- Ruth Hussey
Infobox actor
bgcolour = silver
name = Ruth Hussey
imagesize = 300px
caption = from the trailer for the film "The Philadelphia Story " (1940).
birthdate = birth date|1911|10|30|mf=y
location =Providence, Rhode Island
deathdate = death date|2005|4|19|mf=y, aged 93
deathplace =Newbury Park, California
birthname = Ruth Carol HusseyRuth Carol Hussey (
October 30 1911 –April 19 2005 ) was an American actress best known for her Oscar-nominated role as photographer Liz Imbrie in "The Philadelphia Story ".Early life
Hussey was born in
Providence, Rhode Island in 1911. Her father died, aged 34, when Ruth was seven years old, from the 1918 flu. She went on to attend and graduate from Pembroke College in 1933.She never landed a role at Pembroke in any of the school plays she tried out for. She then studied drama in post graduate school at the
University of Michigan School of Drama, and worked as an actress with asummer stock company in Michigan for two seasons.Career
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. One day 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-up 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 with the world-famous Powers agency.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 theBiltmore Hotel in Los Angeles where she was spotted on opening night byMGM talent scoutBilly 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 Liz Imbrie, the cynical magazine photographer and girlfriend of Jimmy Stewart's character Macaulay Connor in "The Philadelphia Story ".Hussey also worked with Robert Taylor in "
Flight Command " (1940), Robert Young in "H.M. Pulham, Esq." (1941),Van Heflin in "Tennessee Johnson " (1942),Ray Milland in "The Uninvited" (1944) andAlan Ladd in "The Great Gatsby" (1949). In 1946 she starred on Broadway in "State Of The Union" the Pulitzer Prize play. In 1960 she co-starred in "The Facts of Life" withBob Hope . Hussey was also active in early television drama.Personal life
On
August 9 1942 , Hussey married talent agent and radio producer C. RobertBob Longenecker (1909-2002) atMission San Antonio de Pala in North San Diego County, California. Longenecker was born and raised inLititz, Pennsylvania . They raised three children: Rob Longenecker, John Longenecker, and Mary Hendrix. Following the birth of her children, Hussey focused much of her attention on family activities, and, in 1964 designed a family cabin in the mountain community ofLake Arrowhead, California .In 1977 she and her husband moved from their Brentwood family home to Rancho Carlsbad in
Carlsbad, California . Her husband died in 2002, not long after celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary.Her son
John Longenecker works as a cinematographer and film director. He won an Academy Award for producing a live action short film "The Resurrection of Broncho Billy " (1970).Hussey died, aged 93, from complications of an appendectomy.
External links
* [http://RuthHussey.com/ Ruth Hussey] - official website
*imdb name|id=0404046|name= Ruth Hussey
* [http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/filmography.html?p_id=34127&mod=bio NY Times] - Ruth Hussey - brief bio
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