Ginny Simms
Encyclopedia
Ginny Simms (also known as Virginia E. Eastvold) was an American Popular Singer and film actress. She labeled with Dinah Shore, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Jo Stafford and others. Born in San Antonio, Texas, she sang with big band
s and worked as MGM contract player film actress.
She appeared in 11 movies from 1939 to 1951, when she retired. She was married three times, to Hyatt Hotels founder Hyatt von Dehn from 1945 to 1951, to Bob Calhoun from 1951 to 1952, and Don Eastvold from June 22, 1962 until her death on April 4, 1994.
She originally considered studying to become a concert pianist, but enrolled instead at Fresno State Teachers College
. While there, she began performing in campus productions, singing with sorority sisters and even forming a popular campus vocal trio. Shortly afterward, she struck out on her own to establish a solo singing career and by 1932, she had her own program on a local radio station.
Also in 1932, she became band vocalist for the Tom Gerun band in San Francisco, working together with other vocalists including a young Tony Martin
and Woody Herman
. She joined the Kay Kyser
Orchestra in 1938, where she received her first national exposure appearing on radio shows and in films with Kyser. She made her first movie with Kyser and Lucille Ball
, That’s Right You’re Wrong
(1939
). She nearly married Kyser but left his orchestra in 1941 to do her own radio show.
She starred in the movies Here We Go Again
with Edgar Bergen
, Charlie McCarthy, and Fibber McGee & Molly (1942
), Hit the Ice
with Abbott & Costello (1943
), as Helen Hoyt in Broadway Rhythm
with George Murphy
(1944
), and as Carole Hill in Cole Porter
’s Night and Day (1946
) with Cary Grant
and Alexis Smith
.
In 1951, Simms hosted a local television show on Los Angeles Channel 11, KTTV, which featured dance bands and talent from army, navy, marine, and air force bases around Southern California.
She died in 1994 in Palm Springs and is buried in Desert Memorial Park
in Cathedral City, California
.
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
s and worked as MGM contract player film actress.
She appeared in 11 movies from 1939 to 1951, when she retired. She was married three times, to Hyatt Hotels founder Hyatt von Dehn from 1945 to 1951, to Bob Calhoun from 1951 to 1952, and Don Eastvold from June 22, 1962 until her death on April 4, 1994.
She originally considered studying to become a concert pianist, but enrolled instead at Fresno State Teachers College
California State University, Fresno
California State University, Fresno, often referred to as Fresno State University and synonymously known in athletics as Fresno State , is one of the leading campuses of the California State University system, located at the northeast edge of Fresno, California, USA.The campus sits at the foot of...
. While there, she began performing in campus productions, singing with sorority sisters and even forming a popular campus vocal trio. Shortly afterward, she struck out on her own to establish a solo singing career and by 1932, she had her own program on a local radio station.
Also in 1932, she became band vocalist for the Tom Gerun band in San Francisco, working together with other vocalists including a young Tony Martin
Tony Martin (entertainer)
Tony Martin is an American actor and singer.-Career:Tony Martin was born on Christmas Day, 1913 as Alvin Morris in San Francisco, California to Jewish immigrant parents. He received a saxophone as a gift from his grandmother at the age of ten. In his grammar school glee club, he became an...
and Woody Herman
Woody Herman
Woodrow Charles Herman , known as Woody Herman, was an American jazz clarinetist, alto and soprano saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. Leading various groups called "The Herd," Herman was one of the most popular of the 1930s and '40s bandleaders...
. She joined the Kay Kyser
Kay Kyser
James Kern Kyser was a popular bandleader and radio personality of the 1930s and 1940s.-Early years:He was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, the son of pharmacists Paul Bynum Kyser and Emily Royster Kyser. Editor Vermont C. Royster was his cousin...
Orchestra in 1938, where she received her first national exposure appearing on radio shows and in films with Kyser. She made her first movie with Kyser and Lucille Ball
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy...
