Remembering actress Virginia Gregg
Virginia Gregg, an actress who carved a place for herself in Hollywood films, radio and television, first left her mark in Harrisburg.
The week, the city is marking the 100th year of her birth with a weeklong celebration.
Born in the city on March 6, 1916, Virginia Gregg went on to a career in Hollywood that lasted more than 40 years, and saw her appear in more than 1,200 radio and television dramas, as well as about 45 motion pictures.
Although she left Harrisburg at an early age, Gregg always spoke of her native city with affection, according to Jaime del Valle, Jr., one of the sons of her marriage to producer and director Jaime del Valle.
Regarding herself as an actress rather than a star, Gregg displayed the versatility, meticulous preparation, and dedication to the craft of acting that kept her in demand in Hollywood for more than four decades. She especially shone in her voice work for radio, where she was a regular on many of the popular radio dramas of the 1940s and '50s, such as Gunsmoke, Have Gun Will Travel, Dragnet, Richard Diamond, Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar, Dr. Kildare, and Suspense.
She successfully made the jump to TV roles, appearing in most of the television dramas of the 1950s, '60s and '70s, including among many others: The Twilight Zone, Perry Mason, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Gunsmoke, The Waltons, Happy Days and especially Dragnet. She was a particular favorite of producer-director Jack Webb, who repeatedly cast her in the shows under his control and said, "Virginia is the actress's actress."
The need to stay in Los Angeles to raise her three sons caused Gregg to limit her movie career, and she repeatedly turned down roles that would have required her to travel for extended shoots on location. Some of her roles were memorable, however, especially in movies such as Operation Petticoat, Spencer's Mountain, The D.I., and as the terrifying off-screen voice of the mummified mother in Psycho. Her son well remembers that when he and his brothers would become unruly at night, when they should be sleeping, the next thing they would hear would be that voice outside their doors.
A series of free community events is planned to commemorate the centennial of Harrisburg's gift to Hollywood (see box).
Sponsors of the week include the Saline County Historical Society, the Saline County Genealogical Society, the Harrisburg District Library, Radio Station WEBQ-FM, and the city of Harrisburg. The celebration has been financed by a generous grant from the Saline County Tourism board. All events are free and open to the public. For additional information, call (630) 470-7692.
A Century of Virginia Gregg
<p>A series of free community events is planned to commemorate the centennial of actress Virginia Gregg, Harrisburg's gift to Hollywood.</p>
<p>March 1-6: WEBQ-FM (102.3) will broadcast one or more of Virginia Gregg's radio dramas.</p>
<p>March 1-3: The Harrisburg District Library will screen back-to-back episodes of Virginia Gregg's TV work from 6:30-7:30 p.m. each night: The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents (Tuesday), Gunsmoke, Wanted: Dead or Alive (Wednesday), and Dragnet (Thursday).</p>
<p>March 5: The library's series conclude with a 2 p.m. showing of Spencer's Mountain, a film which is said to have inspired the TV series The Waltons. Refreshments will be provided at the movie.</p>
<p>March 6, the 100th anniversary of Virginia Gregg’s birth celebration week concludes with a 2 p.m. dedication of an Illinois State Historical Marker at 325 East Locust Street in Harrisburg.</p>
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