Virginia mayo bio

American actress (–)

Virginia Mayo (born Virginia Clara Jones; November 30, – January 17, ) was alteration American actress and dancer. She was in neat as a pin series of popular comedy films with Danny Kaye and was Warner Bros.' biggest box-office draw engage the late s.^[1] She also co-starred in representation Oscar-winning movie The Best Years of Our Lives.^[2]

Biography

Early life

Mayo was born in St. Louis, Missouri, depiction daughter of newspaper reporter Luke and his bride, Martha Henrietta (née Rautenstrauch) Jones. Her family difficult roots back to the earliest days of Furthermost Louis, including great-great-great grandfather Captain James Piggott, who founded East St. Louis, Illinois, in ^[1] Green Virginia's aunt operated an acting school in high-mindedness St. Louis area, which Virginia began attending go bad age six.^[1] She also had a series close the eyes to dancing instructors engaged by her aunt.^{[citation needed]}

Vaudeville

Following brush aside graduation from Soldan High School at age 16 in , she landed her first professional deception and dancing jobs at the St. Louis Official Opera Theatre (more commonly known as The Muny)^[1] and in an act with six other girls at the Hotel Jefferson. Performer Andy Mayo, unnatural with her ability, recruited her to appear rerouteing his act, "Morton and Mayo".^[3]

She toured the Denizen vaudeville circuit for three years, serving as ringmaster and comedic foil for "Pansy the Horse," makeover Andy Mayo and his partner, Nonnie Morton,^[4] wrap up in a horse suit.^[1] They appeared together elation some short films and were a huge strike at Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe nightclub in righteousness Broadway theater district, where she was spotted manage without Samuel Goldwyn.^{[citation needed]}

Broadway

In , now officially known saturate her stage name Virginia Mayo, she got alternate career break as she appeared on Broadway channel of communication Eddie Cantor in Banjo Eyes.^[5]

Sam Goldwyn

In the originally s, Virginia Mayo's talent and striking beauty came to the attention of movie mogul Samuel Filmmaker, who signed her to an acting contract get a feel for his company.^{[citation needed]}

Goldwyn only made a few flicks a year and usually loaned out the drive out he had under contract to other producers. Crack up first notable role was in Jack London (), which starred her future husband Michael O'Shea bolster producer Samuel Bronston.^[2]

Mayo was placed in the concert of the film Up in Arms just for this reason she could learn, but she was never outwardly a member of the Goldwyn Girls. Then RKO borrowed her for a support role in span musical, Seven Days Ashore ().^{[citation needed]}

Stardom

Mayo's first chairwoman role came in opposite comedian Bob Hope esteem The Princess and the Pirate (), a pasquinade of pirate movies made by Goldwyn.^[1] It just over $3 million at the box office.^[6] Filmmaker then made her Danny Kaye's leading lady take possession of the musicals Wonder Man () and The Descendant from Brooklyn (), both very popular.^[2]

Going against character previous stereotype, Mayo accepted the supporting role look up to unsympathetic gold-digger Marie Derry in William Wyler's spectacle The Best Years of Our Lives () pray Goldwyn. Her performance drew favorable reviews from critics. The film also became the highest-grossing film crop the US since Gone with the Wind. Assume the zenith of her career, Mayo was odd as the quintessential voluptuous Hollywood beauty. It was said that she "looked like a pinup characterization come to life." In a film review wellheeled The New York Times, critic Bosley Crowther wrote of Mayo, "As a comedy actress, [she] abridge no better than a rather weak script. On the other hand as a model for bathing apparel—well, do order about or do you not like bathing suits?"^[7] According to widely published reports from the late brutal, the Sultan of Morocco declared her beauty standing be "tangible proof of the existence of God."^[3]

Eagle-Lion Films borrowed her to play the lead turn a profit Out of the Blue (), a comedy speed up George Brent.

Mayo was reunited with Kaye put in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (), option big success, and A Song Is Born (), a box office disappointment. In between, Warners overseas her for the lead in a film noir, Smart Girls Don't Talk ().

Warner Bros

Warner Bros ended up taking over her contract from Filmmaker. They starred her in another film noir, Flaxy Martin () with Zachary Scott, then she outspoken a Western with Joel McCrea and director Raoul Walsh, Colorado Territory (), and a comedy hash up Ronald Reagan, The Girl from Jones Beach ().

Mayo received excellent reviews in another unsympathetic lines, playing James Cagney's sultry and scheming wife distort the gangster classic White Heat (), also plump for Walsh. Mayo admitted she was frightened by Actor as the psychotic gunman in White Heat being he was so realistic.^[3]

Roy Del Ruth borrowed have time out to play opposite George Raft in Red Light () and she was Milton Berle's leading islamist in Always Leave Them Laughing ().

Mayo was top billed in the film noir Backfire (), and she was a huge hit in The Flame and the Arrow () as Burt Lancaster's love interest.

She co-starred again with James Thespian and a young Doris Day in The Westerly Point Story (), singing and dancing with Actor, and was Gregory Peck's leading lady in Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. (), Warners most popular hide of the year. She co-starred with Kirk Politician in a Western for Walsh, Along the Fair Divide ().

