Ruth Lee (September 14, 1895 – August 3, 1975) was an American stage and film actress.

Early life and career

Lee was born in

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

, and she graduated from a dramatic school there. Lee acted in stock theater with the National Theatre in Washington, D.C. Her other activities on stage included three years with the Shubert Theater in Minneapolis. She also acted in New York, including performing on Broadway. Her Broadway debut was as a member of the chorus in ''Apple Blossoms'' (1919), and her final Broadway role was Muriel Payne in ''Your Loving Son'' (1941).

Death

Lee died in

Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California Woodland Hills is a neighborhood bordering the Santa Monica Mountains in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Geography Woodland Hills is in the southwestern region of the San Fernando Valley, which is located east of Ca ...

. She was married to the actor

Grandon Rhodes Grandon Rhodes (born Grandon Neviers Augustine Rolker; August 7, 1904 – June 9, 1987) was an American actor. Early years Rhodes was born in Jersey City, New Jersey. Career Early in his career, Rhodes acted in repertory theatre with troupe ...

Partial filmography

* ''

The Rich Are Always with Us ''The Rich Are Always with Us'' is a 1932 American pre-Code romantic comedy-drama film directed by Alfred E. Green and starring Ruth Chatterton, George Brent, and Bette Davis. The screenplay by Austin Parker is based on the novel of the same n ...

'' (1932) - Second Gossiper in 1920 (uncredited) * ''

Sued for Libel ''Sued for Libel'' is a 1939 American mystery film directed by Leslie Goodwins from a screenplay by Jerry Cady, based on Wolfe Kaufman's story. Released on October 27, 1939, by RKO Radio Pictures (who also produced it), the film stars Kent Tay ...

'' (1939) - Radio Actress (uncredited) * ''

The Middleton Family at the New York World's Fair ''The Middleton Family at the New York World's Fair'' is a 1939 American film directed by Robert R. Snody produced by Westinghouse for their exhibit at the 1939 New York World's Fair. In 2012, the film was added to the National Film Registry, ...

'' (1939) - Mother * ''

Not a Ladies' Man ''Not a Ladies' Man'' is a 1942 American drama film directed by Lew Landers and written by Rian James. The film stars Paul Kelly, Fay Wray, Douglas Croft, Ruth Lee, Lawrence Dixon and Marietta Canty. The film was released on May 14, 1942, by Co ...

'' (1942) - Jennie Purcell * ''

Get Hep to Love ''Get Hep to Love'' is a 1942 musical film starring Gloria Jean, Donald O'Connor, Jane Frazee, Robert Paige and Peggy Ryan. The film was directed by Charles Lamont. Plot Doris Stanley is an adolescent singer ("14 going on 15") billed as an ...

'' (1942) - Woman (uncredited) * '' Behind the Eight Ball'' (1942) - Woman (uncredited) * ''

Shadow of a Doubt ''Shadow of a Doubt'' is a 1943 American psychological thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and starring Teresa Wright and Joseph Cotten. Written by Thornton Wilder, Sally Benson, and Alma Reville, the film was nominated for an Academy ...

'' (1943) - Mrs. MacCurdy (uncredited) * '' Silver Skates'' (1943) - Mrs. Martin * ''

Rhythm of the Islands ''Rhythm of the Islands'', also known as ''Isle of Romance'', is a 1943 American film directed by Roy William Neill starring Jane Frazee. Plot summary Two ambitious guys from Brooklyn, Tommy Jones and Eddie Dolan, get the idea of buying a trop ...

'' (1943) - Miss Widdicomb * '' Good Morning, Judge'' (1943) - Paula (uncredited) * ''

Hers to Hold ''Hers to Hold'' (aka ''Three Smart Girls Join Up'') is a 1943 American romantic musical comedy film and is the third film in the unofficial ''Three Smart Girls'' trilogy. In ''Hers to Hold'', Deanna Durbin reprises her role as Penny Craig, who ...

'' (1943) - Miss Crawford (uncredited) * ''

Mexican Spitfire's Blessed Event ''Mexican Spitfire's Blessed Event'' is a 1943 American comedy film directed by Leslie Goodwins and written by Charles E. Roberts and Dane Lussier. It is the sequel to the 1942 film '' Mexican Spitfire's Elephant''. The film stars Lupe Vélez, L ...

