- Born
- Died
- Birth nameMargaret Cynthia Field
- Height5′ 10″ (1.78 m)
- 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.- IMDb mini biography by: I.S.Mowis
- SpousesWillard Parker(October 12, 1951 - January 2, 1992) (her death)Howard Grode(April 5, 1947 - January 6, 1948) (divorced)Paul Douglas(April 11, 1942 - September 23, 1946) (divorced, 1 child)
- Although Virginia certainly had the talent to become a top film star, it was greatly believed her actions and more than very candid opinions about other stars did her in. When David O. Selznick made a pass at her, she clubbed him over the head with a heavy decanter. Disparaging remarks about actress Loretta Young (as being a "phony" and "two-faced") and Betty Hutton ("moody") badly hurt her overall reputation.
- Her father was the judge of Leicester County Court Circuit in England. Her mother was a cousin of U.S. Civil War Confederate General Robert Edward Lee. Her aunt was British stage actress and director Auriol Lee.
- Columnist Walter Winchell dubbed her "the most beautiful blonde in the world".
- Mother, with Paul Douglas, of daughter Margaret Field Douglas (born in 1945).
- 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 Field Douglas (b. 1945), who worked as an actress in England.
- [on Loretta Young] She was, and is, the only actress I really dislike. She was sickeningly sweet, a pure phony. Her two faces sent me home angry and crying several times.
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