Marie Rudisill (March 13, 1911 – November 3, 2006), also known as the Fruitcake Lady, was a writer and television personality, best known as the
nonagenarian woman who appeared in the "Ask the Fruitcake Lady" segments on ''
The Tonight Show
''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. The show has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2009 and 201 ...
'' on
American television
Television is one of the major mass media outlets in the United States. , household ownership of television sets in the country is 96.7%, with approximately 114,200,000 American households owning at least one television set as of August 2013. ...
. She was an aunt to novelist
Truman Capote
Truman Garcia Capote ( ; born Truman Streckfus Persons; September 30, 1924 – August 25, 1984) was an American novelist, screenwriter, playwright and actor. Several of his short stories, novels, and plays have been praised as literary classics, ...
(his mother, Lillie Mae Faulk, was her elder sister). Rudisill helped to raise Capote, who lived with her at times during his childhood, both in Alabama and
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
.
Biography
Rudisill was born Edna Marie Faulk in
Monroeville, Alabama
Monroeville is the county seat of Monroe County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census its population was 5,951.
Monroeville is known as the hometown of two prominent writers of the post-World War II period, Truman Capote and Harper Lee, w ...
. Her first marriage, to a Japanese man in the 1930s, ended in divorce due to her family's disapproval. She later wrote, "I really loved that man. He was so talented and such a sweet wonderful person. And I would have been happier with him than I was with the man I married after that."
[Marie Rudisell, ''Ask the Fruitcake Lady'', Hyperion, 2006, p. 34. .] She married James Rudisill in 1939. She wrote, "A man who drinks excessively, it's not a happy marriage. We loved each other, but we had our times." The couple had one son, James, and Rudisill had three grandchildren.
Rudisill authored eight books, including ''Fruitcake: Memories of Truman Capote & Sook''. She was a resident of
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
.
''The Tonight Show''
Rudisill's book ''Fruitcake'' (published by Hill Street Press) led to her being invited to be a guest on ''
The Tonight Show
''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. The show has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2009 and 201 ...
'' on December 14, 2000. During her first visit she showed
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir Leno (; born April 28, 1950) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and actor. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show'' from 1992 to 2009. Beginning in September 2009 ...
and
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962), known professionally as Tom Cruise, is an American actor and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actors, he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Gol ...
how to make
fruitcake
Fruitcake (or fruit cake or fruit bread) is a cake made with candied or dried fruit, nuts, and spices, and optionally soaked in spirits. In the United Kingdom, certain rich versions may be iced and decorated.
Fruitcakes are typically served ...
s. This led to her being named the Fruitcake Lady and to several more appearances on ''The Tonight Show'', in which she instructed host Jay Leno and other guests in the preparation of various baked desserts.
In 2002, the "Ask the Fruitcake Lady" segments became a regular part of ''The Tonight Show''. In these segments, viewers posed prerecorded questions to Rudisill (including questions of a graphic sexual nature), and her frank and often unpredictable responses were shown. She often lost patience with what she perceived as stupidity on the part of some questioners, and lapsed into profanity.
Death
Marie Rudisill died in
Hudson, Florida
Hudson is a census-designated place (CDP) located at the westernmost end of Pasco County, Florida, United States, and is included in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, Hudson's po ...
, on November 3, 2006, at the age of 95, just before the publication date of her last book, ''Ask the Fruitcake Lady: Everything You Would Already Know If You Had Any Sense'', on November 7. The November 8 broadcast of the ''Tonight Show'' included a tribute composed of highlights from her segments on the show, including one in which she cooked with (and was hugged and kissed on the cheek by)
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962), known professionally as Tom Cruise, is an American actor and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actors, he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Gol ...
.
An updated version of her 1989 cookbook, ''Sook's Cookbook: Memories and Traditional Recipes from the Deep South,'' was published by
Louisiana State University Press
The Louisiana State University Press (LSU Press) is a university press at Louisiana State University. Founded in 1935, it publishes works of scholarship as well as general interest books. LSU Press is a member of the Association of American Univer ...
in September 2008.
Bibliography
* ''Truman Capote: The Story of His Bizarre and Exotic Boyhood by an Aunt Who Helped Raise Him'' (1983), with James C. Simmons
* ''Sook's Cookbook: Memories and Traditional Recipes from the Deep South'' (1989); updated edition 2008
* ''Critter Cakes & Frog Tea: Tales and Treats from the Emerald River'' (1994)
* ''Fruitcake: Memories of Truman Capote & Sook'' (2000)
* ''The Southern Haunting of Truman Capote'' (2000), with James C. Simmons
* ''Ask the Fruitcake Lady: Everything You Would Already Know If You Had Any Sense'' (2006)
References
External links
*
''St. Petersburg Times'', November 14, 2006''St. Petersburg Times'', "Truman's Aunt Tiny" by Mary Jane Park, October 3, 2000''The Bitter Southerner'', "My Lost Interview with Truman Capote’s Aunt" by Wendell Brock, December 17, 2013
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rudisill, Marie
1911 births
2006 deaths
American women television personalities
20th-century American women writers
People from Monroeville, Alabama
People from Hudson, Florida
21st-century American women
Television personalities from Florida