biography

Virginia Field Born Margaret Field in London on November 4, 1917, actress Virginia Field was the daughter of a judge and was educated in Paris and Vienna. She returned to England in the early 1930s to embark on a stage career, and after a couple of appearances in British films and a move to New York, she was signed to a film contract by 20th Century Fox in 1936. She was loaned out to David Selznick for her first Hollwood film appearance in the drama Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936; with Freddie Bartholomew and Mickey Rooney). Afterward, Fox often cast Field in programmers, including Think Fast, Mr. Moto (1937; with Peter Lorre), Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo (1937; with Warner Oland), and Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation (1939; with Peter Lorre and Lionel Atwill).

Willard Parker and Virginia FieldVirginia Field

LEFT: With third husband Willard Parker around the time of their 1951 marriage. RIGHT: Early 1950s photo


Field left Fox in 1941 and freelanced for awhile, until her first marriage in April 1942 radio announcer-turned-actor Paul Douglas. The couple welcomed a daughter, Margaret, in 1945 but divorced a year later. During her marriage to Douglas, Field made no films but acted in Broadway plays, including The Doughgirls. After her 11946 divorce, she returned to films and married composer Howard Grode, but that union ended in less than a year. In October 1951, Field married again, this time to actor Willard Parker. The two would remain together for the rest of her life.

the films of virginia field

Thank You, Jeeves! (1936)

Virginia Field and Arthur TreacherDavid Niven and Virginia Field

LEFT: With Arthur Treacher in the 20th Century Fox comedy Thank You, Jeeves!. RIGHT: With David Niven

Eternally Yours (1939)

Virginia Field

As Lola De Vere in the comedy/drama Eternally Yours, released by United Artists

The Cisco Kid and the Lady (1939)

Marjorie Weaver, Cesar Romero, and Virginia Field

From the 20th Century Fox western The Cisco Kid and the Lady with Marjorie Weaver and Cesar Romero

Mr. Moto's Last Warning (1939)

Ricardo Cortez and Virginia Field

With Ricardo Cortez in the 20th Century Fox mystery Mr. Moto's Last Warning

Christmas Eve (1947)

Virginia Field and George Raft

With George Raft in the comedy/drama Christmas Eve

Dial 1119 (1950)

Marshall Thompson and Virginia Field

Deranged murderer Marshall Thompson slaps B-girl Field in the MGM film noir thriller Dial 1119

The Lady Pays Off (1951)

Virginia Field and Linda DarnellStephen McNally and Virginia Field

From Universal's comedy The Lady Pays Off. LEFT: With Linda Darnell. RIGHT: With Stephen McNally

Week-End With Father (1951)

Virginia Field, Patricia Neal, Van Heflin, and Richard Denning

From the Universal-International comedy Week-End With Father with Patricia Neal, Van Helfin, and Richard Denning. This picture was directed by Douglas Sirk

The Veils of Bagdad (1953)

Virginia Field and Victor Mature

With Victor Mature in Universal's campy adventure The Veils of Bagdad

Rockabilly Baby (1957)

Judy Busch, Virginia Field, and Gary Vinson

With Judy Busch and Gary Vinson in the 20th Century Fox musical Rockabilly Baby

The Explosive Generation (1961)

Virginia Field and Patty McCormack

Field plays mother to Patty McCormack in the low-budget teen potboiler The Explosive Generation

The Earth Dies Screaming (1964)

Vanda Godsell and Virginia Field

From the 20th Century Fox horror release The Earth Dies Screaming with Vanda Godsell. This was Field's last film

later years

In the early 1950s, film roles began drying up for Virginia Field, so she turned to the new medium of television, where she found many roles on such television shows as Perry Mason, Adventures in Paradise, and The Rebel. But with the exception of a 1975 Adam 12 episode, Virginia Field retired from acting in 1967, at the age of 50. Sadly, Field died of cancer on January 2, 1992, at the age of 74. She was survived by her husband, Willard Parker (1912-1996), and a daughter, Margaret.

