In search of...Virginia Weidler

[ginnyfan]

I was actually worn out by yesterday's festivities, believe it or not. So, of course, we get an ultra long TODAY IN GINNY. ginnyfan reserves the right to skip the photos of those I can't find regularly, and I'm doing so today.

 

First up is Rollo Lloyd (1883). He played Parchy in SOULS AT SEA. Compared to a lot of the stock players, he has relatively few credits at 65. I know I saw him in SMASHING THE RACKETS and THE SAINT IN NEW YORK, both made the year he died. IMDb mentions that Tay Garnett and Frank McHugh paid for his funeral.

 

Rudolph G. Kopp (1887) provided some of the stock music for TIMOTHY'S QUEST. He would continue to provide music for shorts and smaller features into the 1950s. I didn't find a photo and I have very few of TQ either.

 

William Royle (1887) was the second flyer in TOO HOT TO HANDLE. I believe we had the first flyer recently, too. He had 64 credits in a five year career. His biggest role was as Sir Dennis in THE DRUMS OF FU MANCHU. His first role was in the infamous REEFER MADNESS. The photo is from BLOCK-HEADS, I believe.

 

Jim Corey (1888) played Man on Bus in HENRY GOES ARIZONA. No pic was found, but a screen capture of Kibbee, Morgan, and Weidler will substitute. Jim is one of those guys I'd be tempted to skip over, but I know better now. 333 credits, almost all westerns might rule him out as a co-star with many actors, but Ginny did enough films with rustic settings that these cowboy types sneak into.

 

Joseph Schildkraut (1896) is the star of this group. A supporting actor Oscar winner for THE LIFE OF EMILE ZOLA, he was also nominated for a Golden Globe and an Emmy during his career. He had been a leading man in the silents, but turned toward villainy and aristocracy inn his early sound work. As he grew older, his range of characters grew broader. He played Gaston de Bastonet in SOULS AT SEA. The photo is from ZOLA.

 

FERN EMMETT (1896) is another Weidler Company regular. She played Lillian Johnson in SCANDAL STREET, Mrs. McCarney in YOUNG TOM EDISON, and Mrs. Miller in KEEPING COMPANY. She shows up in a lot of the series films, Aldrich, Gildersleeve, and had a regular gig in the Scattergood Baines films. The photo is from THE SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS.

 

Tudor Williams (1896) played "uncredited" in BORN TO SING. I guess no one has identified him in there. An operatic bass, he played singers in a lot of his films, so maybe he was a chorus member. When I searched for a photo, I got pictures of a young voice actor of that name.

 

Inez Cooper (1922) played Mrs. Jacell in THE AFFAIRS OF MARTHA. She appeared in 21 films from 1941-51. Her most memorable roles were as the female lead in Rusell Hayden's NORTH OF THE BORDER and as Pamela Driscoll in THE BARKLEYS OF BROADWAY.

 

[ginnyfan]

TODAY IN GINNY features three birthdays.

 

Hazel Dawn (1891) was a silent film and Broadway star known as "The Pink Lady". She played Lucy Shannon in the 1917 film THE LONE WOLF and actually got billing above the actor playing Michael Lanyard. When I looked up her photo I found two different Photoplay covers, so she must have been something. She quit acting after she married but came back for only one talkie. That role was as Hazel in THE YOUNGEST PROFESSION. She later appear in four television plays before calling it a career in 1954.

 

It's almost unfair to mention Cedric Gibbons (1893). As MGM's resident Art Director, his name automatically appeared in the credits of virtually every MGM picture, just like Recording Engineer Douglas Shearer. His name graced the credits of every film Ginny made at MGM. I wonder if he ever was actually on one of her sets.

