Virginia Valli (died September 24, 1968) was an American stage and film actress whose motion picture career started in the

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

era and lasted until the beginning of the

sound film A sound film is a motion picture with synchronization, synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decad ...

era of the 1930s.

Early life

Born Virginia McSweeney in

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, she got her acting start in

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee i ...

with a stock company. She also did some film work with

Essanay Studios The Essanay Film Manufacturing Company was an early American motion picture studio. The studio was founded in 1907 in Chicago, and later developed an additional film lot in Niles Canyon, California. Its various stars included Francis X. Bushma ...

in Chicago, starting in 1916.

Film career

Valli continued to appear in films throughout the 1920s. She was an established star at the

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a t ...

studio by the mid-1920s. In 1924 she was the female lead in King Vidor's southern gothic ''

Wild Oranges ''Wild Oranges'' is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by King Vidor, adapted from a story by Joseph Hergesheimer. On January 12, 2010, the film had its first home video release, on the Warner Archive DVD series. Plot When John Woolf ...

'', a film now recovered from film vault obscurity. She also appeared in the romantic comedy, ''Every Woman's Life'', about "the man she could have married, the man she should have married and the man she DID marry." Most of her films were made between 1924 and 1927, and included

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

's debut feature, '' The Pleasure Garden'' (1925), '' Paid to Love'' (1927), with William Powell, and ''

Evening Clothes ''Evening Clothes'' is a 1927 American silent comedy film directed by Luther Reed that was produced by Famous Players-Lasky and released by Paramount. Production background The film is based on the 1920 play ''L'homme en habit'' (''The Man i ...

'' (1927), which featured Adolphe Menjou. In 1925 Valli performed in '' The Man Who Found Himself'' with

Thomas Meighan Thomas Meighan (April 9, 1879 – July 8, 1936) was an American actor of silent films and early talkies. He played several leading-man roles opposite popular actresses of the day, including Mary Pickford and Gloria Swanson. At one point he comm ...

. Her first sound picture was '' The Isle of Lost Ships'' with Jason Robards Sr. and Noah Beery Sr. in 1929. Her last film was in ''

Night Life in Reno ''Night Life in Reno'' is a 1931 American pre-Code film directed by actor/screenwriter Raymond Cannon. Cast *Virginia Valli as June Wyatt *Jameson Thomas as John Wyatt *Dorothy Christy as Gwen Maynard *Arthur Housman as Roy Carlton *Dixie L ...

'', in 1931.

Personal life

Valli was first married to George Lamson and the two shared a

bungalow A bungalow is a small house or cottage that is either single-story or has a second story built into a sloping roof (usually with dormer windows), and may be surrounded by wide verandas. The first house in England that was classified as a b ...

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

, near the Hollywood Hotel. In 1931, she married her second husband, actor Charles Farrell. They moved to Palm Springs, where she was a social fixture for many years. She suffered a

stroke A stroke is a disease, medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemorr ...

in 1966, and died two years later, aged 73, in Palm Springs. She was buried in the Welwood Murray Cemetery of that city. She had no children.

Filmography

* '' Filling His Own Shoes'' (1917) * '' The Golden Idiot'' (1917) * '' The Fibbers'' (1917) * '' Satan's Private Door'' (1917) * '' Uneasy Money'' (1918) * '' Ruggles of Red Gap'' (1918) * '' His Father's Wife'' (1919) * '' The Black Circle'' (1919) * ''

The Very Idea ''The Very Idea'' is an American comedy film directed by Frank Craven and Richard Rosson and written by William Le Baron, based on his play of the same title. Released in 1929, it was the fourth film released by RKO Pictures, starring Sally Bl ...

'' (1920) * '' The Dead Line'' (1920) * '' The Midnight Bride'' (1920) * '' The Common Sin'' (1920) * '' The Plunger'' (1920) * '' The Silver Lining'' (1921) * '' Sentimental Tommy'' (1921) * '' The Idle Rich'' (1921) * '' The Man Who'' (1921) * '' A Trip to Paradise'' (1921) * '' The Devil Within'' (1921) * ''

Love's Penalty ''Love's Penalty'' is a 1921 American drama film written and directed by John Gilbert. The film stars Hope Hampton, Irma Harrison, Mrs. Phillip Landau, Percy Marmont, John B. O'Brien, and Virginia Valli. The film was released in June 1921, by ...

'' (1921) * ''

The Right That Failed ''The Right That Failed'' is a 1922 American silent melodrama film directed by Bayard Veiller. Based on a short story by John Phillips Marquand, the film stars Bert Lytell, Virginia Valli, and De Witt Jennings. It was released by Metro Pictures ...

'' (1922) * '' His Back Against the Wall'' (1922) * ''

The Black Bag ''The Black Bag'' is a lost 1922 American silent mystery film directed by Stuart Paton and starring Herbert Rawlinson. It was produced and distributed by the Universal Film Manufacturing Company. Plot As described in a film magazine, wealthy Do ...

'' (1922) * ''

The Village Blacksmith "The Village Blacksmith" is a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, first published in 1840. The poem describes a local blacksmith and his daily life. The blacksmith serves as a role model who balances his job with the role he plays with his famil ...

