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Juanita Quigley

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Juanita Quigley
Quigley at age 4
Born(1931-06-24)June 24, 1931
DiedOctober 29, 2017(2017-10-29) (aged 86)
Other namesSister Quentin Rita
Occupation(s)Actress
Religious sister
Years active1934–1950
(nun 1951–1964)
Spouse
Dr. Donald Robert Schultz
(m. 1964; died 2012)
Children2

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.[1]

Career

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Juanita Quigley was billed as "Baby Jane" in several early roles.[2] Her screen debut was as Claudette Colbert's three-year-old daughter in Imitation of Life (1934).[3] 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.[4]

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 "Alfalfa" (played by Carl 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.[5]

Later career

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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 Catholic religious sister, Sister Quentin Rita in the order of the Daughters of Mary and Joseph,[6] teaching at Precious Blood Catholic School.[3] After several years in her convent, she left the vocation and married Dr. Donald Robert Schultz in 1964.[5] The couple had two children, Erik and Marta, before his death in 2012.[7][8]

Inaccurate documentation exists that Juanita made an uncredited appearance as an extra in the locally filmed Porky's II: The Next Day.[9]

Juanita Quigley died in Sudbury, Massachusetts, on 29 October 2017, aged 86.[8] She and her husband Donald R. Schultz (1927–2012) are buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona in Phoenix.

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1934 In Love with Life Little Girl with serving tray Uncredited
We're Rich Again Child with nanny Uncredited
Have a Heart Rosy Uncredited
Imitation of Life Baby Jessie Pullman
The Man Who Reclaimed His Head Linette Verin
1935 Straight from the Heart Maggie Haines
Alias Mary Dow Mary Dow
1936 Riffraff Rosie
Absolute Quiet Young girl (in trailer only) Uncredited
The Devil-Doll Marguerite Coulvet
Born to Dance Sally Saks
1938 Hawaii Calls Doris Milburn
The Devil's Party Helen McCoy, as a child Uncredited
You and Me Nasty little girl Uncredited
Woman Against Woman Ellen
Having Wonderful Time Mabel
Men with Wings Patricia Falconer, aged 6 Uncredited
That Certain Age The pest
1939 The Family Next Door Susan Pierce
Code of the Streets Cynthia
1940 Oh Johnny, How You Can Love Junior
The Blue Bird Child
The New Pupil Sally Short
1941 Bachelor Daddy Girl with pigtails at movie
Paper Bullets Rita, as a child Uncredited
1942 The Vanishing Virginian Caroline Yancey
Going to Press Sally Short
A Yank at Eton Jane Dennis
1943 Assignment in Brittany Jeannine
Happy Land Sally Pierce Uncredited
Whispering Footsteps Rose Murphy
1944 The Lady and the Monster Mary Lou
National Velvet Malvolia Brown
1948 Luxury Liner Jean Uncredited
1950 Mystery Street Daughter Uncredited
1983 Porky's II: The Next Day Woman at Rally (final film role)

References

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  1. ^ Wilson, Scott (2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. (2 volume set). McFarland. p. 608. ISBN 9780786479924. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
  2. ^ "Movie Star Biography – Juanita Quigley". Premiere.com. Retrieved 2010-01-25.
  3. ^ a b "Former Child Star Now Working as Nun". The San Bernardino County Sun. California, San Bernardino. November 1, 1956. p. 21. Retrieved December 24, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  4. ^ "Juanita Quigley Baby Jane page in Classic Movie Kids, a collection of rare photographs of the child actors and child actresses of yesteryear". Archived from the original on 2010-10-05. Retrieved 2010-09-22.
  5. ^ a b Staggs, Sam (2009). Born to Be Hurt: The Untold Story of Imitation of Life. Macmillan. p. 370. ISBN 9780312373368. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
  6. ^ "Eugene Register-Guard". news.google.com. Retrieved Aug 11, 2019 – via Google News Archive Search.
  7. ^ "Donald (Dutch) Robert Schultz (Dr.) – Arizona Obituary Directory". obits.arizonagravestones.org. Retrieved Aug 11, 2019.
  8. ^ a b "Obituary: Juanita Q. (Quigley) Schultz 1931–2017". Verde Independent. Retrieved Aug 11, 2019.
  9. ^ Hans J. Wollstein. "Juanita Quigley Biography". AllMovie.com. Retrieved 2010-01-25.

Bibliography

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  • Willson, Dixie (1935). Little Hollywood Stars. Akron, OH, and New York: Saalfield Pub. Co.
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