Ruta Lee
| Ruta Lee | |
|---|---|
 Lee in December 2009 | |
| Born |
Ruta Mary Kilmonis May 30, 1935 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Other names |
Rita Kilmonis Ruta Kilmonis |
| Education | Hollywood High School |
| Alma mater |
Los Angeles City College University of California, Los Angeles |
| Occupation | Actress, dancer |
| Years active | 1953–present |
| Spouse(s) | Webster B. Lowe, Jr. (m. 1976) |
| Website |
rutalee |
Ruta Lee (born May 30, 1935) is a Canadian actress and dancer who appeared as one of the brides in the film Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. She had roles in films including Billy Wilder's crime drama Witness for the Prosecution and Stanley Donen's musical comedy Funny Face and also is remembered for her guest appearance in a 1963 episode of Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone sci-fi series called "A Short Drink from a Certain Fountain".
Lee guest-starred on many television series, and was also featured on a number of TV game shows, including Hollywood Squares, What's My Line?, and as Alex Trebek's co-host on High Rollers. She is of Lithuanian descent.
Early life
Ruta Lee was born Ruta Mary Kilmonis in Montreal, Quebec, the only child of two Lithuanian immigrants.[1] Her father was a tailor; her mother, a homemaker.[2]
In 1948, her family moved to Los Angeles, California, where she graduated in 1954 from Hollywood High School and began studying acting and appearing in school plays.[2][3] She attended both Los Angeles City College and the University of California at Los Angeles.[2]
Lee worked as a cashier,[2] an usherette, and a candy girl at Grauman's Chinese Theater, but when she was $40 short in her cash account at the end of her shift one night, she was fired.[4]
Career
Lee then got a break as a guest on two episodes of CBS's The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show.[2] She soon found an agent, who landed her a job in an episode of the The Roy Rogers Show, followed by a spot in 1953 on the series Adventures of Superman. That same year, while acting in a small theater production of On the Town,[2] she landed a role as bride Ruth in the Academy Award-nominated musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, still billed as Ruta Kilmonis.[3]
After that success, Lee appeared in several films including Anything Goes (1956), Funny Face, Witness for the Prosecution (1957), and Marjorie Morningstar (1958) with Natalie Wood.
In 1962, Lee had the female lead in the Rat Pack comedy/western film Sergeants 3 along with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Peter Lawford. She then co-starred with Audie Murphy in a 1964 western, Bullet for a Badman.
In addition to films, Lee has appeared in dozens of guest-starring roles on television. For a number of years, she seemed to be everywhere on the screen. From 1957 to 1959, she was cast in different roles in eight episodes of the CBS crime drama television series, The Lineup. In 1959 and 1960, she was cast in four episodes of John Bromfield's syndicated crime drama, U.S. Marshal. Lee appeared as Ellen Barton in the 1960 episode "Grant of Land" of the ABC western series, The Rebel, starring Nick Adams. She also made five guest appearances on the CBS courtroom drama series Perry Mason between 1958 and 1965, including murderer Connie Cooper in "The Case of the Screaming Woman" (1958), and defendant Millie Crest in "The Case of the Foot-Loose Doll" (1959).
On December 10, 1962, Lee was cast as Lenore Walton Hanford in "Wanted for the Murder of Cheyenne Bodie", the penultimate episode of the ABC/Warner Brothers western series, Cheyenne, with Clint Walker in the starring role. In the story line, Bodie is mistaken for a notorious gunfighter and framed for his "own" murder. Others appearing in the episode are Richard Webb, Gregg Palmer, and Dick Foran.[5]
In 1963, Lee guest starred as Lucy Tolliver in the twelfth episode "Enough Rope" of the NBC/WB western series, Temple Houston, with Jeffrey Hunter as an historical figure, the frontier lawyer Temple Lea Houston, youngest son of Sam Houston. Temple Houston was canceled after twenty-six weeks. Of Hunter, Lee said, "He was one of the prettiest people that ever was put on the screen, God, he was gorgeous."[6]
Lee was further cast on Richard Diamond, Private Detective, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Maverick, Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer, Sugarfoot, M Squad, Gunsmoke, 77 Sunset Strip, The Alaskans, Colt .45, Wagon Train, Hawaiian Eye, Rawhide, The Wild Wild West, Ironside, The Fugitive and Hogan's Heroes. Lee appeared in two guest spots of The Andy Griffith Show in 1962 and 1965. In 1963, she was cast in CBS's Twilight Zone in the episode "A Short Drink From a Certain Fountain", as a woman whose elderly husband undergoes a scientific experiment and then ages backward.
