June Millarde
| Toni Seven | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
June Elizabeth Millarde July 6, 1922 New York, New York |
| Died | May 21, 1991 |
June Elizabeth Millarde (July 6, 1922 – May 21, 1991), better known as Toni Seven, was an American cover girl and actress.
Millarde was born in July 1922 in New York City, the only child of actress June Caprice and film director Harry F. Millarde. She was eight years old when her father died and thirteen when her mother died. She was latterly raised by her grandparents, the Peter Lawsons, in Long Island, New York. The June 17, 1949 issue of Time magazine reported she was the heiress to an estimated $3,000,000 fortune.
In the early 1940s she appeared in minor roles in three films. Her screen debut came in Miss Seventeen, a production of Producers Releasing Corporation. With the advent of World War II, she was one of the many volunteers at the Hollywood Canteen.
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.
Seven was part of the first 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 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.
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