- Born
- Died
- Birth nameHelen Virginia Briggs
- Height1.68 m
- American leading lady of the 1930s and 1940s, Virginia Bruce was born in Minnesota but grew up in Fargo, North Dakota, and came to California to attend college. Her blond good looks got her an entry into films, and after a few extra roles and bit parts she began to make serious inroads as a leading woman in secondary films and as the "other" woman in more prestigious productions. She married screen legend John Gilbert, then in his decline. Subsequently she was married to director J. Walter Ruben and to Turkish producer/director Ali Ipar, for whom she appeared in some Turkish films all but unseen in America. She died in 1982.- IMDb mini biography by: Jim Beaver <jumblejim@prodigy.net>
- SpousesAli Ipar(November 13, 1952 - January 16, 1964) (divorced)Ali Ipar(August 27, 1946 - July 30, 1951) (divorced)J. Walter Ruben(December 18, 1937 - August 16, 1942) (his death, 1 child)John Gilbert(August 11, 1932 - May 25, 1934) (divorced, 1 child)
- ParentsEarll Frederick BriggsMargaret Mary Morris
- RelativesStanley Morris Briggs(Sibling)
- Was one of the 20 original The Goldwyn Girls, along with Betty Grable, Paulette Goddard and Ann Sothern.
- She was divorced from Ali Ipar for the first time in 1951 when he began his compulsory Turkish army service because Turkish law forbids commissions to men married to foreigners.
- After ex-husband John Gilbert died in 1936, she made 14 movies in 16 months.
- Like most actors and actresses from then and now, she was a very active member of the Democrat Party and donated much of her time and money to many liberal causes (such as the Civil Rights Movement and the creation of The United Nations) and political candidates (including Franklin D. Roosevelt, Henry Wallace, Adlai Stevenson, John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Jimmy Carter) during her lifetime.
- Coached by Roger Edens her soprano voice was used to introduce the Cole Porter song "I've Got You Under My Skin" to film audiences in the MGM musical L'amiral mène la danse (1936), singing the song to James Stewart.
- My chief purpose in life is to fall in love. I don't know why I want to, but I do.
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