filmography

FILM
The Earth Dies Screaming (1964) with Willard Parker and Dennis Price
The Explosive Generation (1961) with William Shatner, Patty McCormack, Lee Kinsolving, Billy Gray, Phillip Terry, Edward Platt, Jocelyn Brando, and Beau Bridges
Rockabilly Baby (1957) with Irene Ryan and Ellen Corby
Appointment with a Shadow (1957) with George Nader, Joanna Moore, and Brian Keith
The Veils of Bagdad (1953) with Victor Mature, Mari Blanchard, Guy Rolfe, James Arness, Gregg Palmer, Leon Askin, and Glenn Strange
Week-End with Father (1951) with Van Heflin, Patricia Neal, Gigi Perreau, and Richard Denning
The Lady Pays Off (1951) with Linda Darnell, Stephen McNally, and Gigi Perreau
Dial 1119 (1950) with Marshall Thompson, Andrea King, Sam Levene, Keefe Brasselle, and William Conrad
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1949) with Bing Crosby, Rhonda Fleming, Cedric Hardwicke, and William Bendix
John Loves Mary (1949) with Ronald Reagan, Jack Carson, Wayne Morris, Edward Arnold, and Patricia Neal
Dream Girl (1948) with Betty Hutton, Macdonald Carey, and Patric Knowles
Christmas Eve (1947) with George Raft, George Brent, Randolph Scott, Joan Blondell, Ann Harding, Reginald Denny, Douglass Dumbrille, and Molly Lamont
Repeat Performance (1947) with Louis Hayward, Joan Leslie, Tom Conway, Richard Basehart, and Natalie Schafer
The Imperfect Lady (1947) with Ray Milland, Teresa Wright, Cedric Hardwicke, Anthony Quinn, Melville Cooper, and George Zucco
The Perfect Marriage (1947) with Loretta Young, David Niven, Eddie Albert, Charles Ruggles, and Zasu Pitts
Ladies' Man (1947) with Eddie Bracken, Cass Daley, and Spike Jones
The Crystal Ball (1943) with Ray Milland, Paulette Goddard, Cecil Kellaway, and William Bendix
Atlantic Convoy (1942) with Bruce Bennett, John Beal, Larry Parks, and Lloyd Bridges
Singapore Woman (1941) with Brenda Marshall, David Bruce, and Jerome Cowan
Knockout (1941) with Arthur Kennedy, Anthony Quinn, and Cornel Wilde
Hudson's Bay (1941) with Paul Muni, Gene Tierney, Laird Cregar, and Vincent Price
Dance, Girl, Dance (1940) with Maureen O'Hara, Louis Hayward, Lucille Ball, Ralph Bellamy, and Maria Ouspenskaya
Waterloo Bridge (1940) with Vivien Leigh, Robert Taylor, Maria Ouspenskaya, Janet Waldo, and Virginia Carroll
The Cisco Kid and the Lady (1939) with Cesar Romero, Marjorie Weaver, George Montgomery, and Ward Bond
Eternally Yours (1939) with Loretta Young, David Niven, Hugh Herbert, Billie Burke, Zasu Pitts, Broderick Crawford, and Eve Arden
Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation (1939) with Peter Lorre, Lionel Atwill, and John 'Dusty' King
The Sun Never Sets (1939) with Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Basil Rathbone, Lionel Atwill, and Melville Cooper
Captain Fury (1939) with Brian Aherne, Victor McLaglen, John Carradine, George Zucco, Douglass Dumbrille, and Charles Middleton
Bridal Suite (1939) with Annabella, Robert Young, Reginald Owen, Gene Lockhart, Arthur Treacher, and Billie Burke
Mr. Moto's Last Warning (1939) with Peter Lorre, Ricardo Cortez, John Carradine, and George Sanders
Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo (1937) with Warner Oland and Keye Luke
Ali Baba Goes to Town (1937) with Eddie Cantor, Tony Martin, Roland Young, Gypsy Rose Lee, John Carradine, and Douglass Dumbrille
Lancer Spy (1937) with Dolores del Rio, George Sanders, Peter Lorre, and Lionel Atwill
London by Night (1937) with George Murphy, Rita Johnson, Leo G. Carroll, and George Zucco
Think Fast, Mr. Moto (1937) with Peter Lorre and J. Carrol Naish
Career Woman (1936) with Claire Trevor, Michael Whalen, Isabel Jewell, Gene Lockhart, Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams, Sterling Holloway, and Charles Middleton
Lloyd's of London (1936) with Freddie Bartholomew, Madeleine Carroll, Tyrone Power, and George Sanders
Ladies in Love (1936) with Janet Gaynor, Loretta Young, Constance Bennett, Simone Simon, Don Ameche, Tyrone Power, and Alan Mowbray
Thank You, Jeeves! (1936) with Arthur Treacher and David Niven
Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936) with Freddie Bartholomew, Dolores Costello, and Mickey Rooney
The Lady Is Willing (1934) with Leslie Howard, Cedric Hardwicke, Binnie Barnes, and George Zucco
The Primrose Path (1934)

