Barbara Ruick
| Barbara Ruick | |
|---|---|
in The Affairs of Dobie Gillis (1953)
|
|
| Born |
December 23, 1930 Pasadena, California, U.S. |
| Died | March 3, 1974 (aged 43) Reno, Nevada, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Cerebral hemorrhage |
| Occupation | Actress, singer |
| Years active | 1931–1974 |
| Spouse(s) |
Frank Howren (m. 1949; annulled 1949) Robert Horton (m. 1953; div. 1956) John Williams (m. 1956) |
| Children | 3, including Joseph Williams |
| Parent(s) |
Melville Ruick Lurene Tuttle |
Barbara Ruick (December 23, 1930 – March 3, 1974) was an American actress and singer.
Ruick was the daughter of actors Lurene Tuttle and Melville Ruick. She grew up acting out scenes with dolls, employing her mother as an audience. Ruick attended Roosevelt High School, Burbank High School in Burbank and North Hollywood High School. She did little acting in high school but joined a school band at the age of fourteen. Ruick sang with the band at dances and benefits.
Ruick achieved success in radio prior to signing as a contract player with MGM studios. She was heard in the original radio version of Dragnet. She also recorded several songs for MGM Records. In the 1950s, Ruick starred as Kay in the first LP recording of the songs from George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin's 1926 Broadway musical, Oh, Kay!. This was a studio cast recording released by Columbia Records, and conducted by Lehman Engel. Despite what is sometimes claimed, it did not use the original orchestrations, but was the most complete recording of the score made up to that time.
In seeking acting parts Ruick was forced to travel to New York City, where her relationship to her mother was not as well known. She landed a job on Hollywood Screen Test, a talent show which aired on ABC Television from 1948-1953. Ruick appeared on the Kraft Television Theater, soap operas, and The College Bowl (1950), which was hosted by Chico Marx. She also performed for fifteen weeks on the Jerry Colonna Show. In 1955 she was a regular on The Johnny Carson Show. Ruick did episodes of The Millionaire (1957), Public Defender (1954), Brothers Brannigan (1960), The 20th Century Fox Hour (1956), and Climax Mystery Theater (1955).
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