 

Last but certainly not least we have Joan Crawford (1906). Joan played the cheap, evil, hideous, terrible, not-so-nice, Crystal Allen in THE WOMEN. In addition to that she was also one of the biggest film stars of all time, so I don't see a need to blow her horn that much here. Besides, ginnyfan's research has noted that Crawford may have been helping Ann Blyth prepare for her test for Veda in MILDRED PIERCE, a role Ginny seemed certain for prior to Blyth's late audition. I guess Joan never forgave Virginia for that bathroom butt-kicking.

 

 

[ginnyfan]

TONIGHT IN GINNY we have but one birthday!

 

Jameson Thomas (1888) played Pelton in SOULS AT SEA. Born in London as Thomas Jameson, he worked regularly on the British stage in his youth then moved into films. After becoming disillusioned with British films, he came to the U.S. and worked in minor roles for the final decade of his life. In addition to his visit to Ginnyworld, he also appeared in JANE EYRE, IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN, and one of my favorites ONE HUNDRED MEN AND A GIRL The photo is from the Hitchcock 1928 entry THE FARMER'S WIFE. He played the farmer.

 

CORRECTION: Two weeks ago, we celebrated the birthday of character actor Cy Kendall (I just watched him as the bad guy in a Richard Dix/Lucille Ball film the other night). When I listed his credits in the Weidler Stock Company, I omitted one. He also played an assayer in GOLD RUSH MAISIE. ginnyfan regrets the error but makes no promises that it won't occur dozens of times in the future.

 

NOTE-I just made my 1500th post in the CFU IN EXILE Virginia Weidler Birthday Celebration thread. Please humor me and go look at it. A really wonderful child did something special for me on Ginny's birthday and I'd like everyone to see it!

 

http://forums.tcm.com/thread.jspa?messageID=8744842#8744842

 

 

Edited by: ginnyfan on Mar 24, 2013 9:24 PM

[ginnyfan]

We have six birthdays today, some more intriguing than others.

First is Spencer Charters (1875). Like many of the others I've posted he worked on the stage until late in his career, then finished up by taking small character roles, retailers, judges, and the like. He got into some big features like HIGH SIERRA and ARSENIC AND OLD LACE. He was the druggist in THE UNDER-PUP.

Violet Seaton (1882) played a governess (not THE governess) in THE YOUNGEST PROFESSION. She only had roles in 16 films, all very small. The photo is from a 1910 stage appearance in Seattle.

Allan Cavan (1880) played a dignitary in SOULS AT SEA. He was in 164 films from 1919 through 1940. He played everything from newspapermen to doormen. Unlike many other actors of the era, he seems to have moved easily back and forth between westerns and other types of films. The photo is of him in LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT.

Bandleader Leo Kempinski (1891) wrote much of the stock music used in FRECKLES. He didn't work for the movies much, but he did apparently compose music for the original score that went with Von Stroheim's GREED (1924). I didn't find a photo, but I did find this record label for one of his 78s.

Child star Shirley Jean Rickert (1926) is the intriguing one on this list. Starting at age four, she was Shirley in several Our Gang shorts then moved on to team with Mickey Rooney in the Mickey McGuire shorts as Tomboy Taylor. As Shirley was reaching adulthood, she reentered the business as a dancer and it was in that role that she appeared in today's film BEST FOOT FORWARD. After struggling through the 1940s for dancer roles she finally became a star...in burlesque. Through the 1950s, she was the headlining stripper known as Gilda. If someone wants to see the more PG photos of Shirley as Gilda-you actually see worse on TMZ-you can easily Google them.

Screenwriter Bertram Millhauser (1892) wrote the screenplay for SCANDAL STREET, one more Paramount movie Universal doesn't want you to see. He also has a connection to fellow TIGer Violet Seaton as she appeared in a Sherlock Holmes feature he wrote, THE WOMAN IN GREEN.

Edited by: ginnyfan on Mar 25, 2013 9:00 PM

[ginnyfan]

TODAY IN GINNY has but one birthday. If the Barrymores were the first family of American actors, I guess the Hallors were the second. Edith, Ethel, and Ray Hallor were siblings who worked on both the stage and in motion pictures. Ray had the biggest film career spanning fifteen years and 34 titles. Ethel, the shortest, with only five titles in five years.

