Ruth Hussey

Birthday: 1911-10-30
Deathday: 2004-10-06
Birthplace: Providence, Rhode Island, USA
Gender: Female
Drafted: 0
Drafted By: Unowned
Owned By: Unowned
Owned Wins: 0
Owned Noms: 0
Win Bonus: 0
Nom Bonus: 0
Total Points: 0

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ruth Carol Hussey (October 30, 1911 – April 19, 2005) was an American actress best known for her Academy Award-nominated role as photographer Elizabeth Imbrie in The Philadelphia Story.

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. 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 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. 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 the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, where she was spotted on opening night by MGM talent scout Billy 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 Elizabeth Imbrie, the cynical magazine photographer and almost-girlfriend of James Stewart's character Macaulay Connor in The Philadelphia Story. In 1941, exhibitors voted her the third-most popular new star in Hollywood.

Hussey also worked with Robert Taylor in Flight Command (1940), Robert Young in Northwest Passage (1940) and H.M. Pulham, Esq. (1941), Van Heflin in Tennessee Johnson (1942), Ray Milland in The Uninvited (1944), and Alan Ladd in The Great Gatsby (1949).

In 1946, she starred on Broadway in the Pulitzer Prize-winning play State of the Union. Her 1949 role in Goodbye, My Fancy on Broadway caused a Billboard reviewer to write: "Miss Hussey brings a splendid aliveness and warmth to the lovely congresswoman...."

She filled in for Jean Arthur in the 1955 Lux Radio Theater presentation of Shane, playing Miriam Start, alongside original film stars Alan Ladd and Van Heflin.

In 1960, she co-starred in The Facts of Life with Bob Hope. Hussey was also active in early television drama.

Career Statisics

Season Age Movie Role Result Points
1941 30 The Philadelphia Story (1940) Supporting Actress Nom 0
Career 0

Transaction History

Date Location Team Receives Team Receives Team Receives

Credits

Year Title Character
1973-11-08 My Darling Daughters' Anniversary Maggie Cartwright
1970-06-11 The Resurrection of Broncho Billy Voice Over
1960-11-14 The Facts of Life Mary Gilbert
1953-03-29 The Lady Wants Mink Nora Connors
1952-12-22 Stars and Stripes Forever Jennie Sousa
1952-07-23 Woman of the North Country Christine Powell
1951-05-31 That's My Boy Ann Jackson
1951-03-25 Hill Number One: A Story of Faith and Inspiration Mary
1950-12-08 Mr. Music Lorna Marvis
1950-05-31 Louisa Meg Norton
1949-07-13 The Great Gatsby Jordan Baker
1948-05-25 I, Jane Doe Eve Meredith Curtis
1945-06-22 Her Favorite Patient Dr. Hedy Fredericks, MD
1944-07-11 Marine Raiders Lt. Ellen Foster
1944-05-30 Tender Comrade Barbara Thomas
1944-02-24 The Uninvited Pamela Fitzgerald
1942-12-01 Tennessee Johnson Eliza McCardle Johnson
1942-07-29 Pierre of the Plains Daisy Denton
1941-12-04 H.M. Pulham, Esq. Cordelia 'Kay' Motford Pulham
1941-10-16 Married Bachelor Norma Haven
1941-08-20 Our Wife Professor Susan Drake
1941-02-28 Free and Easy Martha Gray
1940-12-27 Flight Command Lorna Gray
1940-12-05 The Philadelphia Story Elizabeth 'Liz' Imbrie
1940-06-07 Susan and God Charlotte
1940-02-23 Northwest Passage Elizabeth Browne
1939-11-17 Another Thin Man Dorothy Waters
1939-10-06 Fast and Furious Lily Cole
1939-09-08 Blackmail Helen Ingram
1939-09-01 The Women Miss Wattson
1939-06-22 Maisie Sybil Ames
1939-03-17 Within the Law Mary Turner
1939-02-03 Honolulu Eve
1938-11-11 Spring Madness Kate McKim
1938-09-25 Time Out for Murder Peggy Norton, victim
1938-08-26 Marie Antoinette Duchess de Polignac (uncredited)
1938-08-12 Rich Man, Poor Girl Joan Thayer
1938-05-13 Hold That Kiss Nadine Piermont
1938-03-26 Judge Hardy's Children Margaret Lee
1938-01-07 Man-Proof Jane (dialogue scenes deleted)
1937-10-01 Madame X Annette
1937-09-03 Big City Mayor's Secretary (uncredited)