A Heart of Gold

Virginia Martin, born in 1927,

hailed from Tennessee.

Her Broadway debut was in the original 1949 production 

of South Pacific (as part of the ensemble).

She was in the chorus for Ankles Aweigh and The Pajama Game,

and in 1958 understudied the leading lady 

(Vivian Blaine)

in Say, Darling...

but her big break came in

1961

when she was cast as Hedy La Rue in

How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying.

 

 

Above, Virginia in pirate garb to play 

The Treasure Girl

with Rudy Vallee and Robert Morse.

On Sunday we'll hear Rudy and Virginia 

duet with "Love From A Heart Of Gold."

A year later,

Virginia was cast as Belle Poitrine (the younger)

in Little Me

which starred Sid Caesar (in multiple roles)

and had the music of 

Cy Coleman (below with Virginia)

and Carolyn Leigh. 

 

Virginia earned a Tony nomination for her work

in this show.

In fact, the show received 10 nominations in all,

including Best Musical,

but the only one to walk away with a win was 

Bob Fosse for choreography.

Above, recording the cast album with 

Nancy Andrews (who played the older version of Belle)

and below with Sid.

In 1965, Virginia did an episode of Bewitched

called "It's Magic", above,

where she played Roxie Ames (not Hart!),

an attention-seeking magician's assistant.

Samantha sends her to

magician's assistant hell, I guess.

But VM was reincarnated (with a new hairdo!)

just episodes later to become Mrs. Leach, 

who along with hubby Charlie played by Robert Strauss 

(below, with Virginia and Elizabeth Montgomery),

were nosy neighbors (what other kind are there?)

of Samantha and Darrin.

Virginia also made a few appearances on Jack Paar,

The Tonight Show

episodes of The Phil Silvers Show and 

something called Tallahassee 7000

with Walter Mathau.

But that's it. 

Whatever she did after 1965 is a mystery.

She passed away in her native Chattanooga at the age of 81.