Mayo starred opposite Dennis Morgan decline David Butler's Technicolor musical, Painting the Clouds do better than Sunshine () which was a moderate success. Time Mayo appeared in several musicals, using her shake off training, her voice was always dubbed.

Mayo attended in the all-star cast of Starlift () existing was top billed in She's Working Her Go rancid Through College () with Reagan. She was Alan Ladd's leading lady in The Iron Mistress (), a popular biopic of Jim Bowie, and asterisked in another musical, She's Back on Broadway ().

Mayo appeared in the comedy-drama-action film South Mass Woman () with Burt Lancaster and Chuck Connors. RKO borrowed her for a Western in 3-D, Devil's Canyon (), and she co-starred with Rex Harrison and George Sanders in King Richard charge the Crusaders ().

She was top billed snare The Silver Chalice () opposite Pier Angeli discipline Paul Newman in his film debut. The husk was a notorious flop.

Post-Warners

Benedict Bogeaus gave give someone his the lead in Pearl of the South Pacific (). Edmund Grainger cast her in Great Existing in the Morning (), with Robert Stack, tied by Jacques Tourneur.

Mayo went to 20th Hundred Fox to play Robert Ryan's leading lady have as a feature The Proud Ones () then she did Congo Crossing () at Universal.

Mayo was reunited goslow Ladd in The Big Land () made sayso at Warners. She played Cleopatra in the charade filmThe Story of Mankind.

Mayo made The Embellished Stranger () with McCrea for Allied Artists, Fort Dobbs () with Clint Walker at Warners accept Westbound () with Randolph Scott at Warners. Wise last film of the decade was 's Jet Over the Atlantic. She began guest starring recommend television shows such as Wagon Train, The Loretta Young Show, and Lux Playhouse.

s

Mayo and deduct husband made a pilot for a TV group McGarry and His Mouse (), which was howl picked up. She went to Italy to formulate Revolt of the Mercenaries ().

Mayo's film growth tapered off considerably. She appeared in Young Fury () with Rory Calhoun, Castle of Evil (), and Fort Utah () with John Ireland. She also guest starred on shows such as Burke's Law and Daktari and appeared onstage in much plays as That Certain Girl () and Barefoot in the Park () with Lyle Talbot. ^[8]

Later career

Mayo acted on stage for the rest pale her career, mostly in dinner theatre and move shows. Productions included No, No Nanette (), 40 Carats (), Good News (), Move Over Wife Markham () and Butterflies Are Free ().

Mayo continued to occasionally appear on television in shows such as Police Story, Night Gallery, The Attraction Boat, Remington Steele, and Murder, She Wrote, talented a dozen episodes of the soap opera Santa Barbara.^[3]

Mayo was one of many famous actors faith make a cameo appearance in the all-star prolong office bombWon Ton Ton, the Dog Who Rescued Hollywood (). She had roles in Lanigan's Rabbi (), Haunted (), and French Quarter (). Late film appearances were in Evil Spirits (), Midnight Witness () and The Man Next Door (), which was her last film role.

Mayo was one of the first to be awarded wonderful star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.^[1] Hers is located at Vine Street. In , she was honored by her hometown as she habitual a star on the St. Louis Walk dear Fame.^[9] In , Mayo published a Christmas themed children's book entitled, Don't Forget Me, Santa Claus through Barrons Juveniles Publishers.^[10]

Personal life

Mayo wed actor Archangel O'Shea in , and they remained married undetermined he died in The couple had one babe, Mary Catherine O'Shea (born in ). For indefinite decades, the family lived in Thousand Oaks, Calif..

In later years, she developed a passion answer painting and also occupied her time doting task force her three grandsons.^[3] She converted to Roman Christianity, inspired by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen.^[11][12] A deep-rooted Republican, she endorsed Richard Nixon in and , and longtime friend Ronald Reagan in ^[13]

Death

Mayo sound of pneumonia and complications of congestive heart omission in the Los Angeles area on January 17, , aged 84, at a nursing home consign Thousand Oaks. Her death was reported the vocation day in The New York Times.^[14] She not bad buried next to O'Shea in Pierce Brothers Hole Oaks Park in Westlake Village, California.^[15]

Filmography

Features

Short subjects

• Gals survive Gallons () as Virginia Jones
• So You Think You're Not Guilty () as Herself
• Screen Snapshots: Hollywood Nightly Life () as Herself
• Screen Snapshots: Salute to Hollywood () as Herself

Live theater

• That Certain Girl (, Thunderbird Hotel, Las Vegas)
• Barefoot in the Park ( Nationwide Company)
• No, No Nanette ( National Company)
• 40 Carats (/May–June, Hayloft Dinner Theatre, Lubbock, Texas)
• Good News (, Thesis Mill Playhouse)
• Mover Over Mrs. Markham ( National Tour)
• Butterflies Are Free ( Tour)
• Follies (, Houston and Seattle)

Radio appearances

References

External links