Virginia Gibson

Virginia Gibson
Gibson in 1967.
Born	Virginia Gorski (1925-04-09)April 9, 1925 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Died	April 25, 2013(2013-04-25) (aged 88) Newtown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1943-1971

Virginia Gibson (born Virginia Gorski; April 9, 1925 – April 25, 2013) was an American dancer, singer and actress of film, television and musical theatre.^[1]

Career

Virginia Gibson, known as Virginia Gorski until she was signed by Warner Brothers in the 1950s, started her career in musicals in her hometown of St. Louis, MO and on Broadway. Billed as a "Starlet" she was part of the group of Hollywood actors who traveled across the country in 1951-52 promoting the 50th Anniversary of movie theaters. With Roscoe Ates and Charles Starrett she toured eastern Oklahoma greeting the public. In Hollywood she played supporting or leading roles in a number of Warner Brothers musicals. Her most famous film role was Liza in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers in 1954. While in Hollywood she also starred in a television series So This Is Hollywood with Mitzi Green, which ran for one season in 1955. She was a regular performer on The Johnny Carson Show (1955–56), an earlier Carson series, not to be confused with The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. In 1956 she returned to Broadway to play Ethel Merman's daughter in the musical Happy Hunting. She then became one of the stars of Your Hit Parade, one of the most popular TV shows of the 1950s, for one season. From 1962 to 1971 she co-hosted, with Frank Buxton (and later, Bill Owen), the ABC-TV children's documentary program Discovery. When her performing career ended she spent many years teaching acting and theater classes to young people at the HB Studio in New York. She died on April 25, 2013, at the age of 88.

Awards

In 1957 she was nominated for a Tony Award Best Featured Actress in a Musical, for her portrayal of Beth Livingstone in Happy Hunting.

Theatrical Appearances

• A Connecticut Yankee (Dancing Girl), 1943-44, Martin Beck Theater, New York
• Laffing Room Only (Dancer). 1944-45, Winter Garden Theater, New York
• Billion Dollar Baby (Chorine, Dancer), 1945-46, Alvin Theater, New York
• No, No, Nanette (Nanette), 1947, St. Louis Municipal Opera
• Babes in Toyland (Jill), 1947, St. Louis Municipal Opera
• High Button Shoes (corps de ballet), 1947, New Century Theatre, New York
• Look, Ma, I'm Dancin'! (Snow White), 1948, Adelphi Theatre, New York
• Along Fifth Avenue (Singer, dancer), 1949, Broadhurst Theatre, New York
• Bitter Sweet (Dolly), 1949, St. Louis Municipal Opera
• Bloomer Girl (Daisy), 1949, St. Louis Municipal Opera
• Irene (Helen), 1949, St. Louis Municipal Opera
• The Vagabond King (Lady Mary), 1949, St. Louis Municipal Opera
• The New Moon (Julie), 1949, St. Louis Municipal Opera
• Whoopee! (Harriet Underwood), 1950, St. Louis Municipal Opera
• The Great Waltz (lead dancer) 1953, Los Angeles Civic Light Opera and San Francisco Light Opera
• Happy Hunting (Beth Livingstone), 1956-57, Majestic Theatre, New York

Filmography

• Tea for Two Warner Brothers, 1950
• Painting the Clouds With Sunshine Warner Brothers, 1951
• Goodbye, My Fancy Warner Brothers, 1951
• About Face Warner Brothers, 1952
• Stop, You're Killing Me Warner Brothers, 1952
• She's Back on Broadway Warner Brothers, 1953
• Seven Brides for Seven Brothers MGM, 1954
• Athena MGM, 1954
• So This Is Hollywood (TV sitcom) 1955
• I Killed Wild Bill Hickok The Wheeler Company, 1956
• Once Upon a Honeymoon Jerry Fairbanks Productions, 1956
• Funny Face Paramount Pictures, 1957

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Virginia Gibson.

• Virginia Gibson on IMDb
• Virginia Gibson at the Internet Broadway Database
• Virginia Gibson at Find a Grave