Ruth Foster

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Not to be confused with Ruthie Foster.
Ruth Foster
Sam Jaffe and Foster on set of Ben Casey
Born(1920-01-29)January 29, 1920
Cincinnati, Ohio, US
DiedMay 12, 2012(2012-05-12) (aged 92)
Del Mar, California, US
OccupationActress
Spouse
Bobby Pinkus
​
​
(m. 1939; died 1986)​

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).

Life and career[edit]

Foster 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[edit]

Foster 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[edit]

Acting[edit]

Film[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[edit]

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1987 Fatal Confession: A Father Dowling Mystery Associate producer Made-for-TV-Movie directed by Christopher Hibler.[8]

Editing[edit]

Documentaries[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
  • Credited as Ruth A. Foster.[8]
  • Made-for-TV-Movie directed by Christopher Hibler.[8]
Jake and the Fatman Episodes:
  • "Laura" (S 1:Ep 3)
  • "Love for Sale" (S 1:Ep 5)
  • "Love Me or Leave Me" (S 1:Ep 9)
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]

  1. ^ "Ruth Foster". Western Boot Hill. United States: Blogger. May 16, 2012. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c "Actress Ruth Foster dies at 92". Variety. United States: Penske Media Corporation. June 6, 2012. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  3. ^ Green 2014, pp. 120–121.
  4. ^ "California Deaths, 1940 - 1997". MyHeritage. Or Yehuda and Tel Aviv. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  5. ^ "Find Peter Accardy Graves Records". Grave-Records Mooseroots. United States. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  6. ^ "Dimension 5". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  7. ^ "Cyborg 2087". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  8. ^ a b c "Fatal Confession: A Father Dowling Mystery". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  9. ^ Paul Simon: Graceland - The African Concert.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ "The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  12. ^ "The Object of Beauty". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  13. ^ "Frankie Starlight". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  14. ^ Raymo, Chet (1994). The Dork of Cork (Reprint ed.). New York City: Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 978-0446670005.
  15. ^ "Tanner '88". The Criterion Collection. New York City. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  16. ^ "Tidy Endings". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  17. ^ Tidy Endings (1988) (VHS). Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  18. ^ "The Christmas Wife". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  19. ^ "Glory! Glory!". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Retrieved July 21, 2016.

Sources[edit]

External links[edit]

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