| | Victoria Vinton
Full name: Victoria Velnette Vinton
1912 - 1980 |
There's not much information available on this platinum blonde, Jean Harlow lookalike. She was under contract at Warners in the 1930s. After Warners, she did about a half-dozen or so ultra low budget western features and shorts in the mid 1930s, appearing opposite such range riders as Fred Scott, Bob Custer, Reb Russell, Wally Wales, and Buffalo Bill Jr. (Jay Wilsey). Her film work amounts to around thirty movies during the period from 1932 through the mid 1940s (though there may be a few - or many - additional film appearances in which she was a background dancer, member of the chorus line, etc.).
An example of Vinton dancing and looking beautiful occurs in the Busby Berkeley "Spin a Little Web of Dreams" sequence in the pre-code FASHIONS OF 1934 (Warners, 1934) which starred William Powell and Bette Davis. Lots of showgirls in this one and Vinton is among the blonde tressed chorus girls wearing many feathers.
She retired from the Hollywood scene circa mid 1940s, and passed away June 12, 1980 at the Motion Picture Home and Hospital, Woodland Hills, California.
The Unsung Joe website has a bit more on Vinton: http://morethanyouneededtoknow.typepad.com/the_unsung_joe/2008/07/victoria-vinton.html
Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Victoria Vinton: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0899138/
The Family Search website, California Death Index, and Social Security Death Index (SSDI) provide more on Victoria Vinton and family:
- New York City marriage record of 24 year old Victor Valentine Vinton (born New York) and 19 year old Lucille M. Stroche (born New York) on April 20, 1912 in Manhattan, New York City: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:243J-BC7
- Victoria Vinton was witness to the December 18, 1937 Los Angeles marriage of her sister, Violet Alice Vinton (age 23, born New Jersey), to Reginald William Brooks (age 24, born Canada). First marriage for both. Her parents were Victor V. Vinton (born New York) and Lucille Strehl (born New York):
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-29943-26184-1?cc=1804002&wc=M9MJ-7WG:n1193282309
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G93H-39SH-6?i=1509&cc=1804002
- May 3, 1939 Variety had a marriage announcement: "Victoria Vinton, film actress, to Scotty Welburne [sic], Warner's still photog, May ? in Reno."
- 1940 census: Charles Scott Welbourne (age 32, born in North Carolina) and wife Victoria Welbourne (age 26, born in New Jersey) are living in the Los Angeles area: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K9HG-47H
- 1940 census takers worksheet: Charles Scott Welbourne (occupation "Photographer - Motion Picture") and Victoria Welbourne (occupation "Actress - Motion Picture") own their home at 13724 Valley Vista Blvd, Los Angeles, and they lived in the Los Angeles area in 1935: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-27793-4904-10?cc=2000219&wc=MMYH-FXQ:n965319298
- January 23, 1955 marriage license of Jack Franklin Yates, age 53, living at 5065 Oakdale Avenue, Woodland Hills, California to Victoria Velnette Welbourne, age 42, of 4934 Palo Drive, Tarzana, California. Her maiden name was Victoria Velnette Vinton, was previously married and divorced, and her parents were Victor Vinton (born New York) and Lucille Strhal (born New York): https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-29943-3195-35?cc=1804002&wc=M9MJ-QG6:n641811509
- California Death Index has a record for Victoria Velnette Yates, born 8/23/1912 in New Jersey, Mother's maiden name of Strahl, Father's last name of Vinton, and she passed away on 6/12/1980 in the Los Angeles area: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VGBX-1QP
Social Security Death Index (SSDI) notes that Victoria Yates was born August 23, 1912 and passed away June, 1980 in Woodland Hills, California (probably, the Motion Picture Home and Hospital): https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JB3K-D2H
(Courtesy of Ed Tabor) Above from left to right are Vane Calvert, Bob Custer, Victoria Vinton, Eddie Phillips, John Elliott and Wally Wales/Hal Taliaferro in a lobby card from AMBUSH VALLEY (Reliable, 1936).
(From Old Corral collection) Above from left to right are Rin-Tin-Tin Jr., Victoria Vinton, Bob Custer, John Elliott - and prone on the floor is Wally West - in a still from Custer's VENGEANCE OF RANNAH (Reliable, 1936). |