'' (1943) - Mrs. Fred Walters (uncredited) * ''

The Adventures of a Rookie ''Adventures of a Rookie'' is a 1943 comedy film directed by Leslie Goodwins. It was the debut of RKO's comedy duo Carney and Brown. A sequel, ''Rookies in Burma'', followed. Plot Three young men from completely different levels of society get th ...

'' (1943) - Mrs. Linden (uncredited) * '' Moonlight in Vermont'' (1943) - Miss Evans * '' Tucson Raiders'' (1944) - Hannah Rogers * ''

Sensations of 1945 ''Sensations of 1945'' is a 1944 American musical-comedy film directed by Andrew Stone and starring Eleanor Powell. Released by United Artists, the film was an attempt to recapture the ensemble style of films such as ''Broadway Melody of 1936'' ...

'' (1944) - Mrs. Gustafson (uncredited) * ''

The Soul of a Monster ''The Soul of a Monster'' is a 1944 American horror film directed by Will Jason and starring Rose Hobart, George Macready, Jim Bannon, Jeanne Bates and Erik Rolf. The film involves the near-death of George Winson, leading to Anne Winson to call ...

'' (1944) - Woman in Sedan (uncredited) * ''

Goin' to Town ''Goin' To Town'' is a 1935 musical comedy film directed by Alexander Hall and written by Mae West. The film stars Mae West, Paul Cavanagh, Gilbert Emery, Marjorie Gateson, Tito Coral and Ivan Lebedeff. The film was released on April 25, 1935, ...

'' (1944) - Mrs. Wentworth * ''

The Town Went Wild ''The Town Went Wild'' is a 1944 American comedy film directed by Ralph Murphy and starring Freddie Bartholomew and Edward Everett Horton Plot Like Romeo and Juliet, next door neighbours David Conway and Carol Harrison are deeply in love wi ...

'' (1944) - Lucille Conway * ''

Music for Millions ''Music for Millions'' is a 1944 musical film, musical comedy film directed by Henry Koster and starring Margaret O'Brien, José Iturbi, Jimmy Durante, June Allyson, Marsha Hunt (actress, born 1917), Marsha Hunt, Hugh Herbert, Harry Davenport (ac ...

'' (1944) - Nurse (uncredited) * ''

Hi, Beautiful ''Hi, Beautiful'' is a 1944 American comedy film directed by Leslie Goodwins and written by Dick Irving Hyland. The film stars Martha O'Driscoll, Noah Beery Jr., Hattie McDaniel, Walter Catlett, Tim Ryan, Florence Lake, Grady Sutton, Lou Lubin ...

'' (1944) - Mother (uncredited) * ''

Here Come the Co-Eds ''Here Come The Co-Eds'' is a 1945 American comedy film starring the comedy team Abbott and Costello. Plot Oliver Quackenbush, Molly McCarthy and her brother Slats who acts as her publicity agent work for the Miramar Ballroom as taxi dancers. Sla ...

'' (1945) - Miss Holford * ''

Keep Your Powder Dry ''Keep Your Powder Dry'' is a 1945 American drama film directed by Edward Buzzell and starring Lana Turner, Susan Peters, and Laraine Day. Its plot follows three women who join the Women's Army Corps during World War II. The screenplay was writ ...

'' (1945) - Classroom Instructor (uncredited) * ''

The Man Who Walked Alone ''The Man Who Walked Alone'' is a 1945 American B film romantic comedy film produced by PRC Pictures, Inc., directed by Christy Cabanne, with top-billed Dave O'Brien and Kay Aldridge, along with Walter Catlett Walter Leland Catlett (Febr ...

'' (1945) - Aunt Harriett * '' G. I. Honeymoon'' (1945) - Mrs. Barton * ''

Corpus Christi Bandits ''Corpus Christi Bandits'' is a 1945 American Western film directed by Wallace Grissell and written by Norman S. Hall. The film stars Allan Lane, Helen Talbot, Jack Kirk, Twinkle Watts, Francis McDonald and Roy Barcroft. The film was released ...

'' (1945) - Mom Christie * '' I'll Tell the World'' (1945) - Ethel (uncredited) * ''

The Naughty Nineties ''The Naughty Nineties'' is a 1945 American film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. The film is noteworthy for containing a filmed version of the duo's famous " Who's on First?" routine. This version is shown at the National Baseba ...

