Virginia Huston Explained

Virginia Huston
Birth Name:Virginia Houston
Birth Date:24 April 1925
Birth Place:Wisner, Nebraska, U.S.
Death Place:Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Spouse:Manus Paul Clinton II (1952–1981)
Occupation:Actress
Years Active:1937–1954

Virginia Huston (April 24, 1925 – February 28, 1981) was an American actress.

Early years

Huston was born in Wisner, Nebraska, the daughter of Marcus and Mary Agnes Houston, and she had two brothers. Once she began her acting career, she changed the spelling of her last name to match that of Walter and John Huston.[1] She attended Duchesne Catholic School for Girls in Omaha and appeared in stage productions as a student there.[2]

When Huston was 12, she first appeared on radio in an episode of Calling All Cars.[2] Huston gained early experience on stage by appearing in plays presented by the Omaha Community Playhouse.[2]

Film

Huston's first film was Desirable Woman.[2] She appeared in many 1940s and 1950s film noir and adventure films. Signing with RKO in 1945, her first film was opposite George Raft in Nocturne (1946). Her singing voice in the nightclub was redubbed by a singer. Huston was the ninth actress to play Jane, appearing in Tarzan's Peril (1951). (Another source says, "She becomes the fifteenth 'Jane' in this jungle-king series.")[3]

Her other films include the film noir Out of the Past (released in the UK as Build My Gallows High) (1947), in which she plays Robert Mitchum's girlfriend. She appeared in The Racket (1951), which also starred Mitchum, and in the Joan Crawford dramas Flamingo Road (1949) and Sudden Fear (1952).

Huston suffered a broken back in an automobile accident, which disrupted her career[3] at its peak. When she returned, she dropped to minor roles and "B"-level films.

Personal life and death

Huston retired from films after marrying Manus Paul Clinton II, a real estate agent, in 1952.[4] She died of cancer in 1981.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1946Nocturne Carol Page
1947Out of the Past Ann
1949Flamingo Road Annabelle Weldon
1949The Doolins of Oklahoma Elaine Burton
1950Women from Headquarters Joyce
1951Tarzan's Peril Jane
1951The Highwayman Lady Ellen Douglas
1951The Racket Lucy Johnson
1951Flight to Mars Carol Stafford
1952Night Stage to Galveston Ann Bellamy
1952Sudden Fear Ann Taylor
1953-1954Ford Theatre Evelyn Austin / Deborah 3 episodes, (final appearance)
1954Knock on Wood Audrey Greene

Notes and References

  1. Book: Hannsberry. Karen Burroughs. Femme Noir: Bad Girls of Film. 1998. McFarland & Company. 978-0-7864-4682-7. 31 January 2016.
  2. News: Gunson. Victor. Hollywood Gets First Bobby-Sox Star. The Evening Independent. March 28, 1946. Ohio, Massillon. 9. Newspapers.com. January 30, 2016.
  3. News: Virginia Huston Gets 'Tarzan' Role. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. November 6, 1950. New York, Brooklyn. 17. Newspapers.com. January 30, 2016.
  4. News: Actress to Marry California Realtor. The Eugene Guard. July 18, 1952. Oregon, Eugene. 6. Newspapers.com. January 30, 2016.