Goodee Montgomery (born Virginia Lawhead; 1906–1978) was an American actress[1] and musician. She was the niece of the actor David C. Montgomery.[2] She also performed in vaudeville.[3]

Goodee Montgomery
Born
Virginia Lawhead

March 28, 1906
DiedJune 5, 1978 (aged 72)
Other namesVirginia Montgomery
OccupationActress
Years active1926 - 1937 (film)
SpouseFrank Burgess McDonald (1934 - ?)

Montgomery was born Virginia Lawhead[4] in St. Joseph, Missouri.[5] Her father, Rex Lawhead, managed a theater in Decatur, Illinois.[4] Her parents divorced when she was 15 years old. Her stage name was a combination of a pet name her uncle used for her, Goodee, and her mother's maiden name, Montgomery.[6]

Montgomery sang and played banjo and ukulele. She also arranged, recorded, and made broadcasts for the Victor Company in addition to writing songs and writing books about the ukulele.[2] As a writer, Montgomery used the pen name Donna McDonald.[7]

On Broadway, Montgomery portrayed Hotsie in Piggy (1927).[8] Montgomery and Dorothy Stone formed an act in the early 1930s, following in the tradition of Montgomery's uncle and Stone's father, who had an act together.[6]

Montgomery married director Frank Burgess McDonald in 1934. She became a successful watercolor artist after she injured her spine in 1940 and cut short her career in acting.[9]

Selected filmography

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References

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  1. ^ Aaker p.56
  2. ^ a b "May Breen's Pupil To Star". The Billboard. December 18, 1925. p. 22. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  3. ^ Shapiro, M. H. (November 13, 1926). "B. S. Moss' Regent, N. Y." The Billboard. p. 15. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  4. ^ a b "About Town and Elsewhere". The Decatur Daily Review. December 13, 1933. p. 8. Retrieved October 28, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Plays and Players". Brooklyn Life. July 14, 1923. p. 18. Retrieved October 28, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ a b Buck, Paula (September 10, 1976). "Goodee Montgomery Became Stage Success". Decatur Sunday Herald and Review. p. 51. Retrieved October 28, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Actress Has Pen Name". Los Angeles Times. August 29, 1937. p. 55. Retrieved October 28, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Goodee Montgomery". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  9. ^ Tucker, David C. (August 15, 2019). Pine-Thomas Productions: A History and Filmography. McFarland. p. 230. ISBN 978-1-4766-7743-9. Retrieved October 28, 2022.

Bibliography

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  • Everett Aaker. George Raft: The Films. McFarland, 2013.
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