Virginia Patton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Virginia Patton
Patton in Black Eagle (1948)
Born	Virginia Ann Marie Patton (1925-06-25)June 25, 1925 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Died	August 18, 2022(2022-08-18) (aged 97) Albany, Georgia, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Southern California University of Michigan
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1943–1949
Known for	It's a Wonderful Life
Relatives	General George Smith Patton Jr. (uncle)

Virginia Ann Marie Patton Moss (born June 25, 1925 – died August 18, 2022) was an American actress. She became famous for her role as Ruth Dakin Bailey in the movie It's a Wonderful Life (1946). This film was directed by Frank Capra. After acting in several movies in the early 1940s, she stopped acting in 1949. Her last movie was The Lucky Stiff (1949).

Virginia Patton's Early Life

Virginia Patton was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on June 25, 1925. Her parents were Marie and Donald Patton. When she was a baby, her family moved to Portland, Oregon. She grew up in Portland, which was her father's hometown.

Virginia was the niece of a famous general, George S. Patton. She went to Jefferson High School in Portland. After high school, she moved to Los Angeles, California. There, she attended the University of Southern California (USC).

Virginia Patton's Acting Career

While studying at the University of Southern California, Virginia Patton started trying out for acting roles. She also performed in plays with a writer named William C. DeMille. Before her big role, she had a few small parts in movies.

Her most well-known role was in Frank Capra's movie It's a Wonderful Life (1946). She played Ruth Dakin Bailey. Ruth was the wife of Harry Bailey, who was the younger brother of the main character, George Bailey.

Frank Capra, the director, did not know Virginia personally. But she read for the part, and he decided to sign her to a contract. Virginia later said she was the only actress Capra ever signed in his whole career. She continued to give interviews about It's a Wonderful Life for many years. She was the last adult actor from the film who was still alive.

After It's a Wonderful Life, Virginia Patton made only four more movies. One of these was Black Eagle (1948), where she played the main character for the first time. She also appeared in The Burning Cross (1946). This movie was about a soldier who returned home after World War II and got involved with the Ku Klux Klan.

Virginia Patton's Personal Life

In 1949, Virginia Patton married Cruse W. Moss. She decided to stop acting in the late 1940s. She wanted to focus on raising her family with her husband. They lived in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Later, she also attended the University of Michigan.

Virginia Patton passed away on August 18, 2022. She was 97 years old. At the time of her death, she was the last adult cast member from It's a Wonderful Life who was still alive. Her husband, Cruse W. Moss, had passed away in 2018.

Virginia Patton's Filmography