I became ginnyfan very late in life. I’m retired and like to watch classic movies. One day, I was watching an old film, THE LONE WOLF SPY HUNT, on one of those new over-the-air digital channels. I recognized the Lone Wolf’s daughter in the film as Virginia Weidler, a child actress I knew from THE PHILADELPHIA STORY, THE WOMEN, and several films she made with Mickey Rooney. As I often do, I looked her up on the internet.

I was saddened to find an incomplete story and a common theme of sadness on the sites I visited. It was always the story of a young girl with a lot of talent who gets kicked out of the business for not being as glamorous as Hollywood required once she came of age. That the girl then dies of a lifelong heart ailment barely in her forties made it worse. The gloom of what I read stayed with me and I needed to know more about her career and her life.

Since then I’ve pestered writers, fan forums, and any actor I can find who might have worked with her. Several of these stars of the past were extremely helpful. Her last leading man, Tommy Dix, spoke with me for two hours. June Lockhart, Margaret “Tinkerbell” Kerry, Marilyn Knowlden, Gloria Jean, and Gene Reynolds were equally generous with time and information. Some barely knew Virginia, but all had nothing but praise for her professionalism and her kindness. Jean Porter once wrote that “Virginia Weidler Krisel was the nicest person I ever met.” My interview efforts bear that out. She genuinely touched those she met.

The Virginia Weidler story as I’ve found it is one of an amazingly well adjusted child who just happened to be a movie actress. She grew up into a wonderful wife and mother with a loving and devoted family. If you want scandal, it won’t be here. And the only sadness is that illness took her from the people who loved her much too soon.

I started the Virginia Weidler Remembrance Society on Facebook in mid-2012 simply as a gathering place for fans to share what they know about Ginny, articles they’ve found and, of course, the photos. We sometimes veer off course and discuss other performers for days, trying to solve the mysteries of 1930s and 40s Hollywood as seen through the eyes of ten year olds.

Want to be a member? Guess what, if you’re reading this, you already are. Anyone with interest in the subject is a VWRS member. There are no dues and no secret handshake. Just keep on being a Ginny fan.  

By the way, since about three months into our existence, this hasn’t been a one person effort. Movie writer Danny Miller (www.cinephiled.com) kept posting so much on our Facebook page that I made him co-manager. His help (he’s even willing to ask questions for us when doing his real work) and the spiritual leadership of his young son Charlie are a constant source of inspiration to me. One day, I may actually meet them!

Finally, the most important person in the founding of our group is the person it is named for, Virginia Weidler. I thank her for being the talent she was to get me interested and the person she was to keep me wanting to research her life and write about it every day for the past two years.

Spread the word that we are here! 

ginnyfan

January  29, 2014

P.S.- People always want to know about our wonderful masthead. It was created by Tommy Dix’s biographer Ken Robichaux (tommydix.com) and then slightly adapted for the current sites by me. Ken is also responsible for the wonderful colorized photo of Ginny as Tannie Edison that graces her about Virginia page.