#204 Movie Star Ruta Lee Talks Rat Pack and The Twilight Zone

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Jeff Dwoskin 0:28

All right, Debbie, thank you so much for that amazing introduction. You get this show going each and every week, and this week was no exception. Welcome, everybody, to Episode 204 of classic conversations, and in this episode, we're going classic with Hollywood royalty movie star Ruta Lee is here you loved her as one of the brides and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. She was in witness for the prosecution Funny Face funny bones. Sergeant three we're discussing her memoir, consider your ass kissed. We're diving into her episode of The Twilight Zone. We got so much that's coming up in just a few seconds. And in these few seconds, I do want to remind everyone in case you missed it because it went by so fast episode 202 with John Wesley Shipp did it go by really fast? Not really. But he was the flash so I just wanted to kind of make that joke anyway. So don't miss that episode. We talk all about the flash and Dawson's Creek. Such a great episode with John Wesley Shipp, and we've got awesomeness waiting for you right now. Movie Star Ruta Lee, we're talking about her book, we're talking about the amazing charity work. She's raised 10s of millions of dollars for mental health and veterans via her organization, the aliens, so many stories, including a good handful of them about Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra and the rat pack that's coming up right now. Enjoy. All right, everyone. I'm excited to introduce you to my next guest, actress, author, philanthropic powerhouse, loved her and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers witness for the prosecution 1000s of appearances on TV Perry Mason, Twilight Zone Murder, She Wrote, I could go on and on, but I gotta have time now talk to her as well. Author of her memoir, consider your ass kissed. Can't wait to find out the origin of that title. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the show. Movie Star brutally.

Ruta Lee 2:23

Wow. Applause Applause Thank you for Thank you. Now, let me ask you something, Jeff. when my time comes to go, would you mind doing the eulogy? That was beautiful.

Jeff Dwoskin 2:34

I would love to but not, not for long. But I plan I don't plan on going for a while. It's you know, I did my father's eulogy. Did you add? I did. And it was one of those things where I'm a stand up comedian. So getting in front of people is something that I do all the time. You know, when my mom passed away, I couldn't get it in me to get up there. And so I swore like when my father passed away, I'm like, I got I got to do this, I got to do it. But I got to do it. Like I got to do it. You know, I mean, so I got up there. I don't want to say it was a routine a comedy routine. But it was very humorous.

Ruta Lee 3:12

I'm so glad to hear that I am asked to speak at depressing free her audience. Nevertheless, it's something we all have to face, a loved one a friend or somebody is gone. And somebody has to kind of get up and say something nice, and hopefully something with humor so that we can laugh a little bit about a great life, as well as weep over it. And I always try to bring humor into it. So I'm glad to hear that you did that. Now my question of you when we first said how do you do is Dwoskin is a very interesting name. It sounds either Russian Polish Czech, do you have any idea of where that name came from any history?

Jeff Dwoskin 3:55

I believe it's Russian. And yeah, I think that's all I know. I realized, you know, after everyone passes away, I realized, Oh, my family wasn't great at passing on stuff like that.

Ruta Lee 4:08

Oh, yeah, free. I'm doing the same thing. I'm a Lithuanian descent and of course, all of my family was deported to Siberia. You know, when the Russian communist crap took over, and I wish that I had listened more to what my little grandmother when I finally got her out of Siberia and you're to the United States. I wish I had listened to more of the stories that she remembered. It was so fascinating. I mean, I know what my mother told me I I know what my father told me. But you know when you're a kid, you're not willing to sit and listen to all that stuff. Yeah, yeah. Let me yonder, my radio and television. And now I regret not writing and you know, absolutely capitalizing on that lore that meant so much.

Jeff Dwoskin 4:58

I think we're all afraid to just face our immortality. And it's like when you talk about those things, you admit there's this end. And I think it's sometimes it's hard to kind of face that. But you know, the more life goes on. Like, recently, my dad was known throughout my life, he was the guy who made pickles, right? And he made

Ruta Lee 5:18

it really oh my god, I would have loved him. That's my favorite food. He made

Jeff Dwoskin 5:23

the best pickles and like, so he was known for it like you would, the only rule was you got to return the jar, right. And I realized after he died, I found like, the handwritten recipe, but I never really learned it, because I never really thought of him not being there to do it with me or just to do it. And so it was like one of those things that was like, ah, you know, but it's one of those things. So I guess the message for everyone listening is, hey, ask a lot of questions. If someone's around if you're fortunate to have them with ya. Learn how you can learn. Because once it's gone, it's gone.

