About
Ruth Gordon Jones was born on October 30, 1896, in Wollaston, Massachusetts. She made her Broadway debut in 1915 in Peter Pan and in 1936 became the first American actress to perform with London's Old Vic. She originated the role of Dolly Levi in The Matchmaker (1955) and won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Rosemary's Baby (1968). She is also known for her role as Maude in Harold and Maude (1971). Gordon wrote plays, screenplays with her husband Garson Kanin, and published memoirs. She died on August 28, 1985, in Edgartown, Massachusetts.
* 1896-10-28 — † 1985-08-28
Major works
- Over Twenty-One (1944)play
- Years Ago (1947)play
- Myself Among Others (1971)memoir
- My Side (1976)autobiography
- Shady Lady (1982)novel
Key milestones
- 1936First American actress to perform with London's Old Vic.
- 1968Won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Rosemary's Baby.
- 1971Starred as Maude in Harold and Maude, a film preserved in the National Film Registry.
Themes
theatercinemawritingmemoircharacter roles
Sources: britannica.com · anb.org · snaccooperative.org