The actress who played George Bailey’s sister-in-law in the classic movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” died August 18, 2022.
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Virginia Patton, Ruth Dakin Bailey in the 1946 holiday favorite, died in Albany, Georgia, at the age of 97, according to the funeral home announcement.
Patton, who was a niece of World War II Gen. George Patton, was cast by director Frank Capra in “It’s a Wonderful Life” after she was in a play written by William C. DeMille, brother of famed director Cecil B. DeMille, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Small world!
Patton’s supporting character is introduced in the movie at the Bedford Falls train station when Harry introduces her to his brother George Bailey (James Stewart) and Uncle Billy (Thomas Mitchell).
Watch the scene: