Ruth Morley (November 19, 1925 – February 12, 1991) was an Austrian-born American costume designer, active from the late 1950s through 1991. She was nominated for Best Costumes-Black and White for her work on ''

The Miracle Worker ''The Miracle Worker'' refers to a broadcast, a play and various other adaptations of Helen Keller's 1903 autobiography '' The Story of My Life''. The first of these works was a 1957 ''Playhouse 90'' broadcast written by William Gibson and st ...

'' during the

35th Academy Awards The 35th Academy Awards, honoring the best in film for 1962, were held on April 8, 1963, at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, California, hosted by Frank Sinatra. Ceremony The Best Actress Oscar occasioned the last act of t ...

. She is also well known for her work on '' Annie Hall''. Ms. Morley's stage work began in 1951, with "Billy Bud." Other Broadway productions included "Death of a Salesman," starring Dustin Hoffman, as well as "A Thousand Clowns," "Toys in the Attic," "Inherit the Wind," and "Take a Giant Step,". In the 1950s she was costume director for the New York City Opera (NYCO). Her notable costume designs for the NYCO included the world premiere of

Robert Kurka Robert Frank Kurka (December 22, 1921 – December 12, 1957) was an American composer, who also taught and conducted his own works. Biography Kurka was born in Cicero, Illinois. He was mostly self-taught as a musician. He studied for short period ...

's ''

The Good Soldier Schweik ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' at

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 millio ...

in 1958.

Selected filmography

*'' The Prince of Tides'' (1991) *''

Ghost A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...

'' (1990) *'' The Money Pit'' (1986) *''

Tootsie ''Tootsie'' is a 1982 American satirical romantic comedy-drama film directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Dustin Hoffman. Its supporting cast includes Pollack, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman, Bill Murray, Charles Durning, George Ga ...

'' (1982) *''

Little Miss Marker ''Little Miss Marker'' (also known as ''The Girl in Pawn'') is an American Pre-Code 1934 comedy-drama film directed by Alexander Hall. It was written by William R. Lipman, Sam Hellman, and Gladys Lehman after a 1932 short story of the same name ...

'' (1980) *''

'' (1979-TV movie) *''

Kramer vs. Kramer ''Kramer vs. Kramer'' is a 1979 American legal drama film written and directed by Robert Benton, based on Avery Corman's 1977 novel of the same name. The film stars Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Jane Alexander, and Justin Henry. It tells the stor ...

'' (1979) *''

Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...

'' (1978) *'' Annie Hall'' (1977) *''

Taxi Driver ''Taxi Driver'' is a 1976 American film directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Paul Schrader, and starring Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Harvey Keitel, Peter Boyle, Leonard Harris, and Albert Brooks. Set in a decaying and ...

'' (1976) *'' Diary of a Mad Housewife'' (1970) *''

A Thousand Clowns ''A Thousand Clowns'' is a 1965 American comedy-drama film directed by Fred Coe and starring Jason Robards, Barbara Harris, Martin Balsam, and Barry Gordon. An adaptation of a 1962 play by Herb Gardner, it tells the story of an eccentric comedy ...

'' (1965) *''

'' (1962) *'' The Hustler'' (1961)

Personal life

Ruth Morley, née Birnholz, was born in Vienna, Austria, and escaped shortly before the outbreak of World War II on a Kindertransport. She had two daughters. She died at the age of 65 of

breast cancer Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a re ...

References

External links

*
Ruth Morley papers, 1925-2005 (bulk 1940-1990)
held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
Ruth Morley papers, 1958-1990
Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences 1925 births 1991 deaths American costume designers Film people from Vienna Deaths from breast cancer in New York (state) Austrian emigrants to the United States {{US-film-bio-stub