![Virginia O'Brien](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w185/o3zMXAOrazokOi2WE9DMwWwZRyG.jpg)
Virginia O'Brien
Known to classic film fans by various nicknames--including Miss Deadpan, Frozen Face, and Miss Ice Glacier--this statuesque, dark-haired singer/actress carved a unique niche for herself on stage and screen by the hilarious Sphinx-like way she delivered a song. The daughter of the captain of detectives of the Los Angeles Police Department, Virginia Lee O'Brien became interested in music and dance at an early age (it didn't hurt her career chances that her uncle was noted film director Lloyd Bacon). Her big show-business break came in 1939 after she secured a singing role in the L.A. production of the musical/comedy "Meet the People". On opening night, when time came for her solo number, Virginia became so paralyzed with fright that she sang her song with a wide-eyed motionless stare that sent the audience (which thought her performance a gag) into convulsions. Demoralized, Virginia left the stage only to soon find out that she was a sensation.
Signed by MGM in 1940, she deadpanned her way to acclaim and immense popularity with appearances in some of the studio's most memorable musicals including Thousands Cheer (1943), The Harvey Girls (1946), Till the Clouds Roll By (1946), Ziegfeld Follies (1945), Panama Hattie (1942), Ship Ahoy (1942), Meet the People (1944) and Du Barry Was a Lady (1943), performing inimitable renditions of such classic songs as "The Wild Wild West" (from The Harvey Girls), "A Fine Romance" (from Till the Clouds Roll By (1946)), "It's a Great Big World" (from The Harvey Girls (1946)), "Poor You" (from Ship Ahoy (1942)), and "Say We're Sweethearts Again" (from Meet the People (1944)).
Although too often relegated to featured songs and small supporting roles, she still managed to become an audience favorite by the sheer force of her personality, polished vocals and way with a comic quip. The latter ability is especially apparent in one of her last MGM films, Merton of the Movies (1947), in which she co-starred with Red Skelton. In 1948, after 17 memorable screen appearances for MGM, the studio unceremoniously dropped her from its roster. She returned to films only twice more after her termination from MGM, in Universal's Francis in the Navy (1955) and Disney's Gus (1976), preferring to focus her energies on television and the stage, where she delighted audiences for three more decades.
In the 1980s the still youthful beauty toured the country in a one-woman show and recorded a live album at the famed Masquers Club entitled, "A Salute to the Great MGM Musicals". One of her last significant stage appearances came in 1984 as Parthy Ann in the Long Beach Civic Light Opera's production of "Showboat", with Alan Young. She remained in semi-retirement in a large home in Wrightwood, California, for most of her later years until her death at the Motion Picture Country Hospital in Woodland Hills, 16 January, 2001, from a heart attack.
Known For | Acting |
---|---|
Most Rating | 5.319 |
Birthday | 1919-04-18 |
Place of Birth | Los Angeles, California, USA |
Also Known As | Virginia Lee O'Brien, Miss Red Hot Frozen Face, Вирджиния О'Брайен, |
![Du Barry was a Lady](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/3KwUsNFGsbrtHibFFTopIvN5Lk4.jpg)
1943
![Du Barry was a Lady](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/3KwUsNFGsbrtHibFFTopIvN5Lk4.jpg)
Du Barry was a Lady
6.1/14
Hat check man Louis Blore is in love with nightclub star May Daly. May, however, is in love with a poor dancer but wants to marry for money. When Loui...
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Du Barry was a Lady
![Thousands Cheer](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/7YFjle5GLmpU7xajOVH25TH8ljU.jpg)
1943
![Thousands Cheer](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/7YFjle5GLmpU7xajOVH25TH8ljU.jpg)
Thousands Cheer
6.4/17
Acrobat Eddie Marsh is in the army now. His first act is to become friendly with Kathryn Jones, the colonel's pretty daughter. Their romance hits a fe...
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Thousands Cheer
![Ship Ahoy](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/rSPpJl4DCG5RN0N4waBo8z7GvKP.jpg)
1942
![Ship Ahoy](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/rSPpJl4DCG5RN0N4waBo8z7GvKP.jpg)
Ship Ahoy
5.9/9
Miss Winters is a dancer with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and is asked to secretly transport a prototype magnetic mine to Puerto Rico. She thinks that...
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Ship Ahoy
![Francis in the Navy](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/sF8eGgtbeW4syxXvKDDTtG0ii3O.jpg)
1955
![Francis in the Navy](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/sF8eGgtbeW4syxXvKDDTtG0ii3O.jpg)
Francis in the Navy
5.5/22
In the U. S. Army intelligence office, bumbling lieutenant Peter Stirling receives a coded message from his friend, Francis, a talking mule. The note...
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Francis in the Navy
![Till the Clouds Roll By](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/bHy3xEV2wmeRQWVE8Ko3HdWxt97.jpg)
1946
![Till the Clouds Roll By](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/bHy3xEV2wmeRQWVE8Ko3HdWxt97.jpg)
Till the Clouds Roll By
5.6/22
Light bio-pic of American Broadway pioneer Jerome Kern, featuring renditions of the famous songs from his musical plays by contemporary stage artists,...
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Till the Clouds Roll By
![Meet the People](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/r50ho1bUZcwG9B2wwrznxea0oYC.jpg)
1944
![Meet the People](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/r50ho1bUZcwG9B2wwrznxea0oYC.jpg)
Meet the People
5/4
A idealistic shipyard worker interests a beautiful Hollywood star in staging a musical tribute to the war industry, but they disagree on some importan...
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Meet the People
![Panama Hattie](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/5qpmpDqwKgfb11MFyjZ4xv6h3SR.jpg)
1942
![Panama Hattie](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/5qpmpDqwKgfb11MFyjZ4xv6h3SR.jpg)
Panama Hattie
4/2
Sailors and spies mingle in between the acts at Hattie's nightclub in the Canal Zone.
