Goodee Montgomery

Goodee Montgomery (born Virginia Lawhead; 1906–1978) was an American actress^[1] and musician. She was the niece of the actor David C. Montgomery.^[2] She also performed in vaudeville.^[3]

Montgomery was born Virginia Lawhead^[4] in St. Joseph, Missouri.^[5] Her father, Rex Lawhead, managed a theater in Decatur, Illinois.^[4] Her parents divorced when she was 15 years old. Her stage name was a combination of a pet name her uncle used for her, Goodee, and her mother's maiden name, Montgomery.^[6]

Montgomery sang and played banjo and ukulele. She also arranged, recorded, and made broadcasts for the Victor Company in addition to writing songs and writing books about the ukulele.^[2] As a writer, Montgomery used the pen name Donna McDonald.^[7]

On Broadway, Montgomery portrayed Hotsie in Piggy (1927).^[8] Montgomery and Dorothy Stone formed an act in the early 1930s, following in the tradition of Montgomery's uncle and Stone's father, who had an act together.^[6]

Montgomery married director Frank Burgess McDonald in 1934. She became a successful watercolor artist after she injured her spine in 1940 and cut short her career in acting.^[9]