Education
University of Cincinnati.
University of Cincinnati.
In 1939-1940, she played Mistress Kerry Carter on the radio soap opera The Carters of Elm Street. She was in the soap opera Light of the World, 1940-1950, on Columbia Broadcasting System and National Broadcasting Company and on Lonely Women on National Broadcasting Company in 1942.
Noting the 25th anniversary of Ma Perkins, Time described Payne in 1957:
Like other daytime heroines, Ma neither drinks, smokes, takes snuff or has affairs with mentor
Unlike Ma, Cincinnati-born Virginia Payne, 47, has never been married, downs an occasional whisky sour and makes up to $50,000 a year—more than any other actress in daytime broadcasting. Her present writer (she has had ten) lived on the Riviera for two years, now counts his money on Cape Cod.
A devout Roman Catholic with an Master of Arts
After the long run of Ma Perkins came to an end, Payne did theater. She appeared on Broadway in the Betty Comden - Adolph Green musical comedy, Fade Out - Fade In (1964-1965), and Paul Zindel"s play, And Mission Reardon Drinks a Little (1971).
Until one month before her death from cancer, she played Mistress
Bedwin in a production of Oliver! staged at the Playhouse in the Park in her home town of Cincinnati. Payne was active in the American Federation of Radio Artists, serving as president of the Chicago local and as national president Payne was a graduate of the Schuster-Martin School of Drama in Cincinnati and earned a master"s degree from the University of Cincinnati.
Payne died February 9, 1977, at her home in Cincinnati.
Dick Bertel interview with Virginia Payne on Hartford"s WTIC (January, 1973).