Godspeed Dame Barbara Windsor

Dame Barbara Windsor, who starred in several "Carry On..." films and the soap opera EastEnders, died yesterday, December 10 2020, at the age of 83. She had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2014.

Barbara Windsor was born Barbara Ann Deeks on August 6 1937 in Shoreditch, London. In 1939 her family moved to Stoke Newington, Hackney, London. It was there that young Barbara attended St Mary's Infants' School. During World War II she was evacuated to Blackpool. She later attended  Our Lady's Convent in Stamford Hill. She trained at the Aida Foster School in Golders Green.

Young Barbara made her film debut in 1950 in Cinderella at the Golden Green Hippodrome in London. She mad her debut on the West End as one of the chorus in Love from Judy at the Saville Theatre. In 1953 she took the stage name "Barbara Windsor," taking inspiration from the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II that year. She made her film debut in The Belles of St. Trinian's in 1953. She made her television debut on the TV show Dreamer's Highway in 1954.

In the Fifties Barbara Windsor appeared in the movies A Kid for Two Farthings (1955), Lost (1956),  Make Mine a Million (1959), and Too Hot to Handle (1960). It was in 1964 that Barbara Windsor appeared as Daphne Honeybutt in Carry On Spying. She would become a regular in the "Carry On..." films. Over the years she appeared in Carry On Doctor (1967), Carry On Camping (1969), Carry On Again Doctor (1969), Carry On Henry (1971), Carry On Matron (1972), Carry On Abroad (1972), Carry On Girls (1973), and Carry On Dick (1974). She would later appear in various "Carry On..." revues on stage, along with other members of the "Carry On..." crew.

In the addition to the "Carry On..." films, in the Sixties Barbara Windsor appeared in Sparrows Can't Sing, for which she was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. She also appeared in On the Fiddle (1961), Hair of the Dog (1962), Death Trap (1962), Crooks in Cloisters (1964), San Ferry Ann (1965), A Study in Terror (1965), and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968). In addition to "Carry On..." films, in the Seventies Barbara Windsor appeared in the movies The Boy Friend (1971) and Not Now Darling (1973).

In the Eighties Miss Windsor appeared in the movies Comrades (1986) and It Couldn't Happen Here (1987). She would be absent from the big screen until 2010, when she provided the voice of the Dormouse for Alice in Wonderland in 2010. She voiced Mallymkun in Alice Through the Looking Glass in 2016.

Barbara Windsor appeared frequently on television From 1961 to 1962 she was a regular on the show The Rag Trade. She was later a regular on Wild, Wild Women. She guest starred on Armchair Theatre, The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre, The Plane Makers, Before the Fringe, Dad's Army, The Rolf Harris Show, Ooh La La!, Comedy Playhouse, and Up Pompeii!. She appeared in the "Carry On..." TV movie Carry On Christmas.

In the Seventies Barbara Windsor was a regular on Carry On Laughing, the television show spun off from the "Carry On..." films. She also played Saucy Nancy on Worzel Gummidge. She appeared in the "Carry On..." TV movie Carry On Christmas: Carry On Stuffing. She guest starred on Ooh La La! and The Punch Review. She appeared in the TV movie Come Spy with Me.

In the Eighties she was a regular on the show Bluebirds. She guest starred on the shows Both Ends Meet, Super Gran, The Management, and Family Fortunes. It was in 1994 that she began playing Peggy Mitchell, landlady of the Queen Victoria Pub, on EastEnders. She took the role over from Jo Warne, who had played the character in ten episodes at the start of the series. Barbara Windsor continued to play Peggy until 2016. She guest starred as Peggy Mitchell in the 2006 Doctor Who episode "Army of Ghosts." In the Nineties Barbara Windsor guest starred on the show You Rang, M'Lord?, Frank Stubbs Promotes, The Great Bong, One Foot in the Grave, and Cor, Blimey! Her final appearance was in the TV movie Babs in 2017, a dramatization of her life.

