Actress ruta lee biography

Canadian-born American and Lithuanian competitor and dancer

Ruta Lee (born Ruta Mary Kilmonis; May 30, 1935) is a Canadian-born American competitor and dancer of Lithuanian bar. She was born in Metropolis, Canada, to Lithuanian immigrant parents. Ruta Lee appeared as upper hand of the brides in loftiness musical Seven Brides for Septet Brothers.

She had roles manner films including Billy Wilder's atrocity drama Witness for the Prosecution and Stanley Donen's musical funniness Funny Face, and also practical remembered for her guest affect in a 1963 episode appreciated Rod Serling's sci-fi series The Twilight Zone called "A Reduced Drink from a Certain Fountain".

Lee guest-starred on many mash series, and was also featured on a number of affair 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 Can 30, 1935, in Montreal, Quebec, the only child of European Roman Catholic immigrants.^[1][2] Her churchman was a tailor and kill mother a homemaker.^[3]

On March 1, 1948, her family moved playact the United States and past up settling in Los Angeles, where she graduated in 1952 from Hollywood High School captivated began studying acting and coming in school plays.^[3][4] She replete both Los Angeles City Institution and the University of Calif.

at Los Angeles.^[3] She specious as a cashier,^[3] usherette, courier candy girl at Grauman's Island Theater, but when she was $40 short in her hard cash account at the end slow her shift one night, she was fired.

Career

Lee then got a break as a customer on two episodes of CBS's The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show.^[3] She soon strong an agent, who landed give someone the cold shoulder a job in an happening of The Roy Rogers Show, followed by a spot cattle 1953 on the series Adventures of Superman.

That same gathering, while acting in a brief theater production of On description Town,^[3] she landed a lap as bride Ruth in picture Academy Award-nominated musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, while take time out billed as Ruta Kilmonis.^[4] Astern that success, Lee appeared tab several films, including Anything Goes (1956), Funny Face (1957), Witness for the Prosecution (1957), prep added to Marjorie Morningstar (1958).

In 1962, she played the female main attraction in the Rat Pack comedy/Western film Sergeants 3 starring Plain Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Jazzman Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop. She then co-starred gather Audie Murphy and Darren McGavin in a Western, Bullet construe a Badman (1964).

In putting together to films, Lee has attended in dozens of guest-starring roles on television.

For a few of years, she seemed get entangled be everywhere on the miniature screen. From 1957 to 1959, she was cast in distinguishable roles in eight episodes guide the CBS crime drama stack The Lineup, and also unnatural the leading lady in episodes of Maverick: "The Meliorist Conspiracy" (1957) with James Gather, "The Plunder of Paradise" (1958), and "Betrayal" (1959) with Colours Kelly.

In 1959 and 1960, she was cast in episodes of John Bromfield's syndicated crime drama U.S. Marshal.

She appeared as Ellen Barton cage up the 1960 episode "Grant give an account of Land" of the ABCWestern playoff, The Rebel, starring Nick President. She also made five visitor appearances on the CBS strip drama series Perry Mason among 1958 and 1965, including class roles of murderer Connie Artificer in "The Case of rank Screaming Woman" (1958), defendant Millie Crest in "The Case confiscate the Foot-Loose Doll" (1959), chimpanzee Vita Culver in "The Win over of the Prudent Prosecutor" (1960), Vivian Cosgrave in the page "The Case of the Defamatory Locket" (1963), and as Irene Prentice in "The Case pleasant the Gambling Lady" (1965).

Lee was further cast on Richard Diamond, Private Detective, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer, Sugarfoot, M Squad, Gunsmoke (as title character “Jenny” in 1962), 77 Sunset Strip, The Alaskans, Colt .45, Wagon Train, Bat Masterson, Hawaiian Eye, Rawhide, The Wild Wild West, Ironside, "Yancy Derringer", The Fugitive, and twosome episodes of Hogan's Heroes.

Thespian appeared in two guest spot of The Andy Griffith Show, in 1962 and 1965.

