Learn more about virginia obrien at with exclusive news, full bio and filmography as well as photos, videos, and more. Obrien primarily performed in comedic roles during the height of her formal film career. Directed by george sidney, the film stars judy garland and features john hodiak, ray bolger, and angela lansbury, as well as preston foster, virginia obrien, kenny. From mgm picture the harvey girls harry warren johnny mercer with orchestra directed by lennie hayton decca 23460 a l 3956 a decca album 388 6 sides 5 produced with cyberlink powerdirector 15. Virginia obrien was one of the more unique talents under contract to metro goldwyn mayer. The harvey girls 2001 cast and crew when susan bradley judy garland responded to an ad in new mexico for a mailorder bride, she had no idea that her. On a train trip west to become a mailorder bride, susan bradley judy garland meets a cheery crew of young women travelling out to open a. The harvey girls is a delightful musical about young women who venture into the wild west and find adventure, romance, and snakes. She and judy garland were both featured in the film the harvey girls. She cuts her losses and takes a job at the local harvey restaurant, an. The harvey girls is a 1946 american musical film produced by metrogoldwynmayer based on the 1942 novel of the same name by samuel hopkins adams, about fred. Virginia obrien is absent from most of the second half of the film because she became pregnant halfway through filming. Captain obrien went on to become an assistant district attorney. Virginia obrien was a deadpan singer and comedienne who joined mgm after broadway success, but never proved more than an added attraction in several of their musicals, most notably the harvey girls.
Virginia lee obrien april 18, 1919 january 16, 2001 was an american actress, singer, and radio personality known for her comedic roles in metrogoldwynmayer musicals of the 1940s. Her greatest opportunity was likely the harvey girls, in which she was outstanding, but. Susan bradley, a mail order bride, is disappointed in the man whom she was to marry, so she takes a job as a waitress in a harvey restaurant. Harvey girls directed by george sidney, starring george sidney, virginia obrien, judy garland, john hodiak, preston foster, marjorie main, chill wills, angela lansbury, cyd charisse, ray bolger, kenny baker, selena royle. When i arrived, the theater had not yet opened and virginia and her husband were standing outside with me. This was costumer, helen roses first film, and she did an exquisite job of using late victorian fashion and the old west as her inspiration for the garments worn by judy garland, angela lansbury, virginia obrien, cyd charisse, marjorie main, john hodiak, preston foster, ray bolger, and all of the women and men appearing in the film. Virginia obrien filmography year film role notes 1940 hullabaloo virginia ferris songs. A night clubs coatroom attendant whos inlove with the clubs singer accidentally sips a drugged drink that makes him dream hes french king louis xv courting the infamous madame du barry. Judy garland, johnny mercer, harry warren 2, john hodiak, ray bolger, angela lansbury, virginia obrien the harvey girls original motion picture sound track. Directed by george sidney, the film stars judy garland and features john hodiak, ray bolger, and angela lansbury, as well as preston foster, virginia obrien, kenny baker, marjorie main and chill. Judy garland, johnny mercer, harry warren 2, john hodiak, ray bolger, angela lansbury, virginia obrien. Fans of virginia obrien will know that no specialty number ever fit her better, as willful alma, to whom blacksmith chris ray bolger has just confessed his fear of horses, george sidney directing, tune by harry warren and johnny mercer, in mgms the harvey girls, 1946. The harvey girls 2001 cast and crew when susan bradley judy garland responded to an ad in new mexico for a mailorder bride, she had no idea that her wouldbe husband was a brokendown cowhand. From mgm picture the harvey girls harry warren johnny mercer with orchestra directed by lennie hayton decca 23460 b l 3959 a decca album 388 6 sides 6 produced with cyberlink powerdirector 15.
