Juanita Quigley

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Juanita Quigley (24 June 1931 – 29 October 2017) was an American child actress in motion pictures of the 1930s and 1940s. She had a sister, Rita Quigley, who was also a child actress. Juanita Quigley was billed as "Baby Jane" in several early roles. Her screen debut was as Claudette Colbert's three-year-old daughter in Imitation of Life (1934). She went on to play featured parts in several films, including The Man Who Reclaimed His Head (1934) and was Jean Harlow's niece in Riffraff (1936). Quigley became a familiar face to moviegoers of the era, but major roles for children so young were few and she often played bits as well as featured roles. She was one of the most popular child stars of her day, and was Universal Pictures' youngest star in 1934. Quigley was briefly involved in the Our Gang film series. In 1940, she was the guest-starring lead in The New Pupil when cast as Sally, who briefly takes Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer away from Darla Hood. Two years later, she reprised the character in Going to Press (1942), the only time in the MGM era where the female lead was played by someone other than Darla Hood (who had recently left the series) or Janet Burston. Quigley acted alongside her older sister, Rita Quigley, in Whispering Footsteps (1943). Her last major role was in National Velvet (1944), in which she played Elizabeth Taylor's sister. Quigley made only a handful of small appearances after National Velvet, her last being in 1950. At the age of 20, in August 1951, she became a religious sister in the order of the Daughters of Mary and Joseph, teaching at Precious Blood Catholic School. After several years in her convent, she left the vocation and married. Inaccurate documentation exists that Juanita made an uncredited appearance as an extra in the locally filmed Porky's II: The Next Day. At the time of this filming, Juanita lived in Pennsylvania pursuing her post-convent career full-time. Juanita was retired and was an intensely private person with regard to her past. Most who knew her as a friend were unaware of her previous life as an actress. As of 2016, Juanita lived a peaceful retired life with her son and daughter-in-law in Massachusetts. Juanita Quigley died in Sudbury, MA, on 29 October 2017, aged 86.

Most Known For

Bachelor Daddy

as Girl with Pigtails at Movie

Imitation of Life

as Baby Jessie Pullman, Age 3

Mystery Street

as Harkley's Daughter (uncredited)

National Velvet

as Malvolia 'Mally' Brown

The Blue Bird

as Child

You and Me

as Nasty Little Girl (uncredited)

The Devil-Doll

as Marguerite Coulvet

The Lady and the Monster

as Mary Lou

Gangs Inc.

as Rita as a Child (uncredited)

Riffraff

as Rosie

Born to Dance

as Sally Saks

That Certain Age

as Butch Warren ("The Pest" in credits)

Happy Land

as Sally Pierce (uncredited)

Men with Wings

as Patricia Falconer at Age 6

Assignment in Brittany

as Jeannine

The Vanishing Virginian

as Caroline Yancey

Having Wonderful Time

as Mabel

The Devil's Party

as Young Helen

Code of the Streets

as Cynthia

The Family Next Door

as Susan Pierce