'' (1945) - (uncredited) * ''

On Stage Everybody ''On Stage Everybody'' is a 1945 film starring Jack Oakie, Peggy Ryan, and Johnny Coy. Also appearing are Otto Kruger, Esther Dale, Milburn Stone, Wallace Ford, Julie London, and The King Sisters, who sang " Stuff Like That There", written by ...

'' (1945) - Barbara (uncredited) * ''

Anchors Aweigh "Anchors Aweigh" is the fight song of the United States Naval Academy and unofficial march song of the United States Navy. It was composed in 1906 by Charles A. Zimmermann with lyrics by Alfred Hart Miles. When he composed "Anchors Aweigh", Zim ...

'' (1945) - Kindergarten Teacher (uncredited) * '' Mama Loves Papa'' (1945) - Mabel * ''

Divorce Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganizing of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the ...

'' (1945) - Liz Smith * '' Swingin' on a Rainbow'' (1945) - Landlady (uncredited) * ''

Week-End at the Waldorf ''Week-End at the Waldorf'', an American comedy drama film directed by Robert Z. Leonard and starring Ginger Rogers, Lana Turner, Walter Pidgeon, and Van Johnson. It premiered in Los Angeles on 17 October 1945. The screenplay by Samuel and Bella ...

'' (1945) - The Woman (uncredited) * ''

Sing Your Way Home ''Sing Your Way Home'' is a 1945 musical film directed by Anthony Mann and featuring Jack Haley and Marcy McGuire. Cast * Jack Haley as Steve Kimball * Marcy McGuire as Bridget Forrester * Glen Vernon as Jimmy McCue * Anne Jeffreys as Kay Lawrenc ...

'' (1945) - Bridget's Mother (scenes deleted) * '' The Daltons Ride Again'' (1945) - Mrs. Maggie Bohannon (uncredited) * ''

Idea Girl ''Idea Girl'' is a 1946 American comedy film directed by Will Jason and written by Charles R. Marion and Elwood Ullman. The film stars Jess Barker, Julie Bishop, Alan Mowbray, George Dolenz, Joan Shawlee and Laura Deane Dutton. The film was re ...

'' (1946) - Abigail Hawthorne * '' Swing Parade of 1946'' (1946) - Matron (uncredited) * ''

Partners in Time ''Partners in Time'' is a 1946 American comedy film directed by William Nigh and written by Charles E. Roberts. The film stars Chester Lauck, Norris Goff, Pamela Blake, John James, Teala Loring and Danny Duncan. The film was released on April 25 ...

'' (1946) - Miss Martha Thurston * ''

Ding Dong Williams ''Ding Dong Williams'' is a 1946 American comedy film directed by William Berke, and written by Brenda Weisberg and M. Coates Webster. The film stars Glen Vernon (under his real name, Glenn Vernon), Marcy McGuire, Felix Bressart, Anne Jeffreys, ...

'' (1946) - Laura Cooper * '' Cuban Pete'' (1946) - Woman on Table (uncredited) * '' The Stranger'' (1946) - Minor Role (uncredited) * '' The Dark Horse'' (1946) - Mrs. Aldrich * ''

Holiday in Mexico ''Holiday in Mexico'' is a 1946 Technicolor musical directed by George Sidney and starring Walter Pidgeon, Jane Powell, and Ilona Massey. Plot The film starts with a brief cartoon of telephone wires from Washington, DC trying to call Mexico. Je ...

'' (1946) - (uncredited) * ''

Sister Kenny ''Sister Kenny'' is a 1946 American biographical film about Sister Elizabeth Kenny, an Australian bush nurse, who fought to help people who suffered from polio, despite opposition from the medical establishment. The film stars Rosalind Russell, ...

'' (1946) - Mother (uncredited) * ''

Magnificent Doll ''Magnificent Doll'' is a 1946 American drama film directed by Frank Borzage and starring Ginger Rogers as Dolley Madison and David Niven as Aaron Burr. The supporting cast features Burgess Meredith as James Madison and Grandon Rhodes as Thomas ...

'' (1946) - Mrs. Gallentine (uncredited) * ''

The Magnificent Rogue ''The Magnificent Rogue'' is a 1946 American comedy film directed by Albert S. Rogell and written by Dane Lussier and Sherman L. Lowe. The film stars Lynne Roberts, Warren Douglas, Gerald Mohr, Stephanie Bachelor, Adele Mara and Grady Sutton. T ...