Ruta Lee 5:58

And how right you are. I wish I knew a little more now time. I'm so terribly, terribly embittered at what Putin is doing to the Ukraine, and how the slaughter is going on there. And how most Russians have no frigging idea of what's going on. They're being fed that unbelievable communist bullshit that got passed on years ago that we thought was fading a little bit, but it seems to be rising again. And I'm terrified for those people. And of course, my family is all in Lithuania. And those people are quaking in their boots because he wants to retake Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, anything else that was once under the communist he'll, he wants to retake and Oh, dear God, they're not all NATO countries. So please, everybody said send up a prayer and save $1 And then the word will do some good.

Jeff Dwoskin 6:56

Amen to that. Yeah, it's heartbreaking. We do a weekly show, we always kind of take a moment just so everyone can focus and remember that it's going on, you know, sometimes the news cycles they, they they start to lessen the Talk or they move on to something else or some other

Ruta Lee 7:13

Yeah, it's it's interesting, when it's not making headlines, you you forget about it. And that's kind of a shame. But let's get on to later fair, we don't want to bring doom and gloom to our wonderful time together. So thank you for sharing what your background was. And everybody now knows what mine is to. And considering that I did most of my growing up right here in Hollywood, that kind of lighter fare to start with a little flash and trash.

Jeff Dwoskin 7:40

Yeah, you have a fascinating life. I you know, before we get to that, since you brought it up, I want to You mentioned your grandma, who is a Siberian in a Siberian internment camp at the time since World War Two, and then you got her out. Yes, I just had a fascinating story. It is a

Ruta Lee 7:57

fascinating story and the book, I dedicate one chapter to the book. By the way, consider your ass kiss, as the title did, I only gave one chapter to my grandmother and the happenings. And that was very short shrift. So I'm going to do another book just I'm going to dedicate an entire whatever it took me years to get this book together to getting the one together about getting my grandmother who was a tiny little lady that didn't have a pot to pee in in Lithuania, little tiny, you know, poor people that had a tiny piece of land. And this was not the intelligencia. You know, this was not the cognoscenti and the writers and the and the politicians and the thoughts of makers. These are little farm people. They had a cow, which I guess made them rich, and they were shipped off to Siberia for no reason given other than we assumed it was the time when the Communists were trying to repatriate the countries that had the heavy Catholic preponderance, you know, and off they went to Siberia. My grandfather died on route on the cattle car that they were being deported on very much like the Jews were being deported during Hitler's regime. And now the communists are doing the same thing, sending these people off. nevers in some cases to be seen again, like my grandfather, whose legs were frozen on the cattle cards they were transported on. When they stopped at a Weigh Station and took off his boots. The flesh went with it. Gangrene had set in and he died and my grandmother never even knew she was still on the train off to Siberia. It was horrendous. And so the story needs to be told so many of our beautiful young people are so privileged to have been born or privileged to come to the United States have no frigging idea of how blessed they are to have been born in a country that was free where you could say and do what you want. And if you worked hard, the American dream was yours that didn't exist in places like Russia and Latvia and Estonia and Lithuania and Poland, Czechoslovakia, that Russian heel came down. And you did what they you were told. And the people in the Soviet Union was, what he's trying to recruit is the Soviet Union. They don't know. Now, there are relatives there that we hear from that have no idea in Russia of what's going on in the Ukraine. They're assuming route. Ukraine is starting all this. Anyway, I said I was gonna get later. So you asked me about the title of the book. Consider your ass kiss is an expression that I have used for more years than I can remember. Because I've always been in the fundraising business, and my sister and charity and my beloved adopted sister Debbie Reynolds was the founder, one of the founders of an organization called aliens. Ch AE l Ians and we started a charity for mental health, ranging from pediatric going through geriatric, and some 50 years later, after doing big glamorous shows, where every star in town did a bit hard or came or saying or did whatever, because they liked the two ladies hitting up the charity, Debbie Reynolds, and myself, and they appeared for us for no money at all. And we raised millions and millions of dollars for the salience community mental health center. And then one day, five years ago, we woke up to the fact that we were missing the boat on something, and that is the mental health of our returning veterans, these beautiful young people that are willing to put their lives on the line every day when we send them to all sorts of places and put them in harm's way. And yet, they'd come back and sometimes fall through the cracks when it came to their physical health, and above all, their mental health, mental health being the disease that you don't see. And so we joined forces with Operation men at UCLA, and up men heal the broken and fractured bodies of our returning returning vets. And we say aliens are trying to heal the broken mind, and spirit. If anybody out there has a couple of dollars, or a couple of $1,000 that they wish to donate to help our veterans, please go to the salient t h e l a n s.org. And you can read about us and how we got started. And what we do very proud of the fact that a bunch of so called lazy as actors and actresses, who are hard drinking pot smoking, had nothing to contribute, put this organization together and has raised probably over $50 million for mental health. I'm very proud of us and grateful to the stars that came to perform for