Although Barbara Windsor was well known her appearances in movies and television, she had a very successful stage career. In the Fifties she appeared in such productions as Many Happy Returns at the Watergate Theatre in London in 1955, Red Riding Hood at the Shakespeare Theatre in Liverpool in 1955 and 1956, and Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be at the Theatre Royal in Stafford from 1959 to 1960 and then the Garrick Theatre in London from 1960 to 1962.

In the Sixties Barbara Windsor made her debut on Broadway in Oh, What a Lovely War! at the Broadhurst Theatre. She received a Tony nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Later in the decade she appeared in Twang! at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London in 1965 and Come Spy with Me at the Whitehall Theatre in London from 1966 to 1967. Her stage career would continue to thrive over the next several decades. In the Seventies she appeared in such productions as Cinderella at the Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool, The Owl and the Pussycat on tour in the United Kingdom, Carry On London! at the Victoria Palace Theatre from 1975 to 1977, and Dick Whittington at the Ashcroft Theatre in Croydon and then the Richmond Theatre from 1979 to 1980.

In the Eighties Barbara Windsor appeared in such productions as Entertaining Mr. Sloane at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith in 1981, The Mating Game  (various theatres),  Babes in the Woods at the London Palladium from 1987 to 1988, and a British tour of Guys and Dolls. In the Nineties she appeared in productions of Cinderella, Guys and Dolls, Aladdin, and Entertaining Mr. Sloan. From 2010 to 2011 she appeared in Dick Whittingdon at the Bristol Hippodrome from 2010 to 2011.

Because of her association with the "Carry On..." films (now regarded as classics, but derided in their time), I sometimes think Dame Barbara Windsor was underrated. In truth, she was an incredible talent with a real gift for comedy. One could not look at Barbara Windsor without smiling. Indeed, people forget that Barbara Windsor was nominated for both a BAFTA Award and a Tony Award, as well as nominations for British Soap Awards for her role as Peggy Mitchell on EastEnders. What is more, while Barbara Windsor was an enormous talent when it came to comedy, she was very good at drama too. After all, both Bluebirds and EastEnders were dramas. Chances are good that Barbara Windsor will always be remembered for the "Carry On..." films and EastEnders, but she had a full career in which she played a wide variety of roles.

Godspeed David Lander

David Lander, perhaps best known for playing Squiggy on the hit sitcom Laverne & Shirley, died on December 4 2020 at the age of 73.  The cause was complications from multiple sclerosis. He had been diagnosed with the disease in 1984.

David Lander was born David Landau on June 22 1947 in Brooklyn, New York. He decided he wanted to be an actor when he was only 10 years old. He attended the High School for the Performing Arts and then continued his education at both Carnegie Tech and New York University. It was while he was in college that he teamed up with Michael McKean. Together the two moved to Los Angeles where they became part of the comedy ensemble The Credibility Group.

David Lander made his television debut in 1970 providing the voice of Jerry Lewis in the Saturday morning cartoon Will the Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down?. In the early Seventies he guest starred on the shows Love, American Style; The Bob Newhart Show; Rhoda; Barney Miller; and Viva Valdez. He provided the voice of Jud in the animated TV movie Gidget Makes the Wrong Connection, which aired on The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie. It was in 1976 that he began playing Andrew "Squiggy" Squiggman on Laverne & Shirley. Along with Leonard "Lenny" Kosnowski (played by Michael McKean), Squiggy was a greaser who lived upstairs from Laverne and Shirley's apartment. The characters of Lenny and Squiggy were created by Michael McKean and David Lander while they were still in college. Both Michael McKean and David Lander would remain with Laverne & Shirley until the end of its run. In 1979 David Lander guest starred as Squiggy on Happy Days, from which Laverne & Shirley had been spun off. In the Seventies David Lander also appeared in the movies 1941 (1979), Wholly Moses (1980), and Used Cars (1980). In Used Cars David Lander played Freddie Paris and Michael McKean played Eddie Winslow, two techies who film commercials for the New Deal car lot.

