Mary June Storey (April 20, 1918 – December 18, 1991) was a Canadian-born American film actress who appeared in 45 films during the 1930s and 1940s.[2] She was leading lady to cowboy singer Gene Autry in 10 films.[3]
Early years
Storey was born on April 20, 1918, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.[4] Her father, William Storey,[5] was a forest ranger;[6] her mother was Lareta Storey.[4] Her acting interests were evident early when, as a little girl, she put on shows in her family's backyard.[7]
Her family moved to Tyler Lake, Connecticut, when she was five years old.[6] She had a sister, Maxine,[8] who became a "noted motion picture magazine feature writer."[9]
After living in Connecticut and Long Island, New York,[4] in 1930, her family moved to Southern California, where she attended Laguna Beach High School. She gained acting experience with the Laguna Beach Little Theater.[10] Her first appearance on film was an uncredited role as a student in Student Tour (1933).[4]
Film
Pretty in her youth, Storey caught the attention of Fox Film Corporation when she auditioned with them to star in films.[3] After being hired as a contract player by Fox, Storey studied acting with Florence Enright and took dancing lessons from Rita Hayworth's father, Eduardo Cansino.[3] Storey, like Hayworth and other young actresses, participated in a "training school" operated by Fox. The school used one-act plays to develop the actors' talents.[11]
In 1934, Storey made her first film appearance in Student Tour. In June 1935, Storey signed a seven-year contract with 20th Century Fox. Her first credited role was in the 1936 film Girls' Dormitory.[12] In the next two years, she appeared in eight films, including In Old Chicago (1937), Island in the Sky (1938), Down in Arkansas (1938), and Orphans of the Street (1938).[2] In 1938, she was approached by Sol Siegel from Republic Pictures and offered an audition for a leading lady role opposite cowboy star Gene Autry. Storey later recalled, "He asked me if I were interested in trying out for the part. I was athletic and could ride a horse, so I thought I would enjoy the role."[6]
Storey married businessman Fred Bohling. In 1947, they purchased a 450-acre ranch on the Rogue River in Oregon[6] and had one son, Eric. In 1950, Storey was involved in a near-fatal auto accident involving a logging truck.[6] She later recalled, "Through the care and inspiration I received from the doctors and nurses, I fully recovered. I grew quite a bit spiritually during this ordeal and developed a deep sense of commitment to help others."[6] After she and Bohling divorced, Storey married her second husband, Nick Ostreyko.[4] This marriage produced a daughter, Marina, but the marriage also ended in divorce.
Storey returned to California where she worked at a doctor's office in Laguna Beach, and later at a nursing home.[6] After received her nursing degree, she became the nurse to the wife of engineer Lincoln Clark for ten years.[6] In 1979, Storey married Lincoln Clark after his wife's death. She became a United States citizen, [when?] and devoted much of the remainder of her life to works of charity. During the 1980s, Storey attended several western film festivals. "It's a real tribute to the fans," she once observed, "who maintain an interest in this part of Americana. I'm happy I was part of it."[6]
^ abcdefghijMagers, Boyd (2007). Gene Autry Westerns. Madison, NC: Empire Publishing, Inc. pp. 128–29. ISBN978-0944019498.
^"American Beauties". Bradford Evening Star and The Bradford Daily Record. Pennsylvania, Bradford. NEA. May 7, 1938. p. 11. Retrieved May 29, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