Lee also began appearing regularly on game shows such as Hollywood Squares, You Don't Say and Match Game. In the early 1970s, Lee continued to perform in both films and television roles on Love, American Style, The Mod Squad, and a role in the 1972 film The Doomsday Machine. By 1974, Lee had grown frustrated by an increasing lack of roles, and took a job co-hosting the daytime game show High Rollers.[3] She remained with the show until 1976.
During the 1980s, she lent her voice to episodes of The Flintstones Comedy Show and The Smurfs, in addition to guest roles on CHiPs, The Love Boat, and Charles in Charge. Lee also performed extensively in the mid 1980s on stage, including the title character in the musical Peter Pan.[7]
From 1988 to 1989, Lee had a recurring role on the CBS sitcom, Coming of Age. In 1989, she played the role of Sally Powers in the TV movie Sweet Bird of Youth with Elizabeth Taylor. In the 1990s, Lee continued to appear in episodic television, most notably in the series Roseanne. Lee appeared as the girlfriend of Bev Harris (Estelle Parsons) whose character disclosed she was gay.[8]
She played the wife of comedian Jerry Lewis in the 1995 British film Funny Bones, in which they play the parents of Oliver Platt.
In 2002, Lee was presented one of the Golden Boot Awards for her work in western television and cinema.
In 2006, Lee received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions to the television industry.[9] In 1995, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to Lee.[10]
In February 2008, Lee appeared as Clairee in a production of Steel Magnolias with Sally Struthers at the Casa Mañana theatre in Fort Worth, Texas.[4] In October 2010, Lee played the role of Miss Mona in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, also at the Casa Mañana Theatre.[11] She had previously played the role there in 1982. She appeared in 2012 in a small guest appearance on the long-running NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives.
Personal life
In 1976, Lee married Texas restaurant executive Webster B. "Webb" Lowe, Jr.[3] They divide their time between their homes in Hollywood, Palm Springs, Fort Worth and Mexico.[12] She has no children. Lee describes her political views as "conservative"[13] and she appeared at the 1972 Republican National Convention.[14] On August 24, 2013, Lee was inducted into the National Lithuanian American Hall of Fame.[15][16]
Off-camera
In 1964, Lee called then-Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, asking him to pardon her grandmother Ludvise Kamandulis,[3] who had been in an internment camp in Siberia since World War II.[4] The pardon was granted, and Lee's grandmother came to live with her in California in 1964.[3] Kamandulis died two years later.[17] Lee again rescued a relative from the former Soviet Union when she secured custody of her 18-year-old cousin, Maryte Kaseta, from Lithuania in 1987.[18]
Lee has been involved with the charitable organization "The Thalians" for over fifty years.[3] In addition to raising money and providing services for troubled youth and mental health organizations, Lee, who is also the board chairman, has co-produced the annual Ball of the Thalians with Debbie Reynolds throughout those five decades.[19] In 2011, she stepped down after 55 years of involvement with the Thalians, and is now an emeritus member.
