June Fairchild
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June Edna Fairchild (born June Edna Wilson; September 3, 1946 – February 17, 2015) was an American dancer and actress. Fairchild starred or co-starred in more than a dozen film roles before her addictions to drugs and alcohol effectively ended her professional acting career.


Early life

Fairchild was born June Edna Wilson on September 3, 1946, in
Manhattan Beach, California Manhattan Beach is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States, on the Coastal California, Pacific coast south of El Segundo, California, El Segundo, west of Hawthorne, California, Hawthorne and Redondo Beach, and north ...
. Her father was a musician who specialized in writing gospel songs and music. Fairchild was raised in Manhattan Beach and graduated in 1964 from Aviation High School in
Redondo Beach Redondo Beach (Spanish for ) is a coastal city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, located in the South Bay region of the Greater Los Angeles area. It is one of three adjacent beach cities along the southern portion of Santa Mo ...
. She attended
El Camino College El Camino College (Elco or ECC) is a public community college in Los Angeles County, California. Most of it is in Alondra Park,Arthur Arthur is a masculine given name of uncertain etymology. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. A common spelling variant used in many Slavic, Romance, and Germanic languages is Artur. In Spanish and Ital ...
in the college production of
Shakespeare's William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
''
The Life and Death of King John ''The Life and Death of King John'' (also ''King John''), by William Shakespeare, is a history play about the reign of John, King of England (r. 1199–1216), the son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, and the father of Henry III. ''Kin ...
'' in April 1965.


Career


Gazzarri Dancer on ''Hollywood A Go-Go''

By mid-1965 Fairchild had been hired as a member of the Gazzarri Dancers on the syndicated
variety show Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a compà ...
''
Hollywood A Go-Go ''Hollywood a Go Go'' was a Los Angeles–based music variety show that ran in syndication from 1965 to 1966. The show was hosted by Sam Riddle, with music by The Sinners and dancing by The Gazzarri Dancers. It was filmed at the KHJ-TV stud ...
'' after being recruited by the show's executive producer Al Burton. She remained on the show until its final episode, broadcast in February 1966. While on the show, June Fairchild and fellow dancer Mimi Machu created the Statue dance, a
fad dance Novelty and fad dances are dances which are typically characterized by a short burst of popularity. Some of them, like the Twist, Y.M.C.A. and the Hokey Pokey, have shown much longer-lasting lives. They are also called dance fads or dance cr ...
in which the dancers adopt stationary poses for a measure or two before shifting to new poses. The dance was performed on a number of episodes, including the one broadcast on November 6, 1965, in which Tommy Sands performed his record "The Statue", a song about the dance. Host Sam Riddle's introduction acknowledged Fairchild and Machu as the originators of the Statue dance, which had already spread to some public dance venues.


