London-born actress, daughter of the King's Counsel, St. John Field, educated in Paris and Vienna. Her mother, a cousin of famous Confederate General Robert E. Lee, chose the name "Virginia" as homage to Lee's beloved home state.
Virginia also had an actress aunt, Auriol Lee, who paved the way for her debut on the stage. She first appeared in "This Side Idolatry" in 1933 (with Leslie Howard). She was later signed by 20th Century Fox (actually by standing in at a screen test as a favour to another actress), but was quickly typecast as the "other woman" or as perfunctory second fiddle to "Charlie Chan" and "Mr. Moto".
She had greater success on Broadway, where she starred in the screwball comedy "The Doughgirls" (1942) at the Lyceum Theatre, and the Moss Hart farce "Light Up the Sky" (1948), with Sam Levene, Barry Nelson and Glenn Anders.
Mother was a cousin of Robert E. Lee.
Mother, with Paul Douglas, of daughter Margaret Field Douglas (born in 1945).
Niece of Auriol Lee.
Columnist Walter Winchell dubbed her "the most beautiful blonde in the world".
Her father was a prominent English judge.
Her acting training took place on the European continent. Max Reinhardt, whom she met in Vienna, presented her in his production of "All's Well That Ends Well". She was about to be presented to Broadway audiences when she was offered a Twentieth Century-Fox film contract.
Although Virginia certainly had the talent to become a top film star, it is believed that her actions and candid opinions about others stars did her in. When David O. Selznick made a pass at her, she clubbed him over the head with a decanter. Disparaging remarks about actress Loretta Young ("phony" and "two-faced") and Betty Hutton ("moody") hurt her reputation.
Her marriage to Paul Douglas broke up when he found out she was having an affair with actor/director Dick Powell. She and Douglas had one daughter, Margaret, who worked as an actress in England.
Her father was the judge of Leicester County Court Circuit. Her mother was a cousin of U.S. Confederate leader Robert E. Lee and her aunt was British stage actress and director Auriol Lee.
During the long-running "Perry Mason" series between 1957 and 1966, Margaret made six guest appearances. She played the murderer in both the 1960 episode, "The Case of the Provocative Protege" and the 1962 episode, "The Case of the Polka Dot Pony".
Her marriage to composer Howard Grode lasted only three months before they separated. In 1951, she married actor Willard Parker and the marriage lasted until her death in 1992. Parker later became a successful real estate dealer in Indian Wells, near Palm Springs, California. Virginia owned and operated a boutique near his office.
Actress (72 credits)
1958-1966Perry Mason (TV Series)
Madame Sonya Galinova / Ramona Carver / Angela Renshaw Fernaldi / ...
Madame Sonya Galinova / Ramona Carver / Angela Renshaw Fernaldi / ...
- The Case of the Tsarina's Tiara (1966) ... Madame Sonya Galinova
- The Case of the Simple Simon (1964) ... Ramona Carver
- The Case of the Polka Dot Pony (1962) ... Angela Renshaw Fernaldi
- The Case of the Meddling Medium (1961) ... Sylvia Walker
- The Case of the Provocative Protege (1960) ... Anita Carpenter
1960The Comedy Spot (TV Series)
Josephine 'The Brain' Dunning
Josephine 'The Brain' Dunning
- Meet the Girls (1960) ... Josephine 'The Brain' Dunning
1959The Millionaire (TV Series)
Claire Franklin
Claire Franklin
- Millionaire Bill Franklin (1959) ... Claire Franklin
1952-1956Schlitz Playhouse (TV Series)
Mrs. Tubble
Mrs. Tubble
- A Light in the Desert (1956)
- Mr. And Mrs. Trubble or The Tubbles (1952) ... Mrs. Tubble
1956Screen Directors Playhouse (TV Series)
Nurse Esther Delcotte
Nurse Esther Delcotte
- White Corridors (1956) ... Nurse Esther Delcotte
1952-1956The Ford Television Theatre (TV Series)
Dorothy Rossiter / Sally Blake / Ethel Baxter / ...
Dorothy Rossiter / Sally Blake / Ethel Baxter / ...
- Autumn Fever (1956) ... Dorothy Rossiter
- A Kiss for Santa (1955) ... Sally Blake
- The Mumbys (1955) ... Ethel Baxter
- Slide, Darling, Slide (1954) ... Alexandra Wrenn
- Kiss and Forget (1953)
1955The Whistler (TV Series)
Lydia Larkin / Marie
Lydia Larkin / Marie
- The First Year (1955) ... Lydia Larkin
- Stranger in the House (1955) ... Marie
1954-1955Fireside Theatre (TV Series)
- No Time for Susan (1955)
- Three Missions West (1954)
- Second Elopement (1954)
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