Matinee Classics - Ginger Rogers Biography & Filmography

Ginger Rogers ACTOR

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GINGER ROGERS BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Ginger Rogers was born on July 16th, 1911 in Independence, Missouri with the birth name Virginia Katherine McMath. As a child she was raised by her grandparents as her mother left to look for work in Los Angeles and later when she felt she could afford to raise her daughter, she then sent for her. However, when her mother joined the Marines, she again sent Ginger to live with her grandparents, later she married a man by the name of John Rogers who took on Ginger as his own daughter and she moved to Dallas to live with her mother and new step father.

At the age of fourteen, Ginger won a Charleston dance contest and was awarded a four week contract on the interstate circuit performing in vaudeville. She did this up until the age of seventeen and realized how much she enjoyed performing. Son she found an agent and began taking on small film roles in the early 30's such as, "A Night in a Dormitory" (1930), "Campus Sweethearts" (1930), "Young Man of Manhattan" (1930) and "The Sap from Syracuse" (1930).

Along with gaining experience as a film actress she was given the chance to perform on Broadway in a production titled, "Top Speed" followed by a role in the production, "Girl Crazy" (1930) which lead to a seven year contract with Paramount.

In 1933 she was given a decent size role in the film, "Gold Diggers of 1933" which gained her a decent amount of respect in Hollywood. As her career progressed, Ginger was seen on the big screen in such films as, "Twenty Million Sweethearts" (1934), "Flying Down to Rio" (1933), "Roberta" (1935), "Top Hat" (1935), "Bachelors Mother" (1939), "5th Ave Girl" (1939), "The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle" (1939) and "Kitty Foyle: The Natural History of a Woman" (1940), for which she won an Academy Award for her performance.

In total she appeared in seventy three films and a total of ten of them were alongside Fred Astaire. She was continuing to gain more popularity with each role she added to her resume. After World War II, Ginger remained working in the film industry, however it seamed as though each new role she took on never could quite reach the level of success she had become accustomed to.

She remained being seen on the big screen in such features as, "Tender Comrade" (1943), "Lady in the Dark" (1944), "Week-End at the Waldorf" (1945) and "The Barkleys of Broadway" (1949).

Some of her later film roles were in, "Oh Men! Oh, Women!" (1957), "Harlow" (1965), "Glitter" (1984) and "Hotel" (1987). Along with film work she appeared on a variety of television series such as, "The Red Skelton Hour", "The Love Boat", "Producers' Showcase", "Vacation Playhouse" and "The Steve Allen Plymouth Show".

Along with performing as an actress at the age of seventy four she directed her first stage musical, "Babes in Arms" and she was also the fashion consultant for the J.C. Penny Chain between 1972 and 1975.

She also continued to work on Broadway and as a stage actress traveling Europe, Canada and the United States. Ginger Rogers also published an autobiography in 1991 titled, "Ginger, My Story".

Throughout her lifetime she married a total of five times, first to Jack Pepper in 1929 through 1931. She then married, actor Lew Ayres in 1934 and they were together until 1941. Her third husband was Jack Briggs in 1943 and again by 1949 this marriage had also come to an end. Ginger Rogers married for a fourth time to Jacques Bergerac in 1953 and once again by 1957 another marriage was unsuccessful. Her fifth and final husband was William Marshall whom she wed in 1961 but by 1969 she again ended this marriage it yet another divorce.

At the age of eighty three, Ginger Rogers passed away in Rancho Mirage, California on April 25th, 1995 from natural causes. Her remains were cremated and are interred at Oakwood Memorial Park in Chatsworth, California.