In the Eighties David Lander had a recurring role on the TV show Twin Peaks. He provided the voice of Milo de Venus on the Saturday morning cartoon Galaxy High School and provided voices for the animated series Potsworth & Co. He guest starred on The Love Boat, Highway to Heaven, George Burns Comedy Week, Tall Tales & Legends, Matlock, Simon & Simon, Father Dowling Mysteries, Monsters, Married with Children, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Not Necessarily the News, Knight & Daye, Freddy's Nightmares, Head of the Class, Partners in Life, and Talespin. He appeared in the movies Pandemonium (1982), Imps* (1983), The Man with One Red Shoe (1985), Steele Justice (1987), Funland  (1987), and Masters of Menace (1990). He provided voices for the English version of Le big-Bang (1987), Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988).

In the Nineties David Lander continued his recurring role on Twin Peaks. He was a regular on the TV shows On the Air and Pacific Blue, and he appeared on the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful from 1997 to 1998. He provided voices for the animated TV shows ProStars, The Little Mermaid, Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters from Beverly Hills, Jungle Cubs, and 101 Dalmations: The Series. He guest starred on the shows Matrix, Family Album, Getting By, Family Matters, Dream On, The Nanny, Homeboys in Outerspace, The Drew Carey Show, L.A. Heat, Nash Bridges, The Weird Al Show, Diagnosis Murder, Mad About You, and Arli$$. He appeared in the movies A League of Their Own (1992), Ava's Magical Adventure (1994), The Modern Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1998), and Scary Movie (2000). He provided voices for the films Tom and Jerry: The Movie (1992), A Bug's Life (1998), and Titan A.E. (2000).

In the Naughts David Lander was the voice of Henry on the animated TV series Oswald and the voice of Doc Boy on The Garfield Show.He guest starred on the shows Black Scorpion, The Simpsons, and Raising the Bar. David Lander appeared in the movies Say It Isn't So (2001), Jane White is Sick and Twisted (2004), Christmas with the Kranks (2004), and Zoom (2006). He provided voices for the movies Dr. Doolittle 2 (2001) and Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2001). In the Teens he appeared on the show Break a Hip. He was a guest voice on the animated shows SpongeBob Squarepants and Goldie and Bear.

David Lander was a wonderful comedian and actor, creating a number of memorable and at times humorous characters, often in tandem with Michael McKean. He was able to do a number of different voices, which not only helped him create characters in live action film, but made him in demand for animated projects as well. Even when he was only on-screen briefly, his characters remained memorable. Of course, it is likely he will always be best remembered as Squiggy on Laverne & Shirley. It was because of his considerable talent that Mr. Lander was able to create one of the most famous characters on television. That having been said, he did so much more.

The 40th Anniversary of John Lennon's Death

It was forty years ago today that John Lennon was shot and murdered by a deranged fan. Even now, forty years later, I can remember the morning of December 9 1980 when I learned the news. I was only 17 at the time and I was staying home from school with the flu. It is for that reason that come 7:00 AM I was still in bed. I was awake when my brother came into my room and said, "John Lennon's dead. He's been shot." I cannot repeat exactly what I said here as it is not family friendly, but it was to the effect that he was lying. It was then that I dragged myself out of bed and went into the living room to see the awful news on The Today Show on NBC. John Lennon was dead. I immediately broke down crying and I would continue crying on and off all day. I also listened to every Beatles album we had. Ultimately, I would cry more over John Lennon than I have any celebrity except my dearest Vanessa Marquez, whom I knew intimately and was in love with. It is sad fact that the remaining Beatles and I have something in common: someone we hold dear was murdered through gun violence.

It might seem odd to some for someone to cry over a person they did not know, let alone even met. When David Bowie died I know there were a few who mocked the widespread mourning that took place following his death. That having been said, the plain truth is that music artists, writers, actors, directors, and other artists have an impact on our lives, often in ways that we cannot understand and cannot adequately measure. Their works help us get through our bad times, add more joy to our good times, give meaning to our lives, and even help shape our attitudes to life. Among the things we have learned during this pandemic, it is that the arts--music, books, movies, TV shows, and so on--are essential to maintaining people's mental health. In those dark days following Vanessa's murder, it was in part the music of The Beatles that helped me get through it all. Although he had been gone for 37 years at that point, John Lennon had saved my life once again. Among the songs I was privileged to select for Vanessa's first memorial was John Lennon's song "In My Life." It was a song that Vanessa loved and a song that also expressed my feelings for her.

