EPISODE 125 - “VIRGINIA MAYO: CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD STAR OF THE MONTH” - 2/02/2026

One of the most glamorous actresses in old Hollywood undoubtedly was VIRGINIA MAYO. This peaches-and-cream, midwestern beauty started her career wrangling two men in a horse costume on stage before being discovered by producer SAMUEL GOLDWYN and transformed into a full-blown movie star. Often playing the fantasy girl to leading men like BOB HOPE and DANNY KAYE, her beauty sometimes made people miss the fact that she was a very capable actress — particularly when she played bad girls in films like “The Best Years of Our Lives” and “White Heat.” She was very adept at light comedy, romance films, and drama, appearing in over 50 feature films and many television shows throughout her career. And tune in to find out about Steve’s connection to this old Hollywood glamour girl as we celebrate Mayo as our February Star of the Month.

SHOW NOTES:

Sources:

The Best Years of My Life (2001), by Virginia Mayo, as told to LC Van Savage;

The Forties Gals (1980), by James Robert Parish & Don E. Stanke;

“Virginia Mayo’s 100th Birthday,” November 30, 2020, by Vanessa Varquez, www.ashroudofthoughts.com;

“Virginia Mayo, 84, Stunning Actress of 1940s Romantic Films,” January 19, 2005, Los Angeles Times;

Virginia Mayo, Movie Actress, Dies at 84,” January 18, 2005, by Richard Severo, New York Times;

Wikipedia.com;

TCM.com;

IBDB.com;

IMDBPro.com;

Movies Mentioned:

Follies Girls (1943), starring Wendy Barrie;

Up In Arms (1944), starring Danny Kaye & Constance Dowling;

Jack London (1943), starring Michael O’Shea;

Seven Days Ashore (1944), starring Wally Brown;

The Princess and the Pirate (1944), starring Bob Hope & Virginia Mayo;

Wonder Man (1945), starring Danny Kaye, Virginia Mayo, & Vera Ellen;

The Kid From Brooklyn (1946), starring Danny Kaye, Virginia Mayo, Vera Ellen & Steve Cochran;

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947), starring Danny Kaye, Virginia Mayo, Boris Karloff & Ann Rutherford;

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), starring Fredric March, Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews & Teresa Wright;

A Song Is Born (1948), starring Danny Kaye & Virginia Mayo;

Smart Girls Don’t Talk (1948), starring Bruce Bennett & Virginia Mayo;

Flaxy Martin (1949), starring Virginia Mayo & Zachary Scott;

Colorado Territory (1948), starring Joel McCrea & Virginia Mayo;

White Heat (1949), starring James Cagney & Virginia Mayo;

Red Light (1949), starring George Brent & Virginia Mayo;

Always Leave Them Laughing (1949), starring Milton Berle, Virgina Mayo & Ruth Roman;

Backfire (1950), starring Gordon MacRae, Virginia Mayo & Edmond O’Brien;

The Flame and the Arrow (1950), starring Burt Lancaster & Virginia Mayo;

The West Point Story (1950), starring James Cagney & Virginia Mayo;

Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951), starring Gregory Peck & Virginia Mayo;

She’s Working Her Way Though College (1952), starring Ronald Reagan & Virginia Mayo;

South Sea Woman (1953), starring Burt Lancaster & Virginia Mayo;

Pearl of the Pacific (1955), starring Dennis Morgan & Virginia Mayo;

The Silver Chalice (1954), starring Paul Newman, Virgina Mayo * Pier Angeli;

Congo Crossing (1956), starring Virginia Mayo & George Nadar;

The Big Land (1957), starring Alan Ladd & Virginia Mayo;

The Story of Mankind (1957), starring Vincent Price, Ronald Colman & Peter Lorre;

Young Fury (1965), starring Rory Calhoun & Virginia Mayo;

Castle of Evil (1966), starring Scott Brady & Virginia Mayo;

Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976), starring Bruce Dern & Madelyn Kahn;

Hunted (1977), starring Aldo Ray;

French Quarter (1978); starring Bruce Davison;

The Man Next Door (1997); starring Karen Carlson;

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