Biography
Affectionately nicknamed "The Pocket Grable," June Haver was a lovely blonde leading lady whose charms were showcased in several of 20th Century Fox's Technicolor musicals. The petite actress first displayed her skills at the tender age of 11 as a genuine radio personality. Put under contract a few years later, she was soon co-starring in musicals like "Irish Eyes are Smiling" (1944) and "Where Do We Go from Here" (1945). Fox had hoped that the effortlessly charming Haver would prove to be Betty Grable's ideal replacement as queen of the lot and even paired her with their resident blonde bombshell in "The Dolly Sisters" (1945). However, after a bad marriage and the tragic death of her fiancé, Haver's dedication to the Catholic Church overruled her interest in show business. While still a box office draw, Haver asked to be let out of her Fox contract in 1953 so that she could serve the church as a nun. After a few months in a convent that left her in dire physical straits, she returned to Hollywood, but never again appeared in another film. Studio lore maintained that Fox had only ever planned to use her as a means of keeping Grable in line anyway, but Haver was able to fashion a perfectly solid career for herself regardless. Following some indecision in the early 1950s, her post-showbiz life spent happily married to TV favorite Fred MacMurray ended up being a perfectly happy and satisfying one for the classy beauty.
