Ruth Hussey
Ruth Hussey
Biography
​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.
Known For
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
63
Gender
Female
Birthday
1911-10-30 (113 years old)
Place of Birth
Providence, Rhode Island, USA
Acting

1973

My Darling Daughters' Anniversary as Maggie Cartwright

1963

Vacation Playhouse as Nurse Edie Ramsey

1960

The Facts of Life as Mary Gilbert

1955

Alfred Hitchcock Presents as Paula Hudson

1955

Playwrights '56 as Not available

1954

Climax! as Katherine Benson

1954

Climax! as Martha

1954

Climax! as Alice Moore

1954

Producers' Showcase as Mary Haines

1953

General Electric Theater as Not available

1953

The Christophers as Not available

1953

The Lady Wants Mink as Nora Connors

1952

Stars and Stripes Forever as Jennie Sousa

1952

Woman of the North Country as Christine Powell

1951

That's My Boy as Ann Jackson

1950

Lux Video Theatre as Polly Baxter

1950

Lux Video Theatre as Kit Marlowe

1950

Lux Video Theatre as Meg

1950

Lux Video Theatre as Linda Carson

1950

Lux Video Theatre as Irene

1950

Lux Video Theatre as Harriet Craig

1950

Louisa as Meg Norton

1950

Mr. Music as Lorna Marvis

1949

The Great Gatsby as Jordan Baker

1948

Studio One as Nancy Edison

1948

I, Jane Doe as Eve Meredith Curtis

1945

Her Favorite Patient as Dr. Hedy Fredericks, MD

1944

The Uninvited as Pamela Fitzgerald

1944

Marine Raiders as Lt. Ellen Foster

1944

Tender Comrade as Barbara Thomas

1942

Tennessee Johnson as Eliza McCardle Johnson

1942

Soaring Stars as Herself

1942

Pierre of the Plains as Daisy Denton

1941

H.M. Pulham, Esq. as Cordelia 'Kay' Motford Pulham

1941

Married Bachelor as Norma Haven

1941

Our Wife as Professor Susan Drake

1941

Free and Easy as Martha Gray

1940

The Philadelphia Story as Elizabeth 'Liz' Imbrie

1940

Northwest Passage as Elizabeth Browne

1940

Flight Command as Lorna Gray

1940

Susan and God as Charlotte

1939

The Women as Miss Wattson

1939

Another Thin Man as Dorothy Waters

1939

Fast and Furious as Lily Cole

1939

Maisie as Sybil Ames

1939

Blackmail as Helen Ingram

1939

Honolulu as Eve

1939

Within the Law as Mary Turner

1938

Marie Antoinette as Duchess de Polignac (uncredited)

1938

Spring Madness as Kate McKim

1938

Man-Proof as Jane (dialogue scenes deleted)

1938

Judge Hardy's Children as Margaret Lee

1938

Hold That Kiss as Nadine Piermont

1938

Time Out for Murder as Peggy Norton, victim

1938

Rich Man, Poor Girl as Joan Thayer

1937

Madame X as Annette

1937

Big City as Mayor's Secretary (uncredited)