Fans of virginia o brien will know that no specialty number ever fit her better, as willful alma, to whom blacksmith chris ray bolger has just confessed his fear of horses, george sidney directing, tune by harry warren and johnny mercer, in mgms the harvey girls, 1946. Judy garland, kenny baker, virginia obrien selections from the. As the title suggests, this book is about the harvey girls, almost to a fault. Virginia obriens character disappears halfway through the film because she was pregnant during filming and it became too difficult to hide the pregnancy. Susan bradley, a mail order bride, is disappointed in the man whom she was to marry, so she takes a job as a waitress in a. Harvey moved westward and higher in railroad business. This book is the basis for the 1946 mgm musical starring judy garland and angela lansbury. Book author warren newcombe special effects william ferrari art director william rankin screen story. The girls were true pioneers in every sense of the word. She was married first of three to actor kirk alyn, one of the screen portrayers of superman, from1942 to 1955. The harvey girls british board of film classification. The harvey girls with judy garland, and ziegfeld follies. The harvey book, oscar jewell harvey, 1899 27 2 harvey 2 daughter of 1 thomas harvey, and who was born in somersetshire about 1610, was married in england to anthony slocum, presumably of somersetshire. See more ideas about virginia, old hollywood and hollywood.
Obriens dark good looks belied the fact that she primarily performed comedy roles during the height of her career. Mgms deadpan diva is the forthcoming biography of the singercomedienne who appeared in mgm musicals such as the harvey girls, ziegfeld follies, ship ahoy, du barry was a lady and the big store. Mgm bought the rights to samuel hopkins adamss book about the harvey houses as a dramatic vehicle for lana turner. Harvey girls directed by george sidney, starring george sidney, virginia o brien, judy garland, john hodiak, preston foster, marjorie main, chill wills, angela lansbury, cyd charisse, ray bolger, kenny baker, selena royle. Harvey girls the other pioneers of the american west. O brien s dark good looks belied the fact that she primarily performed comedy roles during the height of her career. So many of their stories are similar that they ran together in my head and i had a hard time keeping them all straight. She was very down to earth and didnt seem to mind that only about twenty people showed up for a screening of the harvey girls. The cast is stellar, costumes are gorgeous and the technicolor backdrop of the old west looks like a postcard. A mailorder bride journeying westward doesnt quite click with the man she came to marry. The harvey girls cemented their legend in 1946 with the release of the movie by the same name directed by george sidney and starring judy garland. Judy garland was already starting her problem period by 1946, but one would never know it from looking at the harvey girls and thats all to the films benefit, for she has to carry a great deal of it herself.
Sep 22, 2014 the wild, wild west performed by virginia obrien. Cast and crew credits for the harvey girls, 1946, directed by george sidney, with judy garland, john hodiak, ray bolger, at turner classic movies. Virginia obrien is absent from most of the second half of the film because she. This was costumer, helen roses first film, and she did an exquisite job of using late victorian fashion and the old west as her inspiration for the garments worn by judy. Directors george sidney cast includes judy garland, john hodiak, ray bolger, angela lansbury, preston foster, virginia obrien. Adams novel was about the real life harvey girls who were. The harvey girls opens at capitol musical stars judy garland, kenny baker, ray bolger and virginia obrien by bosley crowther jan. Several scenes with ray bolger were never filmed due to the difficulty in hiding her pregnancy. The harvey girls by george sidney george sidney, judy. Buried, forest lawn memorial park, glendale, ca gender. With red skelton, lucille ball, gene kelly, virginia obrien. Susan bradley, a mail order bride, is disappointed in the man whom she was to marry, so she takes a job as a.
Its a durable myth that fred harveys waitresses helped tame the wild southwest, but a 1942 novel and this. Her big showbusiness break came in 1939 after she secured a singing role in the l. The harvey girls is a 1946 mgm musical film based on the 1942 novel of the same name by samuel hopkins adams, about fred. The most important booktotv adaptations coming in 2020. Folsey art direction william ferrari, cedric gibbons film editor albert akst.
Virginia obrien is noticeably absent from the second half of this movie, right after her wild, wild west number, because she was pregnant during filming. Parenthetical number preceding title is a 1 to 10 imdb viewer poll rating. On a train trip west to become a mailorder bride, susan bradley judy garland meets a cheery crew of young women travelling out to open a harvey house restaurant at a remote whistlestop. Virginia obrien alma kenny baker terry ohalloran chill wills h. In fact, she was pregnant with her first child while making the exuberant judy garland musical the harvey girls 1946. The harvey girls virginia obrien, judy garland, and cyd charisse. Virginia obrien, a comic actress known for her deadpan style of singing, was pregnant while the harvey girls was filmed. This glorified technicolor commercial for the fred harvey restaurants stars judy garland as a 19thcentury mailorder bride. The movie is based on a 1942 novel of the same name by samuel hopkins adams, who also wrote the short story night bus that would later become it happened one night 1934. Thats virginia o brien reading the manual, and marjorie main seated next to her.
