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Virginia Gilmore (born Sherman Virginia Poole, July 26, 1919 – March 28, 1986) was an American film, stage, and television actress.


Early years

Virginia Gilmore was born on July 26, 1919, in
El Monte, California } El Monte ( Spanish for "The Mountain") is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city lies in the San Gabriel Valley, east of the city of Los Angeles. El Monte's slogan is "Welcome to Friendly El Monte" and is historica ...
. Her father was a retired officer of the
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
.


Career

Gilmore began her stage career in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
at the age of 15, but moved to Los Angeles in 1939 to pursue work in films. When her movie career was not progressing, Gilmore mustered the nerve to approach
Samuel Goldwyn Samuel Goldwyn (born Szmuel Gelbfisz; yi, שמואל געלבפֿיש; August 27, 1882 (claimed) January 31, 1974), also known as Samuel Goldfish, was a Polish-born American film producer. He was best known for being the founding contributor an ...
at his home. As a result of their meeting, he promised her a screen test. She soon landed some small movie roles. Her better known film appearances both occurred in 1941: ''
Western Union The Western Union Company is an American multinational financial services company, headquartered in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1851 as the New York and Mississippi Valley Printing Telegraph Company in Rochester, New York, the company cha ...
'', directed by
Fritz Lang Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), known as Fritz Lang, was an Austrian film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary ''Variety'', August 4, 1976, p. 6 ...
, and '' Swamp Water'' directed by Jean Renoir.


Later years

When her movie role options began to dwindle, Gilmore left Los Angeles for New York City and started working on Broadway, where she had appeared in ''A Successful Calamity'' in 1934. In 1943, she played in ''Those Endearing Young Charms'' and ''The World's Full of Girls''. In 1944, she played the title role in ''Dear Ruth'', which was directed by
Moss Hart Moss Hart (October 24, 1904 – December 20, 1961) was an American playwright, librettist, and theater director. Early years Hart was born in New York City, the son of Lillian (Solomon) and Barnett Hart, a cigar maker. He had a younger brother ...
. Her other Broadway credits include ''Truckline Cafe'' (1946), ''The Grey-eyed People'' (1952), and ''Critics Choice'' (1960). Starting in the late 1940s, Gilmore had many television roles. In 1949, she and her husband,
Yul Brynner Yuliy Borisovich Briner (russian: link=no, Юлий Борисович Бринер; July 11, 1920 – October 10, 1985), known professionally as Yul Brynner, was a Russian-born actor. He was best known for his portrayal of King Mongkut in th ...
, were featured on ''We're On'', an NBC television series. Between 1966 and 1968, she taught drama at
Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
. In her later years, Gilmore was a leader in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).


Personal life

In 1944, she married Yul Brynner. The couple had one son, Yul "Rock" Brynner, before divorcing in 1960.


Death

On March 28, 1986, Gilmore died from
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a type of progressive lung disease characterized by long-term respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation. The main symptoms include shortness of breath and a cough, which may or may not produce ...
(COPD) at her home in
Santa Barbara, California Santa Barbara ( es, Santa Bárbara, meaning "Saint Barbara") is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Co ...
, aged 66. Upon her death, she was cremated by the
Neptune Society The Neptune Society, Inc. is a US provider of cremation services. Its was founded in Plantation, Florida. History The Neptune Society was established in 1973 and was incorporated in 1985. In 1999, the Neptune Society announced its completion ...
and her ashes scattered at sea.


Filmography


Stage performances

* ''Those Endearing Young Charms'' (1943) * ''The World's Full of Girls'' (1943) * ''Dear Ruth'' (1944) * ''Truckline Cafe'' (with Marlon Brando) (1946) * ''The Grey-Eyed People'' (1952) * '' Critic's Choice'' (with
Henry Fonda Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor. He had a career that spanned five decades on Broadway and in Hollywood. He cultivated an everyman screen image in several films considered to be classics. Born and ra ...
) (1960)


References


External links

* *
''The New York Times'' – Virginia Gilmore
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilmore, Virginia 1919 births 1986 deaths 20th-century American actresses Actresses from Los Angeles American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses Deaths from emphysema People from El Monte, California