Biography for
Vera Miles More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

23 August 1929, Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

Birth Name

Vera June Ralston

Height

5' 3¾" (1.62 m)

Mini Biography

Born in Oklahoma, Vera Miles (born Vera Ralston, she had to change her name, as Republic Pictures' resident leading lady Vera Ralston got to Hollywood first) attended school in Pratt and Wichita, Kansas. Entering the beauty pageant circuit, she became "Miss Kansas" in 1948, and went to Hollywood soon soon after. She began landing small roles in minor films and in television. After a few such parts she was cast by John Ford as the spunky ingenue in the Western classic The Searchers (1956). More leading roles quickly followed, and for a brief period she shone in a number of major films. However much of her subsequent work, both in feature films and in television movies, has been in material considerably below her abilities.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Jim Beaver

Mini Biography

Born in Boise City, Oklahoma, Vera Miles attended school in Pratt, Kansas and Wichita, Kansas. The patrician beauty of Miss Miles won her the title of "Miss Kansas" in 1948, leading soon to small roles in Hollywood films and television shows. Fame came to the forthright, spirited Miles when she attracted the attention of two master directors, Alfred Hitchcock and John Ford. Ford cast her in the classic western "The Searchers" (1956) and Hitchcock, who put her under personal contract and hailed her as his "new Grace Kelly," paired her with the great Henry Fonda in "The Wrong Man." (1956). Hitchcock had Miles in mind to star in a dual role opposite James Stewart in "Vertigo" (1958), but what was envisioned as the actress' star-making vehicle instead became a triumph for Kim Novak when Miles' pregnancy and Hitchcock's subsequent production delays cost her the plum assignment. Hitchcock gave Miles a supporting role in another masterpiece "Psycho" (1960), as did Ford when he cast her opposite James Stewart and John Wayne in "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" (1962), She also starred in such films as "Beau James" (1957) opposite Bob Hope, "The FBI Story" (1959) opposite James Stewart, "Back Street" (1961) opposite Susan Hayward and John Gavin and "Sergeant Ryker" (1968) opposite Lee Marvin, as well as showing her consistently remarkable and versatile talent on dozens of popular television movies and series including "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "The Twilight Zone,". "The Outer Limits," "The Fugitive," "My Three Sons," "Bonanza," "Columbo," and "Murder She Wrote." In 1983, she reprised her role as Lila Crane in the film sequel "Psycho II", starring Anthony Perkins. Although too often, the stunningly beautiful Miles' gifts were underutilized, before her retirement in 1995, hers was a most intriguing and enduring Hollywood career.

IMDb Mini Biography By: alfiehitchie

Spouse

Keith Larsen	(16 July 1960 - 1971) (divorced) 1 child
Gordon Scott	(1954 - 1959) (divorced) 1 child
Bob Miles	(1948 - 1954) (divorced) 2 children

Trivia

Daughters with Bob Miles: Debra Miles born in 1950 and Kelley Miles born in 1952. Son with Gordon Scott: Michael Scott born 1957. Son with Keith Larsen: Eric Larsen born April 30, 1961 in Burbank, California.

Son Michael Scott born 1957

Was a favorite of Alfred Hitchcock after Grace Kelly retired, but pregnancy prevented her from many starring roles.

Many people, for years, have argued over what Miles' middle name is. Some people say June, while others say May.

Mother of Eric Larsen, who was born on 30 April 1961 in Burbank, California.

Was a contestant on "You Bet Your Life" (1950) on April 4, 1951. She and her partner won $8 in the quiz, guessed the secret word ("hand") and incorrectly answered the De Soto-Plymouth $5,500 Question ("Who was the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?").

In the late 1940s, made a television commercial for Lustre Creme shampoo.

Appeared in the trailer for The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953).

Her scenes as John Wayne's wife in The Green Berets (1968) were cut from the movie prior to its release.

In Italy, a great number of her films were dubbed by Rosetta Calavetta or Micaela Giustiniani. She was occasionally dubbed by Miranda Bonansea, Renata Marini, Dhia Cristiani and most notably by Lidia Simoneschi in Psycho (1960).

By sheer coincidence, all three of Vera's handsome, strapping ex-husbands died within a short time span. Her third husband, Keith Larsen died on December 13, 2006; first husband/stuntman and small part actor Bob Miles died on April 12, 2007; and bodybuilder second husband actor Gordon Scott, who played Tarzan in films, died on April 30, 2007.

Placed third in the Miss America contest in 1948.

In The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), John Wayne pursued Miss Miles, but lost her to James Stewart. Six years later, his luck improved. Miles played Wayne's wife in Hellfighters (1968) and The Green Berets (1968), though her scenes in the latter were left on the cutting room floor.

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