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Virginia Vale
Virginia Vale
Virginia Vale
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Virginia Vale (born Dorothy Howe;[citation needed] May 20, 1920 – September 14, 2006) was an American film actress. She starred in a number of B-movie westerns but took a variety of other roles as well, notably in Blonde Comet (1941), in which she played a race car driver.

Key Information

Early years

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Vale was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. H. Howe.[1] Before becoming a professional actress, she was a switchboard operator in Dallas, Texas, and honed her acting skills in productions at a little theater in Dallas. After a representative of Paramount Pictures saw her in a leading role, he invited her to make a screen test, which led to a contract.[2] (Another source says that Howe was working at the switchboard in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Dallas office, where a talent scout for Paramount found her and signed her to a contract.)[3]

Career

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Dorothy Howe showed promise at Paramount, working steadily in the studio's feature films until 1939.[citation needed] Her best-known Paramount picture is probably The Big Broadcast of 1938, in which she played one of Bob Hope's former wives.

The name "Virginia Vale" had been chosen in advance for the female winner of the 1939 Gateway to Hollywood radio contest, a nationwide talent search sponsored by producer Jesse Lasky—as noted (somewhat indignantly) then by another Virginia Vale[4] a syndicated columnist covering the film industry.[5] Dorothy Howe edged out Rhonda Fleming in the 1939 contest, and was rechristened Virginia Vale.[6]

Contest winners Vale and Kirby Grant were signed by RKO Radio Pictures, where they were promoted as new discoveries. They made their "debuts" (although both had previously worked in pictures) in the RKO dramatic feature Three Sons. After the promotional hoopla died down, RKO had no vehicles for Vale: although her alto speaking voice and mature demeanor belied her age (19 years old), she was too young to play conventional ingenues. Instead, she was cast in inexpensive B-western features starring George O'Brien or Tim Holt. Although she also appeared in small roles in the studio's features and short subjects, she usually worked in RKO westerns. By 1941 she was established as the leading lady in RKO's Ray Whitley western shorts.

PRC, the smallest of the Hollywood studios, couldn't afford star names and relied on familiar featured players. In 1941 PRC borrowed Virginia Vale from RKO to co-star in South of Panama opposite Roger Pryor.[7] After her RKO contract lapsed in 1942, Vale returned to PRC for two features before going on hiatus for three years. She came back to PRC in 1945 for a single feature, Crime, Inc., signaling the end of her movie career. "The last year I remained in the business, I only worked three weeks," she recalled. "I didn't know how to approach anybody about work. I just figured, 'This is not for me, so I'll say goodbye to the industry."[8] Virginia Vale's final association with PRC was performing live at the studio for an American Legion function on September 29, 1945.[9]

After her film career, she became an executive secretary at Lockheed and also a competition judge for the US Figure Skating Association. She was eventually honored by the USFSA for 50 years of service in that role.[10][11] Before becoming a judge, she'd also briefly been a competition skater.[10] Her life in film and skating was featured at the 2002 U.S. figure skating championships[12] and a memorial trophy for "most outstanding performance" was given in her name at the 2007 California Championships.[13]

Death

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She died in 2006 and was buried in Hollywood Hills at Forest Lawn Cemetery.[14]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1937 Night Club Scandal Marsh's Maid Credited as Dorothy Howe
True Confession Brunette Girl Uncredited
1938 The Buccaneer Uncredited
The Big Broadcast of 1938 Joan Fielding
Her Jungle Love Eleanor Martin
Cocoanut Grove Hazel De Vore
King of Alcatraz Dixie
1939 Disbarred Airline Stewardess
Ambush Waitress at Restaurant Uncredited
Persons in Hiding Flo
Unmarried Betty
Three Sons Phoebe Pardway (first film as Virginia Vale)
The Marshal of Mesa City Virginia King
1940 Legion of the Lawless Ellen Ives
Bullet Code Molly Mathews
You Can't Fool Your Wife Sally
Prairie Law Priscilla Brambull
Millionaires in Prison May Thomas
Stage to Chino Caroline McKay
Triple Justice Lorna Payson
1941 Repent at Leisure Elevator Girl Uncredited
Robbers of the Range Alice Tremaine
South of Panama Janice 'Jan' Martin, aka Dolores Esteban
Unexpected Uncle Telephone Girl Uncredited
The Gay Falcon Hysterical Woman Uncredited
Blonde Comet Beverly Blake
1942 Broadway Big Shot Betty Collins
1945 Crime, Inc. Trixie Waters (final film role)

