Ruta Lee
Hollywood Glamorous
Glamorous, beautiful, funny, talented, spirited, generous, and kind are just a few adjectives I would use to describe Hollywood star, Philanthropist, and animal lover, Ruta Lee.
Her career spans more than 60 years of work on stage, film, and television as both an actress and dancer, and she has no intention of slowing down.
She has worked with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball, Vincent Price, Jerry Lewis, and James Garner, to name a select few, and she has received both a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a Golden Palm Star on the Palms Springs Walk of Stars.
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Ruta Lee, I read that you were born in Canada. Please tell us about your time growing up in Montreal and some of your fondest memories of your childhood?
My Lithuanian-born parents were smart enough, even in their youth, to recognize that America was the land of opportunity where streets were paved with gold for those who worked hard. However, the immigrant quotas to the U.S. and those golden streets were closed in the late 1920s. Canada offered jobs in its Western wheat fields, so my dad took the opportunity and signed on for a year’s labor. The following year he had earned enough to bring my mother over.
Canada, that beautiful country, was very good to my parents – Greenhorns, from Lithuania. They lived and thrived in Montreal, where I was born. I remember that my first steps in show business were on the church stage and local amateur contest stages. I owe my career to my kindergarten teacher, who urged my mother to give me music and dancing lessons. That’s right. I was a ham at the age of four. Thank God my mother agreed, and hard-earned money was spent on those lessons and practice, which I hated. To this day, I do not love rehearsals, but I do love performing!
In looking back at my childhood, my peasant-born parents made my life somewhat privileged. We had a lovely single-family home (row houses were the norm) on the St. Lawrence River. Summers were spent fishing, picnicking, wild berry picking, and laying on haystacks looking at the clouds, daydreaming of the future. All of this in lieu of movie entertainment as in Montreal, movies were off-limits until 16 years of age. This regulation was brought on by a deadly movie theater fire in which many children perished in the exit melee. Once, to bypass the regulation, my movie-loving mother dolled me up with lipstick and an upswept hairdo, and I put on one of her fur coats. This 10-year-old passed for 16! Good make-up, good wardrobe, and good acting! That movie starred heartthrob Rory Calhoun. Who knew I would wind up co-starring in a future movie, The Gunhawk, with him.
What brought you to Los Angeles?
Eastern Canadian winters were brutal, and my father sought a warmer climate. My mother, however, clearly felt that I was Lithuania’s answer to Shirley Temple. She knew nothing about Theater, or we would have wound up in New York. Because she knew only of movies, the warm climate she sought was in Hollywood. Once again, quotas to the U.S. after WW2 were closed to my parents. They were given only to displaced emigres. She moved mountains with prayers and positive thinking and got us to Hollywood.
I reflect on how brave my parents were to sell off everything they had built in Montreal, load up their new Buick, and head for the wild-wild west. The famous Route 66 adventure was unforgettable. One of the passengers was our parrot, uniquely named Polly, who sat on my father’s shoulder, shouting directions all the way. My mother gave thanks and heaved a sigh of relief when she finally saw the tall California palms waving hello. Route 66 took us to Hollywood via the bountiful orange groves of San Bernardino, where we had to stop in awe to photograph orange trees at the foot of snowcapped mountains. That was the sun-kissed start of my life adventure in Hollywood.
This television role was followed by The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1953-1955), which at the time was absolutely huge. George Burns and Gracie Allen took a kindly interest in me and often invited me to join in their glamourous Maple Drive gatherings.
I thought I’d gone to heaven as these were star-studded events. I was a novice at sophisticated patter as well, for as I stood chatting with an elegant gentleman, I commented somewhat cattily, “Oh lord, do you believe the outrageous outfit that woman is wearing?”
To which the gentleman replied, “Yes, that’s my sister.” I covered my faux pas by immediately saying, “Oh Lord, isn’t she lovely.” I learned from George and Gracie that kindness and interest in young people are very important traits. I also learned that being non-judgmental is a trait that serves everyone well.
You were in the Academy Award-nominated musical film, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. As a young starlet, that must have been life-changing. What was the most significant change after the high praise and recognition of your performance?
To this day, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers remains my all-time favorite experience because I learned just what it takes and that filmmaking is damn hard work and not all glitz and glamour. Seven Brides for
Seven Brothers was made in the mid-’50s, which meant a six-day workweek, 12 hours a day. Six weeks were spent rehearsing the rigorous dance sequences that made this film iconic. At the daily warm-up with choreographer Michael Kidd, I wondered how did I get here, working with some of the best dancers in America. I recalled my big audition at MGM for the role in which I was asked to do a little ballet, a little jazz, and a little freestyle country dancing. I guess I excelled because my Lithuanian roots took over, and I polkaed up a storm! Perhaps my mother lighting candles and praying in the church across the street from the studio helped as well.
The most significant change was the change of my name Ruta Kilmonis which became Ruta Lee.
After a rigorous P.R. campaign across the Western U.S. and all of Canada promoting Seven Brides as Ruta Lee, I found, much to my dismay (at the premiere), that someone forgot to make the name change on the movie end credits. This mistake, however, helped in getting my grandmother released from Siberia/Lithuania.
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers was one of the rare films that was allowed to be shown in The Soviet Union at those times. As a result, I became well known there, and my much-heralded call to Khrushchev in the Kremlin allowed me to visit Lithuania, where foreigners were not permitted entry unless they were high party officials. While there, I gained permission to bring my 95-year-old grandmother to the United States. I had been struggling with that for at least 12 years. For more details on this communist drama story, please read it in my book, Consider Your Ass Kissed!
You worked with the legendary “Rat Pack.” Please share with our readers a colorful story or incident you were a part of during that magical time?
