Barbara Ruick | |
|---|---|
 Ruick,c. 1950s | |
| Born | (1932-12-23)December 23, 1932 Pasadena, California, U.S. |
| Died | March 3, 1974(1974-03-03) (aged 41) Reno, Nevada, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, singer |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3, includingJoseph Williams |
| Parents |
|
Barbara Ruick (December 23, 1932[citation needed] – March 3, 1974)[1] was an American actress and singer.
Ruick was the daughter of actorsLurene Tuttle andMelville Ruick,[2] and grew up acting out scenes with dolls, employing her mother as an audience.
Ruick attendedNorth Hollywood High School.[3] She did little acting in high school but joined a school band at the age of 14. Ruick sang with the band at dances and benefits.
 | This sectionneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Barbara Ruick" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(July 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Early in her career, Ruick sang in clubs[4] and acted inLittle Theater productions.[2] She achieved success in radio, then signed as a contract player withMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer.[5] She was heard in the original radio version ofDragnet. She also recorded several songs forMGM Records. In the 1950s, Ruick starred as Kay in the first LP recording of the songs fromGeorge Gershwin andIra Gershwin's 1926 Broadway musicalOh, Kay!. This studio cast recording was released byColumbia Records and conducted byLehman Engel.
She landed a job onHollywood Screen Test, a talent show which aired on ABC from 1948 to 1953. Ruick appeared on theKraft Television Theatre, soap operas, andThe College Bowl (1950), which was hosted byChico Marx.[6] She also performed for fifteen weeks onTheJerry Colonna Show.[6]: 531 In 1955, she was a regular onThe Johnny Carson Show.[6]: 540
She made guest appearances onThe Millionaire (1957),The Public Defender (1954),The Brothers Brannagan (1960),The 20th Century Fox Hour (1956), andClimax Mystery Theater (1955).
In 1951, Ruick was signed by MGM for a role in the filmInvitation (1952).[7] She had bit parts in her first four films, one of them beingThe Band Wagon (1953), and then graduated to supporting roles. Her best remembered roles both came fromRodgers and Hammerstein. She played Carrie Pipperidge in the film version ofCarousel (1956) and Esmerelda, one of the wicked stepsisters, in the 1965 TV version ofRodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella.
She released several singles of her singing on the MGM label in 1952 and 1953, including some with arrangements by Nelson Riddle.
Ruick married actorRobert Horton in 1953.[8] She had co-starred with Horton in the movieApache War Smoke the previous year. The couple separated just prior to their second wedding anniversary in 1955 and divorced in 1956,[9] just after he accompanied her to the world premiere ofCarousel. She then married the young composerJohn Williams, who later became famous forStar Wars and many other films. Williams dedicated his First Violin Concerto to her memory (notes to DGG recording 289 471 326–2). During her marriage to Williams, Ruick appeared in few motion pictures. They had three children together, one of whom,Joseph Williams, is lead singer in the rock bandToto.[10]
Ruick died inReno, Nevada, aged 41, while playing a small role on location inRobert Altman'sCalifornia Split. She was found dead the afternoon of March 3, 1974, in her hotel room, where her body had been lying for 10 to 12 hours. She had complained of nausea and headache the previous night.[1] The coroner found that her death was caused by a rupturedberry (saccular) aneurysm andintracerebral hemorrhage.[11] She was interred at the Columbarium of Blessedness,Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California.[12]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Invitation | Sarah | |
| 1952 | Scaramouche | Amoureause | Uncredited |
| 1952 | You for Me | Ann Elcott | |
| 1952 | Fearless Fagan | Second Nurse | |
| 1952 | Apache War Smoke | Nancy Dekker | |
| 1952 | Above and Beyond | Mary Malone | |
| 1953 | Confidentially Connie | Barbara | |
| 1953 | I Love Melvin | Studio Guide | |
| 1953 | The Band Wagon | Passenger on Train | Uncredited |
| 1953 | The Affairs of Dobie Gillis | Lorna Ellingboe | |
| 1956 | Carousel | Carrie Pipperidge | |
| 1956 | The Star of Bethlehem[13] | Narrator | Reissue version |
| 1974 | California Split | Reno Barmaid | Final role |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
