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June Travis
June Travis
June Travis
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June Travis (born June Dorothea Grabiner; August 7, 1914 – April 14, 2008) was an American film actress.

Key Information

Background

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Born June Dorothea Grabiner, she was the daughter of Harry Grabiner, vice-president of the Chicago White Sox in the 1930s.[1]

She had dark brown hair and green eyes.[1] She stood 5'4" tall. She attended Parkside Grammar School in Chicago and the Starrett School for Girls. She later studied at UCLA. When she returned to Illinois, she matriculated at the University of Chicago.[2]

Screen actress

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With comedian Joe E. Brown in Earthworm Tractors (1936)

A Paramount Pictures vice-president noticed her in Miami, Florida, at a White Sox exhibition game. He offered Travis a screen test when she came to Pasadena, California, where the major league baseball team trained. The first time she was presented with a screen contract, she suffered from screen fright and turned it down. She returned to Chicago and school and the next winter, accepted a film studio offer in Palm Springs, California.

Travis made her screen debut in Stranded (1935),[2] a film which starred Kay Francis and George Brent. She played the role of Mary Rand. She followed this with a part in Not On Your Life (1935), with Warren William and Claire Dodd. Howard Hawks directed her in Ceiling Zero (1936), a Warner Bros. feature. In preparation for her role, Travis learned flying, navigation, and parachute jumping from Amelia Earhart. The aviator gave her instructions in September 1935, including the film stars James Cagney and Pat O'Brien. Also in 1936, she portrayed secretary Della Street to Perry Mason as played by Ricardo Cortez in The Case of the Black Cat.

Travis (second from right) with Pat O'Brien, Martha Tibbetts, James Cagney and Stuart Erwin in Ceiling Zero (1936)

She was Ronald Reagan's leading lady in his first movie, Love Is on the Air, in 1937.

Travis became known as the Queen of the B-movies on the Warner Bros. lot. Later, she said that if she had remained in Hollywood two more years, she would have been a star.[3] However, following three years, she came home to Chicago for Christmas with her parents and did not return to making motion pictures afterward. Although Travis stopped regularly appearing in films after 1938, she made minor appearances in The Star (1952) and Monster a Go-Go (1965).

Radio

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Travis played Stormy Wilson Curtis in the radio soap opera Girl Alone[4] and Bernice in Arnold Grimm's Daughter, another soap opera.[5]

Marriage

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On January 3, 1940, Travis married Fred Friedlob. They had two daughters, Cathy and June. Friedlob died in May 1979 in Chicago.[6]

Death

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On April 14, 2008, Travis, age 93, died in a hospital of complications from a stroke she suffered weeks earlier. She is buried in Chicago's Oak Woods Cemetery.[7]

Filmography

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References

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June Travis

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June Travis (August 7, 1914 – April 14, 2008) was an American film actress best known for her supporting roles in during the mid-1930s, appearing in approximately 30 films before retiring from Hollywood in 1938. Born June Dorothea Grabiner in , , she was the daughter of Harry Grabiner, vice-president of the baseball team. Travis signed with in 1935 after graduating from the and quickly gained notice for her spirited portrayals in B-movies and comedies. Her breakthrough came with the aviation drama Ceiling Zero (1936), where she starred opposite and Pat O'Brien as a flight instructor's love interest; to prepare for the role, she trained in flying, navigation, and parachuting under the guidance of aviator . Other notable films include Dr. Socrates (1935), Earthworm Tractors (1936), The Case of the Black Cat (1936)—a Perry Mason entry—and Love Is on the Air (1937), Ronald Reagan's screen debut. Often dubbed the "Queen of the B-movies" on the lot, Travis delivered energetic performances in genres ranging from comedies to mysteries, though she rarely escaped supporting status. After leaving films to marry producer Fred Friedlob in 1940—with whom she had two daughters—Travis focused on family but returned sporadically to acting, including theater roles such as in King Lear and later film appearances in The Star (1952) opposite and the cult sci-fi comedy (1965). She resided in the Chicago area until her death at age 93 in a Chicago hospital, remembered for her brief but vibrant contribution to Hollywood.

Early Life

Family Background

June Travis was born June Dorothea Grabiner on August 7, 1914, in Chicago, Illinois. She was the daughter of Harry M. Grabiner, who served as vice-president of the , and Dorothy Grabiner (née Sophia Buttorovich), who had been born in . Travis, a green-eyed brunette, grew up in leading a relatively normal childhood, though her family's ties to often kept them away from public ballparks. During this time, she attended local institutions including Parkside Grammar School. Her father's longstanding role in sports management introduced early connections in entertainment circles that subtly shaped her interests.