'' (1922) * ''

Tracked to Earth ''Tracked to Earth'' is a 1922 American silent Western film directed by William Worthington and written by Wallace C. Clifton. The film stars Frank Mayo, Virginia Valli, Harold Goodwin, Duke R. Lee, Buck Connors, and Arthur Millett. The ...

'' (1922) * '' The Storm'' (1922) * '' The Shock'' (1923) * '' A Lady of Quality'' (1924) * ''

'' (1924) * '' The Confidence Man'' (1924) * '' The Signal Tower'' (1924) * '' K – The Unknown'' (1924) * ''

In Every Woman's Life ''In Every Woman's Life'' is a 1924 American drama film directed by Irving Cummings and written by Albert S. Le Vino. It is based on the 1920 novel ''Belonging'' by Olive Wadsley. The film stars Virginia Valli, Lloyd Hughes, Marc McDermott, G ...

'' (1924) * ''

The Lady Who Lied ''The Lady Who Lied'' is a 1925 American silent melodrama film produced and distributed by First National Pictures and based on a novel by Robert Hichens. Edwin Carewe directed, and Nita Naldi, and Lewis Stone star. The film has the distinct ...

'' (1925) * ''

The Price of Pleasure ''The Price of Pleasure'' is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by Edward Sloman and starring Virginia Valli, Norman Kerry, and Louise Fazenda. Plot As described in a film magazine, Garry Schuyler (Kerry), a young millionaire, is charm ...

'' (1925) * '' The Man Who Found Himself'' (1925) * ''

Siege A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characteriz ...

'' (1925) * ''

Up the Ladder ''Up the Ladder'' is a 1925 American drama film directed by Edward Sloman, written by Tom McNamara and Grant Carpenter, and starring Virginia Valli, Forrest Stanley, Margaret Livingston, Holmes Herbert, Lydia Yeamans Titus and Priscilla M ...

'' (1925) * '' The Pleasure Garden'' (1925) * ''

Watch Your Wife ''Watch Your Wife'' is a 1926 American silent comedy-drama film directed by Svend Gade and starring Virginia Valli, Pat O'Malley and Nat Carr.Langman p.264 Cast * Virginia Valli as Claudia Langham * Pat O'Malley as James Langham * Nat C ...

'' (1926) * ''

Flames A flame (from Latin '' flamma'') is the visible, gaseous part of a fire. It is caused by a highly exothermic chemical reaction taking place in a thin zone. When flames are hot enough to have ionized gaseous components of sufficient density they ...

'' (1926) * '' The Family Upstairs'' (1926) * ''

Stage Madness ''Stage Madness'' is a 1927 American drama film directed by Victor Schertzinger and written by Randall Faye. The film stars Virginia Valli, Tullio Carminati, Virginia Bradford, Lou Tellegen, Richard Walling and Tyler Brooke. The film was relea ...

'' (1927) * '' Judgment of the Hills'' (1927) * ''

'' (1927) * ''

Marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

'' (1927) * '' Paid to Love'' (1927) * ''

Ladies Must Dress ''Ladies Must Dress'' is a 1927 American silent romantic comedy film directed by Victor Heerman and starring Virginia Valli, Lawrence Gray and Hallam Cooley.Solomon p.306 It marked the screen debut of the future star Nancy Carroll. Cast * Virg ...

'' (1927) * '' East Side, West Side'' (1927) * ''

The Street of Illusion ''The Street of Illusion'' is a lost 1928 American silent drama film directed by Erle C. Kenton and starring Virginia Valli, Ian Keith and Harry Myers.Langman p.52 Cast * Virginia Valli as Sylvia Thurston * Ian Keith as Edwin Booth Benton ...

'' (1928) * '' The Escape'' (1928) * '' The Isle of Lost Ships'' (1929) * '' The Lost Zeppelin'' (1929) * '' Mister Antonio'' (1929) * '' Behind Closed Doors'' (1929) * '' Guilty?'' (1930) * ''

'' (1931)

References

;Notes ;Bibliography *

Elyria, Ohio Elyria ( ) is a city in the Greater Cleveland metropolitan statistical area and the county seat of Lorain County, Ohio, United States, located at the forks of the Black River in Northeast Ohio 23 miles southwest of Cleveland. As of the 2020 ...

Chronicle Telegram, ''Virginia Valli, ex-actress, dies'', September 25, 1968, p. 40. *

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th ...

Capitol Times, ''Borne On The Wings Of The ''Storm'' Valli – Latest Star On The Movie Horizon'', Saturday Afternoon, September 16, 1922, p. 4. *

Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the ...

Tribune, ''Virginia Valli Starts Work In Eastern Studio'', June 21, 1925, p. 75.

External links

* *
Virginia Valli
at Virtual History
gallery of still photos from Virginia Valli films
Univ.of Wash, Sayre Collection) {{DEFAULTSORT:Valli, Virginia Actresses from Chicago Actresses from Palm Springs, California American film actresses American silent film actresses Burials at Welwood Murray Cemetery 1968 deaths 20th-century American actresses 1895 births