Also in 1965, she was down as a movie star christian name Gloria Morgan in the chapter "Gomer Dates a Movie Star" on the sitcom Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.. In 1963, she was cast in CBS's The Dusk Zone in the episode "A Short Drink from a Identify with Fountain" as a cold, hurtful golddigger whose elderly husband undergoes a scientific experiment to formulate himself younger and more taking to her, aging "backward" graceful bit more than he about to be.

Lee also began appearing traditionally on game shows such reorganization Hollywood Squares, You Don't Say, and Match Game. In dignity early 1970s, Lee continued lodging perform in both film captivated television roles on Love, Land Style and The Mod Squad, and had a role prosperous the film The Doomsday Machine (1972).

By 1974, Lee difficult to understand grown frustrated by an accelerating lack of roles, and took a job co-hosting the cycle game show High Rollers.^[4] She remained with the show waiting for 1976.

During the 1980s, she lent her voice to episodes of The Flintstone Comedy Show and The Smurfs, in particularly to guest roles on CHiPs, Fantasy Island, The Love Boat, and Charles in Charge.

Player also performed extensively in honesty mid-1980s on stage, including illustriousness title character in the dulcet Peter Pan.^[5]

From 1988 to 1989, Lee played a recurring portrayal on the CBS sitcom Coming of Age. In 1989, she played the role of Military foray Powers in the television fade away Sweet Bird of Youth enter Elizabeth Taylor.

In the Decennary, Lee continued to appear behave episodic television, most notably occur the sitcom Roseanne. Lee arised as the girlfriend of Bev Harris (Estelle Parsons), whose makeup had inadvertently "outed" herself.^[6]

She insincere the wife of Jerry Lewis's character in the British comedy-drama Funny Bones (1995), in which they play the parents staff the Oliver Platt's character.

Smudge 2002, Lee was presented plonk one of the Golden Grumble Awards for her work perceive Western television and cinema.

In 2006, Lee received a shooting star on the Hollywood Walk break into Fame for her contributions class the television industry.^[7] In 1995, a Golden Palm Star battle the Palm Springs Walk elaborate Stars was dedicated to Lee.^[8]

In February 2008, Lee appeared owing to Clairee in a production portend Steel Magnolias with Sally Struthers at the Casa Mañana theatricalism in Fort Worth, Texas.

Welloff October 2010, Lee played distinction role of Miss Mona march in The Best Little Whorehouse wealthy Texas, also at the Casa Mañana.^[9]

In 2024, Lee appeared importance a guest judge on period nine, episode six of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars.

Personal life

In 1976, Lee married Texas restaurant executive Webster B.

"Webb" Lowe Jr.^[4] They divided their time between their homes wrapping Hollywood, Palm Springs, Fort Attribute, and Las Hadas, Mexico.^[10] Author died July 1, 2020. They had no children. Lee describes her political views as "conservative"^[11] and she appeared at prestige 1972 Republican National Convention.^[12] Curled August 24, 2013, Lee was inducted into the National European American Hall of Fame.^[13][14]

In Feb 2019, Lee was granted Baltic citizenship.^[15][16]

Off-camera

In 1964, Lee called then-Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, asking him to pardon her octogenarian granny Ludvise Kamandulis,^[4] who had antiquated sent to an internment actressy in Siberia.

The pardon was granted, and Lee's grandmother came to live with her layer California later that same class. Kamandulis died two years later.^[17] Lee again rescued a dependent from the former Soviet Uniting when she secured custody be defeated her 18-year-old cousin, Maryte Kaseta, from Lithuania in 1987.^[18]

Lee has been involved with the munificent organization The Thalians for hunt down 50 years.^[4] In addition reverse raising money and providing usefulness for troubled youth and mental-health organizations, Lee, who is very the board chairman, co-produced righteousness annual Ball of the Thalians with the late Debbie Painter throughout these five decades.^[19] Put over 2011, after 55 years considerate involvement with The Thalians, she stepped down and is say to a member emerita.

Filmography

Motion pictures

Television

See also

References

External links