Jeff Dwoskin 12:58

that's amazing. And this organization's over 60 years old, it's wonderful when you can put your star power to the to the goodness and your rights. Sometimes people don't realize the charitable work that movie stars do. They just see the glitz and the glamour. But yeah, you've been working tirelessly to raise money, I thank you for your service. And I'll definitely I'll put that link in the show notes so that it's easy for anyone to hop on over.

Ruta Lee 13:25

That would be lovely, Jeff, thank you.

Jeff Dwoskin 13:28

Sorry to interrupt out to take a quick break for our sponsors. But I do want to thank all of you for supporting the sponsors when you support them. You're supporting us here at Classic conversations. And that's why we keep the lights on. And we're back with movies are brutally rude is about to talk to us about the difference between oh gee stars and new stars when it comes to raising money. And we're back. You know, it's

Ruta Lee 13:49

a different generation now, too. And I don't mean to mention Grich, but I was trying to find replacement for myself and for Debbie Reynolds for the last 20 years. And it is a different generation. I swear most of us that are my age and around my age, which makes it damn old but a little bit younger, grew up in a generation and maybe vaudeville was the you know, the program designer for us because we all grew up and we got to give something back. If we're lucky enough to be working and doing what we love to do, which is perform get on the stage and make people happy, make them smile, make them laugh, then we need to give back some of what's come our way and every buddy of the old stars, whether it was big Crosby I was calling or Frank Sinatra or Angela Davis or Whoopi Goldberg were willing to say Damn right, we'll be there. And they didn't ask to be paid for anything. They didn't ask for seats. They didn't ask for a table. They didn't ask for a private plane, which is what I'm getting now. From these beautiful young stars if you can even get through to them. You know this plethora of agents As managers and the Seuss's and hairdressers and private secretaries that you have to get through, and it's always well will you will send a private plane, won't you, and you will have my, my band and my orchestra flown in, won't you and we will have a table of 12. And you will pick up the hotel taps for everybody won't you will help you, you can't make any money doing that for your charity. And that's sort of what I've been getting for almost about 20 years, the new young people are simply not willing, at least they're not willing. They're told they're not willing by their agents, and management. So I, I always say if I can just grab somebody face to face, then it'll be great. I'll get them. You know, I'll explain to them what the need is and then that they can't miss. But you just can't get through the phalanx of people that guard all these young, but God keeps us going somehow.

Jeff Dwoskin 15:53

You keep fighting the fight and keep putting out these awesome shows and raising the 10s of million. That's the legacy you'll leave behind.

Ruta Lee 16:01

Jeff, I forgot to finish how I used to say to the people that gave me you know, $50 or 500 or $500,000. What else could I say from the stage but please, my dear friends, consider your ass kiss. And my dear friend who is the red carpet member ABC Television, George pennacchio, who is like one of my kids said to be Ruda. If you ever get this book written, that should be the title of it. Consider your ass kiss. And I mean it from the bottom of my heart, not just from my very bottom, but the bottom of my heart. And I thank anybody that buys my books. I thank anybody that's ever turned on a television set, because I'm going to be on I think anybody that can do a movie to see me or come to see me in a play. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. God bless you. And consider your ask is I

Jeff Dwoskin 16:52

picture like a bit like, kind of a kiss. Those are ma couldn't sit. Yeah, yeah.

