Ruth Roman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ruth Roman
Roman in 1951
Born	Norma Roman (1922-12-22)December 22, 1922 Lynn, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	September 9, 1999(1999-09-09) (aged 76) Laguna Beach, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1943–1989
Spouse(s)	Jack Flaxman ​ ​ (m. 1939; div. 1941)​ Mortimer Hall ​ ​ (m. 1950; div. 1956)​ Bud Burton Moss ​ ​ (m. 1956; div. 1960)​ William Ross Wilson ​ (m. 1976)​
Children	1
Relatives	Dorothy Schiff (mother-in-law)
Awards	1959 Sarah Siddons Award

Ruth Roman (born Norma Roman; December 22, 1922 – September 9, 1999) was an American actress. She starred in many films, plays, and television shows.

After acting on stage in the eastern United States, Ruth moved to Hollywood. She wanted to become a film star. She started with small, uncredited roles. Soon, she got her first main parts. These included the Western Harmony Trail (1944) and the adventure series Jungle Queen (1945).

Ruth Roman became well-known for her role in The Window (1949). A year later, she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. This was for her acting in Champion (1949). In the early 1950s, she worked for Warner Bros.. She starred in many movies there. One famous film was the Alfred Hitchcock thriller Strangers on a Train (1951).

After leaving Warner Bros. in the mid-1950s, Ruth kept acting in films. She also started appearing in TV shows. She even made movies in other countries like England, Italy, and Spain. In 1956, she was a passenger on the SS Andrea Doria ship when it sank. In 1959, she won the Sarah Siddons Award for her work in the play Two for the Seesaw. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her many TV roles.

Early Life and Acting Start

Norma Roman was born in Lynn, Massachusetts. Her parents, Mary Pauline and Abraham Roman, were from Lithuania. A fortune teller told her mother that "Norma" was an unlucky name. So, she was renamed "Ruth."

Her mother was a dancer. Her father was a barker at a carnival sideshow they owned. This was at Revere Beach, Massachusetts. Ruth had two older sisters, Ann and Eve. When Ruth was eight, her father passed away. Her mother then sold the sideshow.

Ruth went to the William Blackstone School and Girls' High School in Boston. She always wanted to be an actress. So, she joined the Bishop Lee Dramatic School in Boston. She also performed with the New England Repertory Company. After that, Ruth moved to New York City. She hoped to act on Broadway. Instead, she worked as a cigarette girl, a hat check girl, and a model. She did these jobs to earn money.

Ruth Roman's Acting Career

Ruth Roman in 1951

Ruth Roman moved to Hollywood to pursue her acting dream. She got small roles in several films. These included Stage Door Canteen (1943) and Since You Went Away (1944). She had a bigger role in Harmony Trail (1944). However, she was still often uncredited in movies like She Gets Her Man (1945).

Ruth was chosen for the main role in the 13-episode series Jungle Queen (1945). Still, her parts stayed small in many films. Some of these were Gilda (1946) and The Big Clock (1948). While waiting for bigger movie chances, Ruth wrote short stories. She based them on her life in a boarding house for actors. She sold two stories: The House of the Seven Garbos and The Whip Song.

Ruth's career began to get better in the late 1940s. She got a notable role in Good Sam (1948). The next year, she starred as the main character in Belle Starr's Daughter. She also played a killer in the thriller The Window. Plus, she was the wife of the main character in Champion, starring Kirk Douglas.

Working with Warner Bros.

Because Ruth Roman was becoming a popular actress, Warner Bros. signed her to a long contract in 1949. First, they cast her in supporting roles. She acted with Bette Davis in Beyond the Forest. Then, she worked with Milton Berle and Virginia Mayo in Always Leave Them Laughing.

In 1950, the studio gave her lead female roles. She starred in Barricade with Dane Clark. She also appeared in Colt .45 with Randolph Scott.

Warners gave Ruth a starring role in Three Secrets (1950). She acted alongside Eleanor Parker and Patricia Neal. She played a worried mother in the film. She was waiting to find out if her child survived an airplane crash. After this, she was Gary Cooper's leading lady in Dallas (1950). On May 1, 1950, Life magazine featured Ruth Roman. They did a cover story called "The Rapid Rise of Ruth Roman."

Trailer for Strangers on a Train (1951)

Ruth Roman received top billing in Lightning Strikes Twice (1951). This movie was directed by King Vidor. She was also Farley Granger's love interest in Strangers on a Train (1951). This famous film was directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Ruth was also the top-billed star in the 1951 thriller Tomorrow Is Another Day. She co-starred with Steve Cochran. That year, she was one of many Warner Bros. stars in Starlift. This was a musical tribute to U.S. military members fighting in the Korean War.

