June Allyson

June Allyson, seen here in a photo taken Nov. 18, 1943, would be the first to tell you that should could neither dance like Cyd Charisse or sing like Judy Garland. Her strength? "Women identify with me." Allyson died July 8, 2006. She was 88.

By the time she played Jo March in the 1949 film version of "Little Women," Allyson had been married for about four years to crooner Dick Powell, soon to become a powerful pioneer in the new medium of television. The couple separated in 1961, but reconciled and remained together until his death in 1963. They had two children, Pamela and Richard Keith Powell.

Jimmy Stewart, left, and Allyson talk on the set of "The Stratton Story," in which they play husband and wife, in this December 1948 file photo. On screen, Allyson played Stewart's wife two other times, in "The Glenn Miller Story" (1953) and "Strategic Air Command" (1955).

Allyson and Stewart met up in May 1985 during the Cannes Film Festival in southern France. They were never married in real life and, just a few months after the death of Dick Powell, Allyson married his barber, Glenn Maxwell. They separated 10 months later, and she sued for divorce, charging he hit her and abused her and passed bad checks for gambling debts.

This 1953 photo shows June Allyson and Jimmy Durante during a scene from "Music For Millions." While under contract to MGM, Allyson starred in such other films as "Two Girls and a Sailor" (1944), "The Sailor Takes a Wife" (1945), "Two Sisters From Boston" (1946) and "Good News" (1947).

June Allyson, left; Aaron Spelling, center, and his then-wife, actress Carolyn Jones, attend a party at the home of Allyson and Dick Powell on Sept. 18, 1958. Allyson's third marriage, to David Ashrow, lasted for nearly 30 years. He was with her at the time of her death.

Allyson, seen here in a photo taken July 7, 1997, became known to later generations as the lady on the Depends commercials. For the last 20 years, Allyson represented the Kimberly-Clark Corp. and championed the importance of research in urological and gynecological diseases in seniors. The company established the June Allyson Foundation in honor of her work.