 

Edith (1896) had a 31 year film career with only 24 titles to her credit. She played a townswoman in MAID OF SALEM. The picture of her looks a bit like the Columbia Pictures logo, doesn't it?

 

 

[ginnyfan]

First up, is Patty S. Hill (1868). An educator credited with revolutionizing early childhood education, she was never actively connected with Hollywood yet has over 300 movie credits. How? She and her sister Mildred wrote "Happy Birthday To You". It was sung in one Ginny film, MOTHER CAREY'S CHICKENS.

 

Mariska Aldrich (1889) was an opera singer whose voice evolved from contralto to dramatic soprano. After her opera career, she dabbled in character parts in Hollywood, specializing in playing singers and other "big women". She was the singing teacher in THE WOMEN.

 

David Clyde (1885) is nowhere near as remembered as his brother Andy. He did appear in 90 films prior to his death in 1945 including MRS. MINIVER, NOW, VOYAGER, and THE LOST WEEKEND. He played a lot of Scotsmen. He was Mac in THE PHILADELPHIA STORY.

 

Charles Lang (1902) was an Oscar winning cinematographer. He won for A FAREWELL TO ARMS. He won his TIG mention with MRS. WIGGS OF THE CABBAGE PATCH, PETER IBBETSON, and SOULS AT SEA.

 

Mary Treen (1907) is "one of those faces". Once you've seen her in a couple of films, you start to chuckle when she walks into a scene. She walked into such scenes in over 200 films and television shows. IMDb says she's best remembered as Cousin Tilly in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. Early in her career, she played Susy Abbott in MAID OF SALEM. A fun story about her is that after her husband died, she moved in with her old vaudeville partner, Marjorie Barrett, and they spent their final years reenacting their old routines for their senior friends.

 

Guy Trosper (1911) is a screenwriter best known for the work he did late in his career. THE BIRDMAN OF ALCATRAZ, THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD, ONE-EYED JACKS are all his. He is not remembered for I'LL WAIT FOR YOU, his first credit in Hollywood. I chose Ginny going heels over head for Robert Sterling to represent.

 

[ginnyfan]

Finally! It's TODAY IN GINNY!

 

Helen Westley (1875) is just one more in the list of grand ladies of the theatre who turned to films late in their careers. In addition to playing Madame LeMaire in ALL THIS AND HEAVEN TOO, she also worked with Anne Shirley and someone I can't quite remember...

 

Grayce Hampton (1876) is probably best known as the Inmate Countess in THE SNAKE PIT. She was in two successive Weidler films, playing an old knitting woman in SOULS AT SEA and a dowager in the powder room in THE WOMEN. I found a pic of her knitting, but it's from THE BAT WHISPERS.

 

Pandro S. Berman (1905) produced 115 films. Based on how many time I've read his name on a title card, I could have sworn it was 10 times that. Late in his career he produced SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH and BUTTERFIELD 8. Much earlier, he produced LADDIE and FRECKLES featuring Ginny. I suspect without her help he'd never have gotten that Thalberg in 1977.

 

[TopBilled]

I love Helen Westley. That is the kind of woman my mother's mother was like.

[ginnyfan]

Yesterday In Ginny I got a little sidetracked...

 

We only have one birthday in TODAY IN GINNY for March 29.

 

Editor Robert J. Kern (1885) did his thing in two Weidler movies, THE WOMEN and BORN TO SING. If he had edited OUT WEST WITH THE HARDYS, I'd be cursing him this morning, but he didn't so he's OK by me.

 

I have no photo of Mr. Kern and that gives me a great excuse to post the first of many images supplied to me by the member I'll call Danny P. Danny P has been finding some really sharp large images I either had in a very small form or I didn't have at all.