I have written a good deal about John Lennon on this blog, perhaps more than other single person besides Vanessa. Below are the posts I wrote on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of John Lennon's death and on the occasion of what would been his 70th birthday.

"The 30th Anniversary of John Lennon's Death"

"In Honour of John Lennon's 70th Birthday"

Below, I have included some of my favourite John Lennon songs.

Godspeed Pamela Tiffin

Pamela Tiffin, who appeared in such movies as One, Two, Three (1961) and The Pleasure Seekers (1964), died on December 2 2020 at the age of 78.

Pamela Tiffin was born on October 13 1942 in Oklahoma City. She grew up in the Chicago suburb Oak Lawn, Illinois. By the time she was 13, Miss Tiffin had already begun a modelling career, primarily in print ads and at runway shows. After she and her mother moved to New York City, she attended Hunter College and continued her modelling career.

As to how Pamela Tiffin began her acting career, there are two stories. One is that while vacationing in Hollywood, producer Hal B. Wallis spotted her while she was having lunch with a friend in the Paramount commissary. The other is that director Billy Wilder had seen her in an ad in The New York Times Magazine and was searching for her to cast her in his upcoming film One, Two, Three. He was surprised to learn she had been in Hollywood only a short time earlier.

Pamela Tiffin made her film debut in Summer and Smoke (1961), produced by Hal B. Wallis. That same year she played Scarlett Hazeltine, the spoiled, hot tempered daughter of a Coca-Cola executive. Miss Tiffin would have a thriving career for the next several years, appearing in the movies State Fair (1962), Come Fly with Me (1963), For Those Who Think Young (1964), The Lively Set (1964), The Pleasure Seekers (1964), and The Hallelujah Trail (1965). On television she guest starred on The Fugitive. She appeared in the unsold TV pilot Three on an Island, which aired on Vacation Playhouse in 1965. She then starred in the episodic Italian film Oggi, domani, dopodomani (1965) with Marcello Mastroianni. Afterwards she retuned to the U.S. to appear in the movie Harper (1966) and then on Broadway in Dinner at Eight.

For the remainder of the Sixties, Pamela Tiffin appeared in movies made in Europe, with the exception of the comedy Viva Max! (1969), the TV movie The Last of the Powerseekers, and a guest appearance on the TV show . The films she made in Europe were Delitto quasi perfetto (1966), Straziami ma di baci saziami (1968), and L'arcangelo (1969). 

Miss Tiffin continued to make movies in Italy in the Seventies, appearing in such films as Cose di Cosa Nostra (1971), Il vichingo venuto dal sud (1971), Giornata nera per l'ariete (1971), Los amigos (1972), Amore mio, uccidimi! (1973), La signora è stata violentata (1973), and Brigitte, Laura, Ursula, Monica, Raquel, Litz, Florinda, Barbara, Claudia, e Sofia le chiamo tutte... anima mia (1974). She retired from acting in 1974, making one last appearance in the TV mini-series Quattro storie di donne in 1989.

I sometimes think people know Pamela Tiffin more for her remarkable talent than her considerable talent. I find that sad, as she was incredibly talented. I remember when I first saw her in One, Two, Three when I was a child. Of course, I was struck by how beautiful she was, but I was also impressed by her talent. For a long time I was convinced that she actually was from Georgia. I wouldn't learn she was born in Oklahoma City and raised in Illinois until I was an adult. And at the time I didn't realize that her performance in One, Two, Three was only her second acting job. When it came to acting, Pamela Tiffin was a natural. Indeed, she played a variety of roles in her career. She was an eager teenager in State Fair, the flirty daughter of a millionaire in Harper, the lover of a reporter investigating a string of murders in the giallo Giornata nera per l'ariete, and the prostitute who falls in love with a gunfighter in Los amigos. While Pamela Tiffin's career was brief compared to many stars, she also shined brighter than most of them too.

