Hollywood Memorial

Actress, singer, and legendary dancer. She was given the name ‘Ginger’ by her cousin, who could not pronounce ‘Virginia’ correctly. Her first film ‘A Night in a Dormitory’ (1929) was a bit part, but it was her start in Hollywood. In the film ‘Gold Diggers of 1933’ (1933), she became noticed by the public for the first time when she sang the depression era classic ‘We’re in the Money.’ Her real stardom hit when she was paired with Fred Astaire in ‘Flying Down to Rio,’ in which she and Fred literally stole the show dancing. She and Fred then went on to make eight more movies, dancing in each, and the two quickly became a Hollywood Icon. In 1940, she starred in ‘Kitty Foyle,’ which won her an Oscar for Best Actress. Suffering from diabetes in her final years, she died of natural causes in 1995 at Rancho Mirage, California. She was married four times and is buried not far from dancing partner Fred Astaire at Oakwood Memorial Park in Chatsworth, California.