Virginia Cherrill diamond ring set to shine
A sapphire and diamond cluster ring that is thought to have belonged to the American silent movie actress Virginia Cherrill (1908-1996), former wife of actor Cary Grant (1904-1986), is to head to auction in the UK next week. Cherrill’s most significant acting role was opposite Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977) in the 1931 film City Lights. Cherril played the blind flower-seller, who became the object of affection for the main character, played by Charlie Chaplin.
The cabochon sapphire set ring, with a surround of circular-cut diamonds in platinum and 18ct gold, was reputedly a gift from the Maharaja of Jaipur and comes by repute to auction. Commenting on it, Jewellery specialist at Woolley & Wallis, Marielle Whiting, said: “We are delighted to offer this charming ring, which is believed to have been owned by such a shining star in cinema history.”
The ring will be offered in Woolley and Wallis’ Fine Jewellery sale on July 9 and 10 with an estimate of £5,000-£7,000 (lot 333).
City Lights was a silent film that was written, produced and directed by Charlie Chaplin, as well as him playing the main character. Although it had no sound, the action was accompanied by a synchronized musical score with sound effects. The plot was a journey of misadventures of a vagrant (Chaplin’s most famous character, in a bowler hat and loose ill-fitting fitting trousers, that he recreated in many of his best-loved films) and a tragic love story, with themes of luck, love and authenticity. It was well received by audiences on its release in March 1931 having taken two years to make, with the opening scene alone taking 342 takes. The film was a statement by Chaplin, who was against the introduction of sound and chose to keep the film silent even though technology for spoken dialogue had been developed and introduced to the film industry four years prior.
The film was subsequently recognised as one of the most significant achievements in American cinema. In 1991, the Library of Congress selected City Lights for preservation in the United States National Film Registry, acknowledged its profound cultural, historical and artistic importance. Further cementing its status, the American Film Institute named City Lights the 11th greatest American film of all time in its prestigious 2007 ranking. Decades earlier, in 1949, revered film critic James Agee praised the film’s unforgettable finale, describing it as: “perhaps the finest moment of acting ever captured on film.”
Virginia Cherrill did not set out to become an actress however, she happened to sit next to Charlie Chaplin at a boxing match she’d been invited to by her great friend, the actress and later talent agent Sue Carol (1906-1982). It was soon after this meeting that she was chosen by Chaplin to take the part in City Lights. Following the film’s box office success Cherrill quickly became a sought-after figure in early 1930s cinema. She captivated audiences in a range of productions, including Girls Demand Excitement (1931), which was one of the American actor John Wayne’s (1907-1979) first starring roles. Her on-screen presence caught the attention of acclaimed directors, leading to roles under John Ford in The Brat (1931) and Tod Browning in Fast Workers (1933). She also lit up the screen in the 1931 Gershwin musical Delicious, sharing the spotlight with Janet Gaynor. Expanding her career internationally, she travelled to Britain, where she starred in two of James Mason’s early films, including Troubled Waters, which was her final cinematic appearance. She is celebrated for her contribution to the golden age of film and her star can be found amongst the greats on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Born in rural Illinois Cherrill married four times, but had no children. Her first marriage was short-lived and her most notorious marriage was to Cary Grant, who she married in London in 1934, but divorced a year later, claiming he was abusive. Commenting afterwards on their marriage he said: “I doubt if either of us was relaxed enough to trust what we had … My possessiveness and fear of losing her brought about the very thing I had feared: the loss of her.” Her next husband was the English peer George Child Villiers, 9th Earl of Jersey (1910-1998), which afforded her the title of the Countess of Jersey, until their divorce in 1946.
She finally found happiness at age 40 when she met the flying ace Florian Kazimierz Martini (1915-2001), while nursing Polish airmen in London in the Second World War. They were married in 1948 and settled in California, with the marriage lasting 48 years, until her death at the age of 88.