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Panama Hattie
![Merton of the Movies](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/3aymf3HOj0sPF9GY2v4Jq2ZLp8B.jpg)
1947
![Merton of the Movies](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/3aymf3HOj0sPF9GY2v4Jq2ZLp8B.jpg)
Merton of the Movies
6.8/4
In 1915, Kansas theatre usher Merton Gill is a rabid silent-movie fan. When he brings Mammoth Studios free publicity by imitating star Lawrence Rupert...
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Merton of the Movies
![Ringside Maisie](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/kvWEzTApRaCu1WXmDSIafOqkB2G.jpg)
1941
![Ringside Maisie](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/kvWEzTApRaCu1WXmDSIafOqkB2G.jpg)
Ringside Maisie
7/3
Young undefeated boxer Terry Dolan, who's been lying to his invalid mother about his career, confides to Maisie that he hates and is terrified by boxi...
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Ringside Maisie
![Two Girls and a Sailor](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/j7mQELOJvbX4rdzsF0MK9tudp6M.jpg)
1944
![Two Girls and a Sailor](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/j7mQELOJvbX4rdzsF0MK9tudp6M.jpg)
Two Girls and a Sailor
5.7/10
A sailor helps two sisters start up a service canteen. The sailor soon becomes taken with gorgeous sister Jean, unaware that her sibling Patsy is also...
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Two Girls and a Sailor
![The Harvey Girls](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/jk38rtmtxoLkHDLjLP7u7QhfkRH.jpg)
1946
![The Harvey Girls](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/jk38rtmtxoLkHDLjLP7u7QhfkRH.jpg)
The Harvey Girls
6.438/48
On a train trip out west to become a mail-order bride, Susan Bradley meets a cheery crew of young women traveling out to open a "Harvey House" restaur...
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The Harvey Girls
![The Big Store](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/3lY9bR7a0xc8XMyGkvg7S3DkMEZ.jpg)
1941
![The Big Store](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/3lY9bR7a0xc8XMyGkvg7S3DkMEZ.jpg)
The Big Store
6.3/64
A detective is hired to protect the life of a singer, who has recently inherited a department store, from the store's crooked manager.
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The Big Store
![Gus](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/p85XLgX858DoH5WjE07iABii7ja.jpg)
1976
![Gus](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/p85XLgX858DoH5WjE07iABii7ja.jpg)
Gus
6.013/38
The California Atoms are in last place with no hope of moving up. But by switching the mule from team mascot to team member, (He can kick 100 yard fie...
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Gus
![Lady Be Good](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/pSWzGKpEexa1Q6RsRozXfdshHaP.jpg)
1941
![Lady Be Good](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/pSWzGKpEexa1Q6RsRozXfdshHaP.jpg)
Lady Be Good
5.4/13
Married songwriters almost split up while putting on a big show.
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Lady Be Good
![The Show-Off](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/jKZ2Gm08Cx89fY2Ci2FVNO4Hh6N.jpg)
1946
![The Show-Off](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/jKZ2Gm08Cx89fY2Ci2FVNO4Hh6N.jpg)
The Show-Off
7/2
Chaos is brought to a family when daughter marries a brash young man met on a blind date.
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The Show-Off
![Sky Murder](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/i1B72iy8IVawHbkNDKUudZLhswX.jpg)
1940
![Sky Murder](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/i1B72iy8IVawHbkNDKUudZLhswX.jpg)
Sky Murder
6.3/7
This final Carter film is a lot of fun, with Nick (unwillingly, at first) taking on a ring of Fifth Columnists (since this was filmed before the US en...
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Sky Murder
![Hullabaloo](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/jWHWxXc2ofSokrr5I3G0lwbn6fa.jpg)
1940
![Hullabaloo](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/jWHWxXc2ofSokrr5I3G0lwbn6fa.jpg)
Hullabaloo
4/1
A radio actor faces trouble when a science-fiction story causes the audience to panic.
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Hullabaloo
![The Great Morgan](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/hQ6t95zKmtVx7GtPacJIPz1QMTY.jpg)
1945
![The Great Morgan](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/hQ6t95zKmtVx7GtPacJIPz1QMTY.jpg)
The Great Morgan
5.5/2
Frank Morgan is hired to put together a movie using odds and ends from the MGM vaults. He does so by splicing together a string of completely unrelate...
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The Great Morgan
![Ziegfeld Follies](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/aOEBNv8ddg6ZsroRSyv7k46xwHG.jpg)
1945
![Ziegfeld Follies](http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/aOEBNv8ddg6ZsroRSyv7k46xwHG.jpg)
Ziegfeld Follies
6.163/49
The late, great impresario Florenz Ziegfeld looks down from heaven and ordains a new revue in his grand old style.
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Ziegfeld Follies
![Musical Merry-Go-Round #4](https://movieunlimited.net/assets/no-poster.png)
1948
![Musical Merry-Go-Round #4](https://movieunlimited.net/assets/no-poster.png)
Musical Merry-Go-Round #4
1/1
Virginia O'Brien visits Martin Block as he hosts a radio show devoted to Les Brown and His Band of Renown. A few numbers are heard from the band as Bl...
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Musical Merry-Go-Round #4
![Screen Snapshots Series 21 No. 1](https://movieunlimited.net/assets/no-poster.png)
1941
![Screen Snapshots Series 21 No. 1](https://movieunlimited.net/assets/no-poster.png)
Screen Snapshots Series 21 No. 1
0/0
This edition of Screen Snapshots has more of a vaudeville flavor as opposed to Ralph Staub's usual candid-camera at home with the stars offerings. Ken...
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