Filmography
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | Seven Brides for Seven Brothers | Ruth | Credited as Ruta Kilmonis |
| 1955 | The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing | Tennis Girl | Uncredited |
| 1955 | The Twinkle in God's Eye | Ruthie | |
| 1956 | Anything Goes | Girl | Uncredited |
| 1956 | Gaby | Denise | |
| 1957 | Funny Face | Lettie | |
| 1957 | Witness for the Prosecution | Diana | |
| 1958 | Marjorie Morningstar | Imogene Norman | |
| 1961 | Operation Eichmann | Anna Kemp | |
| 1962 | Sergeants 3 | Amelia Parent | |
| 1963 | The Gun Hawk | Marleen | |
| 1963 | Hootenanny Hoot | A.G. Bannister | |
| 1964 | Bullet for a Badman | Lottie | Alternative title: Renegade Posse |
| 1965 | Invisible Diplomats | Connie Wisner | |
| 1972 | Doomsday Machine | Dr. Marion Turner | Alternative title: Escape from Planet Earth |
| 1983 | Rooster: Spurs of Death! | Gayly | |
| 1983 | Cracking Up | Ms. Sultry (voice) | Alternative title: Smorgasbord |
| 1995 | Funny Bones | Laura Fawkes | |
| 1997 | Pterodactyl Woman from Beverly Hills | Mrs. Poole | |
| 2001 | Pretty When You Cry | Antique Store Patron | Alternative title: Seduced: Pretty When You Cry |
| 2004 | Quiet Kill | Doris | Alternative title: Nightmare Boulevard |
| 2006 | Sadie and the Slot Machines | Sadie Silver | Short film |
| 2007 | Christmas Too Many, AA Christmas Too Many | Grandma | Direct-to-DVD release |
| 2011 | Forever Young at Heart | Shelley Felgerstein | Short film |
| 2013 | For Better or for Worse | ||
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Adventures of Superman | Teenager | Episode: "My Friend Superman" Credited as Rita Kilmonis |
| 1952–1957 | Schlitz Playhouse of Stars | Various roles | 2 episodes |
| 1953–1955 | Burns and Allen | Various roles | 2 episodes |
| 1954 | Lux Video Theatre | Marion | Episode: "I'll Never Love Again" |
| 1955 | Science Fiction Theatre | Student | Episode: "The Unexplored" |
| 1955–1956 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Various roles | 2 episodes |
| 1956 | I Led Three Lives | Louise Burke | Episode: "New Member" |
| 1956 | Dragnet | Episode: "The Big Daughter" | |
| 1957 | Highway Patrol | Lea Franklin | Episode: "Armored Car" |
| 1957 | Suspicion | Betty | Episode: "The Story of Marjorie Reardon" |
| 1957 | Captain David Grief | Rose | Episode: "The Affair at Les Trois Magots" |
| 1957–1959 | Maverick | Various roles | 3 episodes |
| 1957–1959 | The Lineup | Various roles | 8 episodes |
| 1958 | The Gray Ghost | Episode: "Contraband" | |
| 1958 | Playhouse 90 | Episode: "The Right Hand Man" | |
| 1958 | The Walter Winchell File | Joan | Episode: "The Dice of Fortune: File #34" |
| 1958 | Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer | Various roles | 2 episodes |
| 1958 | Man with a Camera | Dolly MacDermott | Episode: "Second Avenue Assassin" |
| 1958 | Rescue 8 | Ann Dagget | Episode: "The Cage" |
| 1958 | December Bride | Carol Hodges | Episode: "Bride's Father-in-Law" |
| 1958–1959 | Sugarfoot | Various roles | 2 episodes |
| 1958–1960 | M Squad | Various roles | 3 episodes |
| 1958–1962 | Gunsmoke | Various roles | 2 episodes |
| 1958–1964 | 77 Sunset Strip | Various roles | 5 episodes |
| 1958–1965 | Perry Mason | Various roles | 5 episodes |
| 1959 | Yancy Derringer | Romilly Vale | Episode: "Two of a Kind" |
| 1959 | The Restless Gun | Lucy Collins | Episode: "The Painted Beauty" |
