June Gale, born Doris Gilmartin on July 6, 1911, in San Francisco, began her life as one of four identical twin sisters, including Helen, Lenare, and Lorraine. The Gilmartin family relocated to New York City in the early 1920s, where all four girls developed a passion for performing.
As The Gale Quadruplets, June and her sisters Jane, Joan, and Jeanne initially performed as a vaudeville dance act. They eventually made their way to Broadway, appearing in shows such as "Flying High" (1930) and "George White's Scandals" (1931). The quartet also made their film debut with the Vitaphone short "Poor Little Rich Boy" (1932).
However, the sisters' "quadruplet" scam was eventually discovered, and they decided to break up their act. While the others settled down to marry, June continued her solo career. She made her debut as a Goldwyn Girl in "Roman Scandals" (1933) and went on to appear in various films, including "Moulin Rouge" (1934),"Melody in Spring" (1934),and "Pigskin Parade" (1936).
June's film career was marked by a mix of success and disappointment. She received co-leads opposite cowboy stars Hoot Gibson and Ken Maynard, but was eventually relegated to bit parts. She took a break from the studio to co-star in a touring stage company of "Stage Door" and later returned to Fox with better roles in films such as "The Devil Diamond" (1937) and "Charlie Chan at Treasure Island" (1939).
In 1939, June met and married composer and pianist Oscar Levant, with whom she had three daughters, Marcia, Lorna, and Amanda. The marriage was marked by constant battles, emotional tirades, and tabloid headlines. June eventually returned to the spotlight in 1956 as the co-host of "The Oscar Levant Show," but the show was eventually cancelled. She went on to host her own talk show, "The June Levant Show," and appeared occasionally on television and stage productions.
After Oscar's death in 1972, June married screenwriter Henry Ephron but divorced four years later. In her later years, June worked to keep Oscar's memory alive, hiring singer and musician Michael Feinstein to catalog his compositions. June died at the age of 85 in Los Angeles, where she was interred at Westwood Memorial Park.