 

In the shameless plug department, Danny P hosts a great page on Facebook for Martha Raye, one of Ginny's supporting players in THE BIG BROADCAST of 1937. Go like that page right now.

 

[ginnyfan]

In TODAY IN GINNY we have two birthdays.

 

Alec Craig (1884) was in films with Virginia on two separate occasions. In 1939, he was the Marriage License clerk in THE LONE WOLF SPY HUNT. Two years later, he played MacDonald, one of Barton MacLane's henchmen in BARNACLE BILL. He's probably best known, if at all, for his role as Tim in NATIONAL VELVET. Born in Scotland, he played a lot of Scots during his career.

 

Lowell Drew (1882) was the jury foreman in SOULS AT SEA. I don't think his role and that of Virginia overlapped in the film at all. He has a fairly small career as a character actor, appearing in only 23 films over 13 years. Only three of his roles were actually credited and his biggest was probably his first. He played Chester Greene in THE GREEN MURDER CASE, a William Powell/Philo Vance mystery. A copy of a glass slide from SOULS AT SEA represents him.

 

[ginnyfan]

I couldn't find a Virginia Weidler easter photo, so I had to do it myself!

 

[TopBilled]

Very nice! And Happy Easter to you, too!

[ginnyfan]

There are four birthdays TODAY IN GINNY.

 

Dudley Clements (1889) seen here drawing Van Heflin's ire played Wilkes, a town leader, in THE OUTCASTS OF POKER FLAT. Clements only made 25 films, but was a bigger hit on Broadway regularly working with the likes of George Gershwin and George S. Kaufman. Victor Moore, Victor Kilian, George Murphy and Paul Kelly all played the boards with Dudley.

 

Eddie Dunn (1896) was a Hal Roach gagman but still found the time to do straighter character parts. He was a newsreel man in TOO HOT TO HANDLE and a field employee in MEN WITH WINGS.

 

Len Hammond (1907) wrote the original story for TOO HOT TO HANDLE. It was his only writing credit in Hollywood. Loy and Gable, the Queen and King, represent.

 

Finally, Carmencita Johnson (1923) is someone the VWRS has discussed before and was Ginny's sister Asia in MRS. WIGGS OF THE CABBAGE PATCH. She started younger than Ginny, playing a baby in a film in the year of her birth. She played "Baby" 17 times in films before gaining a role with an actual name. Carmencita continued to work into her twenties, eventually compiling 59 titles to her credit. Her final role was in 1997 in the film IRISH WHISKEY.

 

[ginnyfan]

This was the cover photo at the VWRS today and we spent the whole day with nothing but Shirley posts.

 

I'll be back to normal, such as that is, tomorrow.

 

[ginnyfan]

It's finally time for YESTERDAY IN GINNY. One of these days ginnyfan will start planning his posts in advance and all this stuff will be ready to go...NAAAHHH!

 

Wallace Beery (1883) is the big one. He starred as Bill Johansen, Ginny's childlike father in BARNACLE BILL. We have no reports that he pulled any mean, nasty tricks on Ginny as he was reported to have done with several other young co-stars. Since Ginny was smart enough to eat raw veggies and cottage cheese, he probably didn't want to steal her lunch as he later did to Margaret O'Brien. An Oscar winner for THE CHAMP, he was very big box office for MGM in the 1930s and ran into Ginny as his career was just starting to wind down.

 

Ukrainian born Jack Chefe (1894) was a character player with over 330 credits. In the 1950s, he would regularly show up on PERRY MASON as a courtroom spectator. I wonder what he would have done if Perry had whirled around and accused him. When I look at his list, he played spectator a lot and was Croupier several times. He was a music teacher in OUTSIDE THESE WALLS. Is this him playing a barber in PITTSBURGH? I'm not sure.