'' (1946) - Lita Andrews * ''

Monsieur Verdoux ''Monsieur Verdoux'' is a 1947 American black comedy film directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin, who plays a bigamist wife killer inspired by serial killer Henri Désiré Landru. The supporting cast includes Martha Raye, William Frawley, and ...

'' (1947) - Gossipy Woman Hanging Clothes (uncredited) * ''

Dark Delusion ''Dark Delusion'' is a 1947 American drama film directed by Willis Goldbeck and starring James Craig, Lionel Barrymore, and Lucille Bremer. Produced and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, it was the last film in the Dr. Kildare film series which st ...

'' (1947) - Nurse (uncredited) * ''

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" (1939) is a short story by James Thurber. The most famous of Thurber's stories, it first appeared in ''The New Yorker'' on March 18, 1939, and was first collected in his book '' My World and Welcome to It'' ( Ha ...

'' (1947) - Commentator (uncredited) * '' Cass Timberlane'' (1947) - Nurse (uncredited) * '' The Judge Steps Out'' (1948) - Welfare Worker (uncredited) * ''

Larceny Larceny is a crime involving the unlawful taking or theft of the personal property of another person or business. It was an offence under the common law of England and became an offence in jurisdictions which incorporated the common law of Engla ...

'' (1948) - Patricia Carson (uncredited) * ''Annie Was a Wonder'' (1949, Short) - Mrs. Nesbitt * ''

Henry, the Rainmaker ''Henry, the Rainmaker'' is a 1949 American comedy film directed by Jean Yarbrough and written by Lane Beauchamp. The film stars Raymond Walburn, Walter Catlett, William Tracy, Mary Stuart (actress), Mary Stuart, Barbara Brown (American actress), ...

'' (1949) - Schoolteacher * ''

Cover Up A cover-up is an attempt, whether successful or not, to :wikt:conceal, conceal evidence of wrongdoing, error, incompetence, or other embarrassment, embarrassing information. Research has distinguished personal cover-ups (covering up one's own ...

'' (1949) - Mrs. Abbey * ''

It Happens Every Spring ''It Happens Every Spring'' is a 1949 American comedy film directed by Lloyd Bacon and starring Ray Milland, Jean Peters and Paul Douglas. Plot A college professor is working on a long-term scientific experiment when a baseball comes through the ...

'' (1949) - Miss Collins - Prof. Greenleaf's Secretary (uncredited) * ''

Everybody Does It ''Everybody Does It'' is a 1949 comedy film starring Paul Douglas, Linda Darnell and Celeste Holm. In the film, a businessman's wife tries to become an opera star, failing miserably due to her lack of talent. When it turns out that her totally unt ...

'' (1949) - Recital Guest / Party Guest (uncredited) * ''

The Lady Takes a Sailor ''The Lady Takes a Sailor'' is a 1949 comedy film directed by Michael Curtiz, and starring Jane Wyman, Eve Arden and Dennis Morgan. Plot Jennifer Smith, the head of the Buyer's Research Institute, is in need of additional funding to keep the ins ...

'' (1949) - Miss Brand (uncredited) * ''

Whirlpool A whirlpool is a body of rotating water produced by opposing currents or a current running into an obstacle. Small whirlpools form when a bath or a sink is draining. More powerful ones formed in seas or oceans may be called maelstroms ( ). ''Vo ...

'' (1950) - Miss Hall (uncredited) * '' Your Witness'' (1950) - Miss Hubert - Heyward's New York Secretary * '' Shadow on the Wall'' (1950) - First Nurse (uncredited) * ''

The Company She Keeps ''The Company She Keeps'' is a 1951 drama film starring Lizabeth Scott, Jane Greer and Dennis O'Keefe. The film was directed by John Cromwell, whose film the previous year, '' Caged'', also concerned a woman sent to prison. It marked Jeff Bri ...

'' (1951) - Matron (uncredited) * ''

Payment on Demand ''Payment on Demand'' is a 1951 American drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Bette Davis and Barry Sullivan. The screenplay by Bernhardt and Bruce Manning chronicles a marriage from its idealistic early days to its dissolution. P ...

'' (1951) - Aunt Edna (uncredited) * ''

Insurance Investigator An insurance investigator examines insurance claims that are suspicious or otherwise in doubt. Investigators in this field have differing specialties and backgrounds. Some insurance companies have their own in-house investigation teams while other ...

