Toby Wing Pics

Toby

Wing

14 July 1915

64

Slim

Blue

Blonde

Amelia Court House, Virginia

Cancer

22 March 2001

Matthews, Virginia

White

One of the first Goldwyn Girls

Virgina

American

Female

Natural Causes

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Toby Wing (July 14, 1915 – March 22, 2001) was an American actress and showgirl.

Born Martha Virginia Wing, she began working onscreen at age 9; her father, Paul Wing, was an assistant director for Paramount Pictures. In 1931 she became one of the first Goldwyn Girls, and in 1932 she was seen in Mack Sennett-produced comedies made by Paramount, one starring Bing Crosby. Wing made an impression with producers and moviegoers but she seldom broke through to leading roles. Many of her roles were small and barely clothed, before the introduction of the 1934 Production Code, but she became widely recognized as a sex symbol. Since her contracted studio was mired in bankruptcy during much of her career, much of her work was done on loan, primarily at Warner Bros. and later, after her release, on extremely low budget efforts on a per-film basis. Wing enjoyed a far more successful sideline doing product endorsements and was featured in innumerable fan magazines from 1933-38. She was also well known offscreen for her romances, and was linked to Jackie Coogan (to whom she was engaged during much of 1935), Maurice Chevalier, and Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr. Toby Wing played a few leading roles in B features and short subjects. In 1936 and 1937 she worked opposite singer-songwriter Pinky Tomlin in two of his low budget musical features, With Love and Kisses and Sing While You`re Able. The two stars were engaged briefly during late 1937. Although the romance ended before their planned marriage, they remained close until Tomlin`s death. Her last leading role was in The Marines Come Thru (filmed in Florida in 1938, but not seeing general release until 1942 as Fight On, Marines!). She retired from movies after marrying the pilot Dick Merrill, more than twenty years her senior, in 1938. Wing completed her acting career on Broadway in the unsuccessful Cole Porter musical, "You Never Know" that starred Lupe Velez, Clifton Webb, Libby Holman and Harold Murray. The couple retired to DiLido, Florida, where Merrill was assigned Eastern Airlnes` New York- Miami route for the remainder of his career. Wing became successful in real estate in California and Florida. Wing and Merrill later settled in Virginia, where they lived together until Merrill`s death in 1982. The Merrills had two sons, and survived both of them. Their first child died of what was then-termed as "Crib Death" and her second son, Ricky, was murdered in their Miami home in September, 1982 at age 42. His murder was related to his involvement in a large scale marijuana smuggling operation in New Orleans. At the time of his death he was free on appeal of a drug smuggling conviction. The Merrills were living in Virginia at the time and the case is still listed as unsolved.

Martha Virginia Wing

Paul Wing

Paul Rueben Wing

Pat Wing Gill

Grace Bradley, Bob Hope, Ronald Reagan, Dona Drake, Marie Wilson, Faith Bacon

Actor/Actress, Soundtrack

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