Virginia Field


Actor
Virginia Field

About

Also Known As
Margaret Cynthia Field
Birth Place
London, England, GB
Born
November 04, 1917
Died
January 02, 1992
Cause of Death
Cancer

Biography

British-born blonde second lead of the 1930s and 40s who, after a brief stage career and appearances in a few British features, moved to Hollywood in 1935; after an impressive American debut as a frisky barmaid in "Lloyds of London" (1936) she was soon typecast as the "other woman" in numerous films. Field was featured in "Captain Fury" (1939), "Waterloo Bridge" (1940) and "A Connecticut...

Family & Companions

Paul Douglas
Husband
Actor.
Howard Grode
Husband
Composer.
Willard Parker
Husband
Actor. Married 1951 until Field's death in 1992.

Notes

Chose stage name Virginia in honor of distant relative Robert E Lee's home state.

Biography

British-born blonde second lead of the 1930s and 40s who, after a brief stage career and appearances in a few British features, moved to Hollywood in 1935; after an impressive American debut as a frisky barmaid in "Lloyds of London" (1936) she was soon typecast as the "other woman" in numerous films. Field was featured in "Captain Fury" (1939), "Waterloo Bridge" (1940) and "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" (1949) and also appeared in the "Mr. Moto" series of detective films as well as "Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo" (1937). Her first husband was actor Paul Douglas and her third was actor Willard Parker.

Filmography

 

Cast (Feature Film)

The Earth Dies Screaming (1964)
Peggy
The Explosive Generation (1961)
Mrs. Sommers
Appointment with a Shadow (1958)
Florence Knapp
Rockabilly Baby (1957)
Eleanor Carter
The Veils of Bagdad (1953)
Rosanna
Weekend with Father (1951)
Phyllis Reynolds
The Lady Pays Off (1951)
Kay Stoddard
Dial 1119 (1950)
Freddy
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1949)
Morgan Le Fay
John Loves Mary (1949)
Lilly Herbish
Dream Girl (1948)
Miriam Allerton Lucas
Variety Girl (1947)
Ladies' Man (1947)
Gladys Hayden
Repeat Performance (1947)
Paula Costello
The Imperfect Lady (1947)
Rose Bridges
Christmas Eve (1947)
Claire
The Perfect Marriage (1947)
Gloria
Stage Door Canteen (1943)
The Crystal Ball (1943)
Jo Ainsley
Atlantic Convoy (1942)
Lida Adams
Knockout (1941)
Gloria Van Ness
Singapore Woman (1941)
Claire Weston
Hudson's Bay (1941)
Nell Gwyn
Waterloo Bridge (1940)
Kitty
Dance, Girl, Dance (1940)
Elinor Harris
Eternally Yours (1939)
Lola De Vere
Captain Fury (1939)
Mabel
Bridal Suite (1939)
Abbie Bragdon
The Cisco Kid and the Lady (1939)
Billie Graham
The Sun Never Sets (1939)
Phyllis [Ransome]
Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation (1939)
Eleanor Kirke
Mr. Moto's Last Warning (1939)
Connie [Porter]
Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo (1938)
Evelyn Grey
Ali Baba Goes to Town (1937)
Dinah [/Deenah]
Think Fast, Mr. Moto (1937)
Gloria Danton [also known as Tanya]
London by Night (1937)
Bessie [Beavers]
Lancer Spy (1937)
Joan Bruce
Ladies in Love (1936)
Countess Helena Radek
Sing, Baby, Sing (1936)
Farraday's nurse
Lloyd's of London (1936)
Polly
Career Woman (1936)
Fifi Brown
Thank You, Jeeves! (1936)
Marjorie Lowman
Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936)
Miss Herbert
The Lady Is Willing (1934)
Yvonne, Helene's maid

Art Director (Feature Film)

Framed (1990)
Art Director
Moving Violations (1985)
Art Director
Exterminator 2 (1984)
Art Director
The Cradle Will Fall (1983)
Art Director
A Stranger Is Watching (1981)
Art Direction
Friday the 13th (1980)
Art Direction

Art Department (Feature Film)

Shattered Vows (1984)
Set Decorator

Production Designer (Feature Film)

Le Sourire du Clown (1999)
Production Designer
Face the Music (1993)
Production Designer
Sons (1989)
Production Designer
Spring Break (1983)
Production Designer
Friday the 13th, Part II (1981)
Production Designer

Film Production - Main (Feature Film)

Goodbye New York (1985)
Production Supervisor (New York)

Misc. Crew (Feature Film)

A Life Apart: Hasidism in America (1996)
Other

Cast (Special)

Meet the Girls: The Shape, the Face, and the Brain (1960)
Josephine Dunning

Art Director (Special)

Katherine Anne Porter: The Eye of Memory (1986)
Art Director

Life Events

1933

Appeared on London stage with Leslie Howard in "This Side Idolatry"