| 1959 | Peter Gunn | Marie Gipson | Episode: "Edie Finds a Corpse" |
| 1959 | The Millionaire | Angela Temple | Episode: "Millionaire Angela Temple" |
| 1959 | Richard Diamond, Private Detective | Louise | Episode: "Jukebox" |
| 1959 | Bat Masterson | Nellie Fontana | Episode: "The Death of Bat Masterson" |
| 1959 | Alcoa Theatre | Emily Meadows | Episode: "Medals for Harry" |
| 1959 | The Lawless Years | Gloria Fallon | Episode: "The Payoff" |
| 1959 | Markham | Tammy Miles | Episode: "The Duelists" |
| 1959 | Johnny Stacatto | Dee Dee | Episode: "The Naked Truth" |
| 1959 | Tightrope | Laura | Episode: "Stand on Velvet" |
| 1959 | Whirlybirds | Ginny | Episode: "Mr. Jinx" |
| 1959 | Hennesey | Ruth Thomas | Episode: "Hennesey and Peyton Place" |
| 1959 | The Man from Blackhawk | Ginnie Thompson | Episode: "The Legacy" |
| 1959–1960 | Sheriff of Cochise (also known as United States Marshal) | Various roles | 4 episodes |
| 1959–1960 | The Alaskans | Various roles | 2 episodes |
| 1959–1960 | Colt .45 | Various roles | 2 episodes |
| 1959–1963 | Wagon Train | Various roles | 2 episodes |
| 1960 | Shotgun Slade | Lilly Cody | Episode: "Killer's Brand" |
| 1960 | The Rebel | Ellen Barton | Episode: "Grant of Land" |
| 1960–1961 | Hawaiian Eye | Various roles | 3 episodes |
| 1961 | The Tab Hunter Show | Episode: "Turnabout" | |
| 1961 | Michael Shayne | Naomi Lester | Episode: "Spotlight On a Corpse" |
| 1961 | Dante | Peggy Braddock | Episode: "Dante's Fickle Fate" |
| 1961 | The Brothers Brannagan | Lynn | Episode: "Shot in the Dark" |
| 1961 | The Case of the Dangerous Robin | Episode: "Brink of Disaster" | |
| 1961 | Zane Grey Theater | Jenny Aldrich | Episode: "Man from Everywhere" |
| 1961 | Harrigan and Son | Rose | Episode: "The Legacy" |
| 1961 | Stagecoach West | Various roles | 2 episodes |
| 1961 | Laramie | Opal Crane | Episode: "Siege at Jubilee" |
| 1962 | Outlaws | Jennie | Episode: "Farewell Performance" |
| 1962 | Poor Mr. Campbell | Priscilla Edwards | Television film |
| 1962 | Cheyenne | Lenore Walton Hanford | Episode: "Wanted for the Murder of Cheyenne Bodie" |
| 1962 | The Dick Powell Show | Eva Gobel | Episode: "Crazy Sunday" |
| 1962–1963 | Rawhide | Various roles | 2 episodes |
| 1962–1965 | The Andy Griffith Show | Various roles | 2 episodes |
| 1963 | Bonanza | Rita Marlow | Episode: "A Woman Lost" |
| 1963 | Arrest and Trial | Colleen Riley | Episode: "Call It a Lifetime" |
| 1963 | Twilight Zone, TheThe Twilight Zone | Flora Gordon | Episode: "A Short Drink from a Certain Fountain" |
| 1963 | Temple Houston | Lucy Tolliver | Episode: "Enough Rope" |
| 1963 | Fractured Flickers | Herself | Episode 20 |
| 1964 | Travels of Jaimie McPheeters, TheThe Travels of Jaimie McPheeters | Zoe Pigalle | Episode: "The Day of the Lame Duck" |
| 1964 | Fugitive, TheThe Fugitive | Mrs. Janet Loring | Episode: "Angels Travel on Lonely Roads: Part 2" |
| 1964 | Virginian, TheThe Virginian | Various roles | 2 episodes |
| 1964–1965 | Burke's Law | Various roles | 3 episodes |
| 1965 | The Bill Dana Show | Yvette Renay | Episode: "Beauty and the Bellhop" |
| 1965 | Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. | Gloria Morgan | Episode: "Gomer Dates a Movie Star" |
| 1965 | The Wackiest Ship in the Army | Episode: "The Stowaway" | |
| 1965–1967 | The Wild Wild West | Various roles | 2 episodes |
| 1967 | The Lucy Show | Miss Audrey Fields; herself | Episodes: "Lucy's Substitute Secretary"; "Lucy Meets The Berles" |