Godspeed Abby Dalton

Actress Abby Dalton died on November 23 2020 at the age of 88. She had lead roles in three different hit TV shows: Hennesey, The Joey Bishop Show, and Falcon Crest. She also appeared in several American International Pictures movies early in her career.

Abby Dalton was born Gladys Marlene Wasden in Las Vegas, Nevada on August 15 2020. Before her acting career, she worked both as a model and as a dancer at the Sands Hotel. She later worked as a dancer at the Moulin Rouge in Hollywood. She made her film debut in Roger Coman's Rock All Night in 1957. In the late Fifties she appeared in a few more movies made by American International Pictures, including The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent (1957), and Carnival Rock (1957). During the Fifties she also appeared in the movies Cole Younger, Gunfighter (1958), Girls on the Loose (1958), Stakeout on Dope Street (1958), and The High Cost of Loving (1958). She made her television debut on an episode of Schlitz Playhouse of the Stars (1958). She guest starred on the shows The Rifleman, Have Gun--Will Travel, Jefferson Drum, Sugarfoot, Maverick, Rawhide, Mike Hammer, and The Chevy Mystery Show. In the 1959 Abby Dalton was cast as Nurse Martha Hale, the romantic interest of lead character Lt. Chick Hennessey (played by Jackie Cooper), a Navy physician, on the TV show Hennessey.

Abby Dalton went straight from being the female lead on Hennessey to being the female lead on The Joey Bishop Show. In the final, first-run episode of Hennessey, which aired in May 1962, her character Martha Hale married Lt. Hennessey. In the first episode of the second season of The Joey Bishop Show, her character Ellie married Joey Barnes (played by Joey Bishop). Abby Dalton then figured in two television weddings only four months apart. In the Sixties she also guest starred on the TV shows Hawaiian Eye; The Danny Thomas Hour; My Three Sons; Nanny and the Professor; and Love, American Style. Late in the decade she was a regular on The Jonathan Winters Show. She appeared in the movie The Plainsman.

In the Seventies Miss Dalton guest starred on Love, American Style; Police Story; Apple's Way;  Adams of Eagle Lake; The Waltons; and The Feather and Father Gang. She played Barney Miller's wife in the pilot for Barney Miller, "The Life and Times of Barney Miller." ABC rejected the pilot and the show was retooled so that the entirety of the action took place at the precinct house. When Barney Miller's wife eventually appeared on the show, she was played by Barbara Barrie. She appeared in the movie A Whale of a Tale (1976).

In the Eighties she played the scheming Julia Cumson on the night time soap opera Falcon Crest. She also guest starred on the shows Hardcastle and McCormick; Murder, She Wrote; and Hotel. She appeared in the movie Roller Blade Warriors: Taken by Force (1989). In the Nineties she guest starred on the TV show L.A. Heat and appeared in the movies Cyber Tracker (1994) and Buck and the Magic Bracelet (1998). Her final appearance was in the movie Prank in 2008.

Abby Dalton also appeared regularly as a panellist on games shows from the Sixties to the Eighties. She was among the original panellists on The Hollywood Squares.

Older viewers might best remember Abby Dalton as the sweet natured Martha Hale on Hennessey and Ellie Barnes on The Joey Bishop Show. Slightly younger viewers might remember her best as the mentally disturbed Julia Cumson on Falcon Crest. That having been said, she played a wide variety of roles throughout her career. She was Calamity Jane in the movie The Plainsman. She played boutique owner Stella Lewis in The Waltons episode "The Test." On the Murder,, She Wrote episode "Obituary for a Dead Anchor," she played the widow of a murdered TV anchorman who is not at all grief stricken. Abby Dalton could play a wide variety of roles, from those that were sympathetic to those that were not at all sympathetic.