1934

Film debut, "The Lady Is Willing"

1935

Moved to US and appeared in screen test as a favor to another actor; Field was hired instead of the friend; signed by 20th Century-Fox (date approximate)

1942

Starred in the Broadway comedy "The Doughgirls"

1948

Appeared in Moss Hart comedy "Light Up the Sky" on Broadway

1964

Last feature film, "The Earth Dies Screaming"

Videos

Movie Clip

Repeat Performance (1947) — (Movie Clip) The Stars Look Down John Ireland’s narration from the novel by William O’Farrell, schticky city-scape yields quickly to Joan Leslie in trouble, then into a becoming mink, and a New Year’s celebration where she meets partying Richard Basehart as William, Virginia Field as Paula, Benay Venuta as Bess, in the long underrated Noir Repeat Performance, 1947.
Waterloo Bridge (1940) -- (Movie Clip) The Easiest Way In London circa 1916, ex-ballerina Kitty (Virginia Field) is found out in her secret profession by her former colleague and current impoverished roommate Myra (Vivien Leigh), whose betrothed is away at war, in a pivotal scene from Mervyn LeRoy's Waterloo Bridge, 1940.
Christmas Eve (1947) -- (Movie Clip) The Sea Is A Wide Place In the byzantine tale of his imperiled maiden aunt back in New York, ex-pat South American club owner Mario (George Raft) discovers a fugitive Nazi (Konstantine Shayne) has been scamming his girlfriend (Virginia Field), in the crime-comedy Christmas Eve (a.k.a. Holiday For Sinners), 1947.
Waterloo Bridge (1940) -- (Movie Clip) Too Un-Military? Immediately from a flashback by his elder-self, Captain Cronin (Robert Taylor) meets the girls from the ballet school, especially Myra (Vivien Leigh) during a First World War air raid, in (and on!) Waterloo Bridge, 1940.
Waterloo Bridge (1940) -- (Movie Clip) Swan Lake In WWI London, Kitty (Virginia Field) and Myra (Vivien Leigh) performing "Swan Lake," can't help noticing handsome Captain Cronin (Robert Taylor), whom they met during an air raid, taking his seat, in Mervyn LeRoy's Waterloo Bridge, 1940.
Waterloo Bridge (1940) -- (Movie Clip) Open, 1939 Opening credits and the slightly-older now-Colonel Cronin (Robert Taylor) at the beginning of World War II in London, from Mervyn LeRoy's Waterloo Bridge, 1940, also starring Vivien Leigh.
Bridal Suite (1939) -- (Movie Clip) Good Morning You Rotter! Insouciant bridegroom Neil (Robert Young) thinks he showed up for his wedding a day early, fiancee` Abbie (Virginia Field), her father (Reginald Owen) and his parents (Gene Lockhart, Billie Burke) setting him straight, early in Bridal Suite, 1939.

Trailer

Waterloo Bridge (1940) - (Re-issue Trailer) Vivien Leigh is the ballerina-turned-streetwalker after her fiance Robert Taylor is apparently killed in World War I in Waterloo Bridge (1940), directed by Mervyn LeRoy.
Singapore Woman - (Original Trailer) A woman who believes she's cursed, takes refuge on a rubber plantation in Singapore Woman (1941) starring Brenda Marshall.
Weekend With Father - (Teaser trailer) Love blooms when two single parents (Van Heflin, Patricia Neal) send their children off to camp in Weekend with Father (1951).
Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, A (1949) - (Original Trailer) Bing Crosby brings 19th-Century know-how to Camelot in a musical version of Mark Twain's classic tale.
London By Night - (Original Trailer) A blackmailer holds the key to several murders in London By Night (1937) starring George Murphy and George Zucco.
Bridal Suite - (Original Trailer) A playboy's fiancee sets out to reform her future husband and his flighty mother in Bridal Suite (1939) starring Robert Young.
Knockout - (Original Trailer) A prizefighter's swelled head endangers his marriage in Knockout (1941) starring Arthur Kennedy and Anthony Quinn.
Dial 1119 - (Original Trailer) A killer (Marshall Thompson) holds the customers at a bar hostage in Dial 1119 (1950).
Lloyd's of London - (Wide-release Trailer) The fanciful story of the founding of Britain's most famous insurers, Lloyd's of London (1937).
John Loves Mary -- (Original Trailer) A World War II veteran (Ronald Reagan) makes a marriage of convenience that threatens his real wedding plans.

Family

Auriol Lee
Aunt
Actor, director. Gave niece start in theater.
Margaret Douglas
Daughter
Father Paul Douglas.
Van Parker
Son
Father Willard Parker; survived her.

Companions

Paul Douglas
Husband
Actor.
Howard Grode
Husband
Composer.
Willard Parker
Husband
Actor. Married 1951 until Field's death in 1992.

Bibliography

Notes

Chose stage name Virginia in honor of distant relative Robert E Lee's home state.