Virginia Mayo QuotationsI just put my head down and did the work. All I ever wanted in my life was to do the work. I really wanted to be a dancer, but I ended up as an actress, and I got to perform next to some of the greatest actors of our time. I must say Jack Palance was a drag. We were together in The Silver Chalice. The way he did his work was strange. He was a weird actor and I didn't like working with him at all. -- on Jack Palance. I loved working with her. We used to call her Miss Sparkle Plenty because she was so vivacious. --on Doris Day. Jimmy Cagney was the most dynamic man who ever appeared on the screen. He should have won five Oscars, he was so fabulous. He stimulated me to such an extent. I must say that I didn't have to act very much; I just had to react to him because he was so powerful. And I worked with Alan Ladd, who along with Gregory Peck was my favorite leading man. He was a beautiful man, charming and gentle, and I think of all my leading men he worked best with me. Cagney was always very sure of himself in his acting. he was all business on the set, acting very cool and collected. In White Heat we were all terribly excited about working with Cagney. Even though he was considered a great talent, and we listened to any little thing he said, hoping some of his talent would infect us. He was certainly the most dynamic talent I ever saw on screen. His acdting was like an explosion. Ladd, by contrast, was oblivioius of his handsomeness and haunted by the fear that hsi acting
wasn't good enough. Alan was one of the sweetest people who ever lived but he was too ethereal and "too
pretty" for some critics' taste. He was not a tough guy, despite what ha played onscreen. He was almost
frightened of life. |