She was loaned to MGM for Invitation (1952). Then, she co-starred with Errol Flynn in Mara Maru (1952). She returned to MGM to play Glenn Ford's love interest in Young Man with Ideas (1952). She also reunited with Gary Cooper in Blowing Wild (1953). In that film, she was billed below Barbara Stanwyck.

After Warner Bros.

Trailer for The Far Country (1955)

Ruth Roman went to Universal Studios. There, she played Van Heflin's love interest in Tanganyika (1954). At Universal, she was also a love interest to James Stewart. This was in the Western The Far Country (1955), directed by Anthony Mann. At Republic Pictures, she was the top star in The Shanghai Story (1954) with Edmond O'Brien.

Ruth also appeared in Down Three Dark Streets (1954) with Broderick Crawford. She began acting on TV shows too. These included Lux Video Theatre, The Red Skelton Hour, and General Electric Theatre.

Ruth had a good role in England in Joe MacBeth (1955). She played Lady MacBeth. She also acted with Van Johnson in The Bottom of the Bottle (1956). And she was with Virginia Mayo in Great Day in the Morning (1956).

Ruth Roman appeared in the Western Rebel in Town (1956). She was the top star in 5 Steps to Danger (1957). She was in Bitter Victory (1957). She also went to Italy to star in Desert Desperados (1959).

Continued Stage Work

In 1959, Ruth Roman won the Sarah Siddons Award. This was for her acting in Chicago theatre. She was chosen from 47 nominees. Her performance in Two for the Seesaw earned her the award.

Back in Hollywood, she played Paul Anka's mother in Look in Any Window (1961).

Television Appearances

Trailer for Great Day in the Morning (1956)

Ruth Roman acted regularly in films until the late 1950s. Then, she started making many appearances on television shows. She had recurring roles in NBC's The Long, Hot Summer (1965–1966). Later in her career, she had recurring roles in Knots Landing (1986) and several episodes of Murder, She Wrote. Both of these were on CBS.

She was a guest star in NBC's Bonanza and Sam Benedict. She also appeared on ABC's The Bing Crosby Show and The Greatest Show on Earth. She was in Burke's Law and I Spy. She also played a fiery redhead in an episode of Gunsmoke.

In the early 1960s, she appeared in medical dramas. These included The Eleventh Hour and Breaking Point. She starred in an episode of Mission: Impossible (1968) called "The Elixir." She also appeared in Naked City. Many other series featured Ruth Roman as a guest. These included Route 66, The Untouchables (1959 TV series), Mannix, Cannon (TV series), Marcus Welby, M.D., The Mod Squad, The FBI, Tarzan, and The Outer Limits (episode "Moonstone" in 1964).

In 1971, Ruth Roman played Marjorie Worth on "The Men from Shiloh." This was a new name for the TV Western The Virginian. The episode was called "The Angus Killer."

In 1960, Ruth Roman received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It is located at 6672 Hollywood Boulevard. This honored her contributions to television.

Personal Life

Ruth Roman and her second husband, Mortimer Hall

Ruth Roman was married four times. She had one son, Richard Roman Hall. He was born on November 12, 1952. His father was Mortimer Hall, whose mother was publisher Dorothy Schiff.

She married Mortimer Hall on December 17, 1950. In 1956, she filed for divorce. The divorce was finalized on April 15, 1957.

Ruth Roman was a member of the Democratic Party. She supported Adlai Stevenson in the 1952 presidential election.

The SS Andrea Doria Shipwreck

In July 1956, Ruth Roman was finishing a trip to Europe. Her three-year-old son, Richard, was with her. They boarded the Italian passenger ship SS Andrea Doria in Cannes. They were first-class passengers returning to the United States.

On the night of July 25, the ship crashed into another ship. This was the Swedish passenger ship MS Stockholm. Ruth was in a lounge when the crash happened. She quickly took off her high heels. She rushed barefoot back to her cabin to get her sleeping son.

Several hours later, they were both taken off the sinking ship with other passengers. Richard was lowered into a lifeboat first. But before Ruth could follow, the lifeboat left. Ruth stepped into the next boat. She was rescued by the French passenger ship SS Île de France. About 750 other survivors from the Andrea Doria were also rescued by this ship. Richard was rescued by the Stockholm. He was reunited with his mother in New York.

Later Life and Passing

Ruth Roman passed away at age 76. She died peacefully in her sleep. This happened at her home in Laguna Beach, California. Her death was on September 9, 1999.

Film Roles

Radio Appearances

Awards and Recognition

• 1950 Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year - Actress for Champion (nominee)
• 1959 Sarah Siddons Award for Two for the Seesaw (winner)
• 1960 Star for Television on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (winner)