 

Frances Carson (1895) is another one of those actresses who regularly played dowagers, society matrons, and wives of the powerful. Her 16 characters rarely were given a first name. She was Mrs. Arthur Freeman in THIS TIME FOR KEEPS.

 

Don English (1901) was a Hollywood still photographer who did the still work on MRS. WIGGS OF THE CABBAGE PATCH. The photo is one of his; it's of Paul Lukas and his wife.

 

Bobby Jordan (1923) was one of the Bowery/Dead End/East Side guys I thought could actually act some. I never cared Gorcey or Hall, but I could support the Halops, Dells and Jordans. He seems a little out of place in Port Huron in YOUNG TOM EDISON, although the bully role fit him to a "T".

 

[ginnyfan]

Gee, if I had known that TODAY IN GINNY would consist of only one birthday, I could have combined the two entires.

 

Well, it does and I didn't.

 

Charles McAvoy (1885) is another one of "those guys" we keep running into. 152 roles, almost all of them "uncredited". Policeman, Policeman, Bank Guard, Counterman, Policeman, Policeman...you get the idea. The first role he received screen credit for was THOSE WHO DANCE (1930) with Lila Lee and Monte Blue. He played a prison guard. The last was as Barney Soper in the 1948 Rosalind Russell film, THE VELVET TOUCH.

 

He had the role of Father in MAID OF SALEM. Since I found no pictures of Mr. McAvoy and I have few pics of Ginny from that film, here's Bennie Bartlett and Claudette Colbert to represent.

 

[ginnyfan]

I've been apologizing a lot lately, but I'm a little under the weather this week and just forgot to post this last night.

 

TODAY IN GINNY for April 3 starts with three co-workers and ends with more personal connections.

 

Edward Ward (1900) was a staff composer at MGM from 1935-40. As such, he has credits for LOVE IS A HEADACHE, BAD LITTLE ANGEL, THE WOMEN, YOUNG TOM EDISON. I'm letting a movie poster for EL JOVEN EDISON represent him.

 

Lois Austin (1901) is another society woman type. She played a shopper in BORN TO SING. She also has a connection to one of our other birthdays as she played the mother in the silent film shown during ON MOONLIGHT BAY (1951).

 

Mary Anderson (1920) appeared in films in which Ginny also appeared on two occasions. She was an uncredited young girl in THE WOMEN and she played REBECCA JAY in ALL THIS AND HEAVEN TOO. She may be best known for playing Maybelle in GONE WITH THE WIND.

 

Leonard Sues (1921) was a child prodigy on trumpet and spent a lot of time on the MGM lot while Virginia was there. They didn't appear in any films together, though. They did, however, pose for a "soda with two straws" photo in 1945 and were romantically linked by gossip columnists.

 

Finally, Doris Day (1922) was very briefly Virginia's sister-in-law after Miss Day made what everyone concedes was a major mistake and married Virginia's brother George. The marriage lasted a couple of years and for most of that time they were separated, I think. Doris' interest in Christian Science comes from her time as a Weidler.

 

[ginnyfan]

I found this Frank Sinatra rumor-that Virginia had passed on the opportunity to be in a Frank Sinatra movie in 1944. Ever since, I've been trying to figure out what movie it could have been.

 

Frank was still bouncing from studio to studio; he worked at Paramount and MGM with Dorsey, then made two films at RKO before settling in at MGM in 1945. None of those films seem to need a bobby soxer.

 

So I wondered if it's possible he was sought after to make the film mentioned at another studio and then the plan fell through. Just like all those Ginny films Paramount would announce then never make.

 

This film, with Bob Crosby, would seem to fit plot-wise, age-wise and timeline-wise. Lynn Merrick played the older sister and radio's Louise Erickson, one year younger than Ginny, played the bobby soxer. Several theatres around the country ran bobby socks contests to promote the film.

 

And the film was released in late 1944...

 

[ginnyfan]

I know you've been wondering where it was. It's time for TODAY IN GINNY!

