Ruth Terry

Ruth Terry

Terry pictured in 1940
Born Ruth Mae McMahon
October 21, 1920
Benton Harbor, Michigan, U.S.
Died March 11, 2016 (aged 95)
Rancho Mirage, California, U.S.
Occupation Film actress, singer
Years active 1937–1964
Spouse(s) John Martin(1942-?)
John P. Gilmour (1947-?)
John Ledbetter (1966–2016)

Ruth Mae Terry (October 21, 1920 – March 11, 2016),[1] was an American singer and actress in film and television from the 1930s to the 1960s. She claimed her stage name came from Walter Winchell, who combined the names of two then-famous baseball players, Babe Ruth and Bill Terry.[2]

Early years

Born Ruth Mae McMahon in Benton Harbor, Michigan,[1] she was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. M.E. McMahon. Her parents were Irish.[3] She attended St. John's Catholic School in Benton Harbor.[4]

Terry won a number of prizes for singing before singing with the Paul Ash Theater Orchestra at the age of twelve. At that same age, she left her hometown to sing with Clyde McCoy's orchestra.[4]

Career

Terry's first movie was Love and Hisses in 1937 with Walter Winchell, at which time she was earning $400 per week. Her first western was Call of the Canyon with Gene Autry. She appeared in several Roy Rogers movies. Her best-known movie was Pistol Packin' Mama, based on the song of the same name with Robert Livingston. She retired when she married her second husband in 1966.[5]

While making films, Terry continued her singing career in a limited way. On August 15, 1943, she appeared as guest female singer on The Bob Crosby Show on NBC radio.[6]

Personal life

On June 20, 1942, Terry and test pilot John Martin eloped and were married in Las Vegas, Nevada.[4] On October 25, 1947, she married John P. Gilmour, a Canadian. A November, 8, 1947, article in her hometown newspaper, The News-Palladium, reported, "She has given up her career as an actress and she and her husband and her four-year-old son by a previous marriage will make their home at St. Genevieve de Pierre Fonds, Quebec."[7]

Death

Terry died on March 11, 2016 at the age of 95.[8]

Filmography

References

  1. 1 2 "Ruth Terry, Hollywood actress – obituary". The Telegraph. May 4, 2016. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
  2. ↑ Fitzgerald, Mike. "Ruth Terry Interview". Western Clippings. Retrieved May 8, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Ruth Terry -- A Local Product". The News-Palladium. Michigan, Benton Harbor. January 1, 1938. p. 134. Retrieved June 20, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. 1 2 3 "Ruth Terry Wed At Las Vegas To Test Pilot On Saturday". The News-Palladium. Michigan, Benton Harbor. June 22, 1942. p. 4. Retrieved June 22, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "Ruth Terry, Miami film discovery, appears at Lincoln Theater tonight". The Miami News. December 27, 1939. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
  6. ↑ Rathbun, Joe (August 15, 1943). "Joe's Radio Parade". The Times Recorder. Ohio, Zanesville. p. 22. Retrieved June 22, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Actress Ruth Terry Marries Canadian, Drops Film Career". The News-Palladium. Michigan, Benton Harbor. November 8, 1947. p. 8. Retrieved June 22, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ http://obituaries.desertsun.com/obituaries/thedesertsun/obituary.aspx?n=ruth-mae-ledbetter-terry&pid=179673804
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