Today in Ginny, the family that TIGs together…

First up is producer A.M.Botsford (1884). Botsford had a short run as a producer at Paramount, lasting only four years and 18 titles, if IMDb is to be believed. One of the films in his first year was Ginny’s GIRL OF THE OZARKS (1936), the only time at Paramount she received top billing. If you ever get a chance to view this locked away film, do so. Virginia at age nine carries the film on her back. Little Edie Moseley stands in for the producer.

Now for the family part. Kathleen Lockhart (1894) is part of a multi-generational acting family. She is also part of a family, husband, wife and daughter, who are all TIGers. That is, they all performed in films that Virginia was also in. We celebrated Gene’s birthday last month and June’s got long term treatment (and an interview) in June. Kathleen was the first Lockhart to work with Weidler; she played Miss Thornton in OUTSIDE THESE WALLS (1939), part of Virginia’s two picture loan to Columbia. Kathleen’s own career was smaller in stature than her husband’s as she limited herself to two to three films per year. 

Paul Kelly (1899) has a back story better than most of his pictures. While a young actor on Broadway and in films, he got into a fight with an irate husband, dancer Ray Raymond. Raymond died in the altercation and Kelly served 25 months for manslaughter. Once he was allowed, he and Raymond’s widow married. Kelly went on to be one of the most dependable character actors in Hollywood for two decades and even won a Tony Award on Broadway. Here you see him as Police Lt. Mac McCauley getting stuck with Ginny’s rabbits in I’LL WAIT FOR YOU (1941) while prisoner Robert Sterling looks on.

Actor Bernard DeRoux (1902) stole Warner Brothers’ money, in ginnyfan’s opinion. He was the technical adviser on ALL THIS AND HEAVEN TOO (1940). I assume he was supposed to teach the cast a proper French accent. Since no one used one in the entire film except Charles Boyer, and I’m betting he already had one, I think DeRoux scammed them. For the record, DeRoux also played some waiters and porters on screen in a short career. A photo of Virginia’s Louise looking very concerned about the film’s budget stands in.