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Ruth Hussey

Ruth Hussey

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Ruth Carol Hussey (October 30, 1911 – April 19, 2005) was an American actress best known for her Academy Award-nominated role as photographer Elizabeth Imbrie in The Philadelphia Story. After working as an actress in summer stock, she returned to Providence and worked as a radio fashion commentator on a local station. She wrote the ad copy for a Providence clothing store and read it on the radio each afternoon. She was encouraged by a friend to try out for acting roles at the Providence Playhouse. The theater director there turned her down, saying the roles were cast only out of New York City. Later that week, she journeyed to New York City and on her first day there, she signed with a talent agent who booked her for a role in a play starting the next day back at the Providence Playhouse. In New York City, she also worked for a time as a model. She then landed a number of stage roles with touring companies. Dead End toured the country in 1937 and the last theater on the road trip was at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, where she was spotted on opening night by MGM talent scout Billy Grady. MGM signed her to a players contract and she made her film debut in 1937. She quickly became a leading lady in MGM's "B" unit, usually playing sophisticated, worldly roles. For a 1940 "A" picture role, she was nominated for an Academy Award for her turn as Elizabeth Imbrie, the cynical magazine photographer and almost-girlfriend of James Stewart's character Macaulay Connor in The Philadelphia Story. In 1941, exhibitors voted her the third-most popular new star in Hollywood. Hussey also worked with Robert Taylor in Flight Command (1940), Robert Young in Northwest Passage (1940) and H.M. Pulham, Esq. (1941), Van Heflin in Tennessee Johnson (1942), Ray Milland in The Uninvited (1944), and Alan Ladd in The Great Gatsby (1949). In 1946, she starred on Broadway in the Pulitzer Prize-winning play State of the Union. Her 1949 role in Goodbye, My Fancy on Broadway caused a Billboard reviewer to write: "Miss Hussey brings a splendid aliveness and warmth to the lovely congresswoman...." She filled in for Jean Arthur in the 1955 Lux Radio Theater presentation of Shane, playing Miriam Start, alongside original film stars Alan Ladd and Van Heflin. In 1960, she co-starred in The Facts of Life with Bob Hope. Hussey was also active in early television drama.

Personal information

Birthday

1911-10-30

Birth Place

Providence, Rhode Island, USA

Movies and TV shows :

A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound

A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound

1940

6.7

Movie
poster

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

1955

7.7

TV
Another Thin Man

Another Thin Man

1939

7.2

Movie
Big City

Big City

1937

7.4

Movie
Blackmail

Blackmail

1939

6.4

Movie
poster

Climax!

1954

2.7

TV
Fast and Furious

Fast and Furious

1939

5.2

Movie
Flight Command

Flight Command

1940

5.4

Movie
Free and Easy

Free and Easy

1941

5.5

Movie
poster

General Electric Theater

1953

5.5

TV
H.M. Pulham, Esq.

H.M. Pulham, Esq.

1941

6.8

Movie
Her Favorite Patient

Her Favorite Patient

1945

5.8

Movie
Hill Number One: A Story of Faith and Inspiration

Hill Number One: A Story of Faith and Inspiration

1951

4.4

Movie
Hold That Kiss

Hold That Kiss

1938

6.5

Movie
Honolulu

Honolulu

1939

6.1

Movie
I, Jane Doe

I, Jane Doe

1948

5.9

Movie
Judge Hardy's Children

Judge Hardy's Children

1938

6.1

Movie
Louisa

Louisa

1950

6.1

Movie
poster

Lux Video Theatre

1950

5.5

TV
Madame X

Madame X

1937

6.2

Movie
Maisie

Maisie

1939

4.7

Movie
Man-Proof

Man-Proof

1938

4.8

Movie
Marie Antoinette

Marie Antoinette

1938

6.2

Movie
Marine Raiders

Marine Raiders

1944

6.8

Movie
Married Bachelor

Married Bachelor

1941

5.8

Movie
Mr. Music

Mr. Music

1950

4.0

Movie
My Darling Daughters' Anniversary

My Darling Daughters' Anniversary

1973

6.0

Movie
Northwest Passage

Northwest Passage

1940

6.3

Movie
Our Wife

Our Wife

1941

5.7

Movie
Pierre of the Plains

Pierre of the Plains

1942

4.2

Movie
poster

Playwrights '56

1955

6.0

TV
poster

Producers' Showcase

1954

6.0

TV
Rich Man, Poor Girl

Rich Man, Poor Girl

1938

5.9

Movie
Soaring Stars

Soaring Stars

1942

0.0

Movie
Spring Madness

Spring Madness

1938

3.9

Movie
Stars and Stripes Forever

Stars and Stripes Forever

1952

6.8

Movie
poster

Studio One

1948

4.4

TV
Susan and God

Susan and God

1940

6.5

Movie
Tender Comrade

Tender Comrade

1944

6.0

Movie
Tennessee Johnson

Tennessee Johnson

1942

6.2

Movie
That's My Boy

That's My Boy

1951

5.8

Movie
poster

The Case of the Dangerous Robin

1960

0.0

TV
poster

The Christophers

1953

0.0

TV
poster

The DuPont Show with June Allyson

1959

6.3

TV
The Facts of Life

The Facts of Life

1960

5.2

Movie
The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby

1949

5.5

Movie
The Lady Wants Mink

The Lady Wants Mink

1953

6.0

Movie
The Philadelphia Story

The Philadelphia Story

1940

7.6

Movie
The Resurrection of Broncho Billy

The Resurrection of Broncho Billy

1970

6.1

Movie
The Uninvited

The Uninvited

1944

6.9

Movie
The Women

The Women

1939

7.1

Movie
Time Out for Murder

Time Out for Murder

1938

6.0

Movie
poster

Vacation Playhouse

1963

0.0

TV
Within the Law

Within the Law

1939

6.0

Movie
Woman of the North Country

Woman of the North Country

1952

4.5

Movie