Virginia Mayo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Virginia Mayo
Mayo in the 1950s
Born	Virginia Clara Jones (1920-11-30)November 30, 1920 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Died	January 17, 2005(2005-01-17) (aged 84) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Valley Oaks Memorial Park
Occupation	Actress, dancer
Years active	1937–1997
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Michael O'Shea ​ ​ (m. 1947; died 1973)​
Children	1

Virginia Mayo (born Virginia Clara Jones) was a famous American actress and dancer. She was born on November 30, 1920, and passed away on January 17, 2005. Virginia Mayo starred in many comedy films with Danny Kaye. She was also one of Warner Brothers' most successful stars in the late 1940s. She appeared in the Oscar-winning movie The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) and the classic film White Heat (1949).

About Virginia Mayo's Life

Her Early Years

Virginia Mayo was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Her father, Luke Jones, was a newspaper reporter. Her mother was Martha Henrietta Jones. Virginia's family had a long history in St. Louis. Her great-great-great-grandfather, Captain James Piggott, founded East St. Louis, Illinois, in 1797.

When Virginia was six years old, she started attending an acting school. Her aunt ran the school in the St. Louis area. Virginia also had many dancing teachers, arranged by her aunt.

Starting Her Career

After finishing Soldan High School in 1937, Virginia got her first professional jobs. She performed at The Muny, which is the St. Louis Municipal Opera Theatre. She also danced with six other girls at the Hotel Jefferson.

A performer named Andy Mayo was impressed by her talent. He asked her to join his act, "Morton and Mayo." Virginia toured with them for three years. She played a ringmaster and a funny helper for "Pansy the Horse." This was a horse costume worn by Andy Mayo and his partner, Nonnie Morton. They even appeared in some short films. They became very popular at Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe nightclub in Broadway. This is where a famous movie producer, Samuel Goldwyn, first saw her.

Moving to Broadway

In 1941, Virginia officially started using her stage name, Virginia Mayo. She got another big chance when she appeared on Broadway with Eddie Cantor. This was in a show called Banjo Eyes.

Working with Samuel Goldwyn

Virginia Mayo in the 1940s

In the early 1940s, Virginia Mayo's talent and beauty caught the eye of movie producer Samuel Goldwyn. He signed her to a contract with his film company.

Goldwyn made only a few movies each year. He often loaned out his actors to other producers. Virginia's first important role was in Jack London (1943). In this film, she starred with Michael O'Shea, who would later become her husband.

Virginia was first placed in the chorus of the film Up in Arms to learn about filmmaking. She was never officially one of the famous Goldwyn Girls. Later, another studio, RKO, borrowed her for a supporting role in a musical called Seven Days Ashore (1944).

Becoming a Star

Virginia Mayo got her first main role in 1944. She starred opposite comedian Bob Hope in The Princess and the Pirate (1944). This movie was a funny take on pirate films and was made by Goldwyn. It earned a lot of money at the box office.

After this success, Goldwyn made her the main actress for musicals with Danny Kaye. These included Wonder Man (1945) and The Kid from Brooklyn (1946). Both of these movies were very popular.

Virginia then took on a different kind of role. She played Marie Derry, a tough character, in William Wyler's drama The Best Years of Our Lives (1946). This film also became the highest-earning movie in the U.S. since Gone with the Wind. At the peak of her career, Virginia Mayo was known for her stunning beauty in Hollywood. People said she looked like a "pinup painting come to life." The Sultan of Morocco even said her beauty was "proof of the existence of God."

Virginia reunited with Danny Kaye in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947), which was another big hit. She also starred in A Song Is Born (1948).

Working with Warner Bros.

Virginia Mayo in White Heat (1949) with James Cagney

Eventually, Warner Bros. took over her contract from Goldwyn. They cast her in several films. She appeared in a Western called Colorado Territory (1949) with Joel McCrea. She also starred in a comedy with Ronald Reagan, The Girl from Jones Beach (1949).

Virginia Mayo earned great reviews for another challenging role. She played the strong and clever wife of a gangster in the classic film White Heat (1949). She admitted she was scared by James Cagney in White Heat because his acting as a troubled gunman was so real.

She was the main actress in The Flame and the Arrow (1950), playing Burt Lancaster's love interest. This film was a huge success. She also co-starred with James Cagney and a young Doris Day in The West Point Story (1950). She sang and danced with Cagney in this movie.

Virginia was also Gregory Peck's leading lady in Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. (1951). This was Warner Bros.' most popular film that year. She co-starred with Kirk Douglas in a Western called Along the Great Divide (1951).

Virginia Mayo appeared in the musical Painting the Clouds with Sunshine (1951). Even though she was a trained dancer and appeared in musicals, her singing voice was always provided by someone else.

She starred with Alan Ladd in The Iron Mistress (1952), a popular movie about Jim Bowie. She also appeared in another musical, She's Back on Broadway (1953).

Virginia appeared in South Sea Woman (1953) with Burt Lancaster. She also co-starred with Rex Harrison and George Sanders in King Richard and the Crusaders (1954). Her film The Silver Chalice (1954), which was Paul Newman's first movie, was not very successful.

Later Career and Life

After her time with Warner Bros., Virginia Mayo continued to act in films. She starred in The Proud Ones (1956) and The Big Land (1957). She even played Cleopatra in the fantasy film The Story of Mankind (1957).

In the late 1950s, she started appearing on television shows. These included Wagon Train and The Loretta Young Show. Her film roles became less frequent in the 1960s. She appeared in movies like Young Fury (1965) and Fort Utah (1967). She also guest-starred on TV shows such as Daktari.

Virginia Mayo spent the rest of her career acting on stage. She performed in many dinner theater shows and touring plays. Some of her stage productions included No, No Nanette (1972) and Butterflies Are Free (1981).

She also made occasional appearances on television shows like The Love Boat, Remington Steele, and Murder, She Wrote. She was in a dozen episodes of the soap opera Santa Barbara. Her last film role was in The Man Next Door (1997).

Virginia Mayo was one of the first people to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her star is located at 1751 Vine Street. In 1996, her hometown honored her with a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame. In 1993, she wrote a Christmas-themed children's book called Don't Forget Me, Santa Claus.

Personal Life

Virginia Mayo with her husband Michael O'Shea, 1955

Virginia Mayo married actor Michael O'Shea in 1947. They stayed married until he passed away in 1973. They had one child, a daughter named Mary Catherine O'Shea, born in 1953. For many years, the family lived in Thousand Oaks, California.

In her later years, Virginia Mayo enjoyed painting. She also loved spending time with her three grandsons. She became a Roman Catholic, inspired by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. She was a lifelong member of the Republican Party. She supported Richard Nixon in his presidential campaigns in 1968 and 1972. She also supported her longtime friend Ronald Reagan in 1980.

Passing Away

Virginia Mayo passed away on January 17, 2005, at the age of 84. She died from pneumonia and heart problems in the Los Angeles area. She was at a nursing home in Thousand Oaks. Her death was reported the next day in The New York Times. She is buried next to her husband, Michael O'Shea, in Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Park in Westlake Village, California.

Filmography

Features

Television Appearances

• Remington Steele (1984) as Herself
• Murder, She Wrote (1984) as Elinor
• The Love Boat (1986) as Virginia
• Santa Barbara (1984-1988) as Peaches

See also

In Spanish: Virginia Mayo para niños