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Virginia Bruce

Virginia Bruce

Acting

Born: September 29, 1910Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Virginia Bruce (September 29, 1910 – February 24, 1982) was an American actress and singer. Born Helen Virginia Briggs in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In 1928, she moved with her family to Los Angeles intending to enroll in the University of California, Los Angeles when a friendly wager sent her seeking film work. She got it as an extra in Why Bring That Up?. In 1930 she appeared on Broadway in the musical Smiles, followed by America's Sweetheart in 1931. She returned to Hollywood in 1932, where on August 10, 1932, she married John Gilbert, her co-star in the film Downstairs. She retired briefly after the birth of their daughter Susan Ann Gilbert. The couple divorced in 1934, and Virginia returned to a hectic schedule of film appearances. Gilbert died two years later in 1936. Bruce introduced the Cole Porter standard "I've Got You Under My Skin" in the film Born to Dance and co-starred in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical The Great Ziegfeld. One of her final film appearances was in Strangers When We Meet. In 1949, Bruce starred in a daily 30-minute radio drama. Make Believe Town was an afternoon program on CBS. Bruce married her second husband, film director J. Walter Ruben, in 1937, making the Wallace Beery western The Bad Man of Brimstone with him that year. Together they had a son named Christopher (b. 1941), before Ruben's death in 1942. In 1946, Bruce married Ali Ipar. They divorced in 1951 in order for him to receive a commission in the Turkish Military (which forbade promotions of men married to foreigners), but remarried in 1952 before divorcing again in 1964. Bruce died of cancer on February 24, 1982, at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California. She was 71.

Known For
Filmography
Complicated Women

Complicated Women

Self (archive footage)

2003
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life

James Stewart: A Wonderful Life

Self (archive footage)

1987
That's Entertainment!

That's Entertainment!

(archive footage)

1974
Strangers When We Meet

Strangers When We Meet

Mrs. Wagner

1960
The Reluctant Bride

The Reluctant Bride

Laura Weeks

1955
The Plague

The Plague

Nurse

1954
State Department: File 649

State Department: File 649

Marge

1949
Night Has a Thousand Eyes

Night Has a Thousand Eyes

Jenny

1948
Love, Honor and Goodbye

Love, Honor and Goodbye

Roberta Baxter

1945
Brazil

Brazil

Nicky Henderson

1944
Action in Arabia

Action in Arabia

Yvonne

1944
Careful, Soft Shoulders

Careful, Soft Shoulders

Connie Mathers

1942
Pardon My Sarong

Pardon My Sarong

Joan Marshall

1942
Butch Minds the Baby

Butch Minds the Baby

Susie O'Neill

1942
Adventure in Washington

Adventure in Washington

Jane Scott

1941
The Invisible Woman

The Invisible Woman

Kitty Carroll

1940
Hired Wife

Hired Wife

Phyllis Walden

1940
Cavalcade of the Academy Awards

Cavalcade of the Academy Awards

Self

1940
The Man Who Talked Too Much

The Man Who Talked Too Much

Joan Reed

1940
Flight Angels

Flight Angels

Mary Norvell

1940
Stronger Than Desire

Stronger Than Desire

Elizabeth Flagg

1939
Land of Liberty

Land of Liberty

(archive footage)

1939
Hollywood Hobbies

Hollywood Hobbies

Self (uncredited)

1939
Society Lawyer

Society Lawyer

Pat Abbott

1939
Let Freedom Ring

Let Freedom Ring

Maggie Adams

1939
There's That Woman Again

There's That Woman Again

Sally Reardon

1938
There Goes My Heart

There Goes My Heart

Joan Butterfield

1938
Hollywood Goes to Town

Hollywood Goes to Town

Self

1938
Woman Against Woman

Woman Against Woman

Maris Kent

1938
Yellow Jack

Yellow Jack

Frances Blake

1938
The First Hundred Years

The First Hundred Years

Lynn Conway

1938
Arsène Lupin Returns

Arsène Lupin Returns

Lorraine de Grissac

1938
The Bad Man of Brimstone

The Bad Man of Brimstone

Loretta Douglas

1937
Wife, Doctor and Nurse

Wife, Doctor and Nurse

Nurse Stephens

1937
Between Two Women

Between Two Women

Patricia Sloan

1937
When Love Is Young

When Love Is Young

Wanda Werner

1937
Women of Glamour

Women of Glamour

Gloria Hudson

1937
Born to Dance

Born to Dance

Lucy James

1936
The Great Ziegfeld

The Great Ziegfeld

Audrey Dane

1936
The Garden Murder Case

The Garden Murder Case

Zalia Graem

1936
A Dream Comes True

A Dream Comes True

Herself (uncredited)

1935
Pirate Party on Catalina Isle

Pirate Party on Catalina Isle

Virginia Bruce (uncredited)

1935
Metropolitan

Metropolitan

Anne Merrill

1935
Here Comes the Band

Here Comes the Band

Margaret

1935
The Murder Man

The Murder Man

Mary Shannon

1935
Escapade

Escapade

Gerta

1935
Let 'em Have It

Let 'em Have It

Eleanor Spencer

1935
Times Square Lady

Times Square Lady

Toni Bradley

1935
Shadow of Doubt

Shadow of Doubt

Trenna

1935
Society Doctor

Society Doctor

Madge

1935
The Mighty Barnum

The Mighty Barnum

Jenny Lind

1934
Dangerous Corner

Dangerous Corner

Ann Beale

1934
Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre

1934
Kongo

Kongo

Ann

1932
Downstairs

Downstairs

Anna

1932
Winner Take All

Winner Take All

Joan Gibson

1932
Sky Bride

Sky Bride

Ruth Dunning

1932
The Miracle Man

The Miracle Man

Margaret Thornton

1932
Whoopee!

Whoopee!

Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)

1930
Follow Thru

Follow Thru

Woman in Ladies' Locker Room (uncredited)

1930
Let's Go Native

Let's Go Native

Wendell Sr.'s Secretary (uncredited)

1930
Raffles

Raffles

Gwen's Friend (uncredited)

1930
The Social Lion

The Social Lion

Society Girl

1930
Safety in Numbers

Safety in Numbers

Alma McGregor

1930
Paramount on Parade

Paramount on Parade

Chorus Girl (uncredited)

1930
Young Eagles

Young Eagles

Florence Welford

1930
Only the Brave

Only the Brave

Elizabeth

1930
Slightly Scarlet

Slightly Scarlet

Enid Corbett

1930
The Love Parade

The Love Parade

Lady-in-Waiting

1930
Lilies of the Field

Lilies of the Field

Doris

1930
Pointed Heels

Pointed Heels

Chorus Girl (uncredited)

1929
Woman Trap

Woman Trap

Nurse

1929
Hard to Get

Hard to Get

Young Woman (uncredited)

1929
The River of Romance

The River of Romance

Southern Belle

1929
Fugitives

Fugitives

Extra (uncredited)

1929