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Wikipedia / Toby Wing

Toby Wing (July 14, 1915 March 22, 2001) was an American actress and showgirl. Wing appeared in over 60 productions in the 1920s and 1930s and was awarded a star on the Walk of Fame in 1960.

Early years

Wing was born Martha Virginia Wing in Amelia Court House, Virginia, to Paul R. Wing (1892 – 1957), an Army Reserve officer and assistant director for Paramount Pictures, and Martha Wing (née Thraves; 1893 – 1981). She had an older sister, Gertrude, also known as Patricia, who was also an actress and chorus girl, and a younger brother, Paul Jr. As a child, her family nicknamed her Toby. She and her family lived in Panama and El Paso, Texas before they settled in California in 1927. Wing claimed to be the grandniece of English playwright Sir Arthur Wing Pinero at the beginning of her career, but historical documents don't support that claim.

Career

Wing began working on-screen at age 9, getting a few bit parts in silent movies through her father's job. In 1931 she became one of the first Goldwyn Girls, and she started her film career in Palmy Days (1932). 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. She became widely recognized as a sex symbol, once being described as the most beautiful chorus girl in all of Hollywood. Since her contracted studio was mired in bankruptcy during much of her career, her work was done on loan, primarily at Warner Bros. After her contract expired, she appeared in low-budget projects on a per-film basis. Wing enjoyed a far more successful sideline doing product endorsements and was featured in innumerable fan magazines from 1933–1938.

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.

Her last leading role was in The Marines Come Thru. Although filmed in Florida in 1938, it did not see general release until 1943 as Fight On, Marines! Wing completed her acting career on Broadway in the unsuccessful 1938 Cole Porter musical You Never Know, which starred Lupe Vélez, Clifton Webb, Libby Holman, and J. Harold Murray.

On February 8, 1960, Wing was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 6561 Hollywood Boulevard.

Personal life

She was well known off-screen for her romances, having been linked to Jackie Coogan (to whom she was engaged during much of 1935), Maurice Chevalier, Alfred Vanderbilt, Franklin Roosevelt Jr., and others. Wing and Pinky Tomlin were engaged briefly during late 1937 with the romance ending before their wedding date; they remained close until Tomlin's death.

Wing married Henry "Dick" Merrill on October 19, 1938, in Fredericksburg, Virginia. She retired from movies after marrying.

Wing and Merrill had two sons, Henry Jr (1939 1940) and Richard (1940 1982). Henry Jr died at 11 months; Time reported the child suffocated after he became entangled in his bedclothes. After Henry Jr's death, Wing and Merrill moved from Forest Hills to Miami, where their second son, Richard, also known as Ricky, was born.

The couple retired to DiLido, Florida, where Merrill was assigned Eastern Airlines' New York-Miami route for the remainder of his career. Wing became successful in real estate in California and Florida. They later settled in Virginia, where Merrill managed the Shannon Air Museum in Fredericksburg until his death in 1982.

Wing died on March 22, 2001, at the age of 85, at her home in Mathews, Virginia. She is interred at Christ Church Kingston Parish Cemetery in Mathews County, Virginia, beside her husband and two sons.

Filmography

Features:

Short Subjects:

  • Jimmy's New Yacht (1932) - One of Charlie's Girlfriends

  • The Loud Mouth (1932) - Nurse (uncredited)

  • The Candid Camera (1932) - Betty Swan

  • Alaska Love (1932) - Blonde by River (uncredited)

  • Ma's Pride and Joy (1932) - Radio Director's Secretary

  • Blue of the Night (1933) - Blonde in Bathing Suit (uncredited)

  • Rhythm on the Roof (1934) - Bob's Fantasy Sweetheart

  • Star Night at the Cocoanut Grove (1934) - Herself

  • Hollywood Extra Girl (1935)

  • La Fiesta de Santa Barbara (1935) - Herself

  • Hill-Tillies (1936) - Toby

  • Rhythmitis (1936) - Lola Green

  • Sunday Night at the Trocadero (1937) - Toby Wing

References