Ruth McDevitt
| Ruth McDevitt | |
|---|---|
|
McDevitt in 1950. | |
| Born |
Ruth Thane Shoecraft September 13, 1895 Coldwater, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died |
May 27, 1976 (aged 80) Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Ruth Thane McDevitt |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1949–1976 |
| Spouse(s) | Patrick McDevitt (m. 19??–1934; his death) |
Ruth McDevitt (September 13, 1895 – May 27, 1976) was an American stage, film, radio and television actress.
Career
She was born Ruth Thane Shoecraft in Coldwater, Michigan.[1] After attending the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, she married Patrick McDevitt and decided to devote her time to her marriage. After her husband's death in 1934, she returned to acting. She performed on Broadway, in particular understudying and succeeding Josephine Hull in Arsenic and Old Lace and The Solid Gold Cadillac. She also worked as a radio actor.
McDevitt was a familiar face on television during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. She played "Mom Peepers" in the 1950s sitcom Mister Peepers. She was a regular with Ann Sheridan, Douglas Fowley, and Gary Vinson in CBS's Pistols 'n' Petticoats, a 1966-67 satire of the Old West. The series attracted a good audience, but was cancelled two months after Sheridan's 1967 death from cancer. She was a series regular on the NBC soap Bright Promise from September 1969 to June 1970, McDevitt also had a regular role as Emily Cowles on Kolchak: the Night Stalker, starring Darren McGavin.
McDevitt guest starred in such series as Suspense, Cosmopolitan Theatre, Decoy, The United States Steel Hour, Westinghouse Studio One, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Andy Griffith Show, The Debbie Reynolds Show, The Ghost & Mrs. Muir, Mayberry R.F.D., I Dream of Jeannie, Bewitched, The Courtship of Eddie's Father, Love, American Style, That Girl, Nanny and the Professor, Room 222, Mannix, Here's Lucy, Gunsmoke, Marcus Welby, M.D., Phyllis, Little House On The Prairie, All in the Family (on which she had a recurring role during 1974 and 1975), and The Streets of San Francisco, Naked City,.
Her film debut was in The Guy Who Came Back (1951), followed by memorable roles in The Parent Trap (as camp counselor Miss Inch), Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (as Mrs. MacGruder, the pet store saleslady), Boys' Night Out, Dear Heart, The Shakiest Gun in the West, Angel in My Pocket, The Love God?, Change of Habit, The War Between Men and Women, and Mixed Company.
Death
McDevitt died, aged 80, in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California and is interred in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1951 | The Guy Who Came Back | Grandma | |
| 1953 | The Long, Long Trailer | Mrs. Vagabond | Uncredited |
| 1961 | The Parent Trap | Miss Inch | |
| 1962 | Boys Night Out | Beulah Partridge | |
| 1963 | The Birds | Mrs. MacGruder, bird shop owner | |
| Love Is a Ball | Mathilda, grandmother | ||
| 1964 | Dear Heart | Miss Tait | |
| 1968 | The Shakiest Gun in the West | Mrs. Olive Heywood | with film's star Don Knotts |
| 1969 | Angel in My Pocket | Nadine | with Andy Griffith |
| The Love God? | Miss Keezy | with film's star Don Knotts | |
| Change of Habit | Lily | ||
| 1972 | The War Between Men and Women | Old woman | |
| 1974 | Mame | Cousin Fan | |
| Homebodies | Mrs. Loomis | ||
| Mixed Company | Miss Bergquist | ||
| Television | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1949 | A Woman to Remember | Bessie Thatcher | Unknown episodes |
| 1958 | Harbourmaster | Mrs. Markham | 1 episode |
| Omnibus | Ewa | 1 episode | |
| 1961 | Naked City | Mrs. Abbie Dobbins | 1 episode |
| 1962 | The Nurses | Miss Dillion | 1 episode |
| Dr. Kildare | Adele Fromm, RN | 1 episode | |
| 1963-1964 | The Alfred Hitchcock Hour | Mrs. Fister/Miss Emmy Right | 2 episodes |
| 1964 | Route 66 | Mrs. Harris | 1 episode |
| The Doctors | Mrs. McMurtrie | Unknown episodes | |
| 1966–1967 | Pistols 'n' Petticoats | Grandma Effie Hanks | 26 episodes |
| 1967 | Bewitched | The Queen Ticheba/Mrs Parsons | 2 episodes |
| 1968 | The Andy Griffith Show | Mrs. Pendleton | 2 episodes |
| 1969 | The Debbie Reynolds Show | Mrs. Patterson | 1 episode |
| Bright Promise | Clara Ryan | September 29, 1969 to June 1970 | |
| 1970 | The Courtship of Eddie's Father | Miss Bristol | 1 episode |
| That Girl | Aunt Belle | 1 episode | |
| 1971 | The New Andy Griffith Show | Mrs. Gossage | 3 episodes |
| Nanny and the Professor | Mrs. Rumble | 1 episode | |
| 1973 | The New Dick Van Dyke Show | Mrs. Ferguson | 1 episode |
| The Girl Most Likely to... | Housemistress | made for TV movie | |
| 1974 | Kojak | Mrs. Farenkrug | 1 episode |
| McCloud | Landlady | 1 episode | |
| 1973-1975 | All In the Family | Josephine 'Jo' Nelson | 3 episodes |
| 1974–1975 | Kolchak: The Night Stalker | Emily Cowles | 12 episodes |
| 1975 | Phyllis | Miss McDermott | 1 episode |
| 1975 | Ellery Queen | Zelda Van Dyke | 1 episode |
| Medical Center | Alice | 1 episode | |
References
- ↑ "Coldwater, Michigan". City-Data.com. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
External links
- Ruth McDevitt at the Internet Broadway Database
- Ruth McDevitt at the Internet Movie Database
- Ruth McDevitt at the University of Wisconsin's Actor Studio audio collection
- Ruth McDevitt at Find a Grave