Virginia Grey | |
|---|---|
 Grey in 1941 | |
| Born | (1917-03-22)March 22, 1917 Edendale, California, U.S. |
| Died | July 31, 2004(2004-07-31) (aged 87) |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, singer |
| Years active | 1927–1977 |
Virginia Grey (March 22, 1917 – July 31, 2004)[1] was an American actress who appeared in over 100 films and several radio and television shows from the 1930s to the early 1980s.[2] She was romantically involved withClark Gable for several years, after his wife,Carole Lombard's, untimely death.
Grey was born on March 22, 1917,[citation needed] inEdendale,California,[2] the youngest of three daughters of Florence Anna Grey (née Pauly; 1890—1930) anddirectorRay Grey. One of her earlybabysitters was film starGloria Swanson. Grey debuted at 10 in thesilent filmUncle Tom's Cabin (1927) asLittle Eva. She continued acting for a few more years but left acting for three years to finish her education.[1]
Grey abandoned her training as a nurse and returned to films in the 1930s, with bit parts and work as anextra. She eventually signed a contract withMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) and appeared in several films, includingThe Hardys Ride High (1939) withMickey Rooney,Another Thin Man (1939) withWilliam Powell,Hullabaloo (1940), andThe Big Store (1941) with theMarx Brothers.[1]
She left MGM in 1942 and worked steadily for several film studios over subsequent years. During the 1950s and 1960s, producerRoss Hunter frequently included Grey in his popular soap melodramas such asAll That Heaven Allows,Back Street, andMadame X.[1]
Grey had an intermittent love affair withClark Gable in the 1940s. After Gable's wifeCarole Lombard died and he returned from military service, Gable and Grey were often seen together at restaurants and nightclubs. Many, including Grey herself, expected Gable to marry her, and tabloids often speculated on a wedding announcement. It was a great surprise when Gable hastily married LadySylvia Ashley in 1949, leaving Grey heartbroken. Gable divorced Ashley in 1952, never rekindling his romance with Grey, who never married.[3]
In 1951, Grey portrayed Blanche Bickerson on the syndicated comedy TV seriesThe Bickersons.[4] She was a regular on television in the 1950s and 1960s, appearing onPlayhouse 90,U.S. Marshal,The Jane Wyman Show,General Electric Theater,The DuPont Show with June Allyson,Your Show of Shows,Red Skelton,Wagon Train (“The Honorable Don Charlie Story,” "The Kate Parker Story," "The Major Adams Story"),Bonanza,Marcus Welby, M.D.,Love, American Style,Burke's Law,The Virginian,Peter Gunn,Ironside, and many others.[1]
Grey died on July 31, 2004, at age 87, inWoodland Hills, California, while a resident at theMotion Picture Home.[5] She wascremated, and her ashes were scattered at sea on August 6, 2004, off the Los Angeles coast.[5]
Anna Torv portrayed her in theHBO miniseriesThe Pacific, which recounts her friendship withJohn Basilone on the latter'swar bond tour.[1]