Education

June Travis attended Parkside Grammar School and the Starrett School for Girls in during her early education. She briefly attended the (UCLA), completing only one semester without earning a degree. During her time at UCLA, Travis developed an interest in through studies. In the early 1930s, following her discovery by a Paramount executive during a family vacation to watch the Chicago White Sox in Florida, Travis relocated to Los Angeles for a screen test opportunity during the team's spring training. This move was facilitated by her family's baseball connections, which led to her being signed by Warner Bros. after Hal Wallis reviewed her test footage.

Acting Career

Film Debut and Warner Bros. Contract

June Travis, born June Dorothea Grabiner in , transitioned from a Midwestern upbringing to Hollywood after being spotted by a executive during a family vacation in . Accompanying her parents—her father, Harry Grabiner, served as vice president of the —for an exhibition baseball game, she was discovered on a beach by the executive who encouraged her to pursue and arranged a at Paramount. Although nothing came of it, she later tested for and signed with , leading to her screen debut in the 1935 drama Stranded, where she portrayed in a small supporting role. In 1935, at age 20, Travis signed a contract with as a studio player, beginning her professional career in the film industry. The studio, which ramped up its production of B-movies that year from 12% to 50% of its output, assigned her to low-budget features where she honed her skills through apprentice roles. Known on the lot as the "Queen of the B-movies" for her prolific work in these economical productions, Travis appeared in supporting parts, often uncredited, such as a telephone operator in Don't Bet on Blondes (1935). Her early assignments emphasized quick, versatile performances in second-tier films, establishing her as a reliable contract actress during the mid-1930s.

Notable Film Roles

June Travis's breakthrough role came in the aviation drama Ceiling Zero (1936), directed by , where she portrayed the spirited young aviatrix Tommy Thomas opposite and Pat O'Brien. To prepare for the part, Travis underwent real aviation training from pioneering aviator in 1935, learning to fly, navigate, and even —which added authenticity to her performance as the romantic interest caught in a web of daring pilots and personal rivalries—starting with sessions at Hollywood Airport on an electric scooter before progressing to basic . Another significant appearance was in Love Is on the Air (1937), a marking Ronald Reagan's first starring role as radio crime investigator Andy McCaine, with Travis cast as his leading lady, Jo Hopkins, a resourceful entangled in a murder plot. This production highlighted her chemistry with emerging leading men and solidified her presence in light suspense fare. She also co-starred in comedies like Earthworm Tractors (1936) alongside , playing the love interest in a slapstick tale of a bumbling salesman turned tycoon, showcasing her comedic timing in fast-paced B-movie scenarios. Throughout her peak years from 1935 to 1938, enabled by her contract, Travis appeared in over 30 films, frequently typecast as a petite, spirited brunette in B-movies and comedies, often as the plucky female lead opposite action-oriented heroes like or in ensemble mysteries. Her roles emphasized charm and reliability over dramatic depth, as seen in supporting parts like in The Case of the Black Cat (1936), a adaptation. After three years of steady work, Travis chose to leave Hollywood in 1938, stepping away from the industry at the height of her film output.

Radio Career

After concluding her film career in Hollywood in 1938, June Travis returned to her hometown of in late 1939 and transitioned to radio, finding the medium more accommodating to her desire to remain in the Midwest. Radio's flexibility allowed her to pursue acting without the need to relocate back to , enabling a better balance between her professional commitments and personal life, including her marriage in 1940. Travis quickly established herself in daytime soap operas broadcast from Chicago stations affiliated with NBC. She portrayed Stormy Wilson Curtis in the serial Girl Alone, a dramatic story of family struggles and romance, where she appeared in episodes throughout 1940 and into 1941, as well as brief appearances in other serials. In another key role, she played Bernice Farraday in Arnold Grimm's Daughter, a centered on small-town life and interpersonal conflicts, joining the cast in late 1939 and continuing through the early 1940s. Throughout the 1940s, Travis remained active in radio, drawing on her film-honed dramatic skills for voice performances in these serials, which emphasized emotional depth and narrative continuity over visual elements. Her work in Chicago-based productions like these provided steady employment in a format that suited her settled life, as she noted in a 2006 interview: "I started in radio here in 1940, daytime radio, and I did serials at ." This phase marked a successful pivot, leveraging radio's to sustain her career locally for over a decade.

