Virginia Gilmore

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

Virginia Gilmore
Gilmore in 1941
Born	Sherman Virginia Poole July 26, 1919 El Monte, California, U.S.
Died	March 28, 1986 (aged 66) Santa Barbara, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1939–1970
Spouse(s)	Yul Brynner ​ ​ (m. 1944; div. 1960)​
Children	1

Yul Brynner and Virginia Gilmore

Virginia Gilmore and Dana Andrews in Jean Renoir's Swamp Water

Early years

Virginia Gilmore was born on July 26, 1919 in El Monte, California. Her father was a retired officer of the British Army.

Career

Gilmore began her stage career in San Francisco 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 at his home. As a result of their meeting, he promised her a screen test.[1] She soon landed some small movie roles. Her better known film appearances both occurred in 1941: Western Union, directed by Fritz Lang, 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.[2] In 1944, she played the title role in Dear Ruth,[3] which was directed by Moss Hart. Her other Broadway credits include Truckline Cafe (1946), The Grey-eyed People (1952), and Critics Choice (1960).[2]

Starting in the late 1940s, Gilmore had many television roles. In 1949, she and her husband, Yul Brynner, were featured on We’re On, an NBC television series. Between 1966 and 1968, she taught drama at Yale University.[1] In her later years, Gilmore was a leader in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).[4]

Personal life

In 1944, she married Yul Brynner. The couple had one son, Yul "Rock" Brynner (born on December 23, 1946), before divorcing in 1960.[5]

Death

On March 28, 1986, Gilmore died from COPD at her home in Santa Barbara, California, aged 66.[1] Upon her death, she was cremated by the Neptune Society and her ashes scattered at sea.[4]

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1939	Winter Carnival	Margie Stafford
1940	Laddie	Pamela Pryor
1940	Manhattan Heartbeat	Dottie Haley
1940	Jennie	Jennie Collins
1941	Tall, Dark and Handsome	Judy Miller
1941	Western Union	Sue Creighton
1941	Swamp Water	Mabel MacKenzie
1941	Mr. District Attorney in the Carter Case	Terry Parker
1942	Sundown Jim	Toni Black
1942	The Pride of the Yankees	Myra
1942	Berlin Correspondent	Karen Hauen
1942	The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe	Elmira Royster
1942	Orchestra Wives	Elsie
1942	That Other Woman	Emily Borden
1943	Chetniks! The Fighting Guerrillas	Natalia
1945	Wonder Man	Sailor's Girl Friend
1948	Close-Up	Peggy Lake
1952	Walk East on Beacon	Millie Zalenko / Teresa Henning

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) (1960)

Notes

1. "Actress Virginia Gilmore Dies: Veteran of Stage, Hollywood". The Los Angeles Times. California, Los Angeles. April 1, 1986. p. Part II - 4. Retrieved September 3, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "Virginia Gilmore". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on 3 September 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
3. Rainho, Manny (March 2015). "This Month in Movie History". Classic Images (477): 28.
4. Wilson, Scott (August 19, 2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. McFarland. ISBN 9781476625997 – via Google Books.
5. Yul Brynner biodata, thebiographychannel.co.uk; accessed October 16, 2014.

External links

• Virginia Gilmore at IMDb
• Virginia Gilmore at the Internet Broadway Database
• The New York Times - Virginia Gilmore
• Virginia Gilmore at Find a Grave