Bibliography

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References

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Virginia Vale

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Virginia Vale (born Dorothy Howe; May 20, 1920 – September 14, 2006) was an American actress known for her leading roles in B-Western films during the late 1930s and early 1940s, particularly her frequent appearances opposite George O'Brien in RKO Radio Pictures productions. She initially appeared in films under her birth name Dorothy Howe starting in 1937 at Paramount Pictures before gaining her professional name in 1939 after winning the female division of Jesse L. Lasky's "Gateway to Hollywood" radio talent contest, which led to a contract and leading role at RKO. She appeared in a variety of films including Westerns such as Bullet Code, Triple Justice, Stage to Chino, and Marshal of Mesa City, as well as musical shorts with Ray Whitley and supporting parts in other genres. Vale retired from acting in the mid-1940s after a relatively brief screen career and worked for more than 30 years at Lockheed, while remaining active in figure skating as a judge, community service, and other pursuits. She died on September 14, 2006, in Los Angeles, California.

Early life

Birth and early years

Virginia Vale was born Dorothy Camilla Howe on May 20, 1920, in Dallas, Texas, USA. She showed an early interest in performing from childhood, participating in songs and poems at Sunday school and a private school she attended. She performed in plays at a Dallas department store every Saturday and was involved with the Dallas Little Theatre, including appearing in Ayn Rand’s Night of January 16th. She also took formal singing lessons. At age 16, while appearing in Night of January 16th in Dallas, she was spotted by a Paramount talent scout. She received an invitation for a screen test in Hollywood, and if successful, a contract. She and her mother moved to California, where she signed with Paramount Pictures (1937–1939) and was billed as Dorothy Howe. Her parents were not theatrical; her mother was an office manager. Her option at Paramount was not renewed after about a year and a half.

Gateway to Hollywood contest

Virginia Vale, previously known professionally as Dorothy Howe, won the women's division of Jesse L. Lasky's "Gateway to Hollywood" radio talent search contest in July 1939. After her option was not renewed at Paramount Pictures, her agent encouraged her to enter the nationwide contest, despite her prior film experience normally disqualifying participants. She advanced by winning the first month of competition and then claimed the overall title in the 13th-week finals held in Des Moines, defeating Rhonda Fleming for the female prize while Kirby Grant won the men's division. The victory brought her membership in the Screen Actors Guild along with the pre-selected stage name "Virginia Vale," marking a direct change from her earlier billing as Dorothy Howe. This contest success opened the door to her subsequent film work under the new name starting later in 1939.

Acting career

Early roles as Dorothy Howe

Dorothy Howe, later known as Virginia Vale, began her acting career with small roles in Paramount Pictures films starting in 1937. Her early credits under the name Dorothy Howe include a credited role as Marsh's Maid in "Night Club Scandal" (1937) and an uncredited appearance as a Brunette Girl in "True Confession" (1937). In 1938, she appeared in supporting parts such as Joan Fielding in "The Big Broadcast of 1938", Eleanor Martin in "Her Jungle Love", and Dixie in "King of Alcatraz". She continued with roles in 1939 films including an airline stewardess in "Disbarred" and Flo in "Persons in Hiding". These early performances were mostly minor or supporting characters, often in uncredited capacities, marking her initial entry into Hollywood prior to her name change. She transitioned to the stage name Virginia Vale after winning the Gateway to Hollywood contest in 1939.