Years of success

During the 1960s, Fairchild lived with her then-boyfriend
Danny Hutton Daniel Anthony Hutton (born September 10, 1942) is an Irish-American singer, best known as one of the three lead vocalists in the band Three Dog Night. Hutton was a songwriter and singer for Hanna-Barbera Records from 1965 to 1966. Hutton had a ...
, the lead singer of
Three Dog Night Three Dog Night is an American rock band formed in 1967, founded by vocalists Chuck Negron, Cory Wells, and Danny Hutton. This lineup was soon augmented by Jimmy Greenspoon (keyboards), Joe Schermie (bass), Michael Allsup (guitar), and Floyd Sn ...
, for several years. Despite some disagreement about the veracity of the claim, Fairchild was credited with conceiving the band's name, Three Dog Night. Fairchild co-starred in ''
Head A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple ani ...
'', a vehicle for
The Monkees The Monkees were an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles in the mid-1960s. The band consisted of Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones (musician), Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork. Spurred by the success of ''The Monkees (TV series), Th ...
, in 1968; in ''
Drive, He Said ''Drive, He Said'' is a 1971 American sports comedy-drama film directed by Jack Nicholson, in his directorial debut, and starring William Tepper, Karen Black, Bruce Dern, Robert Towne and Henry Jaglom. Based on the 1964 novel of the same name b ...
'', directed by
Jack Nicholson John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. Nicholson is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of the 20th century, often playing rebels fighting against the social structure. Over his five-de ...
; and ''
Pretty Maids All in a Row ''Pretty Maids All in a Row'' is a 1971 American sexploitation film with elements of black comedy, sex comedy, and murder mystery. Starring Rock Hudson, Angie Dickinson, and Telly Savalas, it was released on April 28, 1971. Roger Vadim dire ...
'', directed by
Roger Vadim Roger Vadim Plemiannikov (; 26 January 1928 – 11 February 2000) was a French screenwriter, film director, and producer, as well as an author, artist, and occasional actor. His best-known works are visually lavish films with erotic qualities, s ...
, in 1971; in ''
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot ''Thunderbolt and Lightfoot'' is a 1974 American crime comedy film written and directed by Michael Cimino in his directorial debut, and starring Clint Eastwood, Jeff Bridges, George Kennedy and Geoffrey Lewis. The film follows John "Thunderbol ...
'', which starred
Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western (genre), Western TV series ''Rawhide (TV series), Rawhide'', Eastwood rose to international fame with his role as the "Ma ...
and
Jeff Bridges Jeffrey Leon Bridges (born December 4, 1949) is an American actor. He is known for his Leading actor, leading man roles in film and television. In a career spanning over seven decades, he has received List of awards and nominations received by ...
, in 1974; and in the 1978
Cheech & Chong Cheech & Chong are a comedy duo founded in Vancouver and consisting of American Cheech Marin and Canadian Tommy Chong. The duo found commercial and cultural success in the 1970s and 1980s with their stand-up routines, studio recordings, and fea ...
film, ''
Up in Smoke ''Up in Smoke'' (also referred to as ''Cheech & Chong's Up in Smoke'') is a 1978 American buddy stoner comedy film directed by Lou Adler and starring Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong, Tom Skerritt, Edie Adams, Strother Martin, and Stacy Keach. It ...
'', in which she appeared as a drug addict who snorts
Ajax Ajax may refer to: Greek mythology and tragedy * Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea * Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris * Ajax (play), ''Ajax'' (play), by the an ...
soap powder.


Decline

In her later life Fairchild lived on the streets of
Skid Row, Los Angeles Skid Row is the unofficial name for a neighborhood in Downtown Los Angeles officially known as Central City East. Skid Row contains one of the largest stable populations of homeless people in the United States, estimated at over 4,400, and has ...
due to her addictions. In 2001, a reporter for the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' ran a story about Fairchild's past career in Hollywood and her present life on the streets of Los Angeles. Fairchild was selling newspapers outside a Los Angeles courthouse at the time in an attempt to earn enough money for a
single-room occupancy Single-room occupancy (SRO) is a type of low-cost housing typically aimed at residents with low or minimal incomes, or single adults who like a minimalist lifestyle, who rent small, furnished single rooms with a bed, chair, and sometimes a smal ...
hotel room. On February 21, 2001, the same day that her story was published in the ''Los Angeles Times'', police stopped her in
Van Nuys Van Nuys ( ) is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. History In 1 ...
for carrying an open container. A police officer recognized her picture from the newspaper and arrested her for failure to complete her
community service Community service is unpaid work performed by a person or group of people for the benefit and betterment of their community contributing to a noble cause. In many cases, people doing community service are compensated in other ways, such as gettin ...
from a past
drunk driving Drunk driving (or drink-driving in British English) is the act of driving under the influence of alcohol. A small increase in the blood alcohol content increases the relative risk of a motor vehicle crash. In the United States, alcohol is in ...
conviction. Fairchild was sentenced to 90 days. In 2002, Fairchild told the ''Los Angeles Times'' that her sentence had triggered a pledge of sobriety. Friends told reporters that Fairchild remained sober until her death in 2015. She spent the later years of her life living in single-room hotels in
downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) is the central business district of the city of Los Angeles. It is part of the Central Los Angeles region and covers a area. As of 2020, it contains over 500,000 jobs and has a population of roughly 85,000 residents ...
using her
Social Security Welfare spending is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specifically to social insurance ...
disability payments.