, That’s Right You’re Wrong
That’s Right You’re Wrong
That's Right You're Wrong is a musical film, directed by David Butler and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The film starred Kay Kyser and his band, with a cast that included Adolphe Menjou, Lucille Ball, Edward Everett Horton, Roscoe Karns, and Ginny Simms .-Cast:*Kay Kyser as Kay Kyser*Adolphe...
(1939
1939 in film
The year 1939 in motion pictures can be justified as being called the most outstanding one ever, when it comes to the high quality and high attendance at the large set of the best films that premiered in the year .- Events :Motion picture historians and film often rate...
). She nearly married Kyser but left his orchestra in 1941 to do her own radio show.
She starred in the movies Here We Go Again
Here We Go Again (film)
Here We Go Again , a 1942 film and sequel to Look Who's Laughing. Fibber McGee and Molly's second honeymoon goes awry.-Cast:* Jim Jordan - Fibber McGee* Marian Jordan - Molly* Edgar Bergen - Himself* Charlie McCarthy - Himself...
with Edgar Bergen
Edgar Bergen
Edgar John Bergen was an American actor and radio performer, best known as a ventriloquist.-Early life:...
, Charlie McCarthy, and Fibber McGee & Molly (1942
1942 in film
The year 1942 in film involved some significant events, in particular the release of a film consistently rated as one of the greatest of all time, Casablanca.-Events:...
), Hit the Ice
Hit the Ice (film)
Hit the Ice is a 1943 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello and directed by Charles Lamont, who took over after the original director, Erle C. Kenton, was fired.-Plot:...
with Abbott & Costello (1943
1943 in film
The year 1943 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 3 - 1st missing persons telecast * February 20 - American film studio executives agree to allow the Office of War Information to censor films....
), as Helen Hoyt in Broadway Rhythm
Broadway Rhythm
Broadway Rhythm is an MGM Technicolor musical film. It was produced by Jack Cummings and directed by Roy Del Ruth. The film was originally announced as Broadway Melody of 1944 to follow MGM's Broadway Melody films of 1929, 1936, 1938, and 1940. The movie was originally slated to star Eleanor...
with George Murphy
George Murphy
George Lloyd Murphy was an American dancer, actor, and politician.-Life and career:He was born in New Haven, Connecticut of Irish Catholic extraction, the son of Michael Charles "Mike" Murphy, athletic trainer and coach, and Nora Long. He was educated at Peddie School, Trinity-Pawling School, and...
(1944
1944 in film
The year 1944 in film involved some significant events, including the wholesome, award-winning Going My Way plus popular murder mysteries such as Double Indemnity, Gaslight and Laura.-Events:*July 20 - Since You Went Away is released....
), and as Carole Hill in Cole Porter
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
’s Night and Day (1946
1946 in film
The year 1946 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*November 21 - William Wyler's The Best Years of Our Lives premieres in New York featuring an ensemble cast including Fredric March, Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, and Harold Russell.*December 20 - Frank Capra's It's a...
) with Cary Grant
Cary Grant
Archibald Alexander Leach , better known by his stage name Cary Grant, was an English actor who later took U.S. citizenship...
and Alexis Smith
Alexis Smith
Alexis Smith was a Canadian-born stage, film, and television actress. She appeared in several major Hollywood movies in the 1940s and had a notable career on Broadway in the 1970s, winning a Tony Award in 1972.-Life and career:...
.
In 1951, Simms hosted a local television show on Los Angeles Channel 11, KTTV, which featured dance bands and talent from army, navy, marine, and air force bases around Southern California.
She died in 1994 in Palm Springs and is buried in Desert Memorial Park
Desert Memorial Park
Desert Memorial Park is a cemetery in Cathedral City, California, United States, near Palm Springs. It is maintained by the Palm Springs Cemetery District...
in Cathedral City, California
Cathedral City, California
Cathedral City is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 51,200 at the 2010 census. Sandwiched between Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage, it is one of the cities in the Coachella Valley of southern California...
.