 

First up, Samuel S. Hinds (1875) was an attorney who didn't make the career switch until he was over 50. He was very busy over the next twenty plus years playing, attorneys, businessmen, policemen, doctors, and in this photo clergy. He was the captain in THE BIG BROADCAST OF 1936, Rev. Fellows in TIMOTHY'S QUEST, and Dr. McKay in THE UNDER-PUP. He's best known for playing the late, lamented Peter Bailey in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.

 

Richard Rosson (1893) was a busy actor in the silent era who went behind the cameras during the talkies. Much of his work was as a 2nd Unit Director as he was on TOO HOT TO HANDLE. While he worked steadily, he's probably best known for being the brother of Academy Award winning cinematographer, Harold Rosson.

 

Arthur Murray (1895) was a world famous dance instructor. He's seen here with his wife Kathryn, who generally did his speaking for him as he had a stutter. A later post will clear up how he got here on the list.

 

Agnes Ayres (1898) is one of those silent era stars who could not transition to talkies. She was reduced from stardom to walk ons in the 1930s. She was a townswoman in MAID OF SALEM and had a bit role in SOULS AT SEA.

 

Mary C. McCall Jr. (1904) was a screenwriter who served as President of the Screen Writers Guild twice (1942-44), (1951-52). She wrote many of the Maisie screenplays including GOLD RUSH MAISIE. Sothern and Weidler reprersent.

 

Last, but certainly not least, is Gene Reynolds (1923). He was Tommy Wilks, the boy who first defends Patsy then becomes her full fledged boyfriend in BAD LITTLE ANGEL. After a very successful child actor run and a smaller adult one, Gene went behind the cameras and had a much larger career in television as a director, producer, and writer. He was a major influence in these roles to the TV version of M*A*S*H and earlier to MY THREE SONS.

 

And if anyone knows him, please ask him to answer my letter. (gf)

 

[ginnyfan]

Technically, Spencer Tracy (1900) did appear in YOUNG TOM EDISON. He was staring at the portrait of the real Edison right before the curtain closed on the film. Tracy was one of the great legends and it's a pity that Ginny couldn't have added him to her fairly remarkable list of castmates.

 

Richard H. Riedel (1904) was a long time art director at Universal. He served as the Associate Art Director on THE UNDER-PUP and Ginny's Janet Cooper from that film will stand in for him.

 

Bit role master Ray Cooke (1905) gets two photos because I hate the screen capture where you can see his face, but the shot I like doesn't show his face at all. Ray's speciality seems to have been bellhops and sailors. He was popular as the star of the TORCHY shorts in the early 1930s.

 

Grady Sutton (1906) is another one of those guys. You've seen him hundreds of times if you watch old movies. He generally played the naive country boy, sort of a quieter Gomer Pyle. He played Peter Dover in LADDIE. He worked in Hollywood from 1925 through 1979, when he appeared in ROCK AND ROLL HIGH SCHOOL.

 

Bette Davis (1908) is a legend that Ginny did get to add to her list thanks to a loanout. Bette played Henriette Deluzy Desportes in ALL THIS AND HEAVEN TOO. Most reviewers think the film is good, but that Warners was trying a little too hard. Bette received an Oscar nomination that year, but not for this film. It was for THE LETTER, the Davis film released right after this one.

 

Gordon Jones (1911) was a rarity. He played Ginny's dad in OUT WEST WITH THE HARDYS and was one of the few on screen dads she ever had that didn't look like her grandfather. If anything he's a little too young, although I think her Jake was supposed to be three years younger than Ginny really was. I saw him in lot of westerns and, in a bit of odd casting, he played Britt Reid in the serial of THE GREEN HORNET in 1940. When he was the Hornet, the studio dubbed in the voice of the radio actor who played the character.

 

Jack Matthias (1915) was Harry James arranger when BEST FOOT FORWARD was made and for sometime after. We'll let a pic of James and Blind Date represent him.

