June Elizabeth Millarde (July 6, 1922 – May 21, 1991), better known as Toni Seven, was an American

cover girl A cover girl is a woman whose photograph is used for the front cover of magazines. She may be a model, celebrity or entertainer. The term would generally not be used to describe a person making a single, casual appearance on the cover of a magaz ...

and

actress An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

Early life

Millarde was born in July 1922 in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, the only child of actress

June Caprice June Caprice, born Helen Elizabeth Lawson, November 19, 1895 – November 9, 1936, was an American silent film actress. Early life and career Born Helen Elizabeth Lawson in Arlington, Massachusetts, Caprice was educated in Boston. She began h ...

and film director Harry F. Millarde. She was eight years old when her father died and fourteen when her mother died. She was then raised by her grandparents, the Peter Lawsons, in

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. The June 17, 1949, issue of ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'' magazine reported she was the heiress to an estimated $3,000,000 fortune.

Actress

In the early 1940s, Seven appeared in minor roles in three films. Her screen debut came in ''Miss Seventeen'', a production of

Producers Releasing Corporation Producers Releasing Corporation (generally known as PRC) was the smallest and least prestigious of the 11 Hollywood film companies of the 1940s. It was considered a prime example of what was called " Poverty Row": a low-rent stretch of Gower St ...

. With the advent of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, she was one of the many volunteers at the

Hollywood Canteen The Hollywood Canteen operated at 1451 North Cahuenga Boulevard in the Los Angeles, California, neighborhood of Hollywood between October 3, 1942 and November 22, 1945, as a club offering food, dancing, and entertainment for enlisted men and ...

. She changed her name to Toni Seven in June 1944 so that she could sign her name ''Toni 7''. Publicity man Russ Birdwell conceived the ''Seven'' name. Seven was accompanied to Los Angeles Superior Court by attorney Jerry Giesler, when she petitioned that her name be changed. Seven was tested for a contract by film producer Hunt Stromberg and received a large buildup in military service publications. In August 1944, Seven was receiving five hundred letters weekly from fans.

Model

Seven was part of the first pin-up model, pin-up exhibition ever held in the United States. She was joined by screen stars Jane Russell and Martha Tilton in an event which included life-size photos of the actresses. The show, which included autograph sessions and personal appearances, began on November 26, 1944. The locale was the Hollywood United Service Organizations, U.S.O. at 1531 North Cahuenga Boulevard, Los Angeles, California. The Society of Photographic Illustrators voted Seven's ''legs'' the best among actresses' anatomical features, which when combined, would compose ''the perfect model''. Actresses who were selected in the poll included Miriam Hopkins (lips), Paulette Goddard (bust), and Betty Grable (hips). The cameramen announced their choices in May 1946.

Theater

In 1946, Broadway theatre, Broadway producer W. Horace Schmidlapp planned a revival of ''Accent On Youth'' by Samson Raphaelson. The theatrical presentation was to feature Seven in a leading role. In 1947, Seven sold her Benedict Canyon, Los Angeles, Benedict Canyon home and moved to

Personal life

In January 1949, newspapers linked her romantically with United States Senate, U.S. Senator Warren G. Magnuson. The Washington (state), Washington senator was forty-three years old and described as the most eligible bachelor in the United States Capitol. Seven was pursued in Paris, France, by Peruvian playboy Alfredo Carreo, in 1949. She reassumed the name June Millarde in 1959. That year she planned a June wedding to Eric Stanley of Washington, D.C. Seven died on May 21, 1991, at the age of 68.June Elizabeth Millarde Stanley - LifeStory
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References

Sources

*''Coshocton Tribune'', Dorothy Kilgallen, May 11, 1959, Page 4. *''Kingsport News'', "On Broadway", September 13, 1949, Page 4. *''Los Angeles Times'', Edwin Schallert column, June 19, 1944, Page 10. *''Los Angeles Times'', Edwin Schallert column, August 26, 1944, Page 5. *''Los Angeles Times'', "First Pin-Up Exhibit Opens in Hollywood", November 27, 1944, Page A1. *''Los Angeles Times'', "Perfect Model Described By Cameramen", May 22, 1946, Page 2. *''Los Angeles Times'', "Missing Senator Hunt Shifts To Hollywood", January 7, 1949, Page 2. *''New York Times'', "Of Local Origin", February 21, 1945, Page 12. *''New York Times'', "News And Gossip Of The Rialto", March 3, 1946, Page 11. *''Oakland Tribune'', "June Millarde Flees From Parental Patronage To Launch Own Film Career", July 20, 1944, Page 14. *''Trenton Evening Times'', "Daughter Arrives At Home of Film Actress, Director", July 10, 1922

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Seven, Toni 1922 births 1991 deaths Actresses from New York City American female models American film actresses People from Long Island 20th-century American actresses American expatriates in France