Virginia Mayo
She continued her career as a dancer, then signed a contract with Samuel Goldwyn and appeared in several of Goldwyn's movies. With Danny Kaye she made some successful comedies, including: Wonder Man (1945), The Kid from Brooklyn (1946) and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947).
In 1949's White Heat she gave one of her greatest performances as Verna Jarrett the wife of gangster Cody Jarrett (acted by James Cagney). Mayo later claimed in interviews that she was occasionally genuinely frightened by Cagney during the filming of the picture, because Cagney's acting was so realistic and natural.
Also of interest is her role in The Best Years of Our Lives, where she was cast against type and gave a performance that garnered much acclaim.
In 1947, she married actor Michael O'Shea, who died in 1973. They had one child, Mary Catherine O'Shea (1953-). The O'Shea family lived for several decades in Thousand Oaks, California.
Through the 1950s and 1960s she ended up getting roles in B-movies, often westerns and adventure films, but also some musicals. Her singing voice was always dubbed.
Mayo got a star on the Walk of Fame for her work in Television. It can be found at 1751 Vine Street.
In the 1990s, Mayo gifted her extensive collection of Hollywood memorabilia to the Thousand Oaks Library. Mayo passed away in Los Angeles in 2005 after a long illness at the age of 84.
Virginia Mayo Facts
Birth Name | Virginia Clara Jones |
Occupation | Actress |
Birthday | November 30, 1920 |
Sign | Sagittarius |
Birthplace | St. Louis, Missouri, USA |
Date of death | January 17, 2005 (age 84) |
Height | 5' 5" (1m65) How tall is Virginia Mayo compared to you? |
Selected Filmography
Not available. |