Virginia Patton Cause of Death: Did the 'It's a Wonderful Life' Actress Live a Good One?
"It's a Wonderful life" actress Virginia Pattonha has reportedly died as the last adult member of the classic Christmas film.
The late actress was the final surviving adult cast member of Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life", the first film the director had made for the new Liberty Films production company. Among cast members, only the younger characters are still alive today, including 80-year-old Jimmy Hawkins, 81-year-old Karolyn Grimes, and 86-year-old Carol Coombs.
A funeral home in Michigan has confirmed that Patton, age 97, passed away on Thursday, August 18, at an assisted living home in Georgia. It is currently not known what the actress died from, but details suggest that she had died from old age.
Patton played Ruth Dakin Bailey in the 1946 film, married to war hero Harry Bailey. The 1946 Christmas film tells the story of George Bailey, played by James Stewart, and what life would be like if he had never existed, shown to him by an angel from heaven.
Missed by Hearts All Over the Globe
Fans and crew members of the 1946 production express their thoughts on the late actress. Karolyn Grimes, a child actor who worked with Patton in "It's a Wonderful Life", posted a tribute on Facebook for her co-star.
As "It's a Wonderful Life" has aired multiple times every Christmas for decades, Patton often joked, "I've probably been in more homes than even Santa Claus".
A video from the St Nicholas Institute recalls her candid moments on set and the late actress' dilemma with popcorn while wearing white gloves during a scene.
"I was sitting there, 'What am I going to do? I'm going to get the popcorn all over those gloves.'" Patton said. "I thought, 'Well, I'll just pretend everybody eats buttered popcorn with their gloves on, and they all get butter on them.'"
A Wonderful Life and Career
Virginia Ann Patton was born in Cleveland on June 25, 1925, and raised in Portland, Oregon. Notably, her uncle was World War II general George Patton.
She went to Los Angeles after high school graduation to pursue her acting career, putting her on the radar of Director Frank Capra. In an interview with NCR in 2013, Patton stated that she was "the only girl" that director Capra had signed in his whole career.
Patton played the female lead in "The Burning Cross" in 1947, "Black Eagle" in 1948, then retired from acting after a supporting role in "The Lucky Stiff" in 1949.
In a 2012 interview, the late actress recalled how Capra asked her to think twice about giving up on acting, to which she said she was comfortable with her decision. In a letter the director wrote, he said: "I just knew you'd be a wonderful mother with three little bambinos and a wonderful husband."
After leaving Hollywood, she married Cruse Moss in 1949, and they had three children. They were married for 69 years until his death in 2018.
