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Ruth E. Foster (January 29, 1920 – May 12, 2012) was an American actress who portrayed Walnut Grove's post-mistress, also named Foster, for several seasons on the NBC TV series Little House on the Prairie (1974–1983).
Ruth Foster | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | January 29, 1920 Cincinnati, Ohio, US |
| Died | May 12, 2012 (aged 92) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Spouse |
Bobby Pinkus
(m. 1939; died 1986) |
Life and career
editFoster was born on January 29, 1920, in Cincinnati, Ohio, as Ruth Emma Foerstel, the first child of George and Helen Wilhelmy Foerstel.[1] She first broke into show business at the age of 12 when the Shubert Theater sponsored a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dance contest. Foster competed and won first place. This exposure lead to a job as a dancer with a traveling dance group. Soon, she was offered a job as a dancer for the Latin Quarter Show. After several years of dancing, Foster went on to become an actress.
She traveled with vaudeville dance troupes in the early 1930s.[2] Foster was on Ben Casey as Miss Fleming from 1962 to 1964. She was in Dimension 5 and Cyborg 2087 that were going to be released on television as television films, instead were theatrically released across the United States.[3] Foster is most remembered as Melinda Foster, the Post office manager, on Little House on the Prairie for 61 episodes from 1974 to 1983. She was also a film editor, video tape editor and an associate producer. In 1984, Foster reprised her role as Melinda Foster in the Made-for-TV-Movies Little House: Bless All the Dear Children and Little House: The Last Farewell. Foster danced professionally in the Palm Springs and Branson Follies until the age of 85.[2]
Personal life and death
editFoster married comedian Bobby Pinkus, a.k.a. Peter J. Accardy, in 1939. Accardy died on September 16, 1986.[4][5] Foster died of natural causes in Del Mar, California at the age of 92.[2] Several Little House cast-mates attended her funeral services.
Filmography
editActing
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Dimension 5 | Grumpy Man's Wife | Science fiction/espionage or spy-fi film written by Arthur C. Pierce and directed by Franklin Adreon.[6] |
| Cyborg 2087 | Citizen in Crowd | Science fiction film directed by Franklin Adreon and written by Arthur C. Pierce.[7] |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | The Spike Jones Show | Pickpocket | Episode: "Panel Shows" (S 1:Ep 2) |
| 1962–64 | Ben Casey | Miss Fleming | Recurring |
| 1969 | Bonanza | Woman on Street | Episode: "A Darker Shadow" (S 11:Ep 10) |
| 1971 | Medical Center | Nurse | Episode: "Web of Darkness" (S 2:Ep 17) |
| 1974 | Little House on the Prairie | Aunt Ruby | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 1974–83 | Little House on the Prairie | Melinda Foster | Recurring |
| 1984 | Little House: Bless All the Dear Children | Made-for-TV-Movie directed by Victor French & written by Chris Abbott-Fish and based on the Little House series of books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. | |
| Little House: The Last Farewell | Made-for-TV-Movie written & directed by Michael Landon and based on the Little House series of books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. | ||
| 1989 | Highway to Heaven | Woman #1 | Episode: "The Reunion" (S 5:Ep 5) |
Producing
editTelevision
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Fatal Confession: A Father Dowling Mystery | Associate producer | Made-for-TV-Movie directed by Christopher Hibler.[8] |
Editing
editDocumentaries
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Paul Simon: Graceland – The African Concert | Film editor | Documentary concert given in Zimbabwe, Africa, by singer Paul Simon, featuring such South African musicians Miriam Makeba and Hugh Masakela directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg.[9] |
| 1996 | The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus | Documentary of a December 11, 1968 event organized by the Rolling Stones.[10][11] |
Film
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | The Object of Beauty | Film editor | Comedy crime–drama film directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg.[12] |
| 1995 | Frankie Starlight | Drama–romantic war film directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg with a screenplay written by Ronan O'Leary and Chet Raymo[13] & based on the internationally best-selling novel The Dork of Cork by Raymo.[14] |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | The Littlest Hobo | Video tape editor | Episode: "Trucker" (S 5:Ep 5) |
| 1985 | American Playhouse | Film editor | Episode: "Breakfast with Les and Bess" (S 4:Ep 12) |
| Great Performances | Episode: "Grown-Ups" (S 13–Episode aired 25 November 1985) | ||
| Master Harold...and the Boys | Made-for TV-Movie drama by Athol Fugard, adapted from his 1982 play of the same title, directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg. | ||
| All the Way | Made-for-TV-Movie directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg. | ||
| 1986–87 | Matlock | 6 episodes | |
| 1987 | Fatal Confession: A Father Dowling Mystery | ||
| Jake and the Fatman | Episodes:
| ||
| 1988 | Tanner '88 | Created & written by Garry Trudeau and directed by Robert Altman.[15] | |
| Tidy Endings | Made-for-TV-Movie directed by Gavin Millar.[16][17] | ||
| The Christmas Wife | Made-for-TV-Movie directed by David Jones and written by Catherine Ann Jones.[18] | ||
| Betrayal of Silence | Made-for-TV-Movie directed by Jeffrey Woolnough. | ||
| 1989 | Glory! Glory! | Televangelism comedy made-for-TV-Movie directed by Lindsay Anderson.[19] |
References
edit- ^ "Ruth Foster". Western Boot Hill. United States: Blogger. May 16, 2012. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
- ^ a b c "Actress Ruth Foster dies at 92". Variety. United States: Penske Media Corporation. June 6, 2012. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
- ^ Green 2014, pp. 120–121.
- ^ "California Deaths, 1940 - 1997". MyHeritage. Or Yehuda and Tel Aviv. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- ^ "Find Peter Accardy Graves Records". Grave-Records Mooseroots. United States. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
- ^ "Dimension 5". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Retrieved July 19, 2016.
- ^ "Cyborg 2087". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Retrieved July 19, 2016.
- ^ a b c "Fatal Confession: A Father Dowling Mystery". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Retrieved July 19, 2016.
- ^ Paul Simon: Graceland - The African Concert.
- ^ Maslin, Janet (October 12, 1996). "Taking a Trip Back in Time To the Sleek Young Stones". The New York Times. New York City. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
- ^ "The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Retrieved July 19, 2016.
- ^ "The Object of Beauty". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Retrieved July 21, 2016.
- ^ "Frankie Starlight". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Retrieved July 21, 2016.
- ^ Raymo, Chet (1994). The Dork of Cork (Reprint ed.). New York City: Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 978-0446670005.
- ^ "Tanner '88". The Criterion Collection. New York City. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- ^ "Tidy Endings". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- ^ Tidy Endings (1988) (VHS). Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- ^ "The Christmas Wife". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- ^ "Glory! Glory!". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Retrieved July 21, 2016.
Sources
edit- Green, Paul (2014). Jeffrey Hunter, the Film, Television, Radio, and Stage Performances. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. pp. 120–121. ISBN 978-0786478682.