Shirley Olivia Mills (April 8, 1926 – March 31, 2010) was an American actress, best known for her roles as the youngest daughter in The Grapes of Wrath and as the titular character in Child Bride. In the latter, she is shown nude in a "skinny dipping" scene, filmed when she was about 12 years old, which became the basis for Child Bride being exhibited for many years as an exploitation film.
Although off the screen for several years, Shirley Mills came out of retirement to assist with the choreography and play a small uncredited role as a dancer in Twist Around the Clock (1961).
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She had not seen the completed version of Child Bride (1938) until the 1980s when a relative gave her a videocassette of it.
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Launched her own wedding planning company, A Party for All Seasons.
Actress
Title
Year
Status
Character
Twist Around the Clock
1961
Twist Dancer in Alpine Peaks (uncredited)
Ford Star Jubilee
1956
TV Series
My Little Margie
1954
TV Series
Muriel Joyner
My Six Convicts
1952
Blonde Tilly (uncredited)
The Model and the Marriage Broker
1951
Ina Kuschner (uncredited)
The Family Secret
1951
File Girl (uncredited)
Fighting Coast Guard
1951
Verna (uncredited)
It's a Small World
1950
Susan Musk at Age 16 (as Shirley O. Mills)
What Happened to Jo Jo?
1950
Short
Jennifer Van Zandt (as Shirley O. Mills)
An Old-Fashioned Girl
1949
Belle
That Brennan Girl
1946
Olivette (uncredited)
Betty Co-Ed
1946
Gloria Campbell
Blondie's Lucky Day
1946
Grace Perkins (scenes deleted)
Snafu
1945
Student (uncredited)
Patrick the Great
1945
Member, Jivin' Jills (uncredited)
Nine Girls
1944
'Tennessee' Collingwood
None Shall Escape
1944
Anna Oremska
Chip Off the Old Block
1944
Member - The Jivin' Jacks and Jills (uncredited)
True to Life
1943
Radio Sister (uncredited)
Always a Bridesmaid
1943
Member of The Jivin' Jacks and Jills (uncredited)
Top Man
1943
Dancer (uncredited)
Mister Big
1943
'Jivin' Jacks and Jills' Member (uncredited)
Henry Aldrich Gets Glamour
1943
Hortense (uncredited)
Reveille with Beverly
1943
Laura Jean Oliver (uncredited)
Shadow of a Doubt
1943
Shirley (uncredited)
Miss Annie Rooney
1942
Audrey Hollis
Diamond Frontier
1940
Girl in Bonnet playing in Street (uncredited)
Five Little Peppers in Trouble
1940
June
Young People
1940
Mary Ann
Virginia City
1940
Crying Young Southern Girl (uncredited)
The Grapes of Wrath
1940
Ruthie
The Under-Pup
1939
Cecilia Layton
Child Bride
1938
Jennie
Miscellaneous
Title
Year
Status
Character
Twist Around the Clock
1961
assistant choreographer - uncredited
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
Christian Scare Films Vol. 4
1999
Video segment "What Happened To Jo Jo" as Shirley O. Mills
Known for movies
The Grapes of Wrath (1940) as Ruthie
Child Bride (1938) as Jennie
Betty Co-Ed (1946) as Gloria Campbell
What Happened to Jo Jo? (1950) as Jennifer Van Zandt
$2 Million
