| Virginia Vale | |
|---|---|
| Born | Dorothy Howe May 20, 1920 Dallas, Texas |
| Died | September 14, 2006 (aged 86) Los Angeles, California |
| Occupation | Actress, U.S. Figure Skating Association Judge, Executive Secretary |
Virginia Vale (20 May 1920 - 14 Sep 2006) was an American film actress. She starred in a number of B-movie Westerns but took a variety of other roles as well, notably in The Blonde Comet (1941), in which she played a race car driver.
Vale was born Dorothy Howe, and was credited under that name in several of her earlier films. The name Virginia Vale had been chosen in advance for the female winner of the 1939 "Gateway to Hollywood" contest, a nation-wide talent search sponsored by producer Jesse Lasky -- as noted (somewhat indignantly) then by another Virginia Vale[1] a syndicated columnist covering the film industry.[2] Vale edged out Rhonda Fleming in the 1939 contest.[3]
After her film career, she became an executive secretary at Lockheed, but also a competition judge for the US Figure Skating Association. She was eventually honored by the USFSA for 50 years of service in that role.[4][5] Before becoming a judge, she'd also briefly been a competition skater.[4] Her life in film and skating was featured at the 2002 U.S. figure skating championships[6] and a memorial trophy for "most outstanding performance" was given in her name at the 2007 California Championships.[7]
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