This Year's Christmas Decorations

I feel as if I should apologize for not posting more this week. I have yet to eulogize Abby Dalton and I do feel badly about that. Unfortunately, I have felt under the weather all week. Don't worry. I don't have COVID-19. It is simply my allergies flaring up again. On top of feeling physically unwell, I have been thinking about Vanessa all week. Perhaps it is because it is her birth month. Perhaps it is because it is the holiday season. Either way, I have found myself missing her much more acutely than usual. I long ago concluded that grief never completely goes away, but it comes in waves. And right now I am caught in a wave of grief.

That having been said, I have not been idle all week. It is our family's tradition to decorate for Christmas in early December. My sister and I have been busy decorating much of the week (Mom willed the house to all three of us kids, so I share it with my sister). We have part of the living room completed and a few of the outdoor decorations up. We are hoping to get more decorations up over the weekend. Anyway, given I still feel out of sorts, I thought I would share with you four pictures of our decorations.

First is my favourite ornament. I am not absolutely sure when we bought him, but it was either in the late Nineties or early Naughts. When we bought him, I commented that he looked drunk, and he has been "the Drunken Elf" ever since. We always display him with a miniature liquor bottle for that reason. I joke that he is far better than any old Elf on the Shelf because a.) he is way cuter than the Elf on the Shelf (who I always thought looks a bit creepy) and b.) he won't snitch on you to Santa if you've been naughty!

Next up is our Christmas wreath. We bought it last year. The reason I bought it is because it has butterflies on it. Vanessa always said her name meant "butterfly," so it is yet another way I have of remembering her.

Next is our single oldest ornament. It is on the tree in the picture, but I took it down immediately after taking the picture. It is one of those balls so popular in the 20th Century that would break if you dropped them. I am not sure how old it is, but my parents had it for nearly as long as I can remember. I am guessing it could be older than me, dating to the late Fifties or early Sixties. It is certainly older than 50 years old!

Finally, here is our tree. We bought the tree a few years ago and we got it used at that, so I am not sure of its age. Most of the ornaments on it date back to the Nineties and Naughts. I really ought to get a new topper for it, as the old one is getting a bit worn out (we bought it nearly twenty years ago). The decorations at its base also date to the Nineties and Naughts. The skirt is only about two or three years old.

Virginia Mayo's 100th Birthday

Most of my favourite actresses are brunettes, with a notable exception being blonde Virginia Mayo. I have had a schoolboy crush on her ever since I first saw her in The Kid from Brooklyn (1946) when I was a teenager. Of course, as a teen what I first noticed about Miss Mayo is that she was extremely beautiful and she had a remarkable pair of legs. It was when I was a bit older and had seen more of her movies that I realized that she was remarkably talented as well. Virginia Mayo had a gift for musical comedies, and appeared in a series of them with Danny Kaye. That having been said, she also had a gift for dramatic roles as well, appearing in such classics as The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) and White Heat (1949). Sadly, I think Virginia Mayo has always been a bit underrated as an actress.

Of course, among the things that I learned about Virginia Mayo as I got older is that she is a native Missourian like myself. In fact, her roots in the state go back fairly far. Virginia Mayo was born Virginia Clara Jones in St. Louis on November 30 1920. Her great, great, great grandfather was Captain James Piggott, who founded East St. Louis in 1797. Her father, Luke Jones, was a newspaper reporter in the St. Louis area. Her aunt, the sister of her father, ran an acting school in the area. Young Virginia was enrolled in her aunt's acting school when she was only six years old. She would also be taught to dance by a succession of instructors in the St. Louis area.

It was not long after she graduated from Soldan High School in the Academy neighbourhood of St. Louis that she became a professional actress. She performed as an actress and a dancer at the St. Louis Municipal Opera Theatre (often simply called The Muny) and she also performed with six other girls at the historic Hotel Jefferson. Andy Mayo, one half of the comedy team Morton and Mayo, hired her to act as a foil to him and his partner Nonnie Morton. It was with Andy Mayo in the short "Gals and Guys" that Virginia made her film debut in 1939, using her birth name Virginia Jones. It was while she was with Morton and Mayo that Samuel Goldwyn took notice of her and signed her to a contract. As her stage name she took Andy Mayo's surname, so that Virginia Jones became Virginia Mayo.

