson admitted that her earlier screen portrayals had left her uneasy about the typecast "good wife" roles she had played.[60]
As a personal friend of Ronald and Nancy Reagan, she was invited to manyWhite House dinners, and in 1988, Reagan appointed her to the Federal Council on Aging. Allyson and her later husband, David Ashrow, actively supported fund-raising efforts for both the James Stewart and Judy Garland museums; both Stewart and Garland had been close friends.[10]
In December 1993, Allyson christened theHolland America Maasdam, one of the flagships of theHolland America Line. Although her heritage, like much of her personal story, was subject to different interpretations, Allyson always claimed to be proud of a Dutch ancestry.[6]
In 1996, Allyson became the first recipient of the Harvey Award, presented by the James M. Stewart Museum Foundation, in recognition of her positive contributions to the world of entertainment.[61]
Following hip-replacement surgery in 2003, Allyson's health began to deteriorate. With her husband at her side, she died July 8, 2006, aged 88 at her home inOjai, California.[62][63] Her death was a result of pulmonary respiratory failure and acute bronchitis.[64] On her death, Kimberly-Clark Corporation contributed $25,000 to the June Allyson Foundation to support research advances in the care and treatment of women with urinary incontinence.[2] Along with her husband, she was survived by her daughter, Pamela Powell, her son, Richard, a grandson, and her brother.[1]
| Year | Organization | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Too Young to Kiss | Won | [65] |
| 1954 | Venice International Film Festival | Special Jury Prize for Ensemble Acting | Executive Suite | Won[a] | [66] |
| 1955 | Golden Globe Awards | World Film Favorite (Henrietta Award) | N/a | Nominated | [65] |
| 1955 | Photoplay Awards | Most Popular Actress | N/a | Won | [67] |
| 1960 | Hollywood Walk of Fame | Star - Motion Pictures | N/a | Honored | [68] |
| 1985 | Cannes Film Festival | Distinguished Service Award | N/a | Honored | [69] |
| 1996 | James M. Stewart Museum Foundation | Harvey Award | N/a | Honored |
I couldn't dance, and, Lord knows, I couldn't sing, but I got by somehow. Richard Rodgers was always keeping them from firing me.
| Date | Production | Role |
|---|---|---|
| September 24, 1938 – January 7, 1939 | Sing Out the News | Performer |
| November 17, 1939 – January 6, 1940 | Very Warm for May | June |
| April 4 – June 15, 1940 | Higher and Higher | Higher and Higher Specialty Girl |
| October 30, 1940 – January 3, 1942 | Panama Hattie | Dancing Girl |
| October 1, 1941 – July 4, 1942 | Best Foot Forward | Minerva |
| January 5, 1970 | Forty Carats | Ann Stanley |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | Swing for Sale | Short subject | |
| Pixilated | |||
| Ups and Downs | June Daily | ||
| Dime a Dance | Harriet | ||
| Dates and Nuts | Wilma Brown, Herman's girl | ||
| 1938 | Sing for Sweetie | Sally Newton | |
| The Prisoner of Swing | Princess | ||
| The Knight Is Young | June | ||
| 1939 | Rollin' in Rhythm | ||
| 1940 | All Girl Revue | Mayor | |
| 1943 | Best Foot Forward | Ethel | |
| Girl Crazy | Specialty Singer | ||
| Thousands Cheer | |||
| 1944 | Two Girls and a Sailor | Patsy Deyo | |
| Meet the People | Annie | ||
| Music for Millions | Barbara Ainsworth | ||
| 1945 | Her Highness and the Bellboy | Leslie Odell | |
| The Sailor Takes a Wife | Mary Hill | ||
| 1946 | Two Sisters from Boston | Martha Canford Chandler | |
| Till the Clouds Roll By | Herself/Jane | Segments:Leave It to Jane andOh, Boy! | |
| The Secret Heart | Penny Addams | ||
| 1947 | High Barbaree | Nancy Frazer | |
| Good News | Connie Lane | ||
| 1948 | The Bride Goes Wild | Martha Terryton | |
| The Three Musketeers | Constance Bonacieux | ||
