June Laverick
Encyclopedia
June Laverick was an English film, television and stage actress.
She was once described as "a popular lightweight leading actress of the day" and is probably best remembered as the (fictional) wife of Dickie Henderson
in The Dickie Henderson Show.
but then returned to Redcar to run The Royal Hotel on the sea front near Redcar Pier.
In 1931 June Laverick was born in Laburnum Road, Redcar.
In her youth June attended White House school and ballet school.
She determined at an early age that she wanted a career in light entertainment.
June followed an acting career in theatre, film and television and after retiring from acting in her 30s June moved back to Redcar, marrying an ICI
process worker and briefly taking over the licence of The Royal Hotel before returning south alone.
.
She was a member of The Company of Youth, the Rank Organisation's acting school often referred to as "The Charm School" and was often photographed for the front covers of cinema magazines and for publicity shots.
June made an early television appearance in an episode of Boyd Q.C.
(1958) and in episodes of Tales from Dickens (1959) as Dora Spenlow
.
She took over the role of Dickie Henderson
's wife from Anthea Askey
in ITV
's The Dickie Henderson Half Hour in The Dickie Henderson Show (1960–1963).
After the Dickie Henderson Show June retired from acting to be replaced by Isla Blair
in the next series A Present for Dickie (1969–1970).
In 1970 June came back to appear in the last episode.
She was once described as "a popular lightweight leading actress of the day" and is probably best remembered as the (fictional) wife of Dickie Henderson
Dickie Henderson
Dickie Henderson, OBE was a London-born entertainer.-Early years:His father, Dick Henderson was a music hall comedian and singer famous for his short, rotund appearance, bowler hat and beautiful singing voice...
in The Dickie Henderson Show.
Personal
Before June was born her parents ran a public house in Bishop AucklandBishop Auckland
Bishop Auckland is a market town and civil parish in County Durham in north east England. It is located about northwest of Darlington and southwest of Durham at the confluence of the River Wear with its tributary the River Gaunless...
but then returned to Redcar to run The Royal Hotel on the sea front near Redcar Pier.
In 1931 June Laverick was born in Laburnum Road, Redcar.
In her youth June attended White House school and ballet school.
She determined at an early age that she wanted a career in light entertainment.
June followed an acting career in theatre, film and television and after retiring from acting in her 30s June moved back to Redcar, marrying an ICI
Imperial Chemical Industries
Imperial Chemical Industries was a British chemical company, taken over by AkzoNobel, a Dutch conglomerate, one of the largest chemical producers in the world. In its heyday, ICI was the largest manufacturing company in the British Empire, and commonly regarded as a "bellwether of the British...
process worker and briefly taking over the licence of The Royal Hotel before returning south alone.
Stage, film and television career
In the 1950s June worked in the theatre in musicals, comedies and revues, and had a variety of film roles contracted to the Rank OrganisationRank Organisation
The Rank Organisation was a British entertainment company formed during 1937 and absorbed in 1996 by The Rank Group Plc. It was the largest and most vertically-integrated film company in Britain, owning production, distribution and exhibition facilities....
.
She was a member of The Company of Youth, the Rank Organisation's acting school often referred to as "The Charm School" and was often photographed for the front covers of cinema magazines and for publicity shots.
June made an early television appearance in an episode of Boyd Q.C.
Boyd Q.C.
Boyd Q.C. is a British legal television programme transmitted from December 1956 to 1964 by the ITV franchise holderlicensee Associated-Rediffusion. It focused around a barrister in a London courtroom and the cases he had to solve, hence the show's title. It ran for 7 series in total.Most of the...
(1958) and in episodes of Tales from Dickens (1959) as Dora Spenlow
Dora Spenlow
Dora Spenlow is a character in the novel David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. David falls in love with Dora, who is beautiful but foolish, and later marries her. She proves unable to cope with anything but being a child bride, and is more interested in playing with her dog, Jip, than in acting as...
.
She took over the role of Dickie Henderson
Dickie Henderson
Dickie Henderson, OBE was a London-born entertainer.-Early years:His father, Dick Henderson was a music hall comedian and singer famous for his short, rotund appearance, bowler hat and beautiful singing voice...
's wife from Anthea Askey
Anthea Askey
Anthea Shirley Askey was an English actress who was a popular television actress of the 1950s.Anthea Askey was born in Golders Green, London to the comedian and actor Arthur Askey, and his wife Elizabeth May Swash . In many of her television roles she would star with him...
in ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's The Dickie Henderson Half Hour in The Dickie Henderson Show (1960–1963).
After the Dickie Henderson Show June retired from acting to be replaced by Isla Blair
Isla Blair
Isla Blair is an India-born actress of British descent. She made her first stage appearance in 1963 as Philia in the London debut of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and her first credited film appearance in the 1965 horror film Dr. Terror's House of Horrors.- Biography :Isla Blair...
in the next series A Present for Dickie (1969–1970).
In 1970 June came back to appear in the last episode.
Selected stage
- When In Rome (1959–60) at the Adelphi TheatreAdelphi TheatreThe Adelphi Theatre is a 1500-seat West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiving house for a variety of productions, including many musicals...