Personal Life

Marriage

June Travis met Chicago businessman Fred Friedlob in the late 1930s after returning to her hometown from Hollywood, where they were introduced by a mutual friend while residing in the same hotel. The couple's courtship led to an elopement, and they married in a private ceremony in Crown Point, Indiana, on January 3, 1940. Friedlob was an entrepreneur who founded and led Geriatric Research, Inc., a direct mail company specializing in pharmaceutical supplies and vitamins for seniors. Their marriage lasted 39 years until Friedlob's death on May 15, 1979, in . The union coincided with Travis's decision to retire from regular roles, marking a shift toward a more private life centered in .

Children and Family Life

Following her marriage to Fred Friedlob in 1940, which laid the foundation for her family, June Travis welcomed two daughters, Cathy Friedlob and June Friedlob, both born in the 1940s. The family settled in Chicago's neighborhood, embracing a stable Midwestern lifestyle centered on domestic routines. Travis devoted herself to and raising her children, prioritizing family over her earlier pursuits, though she occasionally participated in social events connected to her husband's business interests as a businessman and . Friedlob's death in May 1979 left Travis a after nearly four decades of , during which she never remarried but entered a 25-year companionship with Erwin Gruen, a River North gallery owner who died in 2006; she continued to nurture strong bonds with her daughters and .

Later Years and Death

Retirement and Return to Chicago

After retiring from her brief but prolific film career in 1938, June Travis prioritized family life and returned to her hometown of in the late , seeking the privacy and stability that Hollywood's demanding environment could not provide. She later reflected that the film industry "wasn't particularly enjoyable," expressing mixed feelings about the glamour and pressures of stardom, and believed that remaining in Hollywood for just two more years might have elevated her to major fame, though she chose not to pursue it. This decision marked a deliberate withdrawal from the entertainment spotlight, as she focused on personal relationships over further professional opportunities. In , Travis settled into a quieter life, marrying local businessman Fred Friedlob in 1940 and devoting herself to raising their two daughters. While she largely stepped away from acting, she maintained sporadic involvement in the arts through community theater and productions in the Chicago area and on the East Coast, including notable stage roles such as in and in The Pleasure of His Company. These activities allowed her to engage locally without the intensity of her earlier career. Travis made only minor returns to film, appearing as Phyllis Stone in The Star (1952) alongside and in a small role in the low-budget horror-comedy (1965), but she never attempted a full comeback. Her post-retirement years in emphasized domestic stability and selective artistic pursuits, reflecting a lasting preference for a grounded existence over renewed fame. Her husband died in 1979, after which she was the companion of retired businessman Erwin Gruen until his death in 2006.

Death

June Travis passed away on April 14, 2008, at the age of 93, in a hospital from complications of a she had suffered weeks earlier. In her final years, following a long , she lived quietly in until her health declined. She was buried at in , alongside family members. Travis was survived by her two daughters, Kate and .

References

  1. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/may/20/obituaries.usa
  2. https://www.smh.com.au/national/actress-was-two-years-off-hollywood-stardom-20080522-gdsell.html
  3. https://timenote.info/en/June-Travis-07.08.1914
  4. https://filmsofthegoldenage.com/current_issue/june-travis-the-in-don-t-care-girl/article_752228cb-830c-5889-aedc-2ab71ad068bc.html
  5. https://legacy.suntimes.com/us/obituaries/chicagosuntimes/name/june-friedlob-obituary?id=29451709
  6. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/26524532/june-travis
  7. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0871403/
  8. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0871403/bio/
  9. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0027050/trivia
  10. https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/actress-june-travis-takes-flying-lessons-from-the-famous-news-photo/167437092
  11. https://www.mediastorehouse.com/fine-art-storehouse/bettmann-archive/amelia-earhart-instructing-actress-june-travis-39359339.html
  12. https://filmsofthegoldenage.com/current_issue/june-travis-the-i-dont-care-girl/article_74aafdae-d8de-5a69-991a-5bd58dca0042.html
  13. https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Radio-Guide/1939/Radio-Guide-39-02-25.pdf
  14. https://newspaperhub.mnhs.org/?a=d&d=sppp19401215.1.64
  15. https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Radio-Mirror/41/Mirror-1941-Mar.pdf
  16. https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Radio-Guide/1940/Movie-Radio-Guide-1940-07-20.pdf
  17. https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Radio-Guide/1939/Radio-Guide-39-12-08.pdf
  18. http://jjonz.us/RadioLogs/pagesnfiles/logs_files_RH/1940s_RH/40-44/1940/40rh_09Sep/40-09-09-%28Mon%29_%255BWSJ%255D.pdf
  19. https://www.chicagotribune.com/2008/04/16/june-travis-friedlob-1914-2008/
  20. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/168425303/fred-milo-friedlob
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