![]() The two wed in 1947 and settled in Thousand Oaks, California. Virginia was married to actor Michael O’Shea, whom she met on the set of ‘Jack London’ in 1943. She also became well known for her featured appearances on 'The Love Boat', 'Murder She Wrote', 'Remington Steele', and as Peaches Delight in regular appearances on the daytime TV show, 'Santa Barbara'. Her first TV appearance was in the 'Conflict' series in 1957 and she made regular appearances for the rest of her life in programs such as 'Wagon Train', ‘Lux Playhouse’, 'Burke's Law' and 'Night Gallery'. Her last movie was the disappointing 'The Man Next Door' in 1997.Īs Virginia's movie career slowed, so her television career picked up. She appeared in a number of very average movies such as 'Congo Crossing' in 1956, and 'Westbound' and 'Jet Over the Atlantic' in 1959 and had just four roles each in the 1960's and 1970's. Towards the end of the 1950's, Virginia's career began to slow down as younger actresses began to appear. Also in 1954 she was Paul Newman's first leading lady in 'The Silver Chalice'. Her successes continued during the early1950's when she starred with many of Hollywood's leading men such as Burt Lancaster in 'The Flame and the Arrow' in 1950, Gregory Peck in 'Captain Horatio Hornblower' in 1951 and Rex Harrison in 'King Richard and the Crusaders' in 1954. ![]() In the same year she again received rave reviews co-starring with George Raft in the film-noir, ' Red Light'. The roles came thick and fast for Virginia over the next decade in such films as 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty' in 1947, again with Danny Kaye, and ' White Heat' in 1949, another classic movie, this time co-starring James Cagney. The movie was a massive hit and confirmed Virginia's position as a top Hollywood actress. Virginia played Marie Derry, the wife of one of the servicemen, Fred Derry, played by Dana Andrews and she performed well in the role of the bitchy wife. The movie describes the return to civilian life of four servicemen. Later in 1946 Virginia was selected to play in ‘The Best Years of Our Lives’, a William Wyler-directed movie which was destined to become a classic. In 1945 she appeared with another top comedian, Danny Kaye in 'Wonder Man’ and the following year she cemented her reputation as a bright young, up-and-coming actress when she again appeared with Kaye in ‘The Kid from Brooklyn’. The movie was well received and Virginia was launched as an up and coming star. The movie was not a success but it got Virginia noticed and the following year she was given a much bigger role co-starring with Bob Hope in ‘The Princess and the Pirate’. Goldwyn gave her her movie debut in ‘Jack London’ in 1943, alongside a young Susan Hayward. Her beauty and skill were noted by a Hollywood talent scout and she was signed up to a movie contract with independent producer, Sam Goldwyn. She toured with Morton and Mayo for three years during which time she changed her name to Virginia Mayo.ĭuring this period she made useful contacts and in 1941 she was chosen for the cast of a Broadway production, 'Banjo Eyes' starring top performer Eddie Cantor. This led to an offer from her brother-in-law, Andy Mayo, to appear with him as foil to to his pantomime horse vaudeville act which he performed with his partner, Nonnie Morton. ![]() Within a few months of graduation she made her professional stage debut, appearing in the chorus of the St. She attended Soldan High School in St Louis and graduated in early 1938. One of her aunts ran a dancing school in St Louis and Virginia began taking lessons there at the age of six. Virginia was an outgoing little girl and became interested in dance and theater when very young. Her father was a journalist and the family were comfortably off. She was born Virginia Clara Jones on November 30, 1920, in St. She appeared in a number of classic movies including 'The Best Years of Our Lives' in 1946 and 'White Heat' in 1949, as well as starring in stage productions and appearing many times on television. Virginia Mayo was an American movie and stage actress who became well known during the 1940's and 1950's.
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