Virginia Mayo

Biography

Virginia Mayo was an American actress who started in vaudeville and by the late 1940s had become Warner Bros.' biggest box-office draw. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, she began performing after high school and toured the vaudeville circuit before reaching Broadway in 1941. Samuel Goldwyn signed her to a film contract, and her first starring role came in the Bob Hope comedy The Princess and the Pirate (1944). She became Danny Kaye's leading lady in Wonder Man (1945), then earned favorable reviews as a gold digger in The Best Years of Our Lives (1946). After Warner Bros. took over her contract, she appeared in the gangster classic White Heat (1949) and the war adventure Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. (1951). Her later credits included The Silver Chalice (1954), The Proud Ones (1956), and Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976). She was one of the first to receive a Hollywood Walk of Fame star and later worked on stage.

84years old at death

Born November 30, 1920St. Louis
Died January 17, 2005Thousand Oaks
Star sign: SagittariusThe sign runs November 22 to December 21
Virginia Clara Jones (birth name)Also credited as Virginia Jones and Virginia C. Jones

Movie Career

Films: 24
Career span: 32 years1944 to 1976

Genres

Western29%, 7 films
Comedy25%, 6 films
Drama25%, 6 films
Adventure21%, 5 films
Action17%, 4 films

First and latest

Photos

Did you know?!

Own stunts
Mayo used her dance training when she appeared in several musicals, but her voice was always dubbed in those films.

Virginia Mayo movies on Netflix

Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood1976IMDb rating 4.8as Miss Battley
Castle of Evil1966IMDb rating 4.6as Mary Theresa 'Sable' Pulaski
Westbound1959IMDb rating 6.5as Norma Putnam
Fort Dobbs1958IMDb rating 6.8as Celia Gray
The Story of Mankind1957IMDb rating 4.8as Cleopatra
The Tall Stranger1957IMDb rating 6.4as Ellen
Great Day in the Morning1956IMDb rating 6.4as Ann Merry Alaine
The Proud Ones1956IMDb rating 6.9as Sally
Pearl of the South Pacific1955IMDb rating 5.3as Rita Delaine
The Silver Chalice1954IMDb rating 4.6as Helena
South Sea Woman1953IMDb rating 6.2as Ginger Martin
Along the Great Divide1951IMDb rating 6.8as Ann Keith
Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N.1951IMDb rating 7.3as Lady Barbara Wellesley
Backfire1950IMDb rating 6.5as Nurse Julie Benson
The Flame and the Arrow1950IMDb rating 6.8as Anne de Hesse
Colorado Territory1949IMDb rating 7.2as Colorado Carson
Flaxy Martin1949IMDb rating 6.5as Flaxy Martin
Red Light1949IMDb rating 6.4as Carla North
White Heat1949IMDb rating 8.1as Verna Jarrett
A Song Is Born1948IMDb rating 6.9as Honey Swanson
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty1947IMDb rating 6.9as Rosalind van Hoorn
The Best Years of Our Lives1946IMDb rating 8.1as Marie Derry
Wonder Man1945IMDb rating 6.8as Ellen Shanley
The Princess and the Pirate1944IMDb rating 6.8as Princess Margaret

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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White Heat1949 Action, Crime, Drama, Film-Noiras Verna Jarrett
IMDb rating 8.139K votes
The Best Years of Our Lives1946 Drama, Romance, Waras Marie Derry
IMDb rating 8.177K votes
Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N.1951as Lady Barbara Wellesley
IMDb rating 7.38.6K votes
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty1947as Rosalind van Hoorn
IMDb rating 6.97.6K votes
The Flame and the Arrow1950as Anne de Hesse
IMDb rating 6.84.7K votes
Colorado Territory1949as Colorado Carson
IMDb rating 7.23.6K votes
A Song Is Born1948as Honey Swanson
IMDb rating 6.93.2K votes
Wonder Man1945as Ellen Shanley
IMDb rating 6.82.8K votes

Most often with

Raoul Walsh directed four of these films, Jacques Tourneur two. Steve Cochran appears in four of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Steve Cochran