| Words and Music | Alisande La Carteloise | ||
| 1949 | Little Women | Josephine "Jo" March | |
| The Stratton Story | Ethel | ||
| 1950 | The Reformer and the Redhead | Kathleen Maguire | |
| Right Cross | Pat O'Malley | ||
| 1951 | Too Young to Kiss | Cynthia Potter | |
| 1952 | The Girl in White | Dr. Emily Barringer | |
| 1953 | Battle Circus | Lt. Ruth McCara | |
| Remains to Be Seen | Jody Revere | ||
| 1954 | The Glenn Miller Story | Helen Burger Miller | |
| Executive Suite | Mary Blemond Walling | ||
| Woman's World | Katie Baxter | Alternative title:A Woman's World | |
| 1955 | Strategic Air Command | Sally Holland | |
| The Shrike | Ann Downs | ||
| The McConnell Story | Pearl "Butch" Brown | ||
| 1956 | The Opposite Sex | Kay Hilliard | |
| You Can't Run Away from It | Ellen "Ellie" Andrews | ||
| 1957 | Interlude | Helen Banning | Alternative title:Forbidden Interlude |
| My Man Godfrey | Irene Bullock | ||
| 1959 | A Stranger in My Arms | Christina Beasley | Alternative title:And Ride a Tiger |
| 1972 | They Only Kill Their Masters | Mrs. Watkins | |
| 1978 | Blackout | Mrs. Grant | |
| 2001 | A Girl, Three Guys, and a Gun | Joey's Grandma |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959–1961 | The DuPont Show with June Allyson | Hostess | 59 episodes |
| 1960 | Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre | Stella | Episode: "Cry Hope! Cry Hate!" |
| 1962–1963 | The Dick Powell Theatre | Various roles | 3 episodes |
| 1963 | Burke's Law | Jean Samson | Episode: "Who Killed Beau Sparrow?" |
| 1968 | The Name of the Game | Joanne Robins | Segment: "High on a Rainbow" |
| 1971 | See the Man Run | Helene Spencer | Television film |
| 1972 | The ABC Comedy Hour | Episode: "The Twentieth Century Folies" | |
| 1972 | The Sixth Sense | Mrs. Ruth Desmond | Episode: "Witness Within" |
| 1973 | Letters from Three Lovers | Monica | Television film |
| 1977 | Switch | Dr. Trampler | Episode: "Eden's Gate" |
| 1977 | Curse of the Black Widow | Olga | Television film |
| 1978 | Three on a Date | Marge Emery | Television film |
| 1978 | Vega$ | Loretta Ochs | Episode: "High Roller" |
| 1978 | The Love Boat | Various roles / Audrey Wyler S2 E9 | |
| 1979 | The Incredible Hulk | Dr. Kate Lowell | Episode: "Brain Child" |
| 1980 | House Calls | Florence Alexander | Episode: "I'll Be Suing You" |
| 1982 | The Kid with the Broken Halo | Dorothea Powell | Television film |
| 1982 | Simon & Simon | Margaret Wells | Episode: "The Last Time I Saw Michael" |
| 1984 | Hart to Hart | Elizabeth Tisdale | Episode: "Always, Elizabeth" |
| 1984 | Murder, She Wrote | Katie Simmons | Episode: "Hit, Run and Homicide" |
| 1985 | Misfits of Science | Bessie | Episode: "Steer Crazy" |
| 1986 | Crazy Like a Fox | Neva | Episode: "Hearing Is Believing" |
| 1986 | Airwolf | Martha Stewart | Episode: "Little Wolf" |
| 1989 | Wilfrid's Special Christmas | Miss Nancy | Television special |
| 1991 | Pros and Cons | Episode: "It's the Pictures That Got Small" | |
| 1995 | Burke's Law | Shelly Knox | Episode: "Who Killed the Toy Maker?" |
| 2001 | These Old Broads | Lady in Hotel | Television film Uncredited |
For a number of years exhibitors voted Allyson among the most popular stars in the country:
| Year | Program | Episode/source |
|---|---|---|
| 1946 | Lux Radio Theatre | Presenting Lily Mars |
| 1950 | Lux Radio Theatre | Presenting Lily Mars |
| 1950 | Lux Radio Theatre | Little Women |
| 1950 | Lux Radio Theatre | The Bride Goes Wild |
| 1950 | Richard Diamond, Private Detective | Mrs. X Can't Find Mr. X |
| 1951 | Lux Radio Theatre | The Reformer and the Redhead |
| 1952 | Stars in the Air | The Bride Goes Wild[70] |
| 1953 | Lux Radio Theatre | The Girl in White[71] |
| 1953 | Lux Radio Theatre | Because of You |
Explanatory notes
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