Ruta Lee 16:59

You're right. You're right. Yeah,

Jeff Dwoskin 17:00

I would like to talk about the twilight zone if that's okay. Love it. So it's hot zones, like one of my favorite shows of all time might have a bookshelf. One half of one shelf is all the DVDs and toys I have. Like I it was one of those things as growing up I think it's probably had a huge effect on me. So just I love Rod Serling the storytelling, everything about it. It just, you know, like Mani, it really touched me. So when I saw that you are reminded that you are the star of a short drink from a certain fountain. I rewatched it because I wanted to have a good conversation about it such a piece of iconic history. I mean, you were on a million things, but I feel like the Twilight Zone is just one of those things that it keeps coming back and never goes away. And it's like just kind of be a part of that original series like what was it like just being there Rod Serling like I don't I don't even know what to ask. I just want you to spill. Well.

Ruta Lee 17:54

Let me send you. Rod Serling was the most adorable, charming, funny, sexy man. They had one terrible fault. Besides being this gifted, wonderful writer, and imaginative. He smoked morning, noon and night. One cigarette would like the next one as the as the buck went out, the smoke never stopped. And it was difficult to spend time with him because I was constantly neezy and gagging and carrying on. So I never if I could have had a romance with him. I didn't ever romance with him. But boy did I love him and did I love what he did. And that was one of the most fun experiences that I ever had. I shouldn't say fun, just one of the best experiences, because I got to play this tramp at she really was a bit of a sloth. And they are so much more fun to play than a goody two shoes. You know, I'm sure there is this young woman that has married an older man who happens to have a scientist doctor for a brother who has invented something that he hasn't put into trials yet. And he insists on taking the shots to make him younger. And of course he gets younger and younger and younger. And I am left having to take care of a child if I want the money because he has reverted to that it's a great switch ending. And I loved working with Patrick O'Neill and everybody on the set and one of the nicest things that happened, Jeff that I had to share with you and your listeners is you know, on the set, this was shot at MGM and they're the catwalks way up high that have the klieg lights and the baby spots and all of that stuff. And the guys are up there in the catwalk leaning over the rails watching the performances down below. And after one of the scenes, there was a big round of applause from up above from the catwalk and the guys all said hey router. We love you and I thought well thank you that is so nice. You remind us of our Favorite, and that was Oh my god. No. She was very due to heart Gable. Oh, Help me Help me Help me. Oh, she died in a plane crash. Oh, this fabulous blonde. Oh, how can I forget her name anyway, she was their favorite and I was so honored to even be considered in league with her towards the end of the show. I'll remember and I'll yell it out.

Jeff Dwoskin 20:22

I'm trying to write out right now.

Ruta Lee 20:24

That awful I just can't

Jeff Dwoskin 20:26

think of a million people. Okay. Williams of the Ashley. Carole Lombard,

Ruta Lee 20:31

Carole Lombard. Thank you very much. Carol Lombard, she's the one that unfortunately died on a on a plane coming back from selling war bomb. Isn't that a shame? Oh, no. That beautiful young woman and they were a very happy couple.

Jeff Dwoskin 20:47

I rewatched the episode just because I never no reason not to. If I get a chance to watch the Twilight Zone, I'm gonna watch it. So Patrick O'Neill who was your husband in the show? Who yo Flora are supposed to be 40 years Junior he was actually only it was only eight years actual difference between you? Oh, yeah.

Ruta Lee 21:04

They painted him up with the, you know, the gray lines and, and made him older. And then he came to his own age. And then they made him younger. But it was quite a good show for him. Needless to say, well, it was a good show, period. And unfortunately, it didn't play forever and ever on all the reruns, you know, when they do the Fonz on television, because it had been in some sort of litigation, but they finally resolved what the problem was. And thank God it plays now. So it seems every time they do the big runs where they run the day and night

Jeff Dwoskin 21:38

right right. You can catch it on Paramount plus right now they have all of them right? It's considered one of the four episodes there were four episodes that were last minute. Yeah, the encounter downs and silences and yours a short drink from a certain fountain and it wasn't broadcast again. So 1983 and a special hosted by your co star Patrick O'Neill.

Ruta Lee 21:59

Really I

Jeff Dwoskin 22:00

didn't know that. That's why I'm here Ruda.

Ruta Lee 22:05

Now I will say, people are sitting home saying, I didn't know that now. I

Jeff Dwoskin 22:09

will say in rewatching it and I usually try not to rethink something in today's eyes. But I don't think when the brother who is the scientists injects his brother, right, your husband, Patrick O'Neill, and turns him into a young person and then turns to you and says, now you have to raise him. You know, it's flipped. You know, you were the young one. Yeah, he's the young one. And he's like, kind of just sticking you your character. And I'm thinking myself the whole time. I'm like, is that taking an ounce of accountability? That as a scientist, he shot up his brother with an untested serum.

