Virginia May Walker Hawks was an American model and film actress. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, she studied Japanese art at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and pursued a modeling career in national magazine advertisements, through which she was spotted by a Universal Pictures scout and signed to a film contract. Upon arriving in Hollywood, she met filmmaker Howard Hawks, who negotiated her release from Universal and signed her to a personal contract. She made her film debut in Hawks' Bringing Up Baby, and the following year married Hawks' brother William. After their 1942 divorce, she appeared in four more feature film roles, three of them uncredited, for 20th Century Fox.
Early life and education
Virginia May Walker was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on July 31, 1908. She was the only daughter of William Homer Walker, a local attorney, and Eva M. Walker, originally from Paris. She had two older brothers. Walker grew up in Boston and Cambridge; the family vacationed in Miami, Florida, during the winters. At age 10, Walker moved to Miami and eventually graduated from Miami High School. She returned to Boston to study Japanese art at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, with a specialty in Japanese prints. She was a member of the Junior League of Boston.
Early work
Walker began modeling in national magazine advertisements for various companies, including a car manufacturer and a garment designer. She performed in amateur stage productions in Brookline, including dramatic plays staged by the Harvard Dramatic Club and comedies produced by the Hasty Pudding Club. Additionally, she created a skin care product which she manufactured in her home kitchen.
Film career
In 1935, Walker responded to a call for "new faces" by Hollywood filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille, who sought a new actress for his production of Samson and Delilah. DeMille received 3,000 entries from around the country and chose Walker's picture together with five others for further consideration. She was ultimately not chosen for a screen test, but in June 1937, a Universal Pictures scout saw Walker's picture in a magazine advertisement for a soap product, signed her to a contract, and brought her to Hollywood. Before the studio cast her in a film, however, Walker and a friend went to visit executives at RKO Pictures, including director Howard Hawks. Hawks recognized Walker from her magazine advertisements and wanted her to work for him. He negotiated Walker's release from Universal and signed her to a personal contract. She was one of the first actresses whom Hawks signed to a personal contract, and was loaned to RKO to appear in Hawks' 1938 filmBringing Up Baby. Walker made her film debut playing Alice Swallow, the fiancée of Cary Grant's character. She appeared in only the first and last scenes of the film. She put aside her screen career upon her marriage in 1938, but resumed it after her 1942 divorce. In the second part of her career, she signed with 20th Century Fox and played bit roles in four films, three of them uncredited. In 1945 she was signed to appear with James Dunn in Command to Embezzle, a drama film that was ultimately shelved.