RKO Pictures and Westerns

Virginia Vale began her most productive period as an actress after adopting her stage name and signing with RKO Pictures, appearing primarily in the studio's low-budget B-Westerns between approximately 1939 and 1941 following her win in the Gateway to Hollywood contest. Her first role under the new name was in Three Sons (1939), where she performed vocally. She was frequently cast as the leading lady opposite established Western stars, including George O'Brien in six films, Tim Holt, and Ray Whitley in both features and shorts. These roles positioned her as a reliable heroine in the B-Western genre, though the films received limited attention beyond genre audiences and did not earn major awards. Her notable Western credits during this era include The Marshal of Mesa City (1939), Triple Justice (1940) as Lorna Payson opposite George O'Brien, Bullet Code (1940) as Molly Mathews opposite George O'Brien, Legion of the Lawless (1940), Prairie Law (1940), Stage to Chino (1940) opposite George O'Brien, and Robbers of the Range (1941) as Alice Tremaine opposite Tim Holt. In Triple Justice, she also contributed musically by singing the song "Lonely Rio." These appearances, often in modest productions typical of RKO's B-unit output, highlighted her as a consistent presence in the studio's Western series during her contract years.

Later films and retirement

After her prominent roles in RKO Westerns, Virginia Vale appeared in several non-Western films and short subjects during the early 1940s. She starred as Beverly Blake in Blonde Comet (1941), a drama centered on automobile racing. That same year, she had an uncredited role as the Hysterical Woman in the RKO mystery The Gay Falcon. In 1942, Vale played Betty Collins in the crime drama Broadway Big Shot, released by PRC. She also featured in minor capacities in short subjects during 1941–1942, including credited work in California or Bust (as Grace Lynn) and uncredited appearances in Red Skins and Red Heads and others such as Range Rhythm and Cactus Capers. Vale's final credited role came in 1945 as Trixie Waters in the PRC film Crime, Inc.. She retired from acting that year after a relatively short career encompassing approximately 38 credited and uncredited roles, primarily in B-pictures and shorts.

Later life

Employment at Lockheed

After retiring from acting in 1945, Virginia Vale began a long-term career at Lockheed Corporation, where she worked for 35 years. She served as private secretary to one of the company's chief executives, reflecting a practical transition to stable employment in the aerospace industry after deciding against continuing to pursue intermittent film work. This position provided consistent professional engagement until her retirement from Lockheed.

Ice skating judging and other pursuits

In her later years, Virginia Vale served as an ice skating judge in her spare time. This activity began after her retirement from acting and occurred alongside her primary employment at Lockheed. She became involved in figure skating after leaving films, where she performed "an awful lot of figure skating judging." Her judging work centered on the sport, though no specific organizations, competitions, or duration are documented in available sources. This pursuit remained a hobby-level contribution during her post-acting life. Vale also engaged in community service and other activities, including driving for Meals on Wheels two days a week and playing bridge. She participated in livestock trail drives, moving about a hundred head of cattle in the spring from California's Owens Valley to the High Sierra for summer grazing and back in September, sometimes with guests on the drives. She enjoyed traveling and trail riding, remaining one of the most active retired leading ladies from Western films.

Contributions to Western film history

Virginia Vale contributed to the documentation of Western film history by writing the foreword to Westerns Women: Interviews with 50 Leading Ladies of Movie and Television Westerns from the 1930s to the 1960s, authored by Boyd Magers and Michael G. Fitzgerald and published by McFarland. The book compiles interviews with fifty actresses who appeared in Western films and television series during that era, and Vale's foreword, appearing on page xiv, offers a personal reflection from her experience as a leading lady in the genre. This foreword represents her primary documented engagement with preserving the legacy of women in Westerns following her acting career. As a former star in B-Westerns of the 1930s and 1940s, her contribution provides an insider's perspective on the challenges and achievements of actresses in the field.

Death

Passing and burial

Virginia Vale died on September 14, 2006, in Burbank, Los Angeles County, California, at the age of 86. She was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles County, California, in the Courts of Remembrance section, Columbarium of Remembrance, under her birth name Dorothy Howe. The cause of death was not publicly disclosed.
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