Ruta Lee 22:46

No, there wouldn't have been a story.

Jeff Dwoskin 22:48

I know. But I just thought it'd be like, you know, it adds some remorse that he was a little bit responsible.

Ruta Lee 22:54

Jeffrey, don't you dare fall into that political career? It's

Jeff Dwoskin 22:57

not about political. It's just like, you know, I mean, he shot up his brother. I was like, I was like, come I think, you know, yes, your character Flora gets stuck with it. And so he would hate because you guys didn't like each other and the show, but he's got to be like, a little bit like, maybe I should go on the run. I'm, I'm just making up drugs and injecting them into people. But I just thought was funny. I was just like, I'm like, you know, anyway, but that was then. So there's so much rude. I don't have like 1000 notes in front of me, I don't even know where to go. I was inspired by and I loved sort of your origin story, or the one thing that kind of was a spark, which was your teacher, Miss Jackson, kind of seeing that spark in you. And then your mother helping to run with that and get you dance lessons and music lessons I love like, you can kind of find that moment.

Ruta Lee 23:49

I think so many people in our business, look back. And thank God if I hadn't had my mom that understood that, or my dad that didn't mind paying a little more for me to go to school or take lessons or whatever. You know, so many of us owe the good things in our life to understanding parents, as so many of us didn't have a good and understanding parents and still manage to survive and go on and do you know, without aid and assistance from the government. I'm so happy that I had a teacher that understood that there was something different. I was just damn lazy. Honest to God to this day, Jeff. I even write this in the book. I'm not crazy about rehearsal. Like some people are most actors I know love the experience of finding the meaning and the way and the reason and all of that stuff and I just say oh, let's just get the turkey on the table, you know, and let's get the music on and let's hear the laughs to this day. I don't like rehearsal, but I do adore performing especially live like you to get up on stage and to deal with an audience. You know, off the cuff especially I love in fact in most of the shows that I do if I'm on the road doing whether it's any get your gun or hello dolly or MAME or festival whorehouse, it doesn't matter, I love to literally take off my hat after the show and not be dolly or Mali, or Maine, but be Ruta and just say, hello and chat, giggle with the audience a bit, have always loved that. And I imagine you find that very satisfying to

Jeff Dwoskin 25:29

I do I do love it. I've never had anyone come up to me after a show and say, This is our son. We named him Jeff Dwoskin. Like you had someone come up. They named their daughter rudely. But I do understand 100% What you're talking about?

Ruta Lee 25:44

Isn't it wonderful when when people kind of sometimes are too shy to come backstage, you know, they don't want to mess with it or whatever. I was very, very blessed to have a husband for 46 years that understood and didn't get jealous of time that I spent with an audience. You know, after the show, I swear, I took almost as much time as the show to sign autographs and chat with people who took the time not only to come see me in the show, but then to come backstage afterwards, and get a signature and a little conversation. I'm so grateful to people like that. And that's where consider your ass kiss came from because I was so very happy to know that people cared one way or another about me that were not related to me or had to be good unkind to me, but were because they liked what I did, or what they saw in me very grateful for that. And to this day, I thank God every day for giving me the privilege of having good friends out there that I was not born to love.

Jeff Dwoskin 26:48

Right. And that is a blessing. Yeah, it sounds like your husband was very supportive. My wife very supportive, you know, with the podcast and my, Hey, I gotta go talk to movie star brutally. She's like, totally cool, you know, and, you know, but even after, you know, doing shows and weekends of comedy and stuff like that, I think when you have to do something like that, like you have to act and you have to do all that. And I you know, everyone, if you have a creative bone in your body, you have to let it out. You need someone who can just understand that. So that's awesome. That's wonderful.

Ruta Lee 27:16

You know that my darling husband that we're talking about came from your neck of the woods. Lambert Hill was the town that he was from which is next door practically to what he called totally do Ohio. Toledo and and not too far from Detroit, all of it. So it's a small world that

Jeff Dwoskin 27:35

that is a small world. US Midwest, you know, you gotta it's a special place.

Ruta Lee 27:39

It's a very special place. I think warm, delicious. All Americana non complaining people I like I like the Midwest

Jeff Dwoskin 27:48

are good, folks. Were good folks. Real folks. Yeah. Let's talk about the time you're hanging out with the Rat Pack.