, London a short-lived stage musical with Dickie Henderson and Eleanor SummerfieldEleanor SummerfieldEleanor Summerfield was a British actress.Summerfield was born in London in 1921. She received her acting training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. In the mid-1960s, she played P. G. Wodehouse' character Aunt Dahlia in the BBC One's World of Wooster. She was a team member on BBC Radio 4's... - The Punch Revue (1955) at the Duke of York's TheatreDuke of York's TheatreThe Duke of York's Theatre is a West End Theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre, until her death in 1935. It opened on 10 September 1892 as the Trafalgar Square Theatre, with Wedding...
, London with Binnie HaleBinnie HaleBinnie Hale was an English actress and musician. Both her father, Robert Hale and younger brother, Sonnie Hale were actors. She married West End actor Jack Raine, with whom she had one daughter....
and Alfie BassAlfie BassAlfred Bass was an English actor. He was born in Bethnal Green, London, the youngest in a Jewish family with ten children; their parents had fled persecution in Russia... - Over the Moon (1952–53) at the Bristol Hippodrome Theatre with Cicely CourtneidgeCicely CourtneidgeDame Esmerelda Cicely Courtneidge DBE was an English actress and comedienne. The daughter of the producer Robert Courtneidge, she was appearing in his productions in the West End, by the age of 16, and was quickly promoted from minor to major roles in his Edwardian musical comedies.After the...
- Gay's the Word (1952) at the Saville TheatreSaville TheatreThe Saville Theatre is a former West End theatre at 135 Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster. The theatre opened in 1931, and became a music venue during the 1960s, finally being converted to a cinema in 1970.-Theatre years:...
, London with Cicely Courtneidge - Cinderella (1948) at the Royal Opera HouseRoyal Opera HouseThe Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
, London.
Filmography
- The Flesh and the FiendsThe Flesh and the FiendsThe Flesh and the Fiends is a 1960 horror film starring Peter Cushing as medical doctor Robert Knox, who purchases human corpses for research from an obliging pair named Burke and Hare.-Cast:*Peter Cushing as Dr...
(1960) (US: Mania) (1960) as Martha Knox, with Peter CushingPeter CushingPeter Wilton Cushing, OBE was an English actor, known for his many appearances in Hammer Films, in which he played the handsome but sinister scientist Baron Frankenstein and the vampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing, amongst many other roles, often appearing opposite Christopher Lee, and occasionally... - Follow a StarFollow a StarFollow a Star is a 1959 British comedy film directed by Robert Asher and starring Norman Wisdom.-Plot:The story is rather similar to the ending of Singin' in the Rain, where a singer fraudulently "borrows" the voice of Norman Wisdom's character....
(1959) as Judy, with Norman WisdomNorman WisdomSir Norman Joseph Wisdom, OBE was an English actor, comedian and singer-songwriter best known for a series of comedy films produced between 1953 and 1966 featuring his hapless onscreen character Norman Pitkin... - The Son of Robin HoodThe Son of Robin HoodThe Son of Robin Hood is a 1959 Adventure Deluxe color film directed by George Sherman, starring David Hedison and June Laverick. The son of the legendary Robin Hood helps save his countrymen from the tyrannical rule of an evil aristocrat...
(1958) as Deering Hood daughter of Robin HoodRobin HoodRobin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes.... - The Duke Wore JeansThe Duke Wore JeansThe Duke Wore Jeans is a 1958 English film by producer Nat Cohen starring Tommy Steele and June Laverick. The songs from the film are mostly available on Tommy's many compilation CDs but no British CD has been pressed of the Original Soundtrack probably due to the fact of there being only 9 songs...
(1958) as Princess Maria, with Tommy SteeleTommy SteeleTommy Steele OBE , is an English entertainer. Steele is widely regarded as Britain's first teen idol and rock and roll star.-Singer:... - The Gypsy and the GentlemanThe Gypsy and the GentlemanThe Gypsy and the Gentleman is a 1958 film directed by Joseph Losey. It stars Melina Mercouri and Keith Michell.-Cast:*Melina Mercouri as Belle*Keith Michell as Sir Paul Deverill*Flora Robson as Mrs. Haggard*Patrick McGoohan as Jess...
(1958) as Sarah Deverill, with Melina MercouriMelina MercouriMelina Mercouri , born as Maria Amalia Mercouri was a Greek actress, singer and politician.As an actress she made her film debut in Stella and met international success with her performances in Never on Sunday, Phaedra, Topkapi and Promise at Dawn... - Souvenir d'ItalieSouvenir d'ItalieSouvenir d'Italie is a 1957 Italian film. It stars actor Gabriele Ferzetti....
(1957) (US: It Happened in Rome) (1959) as Margaret - Doctor at LargeDoctor at Large (film)Doctor at Large is a 1957 British comedy film, the third installment of the Doctor in the House series. It stars Dirk Bogarde, Muriel Pavlow, Donald Sinden, and James Robertson Justice.-Cast:* Dirk Bogarde as Dr. Simon Sparrow...
(1957) (uncredited minor role).
Discography
- Dickie Henderson (1960) Sympatica / It's Nice To Sleep With No-One, June Laverick, Oriole CB1536
- Stop (1960), Oriole CB1537
- When in Rome (1960), Oriole EP7026
External links
- Film & Television databases: Blockbuster, Fandango, IMDB, MSN Movies
- Video footage: Pathe.