Juanita Quigley was an American actress known for her roles in Imitation of Life, National Velvet, and Whispering Footsteps. She was recognized as a prominent child star in Hollywood during the 1930s and 1940s.
Personal and Family Life
Juanita Quigley was born on June 24, 1931, in Los Angeles, California. She had a sister, Rita Quigley, with whom she appeared in the film Whispering Footsteps in 1943. Juanita married Donald Robert Schultz on June 26, 1964, and they had two children together. She celebrated her sixth birthday by hosting a party for 70 orphaned girls at a local orphanage.
Career
Juanita started her acting career at the young age of three, taking on minor roles often credited as “Baby Jane.” Her breakthrough role came in the 1934 film Imitation of Life, which led to more significant roles in films throughout the 1930s. Despite a successful start, her career slowed in the early 1940s, and she eventually stepped away from acting in 1951 to pursue a different path.
Death and Legacy
Juanita Quigley passed away on October 29, 2017, in Sudbury, Massachusetts. Her legacy as a child star and later as a nun remains notable, as she transitioned from Hollywood to a life dedicated to teaching and faith. She made a brief return to acting in the 1980s but primarily lived outside the public eye after leaving Hollywood.
Filmography
| Title | Release Date | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Whispering Footsteps | 1943-12-30 | Rose Murphy |
| Born to Dance | 1936-11-27 | Sally Saks |
| The Lady and the Monster | 1944-04-17 | Mary Lou |
| Imitation of Life | 1934-11-23 | Baby Jessie Pullman, Age 3 |
| Riffraff | 1936-01-03 | Rosie |
| The Man Who Reclaimed His Head | 1934-12-24 | Linette Verin |
| Assignment in Brittany | 1943-03-11 | Jeannine |
| Hawaii Calls | 1938-03-12 | Doris Milburn |
| Woman Against Woman | 1938-06-24 | Ellen |
| The Family Next Door | 1939-03-30 | Susan Pierce |
| A Yank at Eton | 1942-09-01 | Jane ‘The Runt’ Dennis |
| The Devil-Doll | 1936-07-10 | Marguerite Coulvet |
| Alias Mary Dow | 1935-05-01 | Mary Dow |
| Men with Wings | 1938-07-16 | Patricia Falconer at Age 6 |
| National Velvet | 1945-01-26 | Malvolia ‘Mally’ Brown |
| The Blue Bird | 1940-01-15 | Child |
| Code of the Streets | 1939-04-13 | Cynthia |
| Oh, Johnny, How You Can Love! | 1940-01-01 | ‘Junior’ |
| Happy Land | 1943-11-10 | Sally Pierce (uncredited) |
| Cinderella’s Feller | 1940-06-08 | Cinderella |
| That Certain Age | 1938-10-06 | Butch Warren (“The Pest” in credits) |
| We’re Rich Again | 1934-07-13 | Child with Nanny (uncredited) |
| The New Pupil | 1940-04-27 | |
| Mystery Street | 1950-06-23 | Harkley’s Daughter (uncredited) |
| The Vanishing Virginian | 1942-02-01 | Caroline Yancey |
| The Devil’s Party | 1938-06-02 | Young Helen |
| Bachelor Daddy | 1941-06-04 | Girl with Pigtails at Movie |
| Going to Press | 1942-03-07 | Sally |
| Having Wonderful Time | 1938-07-01 | Mabel |
| Straight from the Heart | 1935-03-22 | Maggie Haines (as Baby Jane) |
| Paper Bullets | 1941-06-13 | Rita as a Child (uncredited) |