Ruta Lee 27:56

Ah, now that was fun. That's the most fun I've ever had. And my only regret is that I didn't have an affair with any one of them. Just think of a book I could have written

Jeff Dwoskin 28:08

in your book. It sounds like Frank Sinatra kind of wanted to go in that direction. And you

Ruta Lee 28:13

wanted to? Yeah, I think so. And if I had been young and stupid, maybe I would have wanted to do as well. Who knows I might have been Mrs. Rice with Audra Gotti was good to me. I will always always hold him in reverence and appreciation because he changed my life in many ways, made it much more fun and working with the ratpack was just amazing. And you know, I worked with him on location and in Las Vegas and in Hollywood. And they were wonderful and it was on location. They all treated me like their little sister. And it was Sammy Davis's job to walk me to my room every night they would you know, bring in a load of ladies from Vegas or whatever when we were on location and Knapp Utah, otherwise known as a little Hollywood by the way in in Knapp, Utah. I don't have a star in the boulevard. I have a hitching post. They have hitching posts with all the legendary stars that have shot there and been there. Isn't that a charming idea? I like that. Yeah. So I have a hitching post there. But they would you know, they'd party all night long and drink carry on. But I'd be walked through my room by Sammy Davis and told to stay in but it was very sweet and very nice. And I had the best time of my life.

Jeff Dwoskin 29:32

Sorry to interrupt my conversation when movie star rudely, but we have to take a quick break and we're back. The star Ruta Lee has a few more Frank Sinatra stories to share.

Ruta Lee 29:42

Oh, Frank was so generous and so good. He was one of the many great stars that appeared for this alien and not only did he appear, but he paid for the entire orchestra and everybody involved in his appearance. Now that charity,

Jeff Dwoskin 29:55

you hear that everyone listening who was asking Ruda to pay for private planes Frank Sinatra didn't ask that you should ask you there show up and do your duty. All right, there we go. Well,

Ruta Lee 30:06

thank you. Thank you.

Jeff Dwoskin 30:07

So you gave you a nickname. I love that you were laughing

Ruta Lee 30:11

loudly Yeah, Dean that God didn't give Ruda tips. He gave her a set of speakers. So I was loud East Sammy was the bear. Today's my day not to remember names. Frank was of course, the Pope. Sammy was Sparky.

Jeff Dwoskin 30:31

And then there was a great story where you got to you got to meet Marilyn Monroe, a birthday party that Frank through for Dean.

Ruta Lee 30:39

She was without a doubt a glowing creature when she walked into the room. In this case, it was a big showroom that was filled with very beautiful and glittering stars and people, one of them being Elizabeth Taylor, who was sitting right opposite me at Frank's table. He was having a birthday party for the I mean, for Dean Martin, she came into the room on Frank's arm. And it was as if every spotlight in the world was shining on her because she glowed she was in a sparkling white pleated dress with white fox wrap, and that platinum blonde hair, and it was like she had an inner glow. It was unbelievable. She took the shine and the spotlight off of Elizabeth Taylor, who was at the height of her beauty and kept it all evening long. And I was awed by the mastery of the room that she took when she walked into it. I wrote in the book that the Gabor's had that magic, they could walk into a room and take it over somehow with their presence. Well, Maryland did it in a much Shire, and less come on way. You know, she was just amazing. Amazed. That was my really one experience with her and it was a nice one. Needless to say,

Jeff Dwoskin 31:58

That's amazing, because that's a hell of a room to walk in and be able to kind of take the full shine. Yes, I thought it was really interesting, like the precursor to you becoming part of the Rat Pack. Like how you got the story you tell about getting the role and witness for the prosecution, or somebody was just watching you watch Frank Sinatra. He did Frank Sinatra didn't know who you were.