'' (1951) - Miss Pringle * '' When I Grow Up'' (1951) - Bully's Mother * ''

Chain of Circumstance ''Chain of Circumstance'' is a 1951 American drama film directed by Will Jason and written by David Lang. The film stars Richard Grayson, Margaret Field, Marta Mitrovich, Harold J. Kennedy, Helen Wallace and Connie Gilchrist. The film was release ...

'' (1951) - Nurse (uncredited) * '' As You Were'' (1951) * ''

On Dangerous Ground ''On Dangerous Ground'' is a 1951 film noir-melodrama starring Robert Ryan and Ida Lupino, directed by Nicholas Ray, and produced by John Houseman. The screenplay was written by A. I. Bezzerides based on the 1945 novel ''Mad with Much Heart,'' ...

'' (1951) - Helen (uncredited) * ''

Young Man with Ideas ''Young Man with Ideas'' is a 1952 romantic comedy film directed by Mitchell Leisen and starring Ruth Roman and Glenn Ford. It was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The screenplay concern a young small-town lawyer, who moves his family from Monta ...

'' (1952) - Secretary (uncredited) * ''

Skirts Ahoy! ''Skirts Ahoy!'' is a 1952 MGM musical film directed by Sidney Lanfield and starring Esther Williams, Vivian Blaine and Joan Evans. It was shot in Technicolor. The film follows the adventures of several women who join the WAVES with sequences fil ...

'' (1952) - Mrs. Yarbrough (uncredited) * '' Crime Wave'' (1953) - 3rd Police Broadcaster (uncredited) * ''

The Long, Long Trailer ''The Long, Long Trailer'' is a 1954 American Anscocolor road comedy film based on a novel of the same name written by Clinton Twiss in 1951 about a couple who buy a new travel trailer home and spend a year traveling across the United States.''V ...

'' (1954) - Mrs. Tewitt (uncredited) * ''

Gypsy Colt ''Gypsy Colt'' is a 1954 American drama film directed by Andrew Marton and starring Donna Corcoran, Ward Bond and Frances Dee. Shot in Ansco Color, it was produced and distributed by Hollywood studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film's basic plot w ...

'' (1954) - Miss Hartner (uncredited) * '' Hell's Outpost'' (1954) - Mrs. Moffit * ''

Lucy Gallant ''Lucy Gallant'' is a 1955 American drama film directed by Robert Parrish and written by John Lee Mahin and Winston Miller. The film stars Jane Wyman, Charlton Heston, Claire Trevor, Thelma Ritter, William Demarest and Wallace Ford. The film wa ...

'' (1955) - Hazel (uncredited) * ''

Terror at Midnight ''Terror at Midnight'' is a 1956 film noir crime film directed by Franklin Adreon and starring Scott Brady, Joan Vohs and Frank Faylen.Koper p.157 The film's sets were designed by art director Walter E. Keller. Plot Rick Rickards, a cop, le ...

'' (1956) - Mrs. Lang (uncredited) * ''

High Society High society, sometimes simply society, is the behavior and lifestyle of people with the highest levels of wealth and social status. It includes their related affiliations, social events and practices. Upscale social clubs were open to men based ...

'' (1956) - Ruth - Jazz Festival Organizer (uncredited) * ''

These Wilder Years ''These Wilder Years'' is a 1956 American drama film directed by Roy Rowland and starring James Cagney and Barbara Stanwyck. It is the story of a businessman who tries to find the illegitimate son he gave up to an orphanage many years ago. The f ...

'' (1956) - Miss Adelaide Finch (uncredited) * '' Hot Shots'' (1956) - Mrs. Morley (uncredited) * '' Jet Pilot'' (1957) - Mother (uncredited) * ''

Wild Is the Wind ''Wild is the Wind'' is a 1957 film directed by George Cukor and starring Anna Magnani, Anthony Quinn, and Anthony Franciosa. It tells the story of an American rancher who, after his wife dies, goes to Italy to marry her sister, but finds that s ...

'' (1957) - Party Guest * ''

Toby Tyler ''Toby Tyler or 10 Weeks with a Circus'', also known simply as ''Toby Tyler'', is a 1960 American drama film directed by Charles Barton and starring Kevin Corcoran, Henry Calvin, Gene Sheldon, and Richard Eastham. It was produced by Walt Dis ...

'' (1960) - Wife in Audience (uncredited)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Ruth 1895 births 1975 deaths American film actresses 20th-century American actresses Actresses from Minneapolis