Ruta Lee

Ruta Lee (born Ruta Mary Kilmonis; May 30, 1935) is an American actress and dancer who appeared as one of the brides in the musical '' 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 sci-fi series '' The Twilight Zone'' called " A Short Drink from a Certain Fountain".

Lee guest-starred on many television series, and was also featured on a number of game shows, including '' Hollywood Squares'', '' What's My Line?'', and '' Match Game'', and as Alex Trebek's co-host on '' High Rollers''.

Early life

Ruta Lee was born on May 30, 1935, in Montreal, Quebec, the only child of Lithuanian Roman Catholic immigrants. Her father was a tailor and her mother a homemaker.Schwartz, Harry (June 3, 1998). "Asian slaw proves a treat for Ruta Lee", '' Tulsa World''; retrieved June 22, 2009.

On March 1, 1948, her family moved to the United States and ended up settling in Los Angeles, where she graduated in 1954 from Hollywood High School and began studying acting and appearing in school plays."The Private Life & Times of Ruta Lee"
. GlamourGirlsOfTheSilverScreen.com. She attended both Los Angeles City College and the University of California at Los Angeles. She worked as a cashier, usherette, and 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.

Career

Lee then got a break as a guest on two episodes of CBS's ''The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show''. She soon found an agent, who landed her a job in an episode of '' 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'', she landed a role as bride Ruth in the Academy Award-nominated musical '' Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'', while still billed as Ruta Kilmonis. After that success, Lee appeared in several films, including '' Anything Goes'' (1956), '' Funny Face'' (1957), '' Witness for the Prosecution'' (1957), and '' Marjorie Morningstar'' (1958). In 1962, she played the female lead in the Rat Pack comedy/Western film ''Sergeants 3'' starring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop. She then co-starred with Audie Murphy and Darren McGavin in a Western, '' Bullet for a Badman'' (1964).

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 small screen. From 1957 to 1959, she was cast in different roles in eight episodes of the CBS crime drama series '' The Lineup'', and also played the leading lady in three episodes of ''Maverick'': " The Comstock Conspiracy" (1957) with James Garner, "The Plunder of Paradise" (1958), and "Betrayal" (1959) with Jack Kelly. In 1959 and 1960, she was cast in four episodes of John Bromfield's syndicated crime drama '' U.S. Marshal''.

She 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 the roles of murderer Connie Cooper in "The Case of the Screaming Woman" (1958), defendant Millie Crest in "The Case of the Foot-Loose Doll" (1959), as Vita Culver in "The Case of the Prudent Prosecutor", Vivian Cosgrave in the episode "The Case of the Libelous Locket" (1963), and as Irene Prentice in "The Case of the Gambling Lady" (1965).

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 Bros. Western series ''Cheyenne'', with Clint Walker in the starring role. In the storyline, Bodie is mistaken for a notorious gunfighter and framed for his "own" murder.

In 1963, Lee guest-starred as Lucy Tolliver in the 12th episode, "Enough Rope", of the NBC/WB Western series ''Temple Houston'', with Jeffrey Hunter as an historical figure, frontier lawyer Temple Lea Houston, youngest son of Sam Houston. ''Temple Houston'' was cancelled after 26 weeks. Of Hunter, Lee said, "He was one of the prettiest people that ever was put on the screen; God, he was gorgeous."

Lee was further cast on '' Richard Diamond, Private Detective'', ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'', '' Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer'', '' Sugarfoot'', '' M Squad'', '' Gunsmoke'', '' 77 Sunset Strip'', '' The Alaskans'', '' Colt .45'', '' Wagon Train'', '' Bat Masterson'', '' Hawaiian Eye'', '' Rawhide'', '' The Wild Wild West'', '' Ironside'', '' The Fugitive'', and three episodes of '' Hogan's Heroes''. Lee appeared in two guest spots of '' The Andy Griffith Show'', in 1962 and 1965.

Also in 1965, she was cast as a movie star named Gloria Morgan in the episode "Gomer Dates a Movie Star" on the sitcom ''Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.''. In 1963, she was cast in CBS's ''The 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 film and television roles on '' Love, American Style'' and '' The Mod Squad'', and had a role in the film '' The Doomsday Machine'' (1972). By 1974, Lee had grown frustrated by an increasing lack of roles, and took a job co-hosting the daytime game show ''High Rollers''. She remained with the show until 1976.

During the 1980s, she lent her voice to episodes of '' The Flintstone Comedy Show'' and ''The Smurfs'', in addition to guest roles on '' CHiPs'', ''Fantasy Island'', ''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''.

From 1988 to 1989, Lee played a recurring role on the CBS sitcom '' Coming of Age''. In 1989, she played the role of Sally Powers in the television movie '' Sweet Bird of Youth'' with Elizabeth Taylor. In the 1990s, Lee continued to appear in episodic television, most notably on the sitcom '' Roseanne''. Lee appeared as the girlfriend of Bev Harris ( Estelle Parsons), whose character disclosed she was gay.

She played the wife of comedian Jerry Lewis in the British comedy-drama '' Funny Bones'' (1995), in which they play the parents of the Oliver Platt's character. In 2002, Lee was presented with 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. In 1995, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to Lee.

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. In October 2010, Lee played the role of Miss Mona in '' The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas'', also at the Casa Mañana Theatre.

Personal life

In 1976, Lee married Texas restaurant executive Webster B. "Webb" Lowe Jr. They divided their time between their homes in Hollywood, Palm Springs, Fort Worth, and Mexico. Webb died July 1, 2020. They had no children. Lee describes her political views as "conservative" and she appeared at the 1972 Republican National Convention. On August 24, 2013, Lee was inducted into the National Lithuanian American Hall of Fame.

In February 2019, Lee had her Lithuanian citizenship restored.

Off-camera

In 1964, Lee called then-Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, asking him to pardon her grandmother Ludvise Kamandulis, who had been in an internment camp in Siberia since World War II. The pardon was granted, and Lee's grandmother came to live with her in California in 1964. Kamandulis died two years later. 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.

Lee has been involved with the charitable organization The Thalians for over 50 years. In addition to raising money and providing services for troubled youth and mental-health organizations, Lee, who is also the board chairman, co-produced the annual Ball of the Thalians with the late Debbie Reynolds throughout these five decades. In 2011, after 55 years of involvement with The Thalians, she stepped down and is now a member emerita.

Filmography

Filmography

Television

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

External links

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Interview, September, 2015


* ttp://www.glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com/show/160/Ruta+Lee/index.html Glamour Girls of the Silver Screen

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Ruta
1935 births
Living people
20th-century American actresses
20th-century Canadian actresses
21st-century American actresses
21st-century Canadian actresses
Actresses from Los Angeles
Actresses from Montreal
Actresses from Palm Springs, California
Actresses from Texas
Catholics from California
Catholics from Texas
California Republicans
Texas Republicans
American female dancers
American female models
American film actresses
American people of Lithuanian descent
American stage actresses
American television actresses
American voice actresses
Canadian female dancers
Female models from Quebec
Canadian film actresses
Canadian people of Lithuanian descent
Canadian stage actresses
Canadian television actresses
Canadian voice actresses
Canadian Roman Catholics
Game show models
Hollywood High School alumni
Los Angeles City College alumni
People from Fort Worth, Texas
University of California, Los Angeles alumni
People with acquired American citizenship