Death

She died from liver cancer at a convalescent home in Los Angeles on February 17, 2015, at the age of 68. She had been divorced twice.


Partial filmography

*''
Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows ''Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows'' is a 1968 American comedy film directed by James Neilson and starring Rosalind Russell, Stella Stevens and Binnie Barnes. Written by Blanche Hanalis, the film is based on a story by Jane Trahey about an orth ...
'' (1968) - June *''
Head A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple ani ...
'' (1968) - The Jumper *''
Pretty Maids All in a Row ''Pretty Maids All in a Row'' is a 1971 American sexploitation film with elements of black comedy, sex comedy, and murder mystery. Starring Rock Hudson, Angie Dickinson, and Telly Savalas, it was released on April 28, 1971. Roger Vadim dire ...
'' (1971) - Sonny *''
Drive, He Said ''Drive, He Said'' is a 1971 American sports comedy-drama film directed by Jack Nicholson, in his directorial debut, and starring William Tepper, Karen Black, Bruce Dern, Robert Towne and Henry Jaglom. Based on the 1964 novel of the same name b ...
'' (1971) - Sylvie *''
Summertree ''Summertree'' is a 1971 American drama film directed by Anthony Newley, about a young man who drops out of university, falls in love with an older married woman, and contemplates dodging the draft to avoid serving in the Vietnam War. The screenp ...
'' (1971) - Girl in Dorm *''
Top of the Heap ''Top of the Heap'' is an American sitcom that ran for seven episodes on Fox from April 7 until May 19, 1991, the most successful (as it was the only one to make it to series) of three attempted spin-offs of '' Married... with Children'' that ...
'' (1972) - Balloon Thrower *''
Your Three Minutes Are Up '' Your Three Minutes Are Up '' is a 1973 American road movie starring Beau Bridges and Ron Leibman. Plot Charlie is a sad sack of a man, working at a depressingly dull office job and stuck in a passionless engagement to a neurotic woman. One of ...
'' (1973) - Sandi *''
Detroit 9000 ''Detroit 9000'' is a 1973 American action film directed by Arthur Marks from a screenplay by Orville H. Hampton. Originally marketed as a blaxploitation film, it had a resurgence on video 25 years later. Plot Street-smart white detective Dann ...
'' (1973) - Barbara (uncredited) *''
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot ''Thunderbolt and Lightfoot'' is a 1974 American crime comedy film written and directed by Michael Cimino in his directorial debut, and starring Clint Eastwood, Jeff Bridges, George Kennedy and Geoffrey Lewis. The film follows John "Thunderbol ...
'' (1974) - Gloria *''
Dirty O'Neil ''Dirty O'Neil'' is a 1974 American film directed by Leon Capetanos and Lewis Teague. Plot Jimmy O'Neil ( Morgan Paull), a cop in a small California town with a fondness for women, is forced into action when a trio of homicidal thugs invade the ...
'' (1974) - Hitchhiker *''The Student Body'' (1976) - Mitzi *''
Sextette ''Sextette'' is a 1978 American musical comedy film directed by Ken Hughes, and starring Mae West in her final film, alongside an ensemble cast including Timothy Dalton, Dom DeLuise, Tony Curtis, Ringo Starr, Keith Moon, George Hamilton, Alice ...
'' (1978) - Woman Reporter *''
Up in Smoke ''Up in Smoke'' (also referred to as ''Cheech & Chong's Up in Smoke'') is a 1978 American buddy stoner comedy film directed by Lou Adler and starring Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong, Tom Skerritt, Edie Adams, Strother Martin, and Stacy Keach. It ...
'' (1978) - Ajax Lady (final film role)


References


External links

*
Draft of autobiography ''Catch a Fallen Star''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fairchild, June 1946 births 2015 deaths American film actresses American homeless people Actors from Manhattan Beach, California Deaths from liver cancer in California 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American women