Long before I knew Frank Sinatra personally, I loved his music. I was too young to have experienced the screaming, fainting, and idolizing of Frank in his heyday, but I loved his albums of unrequited love songs. I was invited by a dear friend to join his table for Frank Sinatra’s opening night at The Mocambo (then a Hollywood hot spot). The place was filled beyond capacity. We had a front-row table. Mr. Sinatra was working on a small dais in front of a stage-filled orchestra. Needless to say, he was, as always, mesmerizing. A note was delivered to our host asking to meet me. The sender introduced himself and his wife. He said, “I’m Arthur Hornblow Jr. I am producing a film called Witness for The Prosecution. I have just given you a unique screen test. I watched you watch Frank Sinatra, and I think you would be a good love interest for Tyrone Power in my movie. Can you come in and meet director Billy Wilder?” That is how I got to be in this iconic film with Tyrone Power, Marlena Dietrich, and Charles Laughton – all thanks to mesmerizing Frank Sinatra. Fade out, fade in. Frank Sinatra’s favorite good evening was a small group of friends in for a good Italian dinner and a screening of a new movie for dessert. The movie one night was Witness for The Prosecution. Among his guests was Howard Koch, then a partner of Frank’s. Frank commented to Howard during the screening, “I’ve been seeing this Ruta Lee chick a lot on T. V. what do you say we put her in an upcoming movie we’re making?” Howard replied, “She’s my favorite… let’s do just that.” That’s how I wound up as leading lady to Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop. They made me feel like I was part of that incredible pack. Working with them was filled with nonstop laughter and joy.
The Hollywood Walk of Fame bestowed you with a Star for your long career in show business. Looking back on the day you received your star, what moved you the most about this acknowledgment?
To be given the prime spot in front of Grauman’s Chinese theater and have my dear friends, Alex Trebek, with whom I had worked as a co-host for many years on the game show High Rollers, and Debbie Reynolds, whom I’d known since the ’60s, as my speakers, was an incredible honor for me. To have my star laid directly in front of the box office from which I was fired 16 years of age (because of my math issues) was the icing on my cake.
What was your first professional acting role? What did you learn from that experience that stayed with you throughout your career and carried over to future roles?
The first job I got paid for was a TV series called The Adventures of Superman (1952), from which I almost got fired! Being a novice, I knew nothing of Union regulations and plugged a Victrola into a wall socket (so that we could rehearse during lunch).
An electrician bellowed a very loud reprimand. I promised I would never do that again and was allowed to stay.
You have been involved in many charity organizations over the years. Please tell us about those dearest to you and how others can learn more about them?
The City of Hope and The Cancer Fund have been very important to me for many years. But THE THAILIANS (Hollywood for mental health) is the charity organization that I have committed my life to support. It was started in 1955
by many notable Hollywood actors. Many more Hollywood personalities have come on board and devoted their time
and energy to shining a spotlight on that dark abyss known as mental illness and bringing it into the light of healing. My dear friend Debbie Reynolds, who was President, was the one who invited me to become a part of this important charitable organization. The Thalians are now also focused on the mental health of our returning Veterans. Its mission is to raise enough funds to educate and enlighten the world about mental illness and eliminate its stigma. In addition, we have teamed up with UCLA’S OPERATION MEND, which provides advanced surgical and medical treatment for post-9/11-era warriors injured during combat operations or while training for service, and psychological healthcare for both vets and their families.
Operation Mend heals the fractured and broken bodies, and The Thalians heal the broken and fractured mind and spirit. You can learn more and help us with our cause by going to our website Thalians.org. or uclahealth.org/operationmend
What have you always loved about living in Los Angeles that you can’t find anywhere else?
Climate and lifestyle! And it is the home of movie making and television clearly, the main source of entertainment for the world. Los Angeles has been home to so many legends and icons of cinema, television, and music, and you don’t find that anywhere else in the world. My beautiful home in the Hollywood Hills has some of its own Hollywood history. It’s where Rita Hayworth and Orson Welles lived!
In 2021, you moderated a post-show of the critically acclaimed LGBTQ+ comedy /drama Electricity in Palm Springs. How did you become involved with this production?
LGBTQ+ has always been a big part of show business and, therefore, a big part of my life. I never considered the wonderful, gifted, talented, artistic people who color my life as initials and never will. They are dear friends and people I love!
Is there something on your bucket list you yearn to do and wish to accomplish this year?
Yes, I wish to receive a call from Spielberg or Eastwood offering me a small but Academy award-nominated role.
Please tell us about your special bond with Texas.
Texas has provided me with 60 years of performing in front of the best audiences, who don’t defy you to entertain them. They just come along for a great ride. It has also given me a lifetime of hospitable and loving friends.
I am most thankful to Texas for the love of my life and husband of 46 years, Webb Lowe. How we met is another excellent story that is in my book.
When you look back over your career, what do you want actors who are just embarking on their journey to take away from your life?
My advice to young actors is be kind, non judgmental and get educated. All will help you through life in and out of show business.
Is there a particular hobby you enjoy doing?
I enjoy dancing, crossword puzzles, and reading. But I especially love painting. Kirk Douglas once bought one of my works of art. *Side note, he still has not paid me, not even in his will!
Two of your dearest friends were Lucille Ball and Debbie Reynolds. What are the qualities you admired in these two women, and what are some of the fun things you enjoyed doing with them away from the spotlight?
Both Lucy and Debbie were beautiful, talented, exceedingly generous, and above all, these ladies were graceful survivors! Whether we were working on stage or sitting in the backyard together, laughing was what we loved most and did best.
Special Thanks to:
Ruta Lee
Photography by:
David Blackstock and James Franklin
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