(Courtesy of Belinda Kirkhuff) Above, an autographed photo from Mary Lee given to supporting actor Jack 'Pappy' Kirk. (Courtesy of Ed Phillips)

Mary Lee Full name: Mary Lee Wooters 1924 - 1996 Mary Lee was born in Centralia, Illinois on October 24, 1924. In the late 1930s, she was singing with the Ted Weems orchestra, and that's where the brass at Republic Pictures saw her and became interested.  Her first screen appearance was in NANCY DREW ... REPORTER (Warners, 1939). Her first B western was the Gene Autry SOUTH OF THE BORDER (Republic, 1939), and she appeared with Autry in another half dozen or so oaters during 1940-1941. In most of these Autry films, June Storey was the heroine and Mary played the role of a young teenager named "Patsy" ... who was always bursting into song ... and who was always getting into trouble. When Autry went into the service for World War II duty, Mary Lee made a few appearances in the series of Roy Rogers. She was hired by Republic to Term Player Contract(s) which ran from June 27, 1940 through February 21, 1945.  She retired around 1945. I do have a photo somewhere of a very young Mary Lee, circa 1937, with the Ted Weems Orchestra.  Also in the photo are Weem's other vocalists, Perry Como and Marvell Maxwell (who became a blonde, changed her name to Marilyn Maxwell, and did movies). In the mid 1940s, Mary Lee married Harry Banan, Jr. (1918-1990). You may want to go to the In Search Of ... page on the Old Corral and check the California Death Records database.  There you will find a record for: Mary Lee Banan, born 10/24/1924 in Illinois, Mother's maiden name of Telford, Father's last name of Wooters, and she passed away on 6/6/1996. There is a corresponding record in the Social Security Death Index (SSDI).

  Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) has information on Mary Lee: http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0497847/

Mary Lee was one of many Hollywood kids that attended the Mar-Ken School in Sherman Oaks, California. Some others included Jane Withers, Lon McCallister, Jimmy Lydon and Jackie Moran. Mary graduated in 1942 (along with Gloria DeHaven). You'll find a couple of yearbook photos of her at Alan Simon's Mar-Ken website: http://www.mar-ken.org/biossz/wootersm.html
Mary Lee was the 1941 secretary of the Mar-Ken Student Body Council and this webpage includes a photo: http://www.mar-ken.org/classyears/1941/council1.html

Murray L. Pfeffer's Big Bands database website includes a brief mention of Mary Lee with the Ted Weems orchestra:  http://www.nfo.net/usa/w2.html#TWeems

There's a great CD out containing the actual song tracks from many of the Gene Autry films in which Mary Lee appeared. You can order through the official Gene Autry website at: http://www.geneautry.com/musicmovies/musiccds/withhislittledarling.html
There's a better image of the CD cover at: http://www.autrynationalcenter.org/storedetail.php?category=10&productid=42

(Courtesy of Belinda Kirkhuff)

June Storey Full name: Mary June Storey 1918 - 1991

June Storey was born in Toronto, Canada, but her family moved to Connecticut and then to California when she was a youngster.  She was signed to a contract at Fox in the mid 1930s, but no major screen work resulted.  Storey got a release from her Fox contract and wound up as the heroine in ten of Gene Autry's films during 1939-1940, including SOUTH OF THE BORDER (Republic, 1939), COLORADO SUNSET (Republic, 1939), and BLUE MONTANA SKIES (Republic, 1939).  Her term player contract(s) at Republic ran from April, 1939 through October, 1940.

After her stay at Republic, Storey did occasional film roles during the 1940s.  In the early 1940s, she married, moved to Oregon and had a son and daughter ... she became a U.S. citizen ... there was a vehicle accident in 1950 in which June was seriously injured, almost killed ... she went to college and became a nurse ... and there was another marriage.

  Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) has information on June Storey: http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0832475/

Above, Gene strums his guitar and serenades pretty June Storey, while the original Champion looks on. (Courtesy of Bobby Copeland) Above, June Storey (center) with Bobby and Joan Copeland at the 1989 Knoxville Festival.