First of all, once you read my blog for the What a Character Blogaton, please go to the banner above and check out the other wonderful posts dedicated to so many Character actors that many do not even know the names of!
So who did I choose out of years and years of amazing actors? I decided to go with Virginia Weidler.
Why little miss Virginia? Well, first of all she is a big part of two of my all time favorite films, The Philadelphia Story and The Women. This girl worked with the best of the best! Norma Shearer, Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart and Katharine Hepburn. So why is so such an unknown face today? I have been in search of this concrete answer for years. I guess you can chalk it up a couple different things.
1) This lovely mom passed away at the age of 41 of a heart condition.
or
2) She was best known as a child star and probably just didn’t find her niche as an adult.
Both of these possibilities are sad.
Born in California in 1927, Virginia was one of six children and made her film debut around the age of 4. Her biggest success was The Philadelphia Story, and if you have not see that…go find it now! I prefer her as kid sis in The Philadelphia Story. Lydia The Tattooed Lady on the piano is one of my favorite scenes in film history. She was sassy, a little smart mouthed and always sweet. A few years earlier in The Women she played “Little Mary” cute little daughter of Norma Shearer. She was touching in this film. These are two very different characters. Same cute face but, in The Women she was more sympathetic, and dramatic.
This child didn’t just sing & dance in her films, she acted. She was good at what she did and is still not as knows as Judy Garland or Shirley Temple. While she tried to continue her career into adult hood, she was over shadowed again by other more “popular” stars.
While on the topic of Shirley Temple, wouldn’t you have loved to see Virginia in Temple’s role in The Bachelor and the Bobbysoxer? I thought her and Cary Grant had adorable Chemistry in The Philadelphia Story and would have been fun to see together again.
Weilder never really found her niche and wasnt ever a major “Starring Role Actress”. After her final film “Best Foot Forward” she lost her contract at MGM and decided not to pursue any more acting roles. (Our loss!). After holding her own against so many big stars, she was simply gone.
“Ginny” went on to marry a Naval Officer, have two little boys and pass away much to early! According to her husband, she was always quick to change the subject of her films and never watched her films.
I guess I gravitate to her because she did pass too young and failed to give interviews after she left MGM which leaves us with many questions un-answered about her. There are not many pages, books, or anything with information her. She was very private and that has ultimately led to us just not knowing who she really was. I knew there wasnt much information on her when I chose her and I really deep down thought that I could find so much about her if I just did some research. Sadly, I didn’t. I found much of what I already knew. I apologize there is no new information here for Ginny fans. I hope someday some of her family can give us a bigger picture of who she was.
Again, here is an actress who is unknown and will never know how much this community right here adores her. Will she ever know how wonderful her work really is? Would she have cared? Would she have ever done an interview in her later years or opened up about her films? Sadly, we just wont know. I will assume for my own sake that she would have been proud of you, me, and this community of wonderful film fans who so adore and appreciate her.
What I want from this blog is for you to introduce one person to this wonderful lady.Like with all of these Character Actors for this blogathon….let get their names out there! Thank you ladies for hosting this event. Classic Film appreciation causes are always fun!
kelleepratt
Reblogged this on Outspoken and Freckled.
Le
Lovely! I also adore Virginia in the Philadelphia Story, in which she steals the scene more than in The Women. So cute and talented, and unfortunately so privete. I’d love to know more about her, too!
Don’t forget to read my contribution to the blogathon!
Greetings!
Le
kelleepratt
Great write-up on a sweet and talented young character actor I always wondered myself as to whatever happened to her beyond the couple of roles I saw her in. I thought she was absolutely delightful in THE PHILADELPHIA STORY. She was the perfect lil sister to match wits with Kate Hepburn’s dry wise-cracking socialite. Thanks for adding this delightful post, Nikki!
Kari
I agree, it wouldve been awesome to see her and Grant in more films together. I also liked her better in Phil. Story, it has to be hard to be such an adorable kid and then grow up and try to get adult roles, shame so many child actors have to go thru that.
tonyarice
I’d always wondered what happened to her. Thanks for your post! She was so funny and talented. Great screen presence at a young age. Sad to learn she never wanted to even discuss her work and that she passed away at 41.
Paula
This is really sad that such a promising talent disappeared and then passed away so young. I think it would definitely have been interesting to see her in THE BACHELOR AND THE BOBBY SOXER. Thanks for this, Nikki.
Joel Williams
She’s absolutely the bee’s knees in The Philadelphia Story. Like Margaret O’Brian in Meet Me in St. Louis, Virginia Weidler steals absolutely every scene she’s in. Only difference is that I believe Ms. O’Brian had more scenes in Meet Me in St. Louis.
Thanks for the write-up, Nikki!
silverscreenings
Thanks for posting this info about Virginia Weidler. I didn’t know anything about her, so I was glad to read all this info. I didn’t realize she died so young…
Patricia Nolan-Hall (Caftan Woman)
A lovely spotlight on the talented youngster who has a firm place in the hearts of classic movie fans.
Pete White
Hi Nikki,
Thank you for the wonderful post. I have spent most of 2012 trying to uncover a little bit more about this energetic, yet mysterious actress. So far, I still know little more than what you have here. I do know that she continued to try for work into 1946 without success. YouTube has a short she did in 1945 posted called Peeks At Hollywood. It’s the last thing she ever did that I know of.
I’d love the talk with you more about her. I have a Facebook page, the Virginia Weidler Remembrance Society, and I’m posting almost daily. Please drop by.
tom
It frustrates me to no end that so little information is available about Miss Weidler. I enjoyed your tribute, and I agree: “Lydia the Tattooed Lady” is my favorite scene in “The Philadelphia Story.”
Pete White
Tom,
Come see the Virginia Weider Remembrance Society on Facebook, if you haven’t already. We are adding things all the time and will be posting excerpts from an interview with Virginia co-star Tommy Dix soon.