Ruby Keeler facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ruby Keeler
Keeler in 1935
Born	Ethel Ruby Keeler (1909-08-25)August 25, 1909 Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
Died	February 28, 1993(1993-02-28) (aged 83) Rancho Mirage, California, U.S.
Resting place	Holy Sepulcher Cemetery, Orange, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress, dancer, singer
Years active	1923–1989
Spouse(s)	Al Jolson ​ ​ (m. 1928; div. 1940)​ John Homer Lowe ​ ​ (m. 1941; died 1969)​
Children	5
Relatives	Joey D. Vieira (nephew) Ken Weatherwax (nephew)

Ruby Keeler (born August 25, 1909 – died February 28, 1993) was a famous American actress, dancer, and singer. She starred in many popular early musicals from Warner Bros. films. She was often seen on screen with actor Dick Powell, especially in the hit movie 42nd Street (1933). Ruby was married to the well-known actor and singer Al Jolson from 1928 to 1940. She stopped acting in the 1940s, but made a big return to Broadway shows in 1971.

Ruby Keeler's Early Life

Ruby Keeler was born in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1909. Her parents were Ralph Hector and Nellie Keeler. She was one of six children in her family. Her family was Irish Catholic. Ruby's father worked as a truck driver.

When Ruby was three years old, her family moved to New York City. Her father could earn more money there. Ruby really wanted to take dance lessons. However, her family did not have enough money for them.

Ruby went to St. Catherine of Siena school in New York. Once a week, a dance teacher came to teach different dance styles. The teacher saw how talented Ruby was. She talked to Ruby's mother about lessons at her studio. Ruby's mother said they could not afford it. But the teacher wanted to work with Ruby so much. She asked if Ruby could come to Saturday classes for free. Ruby's mother agreed.

During these classes, another girl told Ruby about auditions for chorus girls. The law said chorus girls had to be at least 16 years old. Ruby and her friend were only 13, but they decided to lie about their age. It was an audition for tap dancing. Many other skilled girls were there.

The stage was mostly covered, except for a wooden part at the front. When it was Ruby's turn, she asked the dance director, Julian Mitchell, if she could dance on the wooden part. This would make her tap sounds clearer. He did not answer, so she walked to the front and started her dance. The director asked, "Who said you could dance up there?" Ruby replied, "I asked you!" She got the job in George M. Cohan's show The Rise of Rosie O'Reilly (1923). She earned $45 each week.

Starting Her Dance Career

Una Merkel, Ruby Keeler, and Ginger Rogers in 42nd Street (1933)

Keeler in Footlight Parade (1933)

Around 1923, when Ruby was about 14, she was hired by Nils Granlund. He worked for Loews Theaters. He also produced stage shows for Texas Guinan's El Fay nightclub. This club was a speakeasy where gangsters often went.

A Broadway producer named Charles B. Dillingham noticed Ruby. He gave her a role in the show Bye, Bye, Bonnie. This show ran for six months. After that, she appeared in Lucky and The Sidewalks of New York. In the last show, Flo Ziegfeld saw her. He sent her roses and a note saying, "May I make you a star?"

Ruby appeared in Ziegfeld's Whoopee! in 1928. This was the same year she married Al Jolson. They met in Los Angeles. Granlund had sent Ruby there to help promote Jolson's movie The Jazz Singer. Jolson was very impressed with Ruby and quickly asked her to marry him.

They got married on September 21, 1928, in Port Chester, New York. It was a private ceremony. The next morning, they went on a short honeymoon. Then Ruby started her tour with Whoopee!. Ruby was 19 years old, and Jolson was about 42.

In 1933, producer Darryl F. Zanuck chose Ruby Keeler for the Warner Bros. musical 42nd Street. She starred with Dick Powell and Bebe Daniels. The film was a huge hit because of Busby Berkeley's amazing dance numbers. After 42nd Street, Jack L. Warner gave Ruby a long-term contract. She then starred in Gold Diggers of 1933, Footlight Parade, Dames, and Colleen.

Ruby and Jolson acted together in Go into Your Dance. This was their only movie together. They also appeared on Broadway one last time in the show Hold on to Your Hats.

Ruby Keeler's Later Life

In 1963, Ruby Keeler appeared in The Greatest Show on Earth. This was Jack Palance's TV show about a circus. She also had a small part in the 1970 movie The Phynx.

In 1971, Ruby became a big star again. She was in a successful Broadway show called No, No, Nanette. She acted alongside Jack Gilford, Bobby Van, Helen Gallagher, and Patsy Kelly. The show was overseen by Busby Berkeley, who directed 42nd Street. Ruby starred in the musical for two years on Broadway. Then she toured with the show for two more years.

In 1974, she had a brain aneurysm. After that, she became a spokesperson for the National Stroke Association.

Awards and Recognition

In 1992, Ruby Keeler received a Golden Palm Star. This star is on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars. She also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6730 Hollywood Blvd. In 1979, she was given an honorary degree by St. Bonaventure University.

Personal Life and Family

Ruby Keeler and Al Jolson adopted a son. They later divorced in 1940. In 1941, Ruby married John Homer Lowe, a businessman. She left show business that same year. Ruby and John had four children together. John Lowe passed away in 1969.

Ruby had two nephews who also worked in movies and TV. Joey D. Vieira, also known as Donald Keeler, played Sylvester "Porky" Brockway on the TV show Lassie from 1954 to 1957. Joey's brother, Ken Weatherwax, played Pugsley Addams on The Addams Family TV series in the 1960s. Ruby's son, John Lowe, became a Broadway stage manager. He started with No, No, Nanette in 1970.

Ruby Keeler was a Catholic. She was also a Republican. She supported Dwight D. Eisenhower in the 1952 presidential election.

Death

Ruby Keeler died from kidney cancer on February 28, 1993. She was 83 years old and passed away in Rancho Mirage, California.

Filmography

Feature Films

Short Films

• Ruby Keeler (1929)
• Screen Snapshots Series 9, No. 20 (1930)
• And She Learned About Dames (1934)
• Screen Snapshots Series 16, No. 7 (1937)
• A Day at Santa Anita (1937)
• Hollywood Handicap (1938)
• Screen Snapshots: Hollywood Recreation (1940)

Stage Work

• The Rise of Rosie O'Reilly (1923)
• Bye, Bye, Bonnie (1927)
• Lucky (1927)
• Sidewalks of New York (1927)
• Whoopee! (1928)
• Show Girl (1929)
• Hold on to Your Hats (1940)
• No, No, Nanette (1971)

See also

In Spanish: Ruby Keeler para niños