Virginia Biddle

Virginia Biddle
Biddle in 1927
Born(1910-12-17)December 17, 1910[1]
Topeka, Kansas, U.S.[1]
DiedFebruary 21, 2003(2003-02-21) (aged 92)[1]
Old Saybrook, Connecticut, U.S.[1]
Occupation(s)Dancer, model, showgirl

Virginia Biddle (December 17, 1910 – February 21, 2003)[1] was an American revue performer, showgirl, and former nude model. She was a regular performer in Florenz Ziegfeld's Follies shows for several years until 1931.[2]

In July 1931, Biddle sustained burns to her feet and ankles in the explosion of Harry Richman's yacht, the Chavalmar II.[2][3][4] Her friend and fellow cast member in the 1931 Follies, Helen Walsh, was killed.[5] Although she played the benefit performance of the Follies in Walsh's memory, Biddle ended her career on the stage in the wake of the accident, and her injuries also forced her to abandon dancing. She sued Richman for $50,000 damages but received only $50.[2]

Biddle married twice and had three children, later forging a career as a realtor in Old Saybrook, Connecticut.[2][6] In 2003, she suffered injuries in a car accident and died shortly afterwards.[6]

  1. ^ a b c d e "BULKLEY, VIRGINIA BIDDLE". Hartford Courant. February 23, 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d "Virginia Biddle". Broadway Photographs. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  3. ^ "'Follies' Girl Dies After Boat Blast". The New York Times. July 28, 1931. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  4. ^ "Three Stage Beauties Hurt In Blast on Richman Yacht". Newspapers.com. July 27, 1931. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  5. ^ Maeder, Jay (September 22, 1999). "Called by Angels Helen Walsh". New York Daily News. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
  6. ^ a b Hanson, Nils (2011). Lillian Lorraine: The Life and Times of a Ziegfeld Diva. McFarland. p. 192. ISBN 978-0786464074.