Marriage and family come first for new LA queen

Katheryn Fong

“Speak Chinese? I can’t even understand it!”

But with parental coaching and a tape recorder, Miss Chinatown Los Angeles, twenty-year-old Virginia Lee hopes to be linguistically prepared for the Miss Chinatown USA Pageant in San Francisco next January.

The new Queen is so excited about the upcoming Pageant that she frets over the numerous details involved in preparation for the nation-wide contest. A dancer-actress, the long-haired Queen is “sure” that she’ll gain weight, be penalized for a short talent presentation, or that her hairdo will fall while she’s dancing.

Virginia is a fourth-generation Chinese-American and a native of Los Angeles. She graduated from Marshall High in 1964 and has taken drama courses at LA City College and UCLA besides her regular dancing classes. A hard-working actress, she has been working as much as ten hours a day on the TV series “Malibu U.”

The new Miss Chinatown got her first professional start with a part in a Clark Gable movie at age five. Her second break at age ten resulted from a unique friendship with Dinah Shore’s daughter, Missy. Visiting Missy’s home one day, Virginia was dancing and it was mentioned she should audition for the Dinah Shore Show. Teaming up with her younger sister Cherylene, Virginia made her dancing debut. From this show she went on to preform on the Danny Thomas Special, Hollywood Palace, Sid Cesar Special, and the Smothers Brothers Show.

Now with a title, besides dozens of movie credits behind her, this charming Queen looks forward to other things besides her career or the San Francisco Pageant. “For me, marriage and a family comes first and my career comes second.” Engaged since June of 1966m Virginia revealed the lucky man’s name as “Jeff”. Unless the San Francisco Pageant should cause an alteration of plans, they will wed next June after he receives his degree in philosophy from Cal State.

Virginia’s parents, Dr. and Mrs. A. Edward Lee will accompany this former Micky Mouse Honorary Mouseketter when she travels to San Francisco in January.