| 1967 | Judd, for the Defense | Alida Nye | Episode: "To Love and Stand Mute" |
| 1967 | Mannix | Jean Coleman | Episode: "Run, Sheep, Run" |
| 1967–1969 | Hogan's Heroes | Various roles | 3 episodes |
| 1968 | Ironside | Marian | Episode: "To Kill a Cop" |
| 1969 | Guns of Will Sonnett, TheThe Guns of Will Sonnett | Fan | Episode: "Trail's End" |
| 1969 | The Flying Nun | Faye/Sister Mary Grace | 2 episodes |
| 1969 | Marcus Welby, M.D. | Shirley Ballinger | Episode: "All Flags Flying" |
| 1969–1972 | Love, American Style | Various roles | 3 episodes |
| 1971 | Mayberry R.F.D. | Terry | Episode: "The City Planner" |
| 1971 | A Howling in the Woods | Sharon | Television film |
| 1971 | The Mod Squad | Gloria Hardy | Episode: "Exit the Closer" |
| 1971 | Arnie | Miss Fletcher | Episode: "Et Tu, Arnie" |
| 1972 | Me and the Chimp | Lavelle Wiggins | Episode: "My Pet, the Thief" |
| 1974 | Indict and Convict | Phyllis Dorfman | Television film |
| 1974 | Roll, Freddy, Roll! | Evelyn Danton Kane | Television film |
| 1979 | Mork & Mindy | Lisa | Episode: "Mork's Night Out" |
| 1979–1982 | Three's Company | Various roles | 2 episodes |
| 1980–1982 | The Flintstone Comedy Show | Hidea Frankenstone (Voice) | 18 episodes |
| 1980 | Vega$ | Gloria Garland | Episode: "Love Affair" |
| 1980 | Disney's Wonderful World | Ernestine Di Gonzini | Episode: "The Ghosts of Buxley Hall" |
| 1980–1983 | Fantasy Island | Various roles | 3 episodes |
| 1981 | Elvis and the Beauty Queen | Su-Su | Television movie |
| 1981 | The Smurfs | Additional voices | Unknown episodes |
| 1982 | Simon & Simon | Penny Russell | Episode: "Matchmaker" |
| 1982 | Madame's Place | Kaye Jacobs | Episode #1.42 |
| 1983 | CHiPs | Babe | Episode: "Journey to a Spacecraft" |
| 1984 | The Rousters | Mrs. Slade | Episode: "Slade vs. Slade" |
| 1984 | Hotel | Georgia Potter | Episode: "Ideals" |
| 1984–1985 | 1st & Ten | Rona | 4 episodes |
| 1985 | The Love Boat | Harriet Wolters | 1 episode |
| 1985 | Benson | Zelda | Episode: "Solid Gold" |
| 1988 | Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School | Revolta (Voice) | Television movie |
| 1988–1989 | Coming of Age | Pauline Spencer | 15 episodes |
| 1989 | Jake and the Fatman | Leilani Simmons | Episode: "Sweet Leilani" |
| 1990 | Timeless Tales from Hallmark | Voice role | Episode: "Rapunzel" |
| 1990 | Charles in Charge | Gloria | Episode: "Three Dates & A Walnut" |
| 1990 | People Like Us | Faye Converse | Television film |
| 1990 | Murder, She Wrote | Renee | Episode: "A Body to Die For" |
| 1992 | Delta | Charlotte Tyler | Episode: "How Much Is That Darden in the Window?" |
| 1993 | The Building | Sylvia | Episode: "Yakkity Yak Don't Talk" |
| 1997 | Roseanne | Joyce | 2 episodes |
| 1998 | Saved by the Bell: The New Class | Mrs. Gore | Episode: "Cigar Wars" |
| 2000 | Power Rangers: Lightspeed Rescue | Koko Kashmere | Episode: "In the Limelight" |
| 2003 | Life With Bonnie | Mrs. Ruta Blanchette | Episode: "Places, Stat!" |
| 2005 | Studio House | Lily Fargate | Television movie |
| 2006 | Christmas Do-Over | Granny Conlon | Television movie |
| 2007 | Christmas at Cadillac Jack's | Rose Jenkins | Television movie |
| 2012 | Days of Our Lives | Tillie Inman | Episode #1.11749 |
In 2009, she played a 'straight' role as herself in the hilarious British hidden camera comedy La La Land. A series about the stupidity of people trying to make it in Hollywood and those trying to help them.
