Virginia Bruce
Biography
Virginia Bruce, born Helen Virginia Briggs on September 29, 1910, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was an American actress and singer. In 1928, she moved to Los Angeles and began her film career as an extra in Why Bring That Up? after a friendly wager. She appeared on Broadway in the musicals Smiles in 1930 and America's Sweetheart in 1931 before returning to Hollywood in 1932. On August 10, 1932, she married her Downstairs co-star John Gilbert, with whom she had a daughter named Susan Ann Gilbert, leading to a brief retirement. Throughout her career, she appeared in films such as the 1936 release Born to Dance, where she introduced the Cole Porter standard I've Got You Under My Skin, and television programs including Science Fiction Theatre, The Ford Television Theatre, and Lux Video Theatre. She passed away on February 24, 1982.
Career overview
Virginia Bruce was an American actress and singer born Helen Virginia Briggs in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on September 29, 1910. In 1928, she moved with her family to Los Angeles with the intention of enrolling in the University of California, Los Angeles. Following a friendly wager, she sought film work and secured a role as an extra in the film Why Bring That Up? She subsequently expanded her stage work, appearing on Broadway in the musical Smiles in 1930 and followed it with America's Sweetheart in 1931.
Returning to Hollywood in 1932, she starred alongside John Gilbert in the film Downstairs. On August 10, 1932, she married Gilbert, and she briefly retired following the birth of their daughter, Susan Ann Gilbert. Over the course of her career, Bruce accumulated 79 known acting credits in film and television. Notably, she is credited with introducing the Cole Porter standard titled I've Got You Under My Skin in the 1936 film Born to Dance. Her television and film work also includes appearances in Science Fiction Theatre, The Ford Television Theatre, and Lux Video Theatre.
Bruce passed away on February 24, 1982, at the age of 71.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
81 titles- Complicated Women (2003) as Self (archive footage)
- James Stewart: A Wonderful Life (1987) as Self (archive footage)
- That's Entertainment! (1974) as (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Strangers When We Meet (1960) as Mrs. Wagner
- Matinee Theater (1955)
- The Reluctant Bride (1955) as Laura Weeks
- The Plague (1954) as Nurse
- Letter to Loretta (1953) as Dee Norman
- General Electric Theater (1953) as Adele
- Lux Video Theatre (1950) as Pauline Travis
- Lux Video Theatre (1950) as Mildred Pierce
- Lux Video Theatre (1950) as Jo Cathcart Archer
- State Department: File 649 (1949) as Marge
- Night Has a Thousand Eyes (1948) as Jenny
- Love, Honor and Goodbye (1945) as Roberta Baxter
- Action in Arabia (1944) as Yvonne
- Brazil (1944) as Nicky Henderson
- Careful, Soft Shoulders (1942) as Connie Mathers
- Butch Minds the Baby (1942) as Susie O'Neill
- Pardon My Sarong (1942) as Joan Marshall
- Adventure in Washington (1941) as Jane Scott
- The Invisible Woman (1940) as Kitty Carroll
- Cavalcade of the Academy Awards (1940) as Self
- Hired Wife (1940) as Phyllis Walden
- The Man Who Talked Too Much (1940) as Joan Reed
- Flight Angels (1940) as Mary Norvell
- Society Lawyer (1939) as Pat Abbott
- Land of Liberty (1939) as (archive footage)
- Hollywood Hobbies (1939) as Self (uncredited)
- Stronger Than Desire (1939) as Elizabeth Flagg
- Let Freedom Ring (1939) as Maggie Adams
- There Goes My Heart (1938) as Joan Butterfield
- Hollywood Goes to Town (1938) as Self
- Arsène Lupin Returns (1938) as Lorraine de Grissac
- There's That Woman Again (1938) as Sally Reardon
- Woman Against Woman (1938) as Maris Kent
- The First Hundred Years (1938) as Lynn Conway
- Yellow Jack (1938) as Frances Blake
- Wife, Doctor and Nurse (1937) as Nurse Stephens
- When Love Is Young (1937) as Wanda Werner
- Women of Glamour (1937) as Gloria Hudson
- The Bad Man of Brimstone (1937) as Loretta Douglas
- Between Two Women (1937) as Patricia Sloan
- The Great Ziegfeld (1936) as Audrey Dane
- Born to Dance (1936) as Lucy James
- The Garden Murder Case (1936) as Zalia Graem
- Society Doctor (1935) as Madge
- Times Square Lady (1935) as Toni Bradley
- The Murder Man (1935) as Mary Shannon
- Pirate Party on Catalina Isle (1935) as Virginia Bruce (uncredited)
- A Dream Comes True (1935) as Herself (uncredited)
- Here Comes the Band (1935) as Margaret
- Let 'em Have It (1935) as Eleanor Spencer
- Escapade (1935) as Gerta
- Shadow of Doubt (1935) as Trenna
- Metropolitan (1935) as Anne Merrill
- Jane Eyre (1934) as Jane Eyre
- The Mighty Barnum (1934) as Jenny Lind
- Dangerous Corner (1934) as Ann Beale
- Winner Take All (1932) as Joan Gibson
- Kongo (1932) as Ann
- Downstairs (1932) as Anna
- Sky Bride (1932) as Ruth Dunning
- The Miracle Man (1932) as Margaret Thornton
- Paramount on Parade (1930) as Chorus Girl (uncredited)
- Whoopee! (1930) as Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
- Raffles (1930) as Gwen's Friend (uncredited)
- Safety in Numbers (1930) as Alma McGregor
- Lilies of the Field (1930) as Doris
- Follow Thru (1930) as Woman in Ladies' Locker Room (uncredited)
- Only the Brave (1930) as Elizabeth
- The Social Lion (1930) as Society Girl
- Young Eagles (1930) as Florence Welford
- Let's Go Native (1930) as Wendell Sr.'s Secretary (uncredited)
- Slightly Scarlet (1930) as Enid Corbett
- Pointed Heels (1929) as Chorus Girl (uncredited)
- The Love Parade (1929) as Lady-in-Waiting
- The River of Romance (1929) as Southern Belle
- Woman Trap (1929) as Nurse
- Fugitives (1929) as Extra (uncredited)
- Hard to Get (1929) as Young Woman (uncredited)
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Virginia Bruce best known for?
Virginia Bruce is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including That's Entertainment! (1974), Strangers When We Meet (1960), Matinee Theater (1955), Letter to Loretta (1953).
When and where was Virginia Bruce born?
Virginia Bruce was born on September 29, 1910 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. They passed away on February 24, 1982.
How many credits does Virginia Bruce have?
Virginia Bruce has accumulated over 81 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1929 to 2003.
What is Virginia Bruce's background in cinema and television?
Virginia Bruce, born Helen Virginia Briggs on September 29, 1910, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was an American actress and singer. In 1928, she moved to Los Angeles and began her film career as an extra in Why Bring That Up? after a friendly wager. She appeared on Broadway in the musicals Smiles in 1930 and America's Swe...