 

[ginnyfan]

I never explained why Arthur Murray made yesterday's list. I call this post "Arthur Murray Tried To Hire Her In A Hurry!"

 

The top clipping is from Hedda Hopper in September 1947.

 

We know that Ginny was a well known jitterbug in Hollywood dance halls and at parties prior to her marriage (she won the cup at Jane Withers birthday two years running), but apparently she hadn't lost a step six months into marriage and pregnant, I think. Jean Porter wrote that many of their outings during her adult life were still to go dancing, so she never gave it up.

 

The clip below the photo is from 1942 and tells us that she had "teaching experience" before Murray ever made his offer.

 

[ginnyfan]

Because I chose sleep last night as I recover from a case of snifflles, you are getting the whole weekend of Ginny in one easy to take dose.

 

I found all the photos for SATURDAY IN GINNY so I don't get to sneak in one of her, durn it!

 

Harold Rosson (1895) is the younger, more successful brother of Richard who was listed earlier this week. He was nominated for five Oscars for cinematography without winning. The nominated films were THE WIZARD OF OZ, BOOM TOWN, THIRTY SECONDS OVER TOKYO, THE ASPHALT JUNGLE, and THE BAD SEED. He received an honorary Oscar plaque in 1937 for THE GARDEN OF ALLAH. He was the cinematographer on TOO HOT TO HANDLE. The photo is with short term wife Jean Harlow.

 

Songwriter Leo Robin (1900) is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, having written or co-written such gems as "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend", "Thanks For The Memory", "Love In Bloom" and my favorite, "All's Well" (I guess you'd have to have seen the 1939 feature of Gulliver's Travels to know that one). He wrote the less well known "Susie Sapple" and "Hang, Boys, Hang" for SOULS AT SEA. Robin's entry on IMDb irritates ginnyfan a bit. It reads, "Soundtrack, Fight Club" as what he's best known for.

 

Gertrude Short (1902) got into the movies at age ten and stayed through WWII. She was at her most popular in the 1920s when she appeared in a series of "telephone girl" comedies directed by her husband. She played Suzie in the BIG BROADCAST OF 1937.

 

Charles Lawton Jr. (1904)was director of photography on several of Ginny's MGM features. GOLD RUSH MAISIE, THIS TIME FOR KEEPS, THE AFFAIRS OF MARTHA, and THE YOUNGEST PROFESSION were all his. His path mirrored Ginny's in the 1930s as he was contracted to Paramount, then MGM. He did his best work after the lion, however, with 3:10 TO YUMA, THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI, and RAISIN IN THE SUN. His final credit was probably the worst film he was ever associated with, OH DAD, POOR DAD, MOMMA'S HUNG YOU IN THE CLOSET AND I'M FEELIN' SO SAD (1967).

 

Caren Marsh (1919) makes up half of yet another sibling team in the Weidler Stock Company. Caren is the sister of Dorothy Morris, who played Ginny's sister in THIS TIME FOR KEEPS. Caren played a dancer in BEST FOOT FORWARD. There were a lot of those. She didn't win as many roles in the movies as her younger sister, but is still in demand for interviews based on one thing she did in the business. She was Judy Garland's dancing stand-in in THE WIZARD OF OZ.

 

John Treul (1928) played a cadet in BEST FOOT FORWARD. There were a lot of those. He's best known for his final role, that of Bob Mason in the 1948 feature, STREET CORNER, which is apparently an exploitation film passing itself off as educational, "Don't Let This Happen To Your Daughter!" The photo is of John in a steamy embrace with fellow Weidler Stock Company member, Marcia Mae Jones, playing the girl.

 

 

We only have one birthday for SUNDAY IN GINNY, but that also gives me a chance to make a correction.

