Virginia Grey

Was a lifelong friend of producer Ross Hunter and appeared in almost all of his major films. "Notice I wasn't in Lost Horizon (1973), however," she once said, referring to the notorious 1973 remake of the James Hilton story. A colossal critical and commercial failure, it essentially marked the end of Hunter's career as a major Hollywood player.

She left MGM in 1942 and went out on her own, working at almost every studio in Hollywood.

She had an on again/off again relationship with Clark Gable in the 1940s. After his wife Carole Lombard died and he returned from military service, Clark and Virginia were often seen at restaurants and nightclubs together. Many, including Virginia herself, expected him to marry her. The tabloids were all expecting the wedding announcement. It was a great surprise when he hastily married Lady Sylvia Ashley in 1949. Virginia was heartbroken. Ashley and Gable divorced in 1952, but much to Virginia's dismay their brief romance was never rekindled. Her friends say that her hoping and waiting for Clark was the reason she never married.

Was close friends with Lana Turner and the two actresses appeared in a total of six films together -Rich Man, Poor Girl (1938)(1938), Dramatic School (1938) (1938), Portrait in Black (1960)(1960), Bachelor in Paradise (1961) (1962), Love Has Many Faces (1965)(1965) and Madame X (1966).

Returning to films as an adult in the 1930s, she started out getting extra work and bit parts, but soon graduated to speaking roles and was eventually signed to a contract by MGM. The studio gave her leading parts in "B" pictures and supporting roles in "A" pictures.

Born into a show-business family--her father was a director and her mother was a film cutter--Virginia Grey made her film debut at age 10 as Eva in Uncle Tom's Cabin (1927). After a few more films as a child actress, she left the business to finish her schooling.