The harvey girls is a 1946 american musical film produced by metrogoldwyn mayer based on the 1942 novel of the same name by samuel hopkins adams, about fred harveys. The story of kevin obriens writing career is almost as whimsical as a character you could expect to find in a great book. In 46 mgm released the showoff, till the clouds roll by, ziegfeld follies and the harvey girls with judy garland. Popular videos the harvey girls the harvey girls topic. Virginia o brien is absent from most of the second half of the film because she became pregnant halfway through filming. The harvey girls is a 1946 american musical film produced by metrogoldwynmayer based on the 1942 novel of the same name by samuel hopkins adams, about fred harveys famous harvey house waitresses. Favorite things about the harvey girls 1946 the motion. Sep, 2014 virginia obriens character disappears halfway through the film because she was pregnant during filming and it became too difficult to hide the pregnancy. Before his writing career took off, kevin obrien toiled as a railroad inspector by day or all the live long day, according to his official website, and worked on his stories by night. She was married to kirk alyn from 19421955, vern evans from 19581966 and harry b. Judy garland, john hodiak, ray bolger, angela lansbury, preston foster, virginia o brien, kenny baker, marjorie main, chill wills.
The movie is based on a 1942 novel of the same name by samuel hopkins adams, who also wrote the short story night bus that would later become it happened one night 1934 adams novel was about the real life harvey girls who were. Aug 07, 2019 obrien, with her expressionless delivery, managed to get away with it. The most important book totv adaptations coming in 2020. Obrien, with her expressionless delivery, managed to get away with it. Judy garland, john hodiak, ray bolger, preston foster, virginia obrien, angela lansbury. The harvey girls is a 1946 american musical film produced by metrogoldwynmayer based on the 1942 novel of the same name by samuel hopkins adams, about fred harvey s famous harvey house waitresses. With judy garland, ray bolger, john hodiak, angela lansbury. Upon arriving in new mexico, garland discovers that her husbandtobe is the town drunk.
My third book has been published roberts hollywood. Splendid mgm musical produced in the wake of their smash hit oklahoma. Carry me back to old virginia virginny and jeanie with the light brown hair sky murder lucille lavonne uncredited no songs 1941 the big store kitty song. The book was originally purchased by mgm in 1942 as a possible dramatic film. Mgms deadpan diva will be published by bearmanor media 2016. Although she was dubbed in the harvey girls, 20 years later lansbury would have her own career comeback singing live with her tony winning roles in the musicals mame and sweeney todd among other accomplishments. She came with her husband to america about 1636, and it is believed that they settled at dorchester. Your words and my music ringside maisie herself specialty. Judy garland, john hodiak, ray bolger, angela lansbury, preston foster, virginia obrien, kenny baker, marjorie main, chill wills. She created a cabaret act entitled virginia o brien salutes the great mgm musicals in 1984. Feb 26, 2015 the harvey girls virginia obrien, judy garland, and cyd. Virginia o brien was a deadpan singer and comedienne who joined mgm after broadway success, but never proved more than an added attraction in several of their musicals, most notably the harvey girls. Novel about the harvey girls, waitresses for the nationwide chain of fred harvey restaurants in the 19th century, which fed pioneers and travelers alike. He felt that improvement was needed in the food service.
They have hired judy garland, kenny baker, virginia obrien and ray bolger to sing. This accounts for o brien s character disappearing after o brien sings wild wild west. She created a cabaret act entitled virginia obrien salutes the great mgm musicals in 1984. In 1942, she married actor kirk alyn, who was to become the superman of serials after the war. Virginia o brien, a comic actress known for her deadpan style of singing, was pregnant while the harvey girls was filmed. See more ideas about harvey girls, harvey house and house restaurant. The harvey girls goodreads meet your next favorite book.
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