Miss Mayo's career began to take off in the Forties. In 1941 she appeared on Broadway with Eddie Cantor in Banjo Eyes. In 1943 she made her feature film debut as an uncredited chorus girl in Follies Girl. It was after playing a number of supporting roles that she finally received her first lead role in the Bob Hope movie The Princess and the Pirate (1944). It was the following year that she first appeared opposite Danny Kaye in the movie Wonder Man (1945). It was followed by The Kid From Brooklyn (1946),  The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947), and A Song is Born (1948). 

While Virginia Mayo established herself in musical comedies, she would soon establish herself as a dramatic talent as well. She gave a sterling performance as the cheating wife of Fred Derry (played by Dana Andrews) in The Best Years of Our Lives (1946). Miss Mayo appeared in her first film noir in 1948, the movie Smart Girls Don't Talk. She would later appear in one of the greatest film noirs ever made, White Heat (1949), as well as such lesser noirs as Red Light (1949), and Backfire (1950)

Virginia Mayo's stardom would continue into the Fifties, during which she appeared in a variety of genres of movies. She appeared in the swashbuckler Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951), the Western Along the Great Divide (1951), the comedy She's Working Her Way through College (1952), and the Jim Bowie biopic The Iron Mistress (1952). It was following the failure of the historical epic The Silver Chalice (1954) that Virginia Mayo left Warner Bros. And while many of her films in the late Fifties would not match her successes of the late Forties and early Fifties, Miss Mayo remained busy. She appeared in such films as The Proud Ones (1956) and The Tall Stranger (1957).

With the Sixties, Virginia Mayo's film career slowed considerably, as she only did four movies during the decade. While she made fewer movies, she did appear occasionally on television. Miss Mayo had first appeared on television in 1957 in an episode of Conflict. She would go onto guest star on such shows as Wagon Train, The Loretta Young Show, Burke's Law, and Daktari. While she would only appear in a few films in the Seventies, she appeared on television on the shows Night Gallery, Police Story, and Lanigan's Rabbi. 

While Virginia Mayo appeared with less frequency on film and television as the decades passed, she did appear on stage in such productions as the 1972 national tour of No, No Nanette, Good News at the Paper Mill Theatre in 1977, and the 1981 tour of Butterflies are Free. In 1984 she had a recurring role on the television soap opera Santa Barbara and she guest starred on Murder, She Wrote and Remington Steele. She later guest starred on The Love Boat. She made her last appearance in a feature film in The Man Next Door (1997).

When Virginia Mayo died on January 17 2005, some headlines took notice of her appearance, such as "Virginia Mayo, 84, stunning actress of 1940s romantic films (New York Times) and"Virginia Mayo, blonde beauty of '40s, '50s films, dead at 84" (Associated Press). Fewer in number were the headlines that took notice of her talent, such as "Virginia Mayo, 84; Comedy Star With a Flair for Drama" from The Los Angeles Times. For me this reflects my opinion that to a large degree Virginia Mayo has always been underrated. Too often people remember her looks and not her performances.

She certainly had a gift for musical comedy. While Virginia Mayo did not sing (her singing voice was always dubbed), she was a great dancer and her comic timing was impeccable. It should come as no surprise that the films in which she appeared with Danny Kaye were successful. At the same time, however, Virginia Mayo also had a knack for drama. Indeed, today her best remembered films may not be her comedies, but instead her dramas. Today people are more likely to remember her as the fast and loose wife in The Best Years of Our Lives or the murderous wife of psychopath Cody Jarrett in White Heat than singer Polly in The Kid from Brooklyn or the girl of Walter's dreams in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. It was a mark of just how talented Virginia May was that she could play a wholesome girl next door or duplicitous femme fatale. Over the years she played everything from a teacher to a British noble. What is more she did all of them well.

If I had a crush on Virginia Mayo as a teenager because of her appearance, now it is more because she was a great, if underrated talent. And it is for that talent that she should be celebrated 100 years after her birth.