Vera Miles facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vera Miles
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Vera Miles, c. 1950s
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| Born |
Vera June Ralston
August 23, 1930 Boise City, Oklahoma, U.S.
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| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1950–1995 |
| Spouse(s) |
Bob Miles
(m. 1948; div. 1954)Keith Larsen
(m. 1960; div. 1971)Robert Jones
(m. 1973; div. 1975) |
| Children | 4 |
Vera June Miles (born August 23, 1930) is an American actress who is now retired. She is famous for her roles in several movies. These include the Western films The Searchers (1956) and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), both directed by John Ford.
She is also well-known for playing Lila Crane in Alfred Hitchcock's thrilling movie Psycho (1960). She later returned to this role in the sequel Psycho II (1983). Vera Miles also appeared in other films like Tarzan's Hidden Jungle (1955) and Follow Me, Boys! (1966).
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Early Life and Beginnings
Vera June Ralston was born in Boise City, Oklahoma, on August 23, 1930. She spent her childhood in Pratt, Kansas, and later in Wichita. While in Wichita, she worked at Western Union and finished high school in 1948.
In 1948, she was crowned Miss Kansas. She also placed third runner-up in the Miss America contest.
Acting Career
Vera Miles moved to Los Angeles in 1949 to start her acting career. She got small parts in TV shows and movies. One of her early roles was in the musical Two Tickets to Broadway (1951). In this movie, she worked with Janet Leigh, who would later star with her in Psycho.
She started using her first husband's last name, Miles, because there was already another actress named Vera Ralston. Vera Miles signed contracts with different movie studios during her career.
Early Film Roles
Her first movie role where she was officially credited was in The Rose Bowl Story (1952). In this romantic comedy, she played a queen for the Tournament of Roses parade.
In 1955, she starred with her future husband, Gordon Scott, in Tarzan's Hidden Jungle. She played Tarzan's love interest in the film. The next year, director John Ford chose her for the Western movie The Searchers (1956). She played the love interest of a character played by Jeffrey Hunter. This movie also starred John Wayne.
Also in 1956, Vera Miles starred in The Wrong Man, directed by Alfred Hitchcock. She played Rose Balestrero, the wife of a musician who was wrongly accused of a crime. This movie was based on a true story.
Working with Alfred Hitchcock
In 1957, Vera Miles signed a special five-year contract with famous director Alfred Hitchcock. Many people thought she would become his next big star, like Grace Kelly. Before this, Hitchcock had directed her in an episode of his TV show, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, called "Revenge."
Hitchcock planned for her to star in his movie Vertigo (1958). However, the movie faced delays, and Vera Miles became pregnant. Because of this, the main role in Vertigo went to Kim Novak instead.
Even though Vertigo didn't work out as planned, Hitchcock still wanted to work with Vera Miles. He later cast her in one of her most famous roles: Lila Crane in Psycho. In this scary movie, she plays the determined sister of a woman who disappears from a motel. Lila teams up with her sister's boyfriend to find out what happened. Vera Miles also appeared in two episodes of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour in the 1960s.
More Film and TV Roles
In 1962, Vera Miles worked with director John Ford again for The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. She starred alongside John Wayne and James Stewart. Her character was courted by both men in the story.
Throughout her career, Vera Miles appeared in many popular TV shows. These included Westerns like Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, and Laramie. She also appeared in science fiction shows like The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits. She was in the first episode of The Fugitive and guest-starred in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Ironside.
In 1965, she had a supporting role in three episodes of the show My Three Sons. She also appeared in the pilot episode of I Spy.
Other notable films for Vera Miles include the Walt Disney movie Follow Me, Boys! (1966) with Fred MacMurray. She also reunited with John Wayne in Hellfighters (1968). She filmed scenes for another John Wayne movie, The Green Berets (1968), but her scenes were cut from the final movie.
Vera Miles continued to act in many TV movies and series in the 1970s. She appeared in the pilot for the TV series Cannon in 1971. In 1973, she was in an episode of Columbo called "Lovely but Lethal," playing a cosmetics queen. She also made guest appearances in shows like Hawaii Five-O, The Streets of San Francisco, and Fantasy Island.
Later Career and Retirement
In 1983, more than 20 years after the first Psycho movie, Vera Miles returned to her role as Lila Crane in Psycho II. She and Anthony Perkins were the only main actors from the original film to be in the sequel.
She continued to appear in movies and TV shows during the 1980s. These included the films The Initiation (1984) and Into the Night (1985). She also guest-starred in TV series like The Love Boat and Hotel.
Vera Miles appeared in three episodes of Murder, She Wrote between 1985 and 1991. Her last TV role was in the 1991 episode "Thursday's Child." Her final acting role was in the film Separate Lives (1995). After this, she retired from acting.
Personal Life
Vera Miles has been married four times and has four children. Her first husband was Bob Miles, a stuntman and actor. They were married from 1948 to 1954 and had two daughters, Debra and Kelley.
Her second husband was actor Gordon Scott, who she starred with in Tarzan's Hidden Jungle. They were married from 1956 to 1960 and had one son, Michael. Her third husband was actor Keith Larsen. They were married from 1960 to 1971 and had one son, Erik. Her fourth marriage was to filmmaker Robert Jones, from 1973 to 1975.
Vera Miles is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She has often visited Salt Lake City, Utah, and was involved with the Boy Scouts of America.
Images for kids
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Vera Miles, circa 1950s
See also
In Spanish: Vera Miles para niños