TELEVISION GUEST APPEARANCES
Adam-12, episode Something Worth Dying For: Part 2, originally aired May 20, 1975
Felony Squad, episode The Desperate Silence, originally aired February 13, 1967
T.H.E. Cat, episode Curtains for Miss Winslow, originally aired December 2, 1966
Iron Horse, episode No Wedding Bells for Tony, originally aired November 6, 1966
Perry Mason, episode The Case of the Tsarina's Tiara, originally aired March 20, 1966
Perry Mason, episode The Case of the Simple Simon, originally aired April 2, 1964
Perry Mason, episode The Case of the Polka Dot Pony, originally aired December 20, 1962
Adventures in Paradise, episode Policeman's Holiday, originally aired January 28, 1962
The New Breed, episode I Remember Murder, originally aired December 26, 1961
Tales of Wells Fargo, episode Kelly's Clover Girls, originally aired December 9, 1961
Perry Mason, episode The Case of the Meddling Medium, originally aired October 21, 1961
The Rebel, episode The Actress, originally aired February 5, 1961
Perry Mason, episode The Case of the Provocative Protege, originally aired November 12, 1960
The Comedy Spot, episode Meet the Girls, originally aired August 30, 1960
Johnny Midnight, episode Beyond Infamy, originally aired January 1, 1960
Alcoa Theatre, episode Girls About Town, originally aired November 2, 1959
The Millionaire, episode Millionaire Bill Franklin, originally aired May 13, 1959
Man with a Camera, episode The Last Portrait, originally aired January 2, 1959
Perry Mason, episode The Case of the Prodigal Parent, originally aired June 7, 1958
Schlitz Playhouse, episode A Light in the Desert, originally aired December 21, 1956
Four Star Playhouse, episode The Stand In, originally aired July 19, 1956
Screen Directors Playhouse, episode White Corridors, originally aired July 11, 1956
The 20th Century-Fox Hour, episode The Empty Room, originally aired May 30, 1956
The Ford Television Theatre, episode Autumn Fever, originally aired April 5, 1956
Chevron Hall of Stars, episode Happy New Year, originally aired January 1, 1956
The Ford Television Theatre, episode A Kiss for Santa, originally aired December 22, 1955
Damon Runyon Theater, episode A Star Lights Up, originally aired November 5, 1955
The Ford Television Theatre, episode The Mumbys, originally aired June 23, 1955
The Whistler, episode The First Year, originally aired May 8, 1955
Fireside Theatre, episode No Time for Susan, originally aired March 15, 1955
The Whistler, episode Stranger in the House, originally aired March 2, 1955
G.E. True Theater, episode The Bachelor's Bride, originally aired February 20, 1955
The Ford Television Theatre, episode Slide, Darling, Slide, originally aired December 23, 1954
Fireside Theatre, episode Three Missions West, originally aired November 30, 1954
Fireside Theatre, episode Second Elopement, originally aired September 21, 1954
The Ford Television Theatre, episode Kiss and Forget, originally aired December 3, 1953
The Revlon Mirror Theater, episode Award Performance, originally aired November 7, 1953
Hollywood Opening Night, episode False Witness, originally aired February 9, 1953
The Ford Television Theatre, episode So Many Things Happen, originally aired December 18, 1952
Schlitz Playhouse, episode Mr. and Mrs. Trubble, originally aired August 22, 1952

virginia field trailers now showing

Watch the trailer for Virginia Field's 1964 horror/sci-fi film The Earth Dies Screaming

virginia field television appearances

Watch Virginia Field in a 1956 episode of Four Star Playhouse titled The Stand In

virginia field film now showing

Watch Virginia Field in the 1939 mystery Mr. Moto's Last Warning
filmstrip image
Back to Brian's Drive-In Theater
Click on the logo to go back to Brian's Drive-In Theater
This page premiered October 20, 2011.
Copyright and Disclaimer Information