Ray Teal

Walter Brennan

Monte Blue

Michael Pate

Danny Kaye

Raoul WalshDirector, 4 films

Jacques TourneurDirector, 2 films

Films together

Steve Cochran4 films together, 1945 to 1949
Steve Cochran's page
- White Heat1949IMDb rating 8.1Mayo as Verna JarrettCochran as Big Ed Somers
- A Song Is Born1948IMDb rating 6.9Mayo as Honey SwansonCochran as Tony Crow
- The Best Years of Our Lives1946IMDb rating 8.1Mayo as Marie DerryCochran as Cliff
- Wonder Man1945IMDb rating 6.8Mayo as Ellen ShanleyCochran as Ten Grand Jackson
Ray Teal3 films together, 1946 to 1957
Ray Teal's page
- The Tall Stranger1957IMDb rating 6.4Mayo as EllenTeal as Cap
- Along the Great Divide1951IMDb rating 6.8Mayo as Ann KeithTeal as Deputy Lou Gray
- The Best Years of Our Lives1946IMDb rating 8.1Mayo as Marie DerryTeal as Mr. Mollett
Walter Brennan3 films together, 1944 to 1956
Walter Brennan's page
- The Proud Ones1956IMDb rating 6.9Mayo as SallyBrennan as Jake
- Along the Great Divide1951IMDb rating 6.8Mayo as Ann KeithBrennan as Timothy 'Pop' Keith
- The Princess and the Pirate1944IMDb rating 6.8Mayo as Princess MargaretBrennan as Featherhead
Monte Blue3 films together, 1949 to 1950
Monte Blue's page
- Backfire1950IMDb rating 6.5Mayo as Nurse Julie BensonBlue as Det. Sgt. Pluther
- Colorado Territory1949IMDb rating 7.2Mayo as Colorado CarsonBlue as U.S. Marshal
- Flaxy Martin1949IMDb rating 6.5Mayo as Flaxy MartinBlue as Joe, Detective
Michael Pate3 films together, 1954 to 1959
Michael Pate's page
- Westbound1959IMDb rating 6.5Mayo as Norma PutnamPate as Mace
- The Tall Stranger1957IMDb rating 6.4Mayo as EllenPate as Charley
- The Silver Chalice1954IMDb rating 4.6Mayo as HelenaPate as Aaron Ben Joseph
Danny Kaye3 films together, 1945 to 1948
Danny Kaye's page
- A Song Is Born1948IMDb rating 6.9Mayo as Honey SwansonKaye as Hobart Frisbee
- The Secret Life of Walter Mitty1947IMDb rating 6.9Mayo as Rosalind van HoornKaye as Walter Mitty
- Wonder Man1945IMDb rating 6.8Mayo as Ellen ShanleyKaye as Edwin Dingle / Buzzy Bellew
Raoul WalshDirector, 4 films, 1949 to 1951
All films by Raoul Walsh
- Along the Great Divide1951IMDb rating 6.8Mayo as Ann Keith
- Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N.1951IMDb rating 7.3Mayo as Lady Barbara Wellesley
- Colorado Territory1949IMDb rating 7.2Mayo as Colorado Carson
- White Heat1949IMDb rating 8.1Mayo as Verna Jarrett
Jacques TourneurDirector, 2 films, 1950 to 1956
All films by Jacques Tourneur
- Great Day in the Morning1956IMDb rating 6.4Mayo as Ann Merry Alaine
- The Flame and the Arrow1950IMDb rating 6.8Mayo as Anne de Hesse

Box office

What Virginia Mayo's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$36.6 million

5 of the 24 films have a worldwide figure.

5Worldwide figure
1US gross only
18Figure not found

Top grosser

The Best Years of Our Lives1946Marie Derry$23.6 million

Highest grossing

The five biggest films earned 100% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

1
The Best Years of Our Lives1946as Marie Derry
$24M64.6% of the total
2
Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N.1951as Lady Barbara Wellesley
$5.3M14.6% of the total
3
White Heat1949as Verna Jarrett
$3.5M9.5% of the total
4
The Silver Chalice1954as Helena
$3.2M8.7% of the total
5
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty1947as Rosalind van Hoorn
$957K2.6% of the total