See also
- List of Canadian actors
- List of dancers
- List of people from Fort Worth, Texas
- List of people from Montreal
- List of people from Palm Springs, California
- List of University of California, Los Angeles people
References
- ↑ "Ruta Lee keeps Fort Worth audiences starstruck", Mark Lowry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, February 27, 2015
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Schwartz, Harry (June 3, 1998). "Asian slaw proves a treat for Ruta Lee". Tulsa World. Retrieved June 22, 2009.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "The Private Life & Times of Ruta Lee". GlamourGirlsOfTheSilverScreen.com.
- 1 2 3 Lowry, Mark (February 10, 2008). "Homecoming Queen". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved March 28, 2008.
- ↑ "Wanted for the Murder of Cheyenne Bodie". Internet Movie Data Base. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
- ↑ Billy Hathorn, "Roy Bean, Temple Houston, Bill Longley, Ranald Mackenzie, Buffalo Bill, Jr., and the Texas Rangers: Depictions of West Texans in Series Television, 1955 to 1967", West Texas Historical Review, Vol. 89 (2013), pp. 108-109
- ↑ "About Ruta Lee, The Legend". Desert Charities. 2012. Retrieved October 22, 2013.
- ↑ Christine, Sparta (March 11, 2003). "Emergence from the closet". USA Today. Retrieved March 28, 2008.
- ↑ "Ruta Lee gets star on Hollywood Walk". USA Today. October 11, 2006. Retrieved March 28, 2008.
- ↑ "Palm Springs Walk of Stars by date dedicated" (PDF format).
- ↑ "News". rutalee.com. Retrieved October 25, 2010.
- ↑ Ruta Lee official biography Archived October 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ http://www.glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com/show/160/Ruta+Lee/index.html
- ↑ webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=NvcjTCcJ4fwJ:http://www.cah.utexas.edu/db/dmr/image_lg.php?variable=e_ea_0240+_cd=14_hl=en_ct=clnk_gl=us
- ↑ "PRESS RELEASE: Lithuanian American Legends, Dick Butkus, Ruta Lee, Johnny Unitas Enter The National Lithuanian American Hall of Fame 2013". www.lithhof.org. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
- ↑ "August 24, 2013, The National Lithuanian American Hall of Fame Welcomes Dick Butkus, Ruta Lee, and Johnny Unitas". www.lithhof.org. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
- ↑ Gekko, Joann (August 15, 1986). "Oldest Active Military Officer in US Retires". The Fresno Bee.
- ↑ Mastick, Spencer (October 16, 1987). "Actress Gets Her Cousin Out of Soviet Union". The Fresno Bee.
- ↑ "Going For the Gold...51st Anniversary Ball of the Thalians". lastylewatch.com. October 7, 2006.
External links
- rutalee
.com , her official website - Ruta Lee at the Internet Movie Database
- Interview, September, 2015