Everything about Barbara Ruick totally explained
Barbara Ruick (
December 23,
1930 –
March 3,
1974) was an American actress.
Youth
Ruick was the daughter of actors
Lurene Tuttle and
Melville Ruick. She grew up acting out scenes with dolls, employing her mother as an audience. She attended
Theodore Roosevelt High School (Los Angeles),
Burbank High School (California), and
North Hollywood High School. She did little acting in high school but joined a school band at the age of fourteen. She sang with the band at dances and benefits.
Career
She achieved success in radio prior to signing with
MGM studios. She was heard in the original radio version of
Dragnet. She also recorded several songs for
MGM Records.
In the 1950's, she starred as Kay in the first
LP recording of the songs from
George Gershwin and
Ira Gershwin's
1926 Broadway musical,
Oh, Kay!. This was a studio cast recording released by
Columbia Records, and conducted by
Lehman Engel. Despite what is sometimes claimed, it didn't use the original orchestrations, but it was the most complete recording of the score made up to that time.
In seeking acting parts she was forced to travel to
New York City where her relation to her mother wasn't as well known. She landed a
job on
Hollywood Screen Test, a talent show which aired on
ABC Television from 1948-1953. Ruick appeared on the
Kraft Television Theater, soap operas, and
The College Bowl (1950), which was hosted by
Chico Marx. She also performed for fifteen weeks on the
Jerry Colonna Show. In 1955 she was a regular on the
Johnny Carson Show.
Ruick did episodes of
The Millionaire (1957),
Public Defender
(1954),
Brothers Brannigan (1960),
The 20th Century Fox Hour
(1956), and
Climax Mystery Theater (1955).
Ruick played bit parts in her first four films, one of them being
The Band Wagon, and then graduated to supporting roles. Her best remembered are Carrie Pipperidge in the film version of
Rodgers and Hammerstein's
Carousel (1956), and Esmerelda, one of the wicked stepsisters, in the 1965 version of
Cinderella (TV).
Personal life
Ruick married actor Robert Horton Jr., in
Las Vegas, Nevada, on August 22, 1953. The couple divorced just prior to their second wedding anniversary in 1955. She was the wife of film composer
John Williams from 1956 until her death. Following her marriage to Williams, Ruick appeared in few motion pictures.
Barbara Ruick Williams died of a
cerebral hemorrhage in
Reno, Nevada while on location with her last film,
Robert Altman's
California Split. She had a cameo role as a barmaid. Ruick was found dead in her hotel room at the age of only 43.
Notable films:
- Confidentially Connie (1953)
- The Affairs of Dobie Gillis (1953)
- Carousel (1956)
- Cinderella (the 1965 version)
Further Information
Get more info on 'Barbara Ruick'.
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