Julie Gibson

Julie Gibson (born Gladys Camille Soray; September 6, 1913 – October 2, 2019) was an American singer; radio, television, and film actress; and vocal artist and coach, who had a career in movies during the 1940s.[1] Gibson, who retired from the industry in 1984, was known for her work opposite The Three Stooges.

Julie Gibson
Born
Gladys Camille Soray[1]

(1913-09-06)September 6, 1913
Lewiston, Idaho, U.S.[2]
DiedOctober 2, 2019(2019-10-02) (aged 106)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Occupation
  • Actress
  • singer
  • voice artist
  • vocal coach
Years active1935–1984
Spouse(s)
Jimmy Grier
​
​
(m. 1939; div. 1940)​

Dean Dillman Jr.
​
​
(m. 1964; div. 1967)​

​
​
(m. 1973; died 1981)​

Early years

Gibson was born in Lewiston, Idaho, the daughter of Grover Cleveland Soray and Maude M. (née Peregrine) Soray. She graduated from Lewiston High School. She and her older sister Rea entertained local dramatics and music communities, with Julie singing and her sister playing harmony ukulele, before starting a stage act known as "Camille Soray and Her Girlfriends" that played The Granada Theatre.[3]

Career

Gibson, after performing at the Victor Club in Portland, joined Bob Young's orchestra as a soloist in 1935 performing for radio station KSL in Salt Lake City and, after winning a talent quest, joined Eddie Duchin's Orchestra paying to syndicated broadcasts from Los Angeles. She gained notice singing with the Jimmie Grier orchestra in 1937.[4] The same year, she joined the cast of Joe Penner's radio program.[5] She made her first film appearances in small roles in the films Nice Girl? and The Feminine Touch (both 1941).[1] Her first featured role was in the 1944 film Lucky Cowboy. This was followed by a series of starring roles in such films as Chick Carter, Detective, Bowery Buckaroos, and Are You with It? She also appeared in the Three Stooges' films Three Smart Saps and Sock-a-Bye Baby.

In the 1950s, Gibson's career was relegated mostly to mid-sized to smaller supporting roles in films and on television. In the 1960s, she served as a Dialogue Supervisor on two dozen episodes of the television sitcom Family Affair. She also worked as an accent coach to help actors in films to speak appropriately for their characters' backgrounds.[6] Gibson also dubbed vocals for Betty Hutton and Diana Lynn in some films. She also went to Europe and supplied English voices for foreign stars in Italian and French films.[6]

Personal life

On March 18, 1939, Gibson married bandleader Jimmy Grier[7] in Tucson, Arizona. She sued for divorce from him in October 1940,[8] and the divorce was granted on November 26, 1940.[9] Her marriage to Dean Dillman ended in divorce in 1967. She was married to actor and film director Charles Barton from 1973 until his death in 1981.[1] She had no children. Gibson was interviewed by The Three Stooges Journal in 2004. She celebrated her 105th birthday in September 2018.[4] Gibson died in her sleep in North Hollywood, Los Angeles on October 2, 2019, aged 106.[10]

References
  1. Steven D. Branting (2014). Hidden History of Lewiston, Idaho. The History Press. pp. 45–46. ISBN 978-1-62619-354-3. Archived from the original on 2015-09-21.
  2. "Ancestry Library Edition". Search.ancestrylibrary.com. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  3. "Photo". The Post-Register. Idaho, Idaho Falls. October 5, 1944. p. 8. Retrieved November 29, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. Steven Branting (2018-09-06). "Commentary: Former Roundup queen made her mark in Hollywood". The Lewiston Tribune. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
  5. "Sings With Penner". The Evening News. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. October 22, 1937. p. 28. Retrieved November 30, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. Johnson, Erskine (January 8, 1964). "Julie Gibson, Accent Coach". The Central New Jersey Home News. New Jersey, New Brunswick. p. 24. Retrieved November 30, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Band Leader Weds In City". Arizona Daily Star. Arizona, Tucson. March 19, 1939. p. 17. Retrieved November 29, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Julie Gibson Is Seeking a Divorce From Grier". The Baltimore Sun. Maryland, Baltimore. Associated Press. October 15, 1940. p. 2. Retrieved November 30, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Band Leader's Wife Wins Divorce Plea". The San Bernardino County Sun. California, San Bernardino. Associated Press. November 27, 1940. p. 1. Retrieved November 30, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. Barnes, Mike (October 16, 2019). "Julie Gibson, Singer in 'The Feminine Touch' and 'Hail the Conquering Hero,' Dies at 106". The Hollywood Reporter. Los Angeles: Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group (Valence Media). Retrieved October 16, 2019.
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