A visitor to the PARDON US set was Hollywood businessman Rodney S. Sprigg. It's plain that Rodney admired June. For on July 2, 1933, he and she were married. Rodney had a large moving and storage business on Cosmo Street in Hollywood, and specialized in handling assignments for movie people. Among his clients were many who had moved to Hollywood from Europe, including Max Reinhardt and Erich Korngold. Being a member of the Lakeside Golf Club, he golfed and played cards with friends like George O'Brien, Bing Crosby, Guy Kibbee and John Wayne.

The couple lived for a time in San Diego. Later, they moved to Hollywood. Rodney had three sons from a prior marriage, but he and June had no children. June and Rodney traveled extensively here and abroad and visited family and friends around the world. But a favorite spot remained their ranch in California, "Boulder Creek." Here June passed many pleasant days in the outdoors horseback riding. She seems never to have thought about making another picture. Instead, she enjoyed gardening, charitable work and travel, and rarely saw anyone from the film industry--that is, anyone who was not a member of her family. For June's other brothers and her sister also had Hollywood careers. Armor worked in studio property departments; Alona and Gerald both had short acting careers.

Various sources credit June with three films made after 1932. She does not appear in them--but a June Marlowe does. Louis recalled that around 1934, another June Marlowe appeared on the scene. She was a buxom blonde who "caused considerable trouble by cashing checks without funds and charging purchases, giving June's address. She gave me as a reference on several occasions. One time the Hollywood police came to the Warner studio to ask me about this second June Marlowe. After a few years she disappeared, and we never heard of her again."

In later years, June noted that her Little Rascals films were reappearing on television. With renewed interest in the comedies during the 1960's, she was asked by a publisher to write children's stories. June enthusiastically embarked on this endeavor and completed one or two stories, about characters with names like "Beesy" and "Furry." But she was then stricken with Parkinson's disease, and became too ill to finish this last project.

She did make one final trip to her beloved old home, St. Cloud, in 1974. Then, in 1982, her husband, Rodney, died. Two years later, just days before she was to join Louis at "Leisure World" in Laguna Hills, June's condition worsened and she died at St. Joseph's Hospital in Burbank, California. The end came on March 10, 1984. She was eighty years old. In 1985, Louis wrote: "June now rests in our family plot in the San Fernando Mission Cemetery--next to the Mission, with her parents, and where we all will be sooner or later. It's a beautiful spot." Louis passed away on January 18, 1991. He was buried alongside June. The double marker over their graves reads, in part: "Beloved Sister--Beloved Brother."1

June is not a major figure in the history of the movies. But her performances in the Our Gang comedies made a lasting impression on generations of fans and have won her admirers young and old. The late Hal Roach recalled that his studio was receiving mail addressed to "Miss Crabtree" years after June had left. Many people remember the character, even if they don't know the name of the actress who played her.

Why did the character make that impression? She has an impressive array of attractive qualities. She is pretty, of course. Then there is her affectionate way with the Gang kids, her graciousness with all people, her compassion, patience, warm smile, gentle manner; in essence--her inner beauty. These are the qualities that attract the Rascals--and many viewers--to her.

How great a difference separated June Crabtree and June Marlowe? Not so great a one, perhaps. A relative and old friend said of the actress: "She was a very beautiful person--a beautiful gal." June's brother Louis said he couldn't "imagine a sweeter, more wonderful person in the world." One thing is certain: June's loveliness and charm will continue to win new admirers whenever these films are shown.

¹Recently June's remains were disinterred and she now rests at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, California.
Additional information regarding this event will appear in the near future.
Don  

Gisela Valeria Goetten Sprigg
(June Marlowe)
November 6, 1903 -- March 10, 1984

Thank You.

End
Text Copyright ©1996, 2001 Scott Johnson
Web design and Web content ©2001 Don Spears

June In Fur photo from the collection of Marc R. Williams and is used with permission.
All other photos from the collection of Don Spears.

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