 

Cinematographer Paul K. Lerpae (1900) was responsible for Special Photographic Effects on the BIG BROADCAST OF 1937. He was nominated for an Oscar in 1947 for Special Effects for UNCONQUERED. He won a Technical Achievement Award in 1945 for the design and construction of the Paramount traveling matte projection and photographing device. One part artist, one part inventor.

 

I decided to put both a mini poster and sheet music for the film together with Mr. Lerpae's photo to make it more festive and discovered an omission from Saturday. If you can make out the top of the music you'll see it was written by Leo Robin. Obviously, he worked on more Weidler films than just SOULS AT SEA.

 

[ginnyfan]

It's another double dose of TIG this morning.

 

For Monday, TODAY IN GINNY features three very important birthdays. One is important to Ginny and to the VWRS because it kicks off a special week, another is important to everyone because it's the birthday of a man who helped define the Great American Songbook.

 

The third is Walter Connolly (1887), a character actor who entire bearing screamed unreasonable boss. Connolly had a brief seven year career in the talkies, but most people who screen old films know him. He played Gabby McArthur, the unreasonable boss in TOO HOT TO HANDLE.

 

Next is songwriter E.Y. "Yip" Harburg (1896). I remember seeing a 60 Minutes interview years ago with Harold Arlen where he explained that as Harburg initially wrote the lyrics, Dorothy wanted to go to "The Other Side Of The Rainbow" but that would have left Judy holding a note on the "uh" of other, so Harburg changed it. He wrote lyrics for "April In Paris", "Paper Moon" and Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" Most importantly to Ginny, he wrote the lyrics to "Lydia, The Tatooed Lady" a song I can't believe Harry Ruby didn't write. He gets credit for THE PHILADELPHIA STORY, BABES ON BROADWAY, and THIS TIME FOR KEEPS. Apparently, the orchestra plays "Off To See The Wizard" in that film, I'll have to rewatch.

 

Last but certainly not least is Shirley Mills (1926), the villainess of THE UNDER-PUP who finally gets stood up to by Ginny's Janet and Gloria Jean's Pip-Emma. I think the photo of her here is from THE GRAPES OF WRATH, probably the high spot of her career. I think people here have discussed the low spot previously. After THE UNDER-PUP, Shirley and Gloria maintained a life long friendship. Gloria's birthday is Sunday, and the VWRS is celebrating both Shirley and Gloria as the week progresses.

 

 

Tuesday's TODAY IN GINNY features just one birthday again.

 

Before Frederic Knudtson (1906) edited JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG or IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD or INHERIT THE WIND or ON THE BEACH or THE WINDOW or even THE BACHELOR AND THE BOBBY SOXER, he edited THE ROOKIE COP with Virginia and Tim Holt. Would be detective Ginny will serve in his stead.

 

[ginnyfan]

TODAY IN GINNY is just about perfect. Two birthdays, no pics! I get to stick in two Ginny photos! And this is POST NUMBER 500 in the thread that never ends.

 

On top of that, birthday boys Junior Samples of HEE-HAW and Poncie Ponce of HAWAIIAN EYE proved to have absolutely no connection to Virginia Weidler. Sorry, J and P fans!

 

First up is writer Stuart Anthony (1891). From what I can see on IMDb, Anthony wrote a lot of formulaic B western stuff. He did work with the screenwriting team responsible for GIRL OF THE OZARKS, a very effective film, so he did have some talent. He also wrote ARIZONA MAHONEY which had Billy Lee and Charlene Wyatt in it, THE BISCUIT EATER in which Billy Lee replaced Baby Leroy in the lead role, and TOM SAWYER, DETECTIVE featuring Ginny's MEN WITH WINGS castmates Billy Cook and Donald O'Connor as Tom and Huck.

 

I'm posting one of VWRS member Danny P's very nice OZARKS pics to represent and, to do it justice, I'll come back with birthday number two in a bit.

 

[TopBilled]

Great photo of her leaning against the tree. What an interesting childhood she had, making these movies!