Ruta Lee 32:20

Isn't that interesting? I had never met Frank didn't know him. And he was invited to he was asked by Mary Morrison, who was then the owner of malt combo, which was one of the three big nights in Hollywood on the Sunset Strip. And they were going out of business because television had taken over. This was the early 50s, or the mid to late 50s. And nobody was nightclubbing. Everybody was home watching television major shows. And so Frank was asked to play and he said he would and Jean would play a week and Victor Mone would play a week and Sammy would play a week and see if they could get some business going for them. And I was invited by a very dear friend to Frank's opening and I of course had never seen him in person. I was too young. But I had all the recording is fabulous unrequited love song recording, which I played everywhere and on little, not just the tape in my car. And there I sat watching him and Geoffrey, I don't know if you ever had a chance to see him live. But he was undoubtedly the most amazing entertainer. He grabbed you and held you without doing a lot and he was working on a tiny little Deus in front of his orchestra, which I'm sure he paid, filled the entire stage, you know, stages in nightclubs are small. And so he was on this tiny little day of directly in front of me and I was staring up at him and I'm sure mouth hanging open because he was that mesmerizing and a note came around to the host asking him to bring me to the table. You'd like to meet me. And I went over and he said hello. My name is Arthur Hornblower Jr. This my wife Hornblower, and I am the producer of a movie that has been filming for a couple of weeks, called witness for the prosecution. And I have just given you a very unique screen test, because I was behind Frank Sinatra. I was watching you watch Frank Sinatra. And I think you would make a very good love interest for Tyrone Power in my movie witness for the prosecution. Can you come in and meet to Billy Wilder and as soon as my mouth stopped dropping open I said is tomorrow too soon? Get invited me in and I went in and they put me on film in front of the camera. And Marlena Dietrich took one look and said nope. Forget it. Next time. She's blonde like me, I became a brunette overnight, whatever it takes. That's how I got the job. Isn't that an amazing thing? And Frank Sinatra never knew about it. And as I write in my book, couple of years later or what is he doing with screening movies at home, which was his favorite thing to do after a big Italian meal and favorite guy that I worked for a lot. Producer Howard Hawks there for dinner and a movie that night, and they're screening witness for the prosecution. And Frank says to Howard as partner now in business, what do you think of that route? Elite chick? I I've been watching her in television. What do you think we put her in one of our upcoming movies? And that's how I got to be the leading lady there. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Peter Lawford. Joey Bishop, the Crosby boys in Sergeant's three. What a story what a Hollywood dream of a story. It is. It's

Jeff Dwoskin 35:38

a crazy story, just the whole the way the whole round robin of that story, just how he kind of got you the movie that he's no, he didn't get you that movie. But I mean, he inspired whatever you were doing while you're watching him. And then somehow that got you into that movie. And then he saw you in the movie. And he's like, I gotta have that girl. Right? That was a horrible impression, but

Ruta Lee 35:57

the book Hills it better? Yeah.

Jeff Dwoskin 36:01

You told about it just great. It's a great story. It's a great story. How do you How did Jerry Lewis fit in with the ratpack? Did they like him? I never I cuz you weren't you started with him and funny bones. So I know ya knew him as well. I just never was Connect. I know him and Dean were together. But then they weren't. And I never kind of understood.

Ruta Lee 36:20

Well, Frank was responsible, if I recall correctly on putting them together again. When I say together. I mean, I mean, Dean and Jerry on the telephone that Jerry did. And then that was amazing what he was able to do and raise or his cause, you know, for Muscular Dystrophy. Yeah. MD. Yeah. And he was he was just amazing. I always loved him. Not everybody in this world did I think he was a very, very difficult task master. When he was running the show, and he was producing movie or starring in it or whatever. I gather that he was quite a skirt chaser. He never did it with me. If he did, I didn't recognize it. Let's put it that way. So we remained friends, and I remained friends with his wife, you know, if I saw them or whatever, it was a meta table somewhere or go over and say hello. And I'd always say hello to Jeannie, we always had a good job. And he was very good. And I loved working with him when we were doing funny bones because we were on location in England. And there was a lot of time where we would just sit talk or walk to the beach or do whatever, you know, and just schmooze about people that we knew and loved people that we didn't know and love, and so on and so forth. So I always had a great time with him. I don't know how the rest of the guy felt about him. Obviously, if Frank thought enough to put them together on his telephone, and knew that they in some way should at least acknowledge each other and be together. I'm sorry that it fell apart. I'm delighted that Dean went on, on his own to become a very big movie star in his own right. And Jerry continued his movie stardom, and of course, was worshipped by the English and certainly by the French. That gave him the lesion donner, you know, the Legion of Honor. Right, right. I find that all very satisfying and heart rending and rewarding that there was a get together, it never became anything permanent. And of course, Dean after the death of his son, I think, started to fade, mentally and certainly physically. And I used to see him a lot at what we called his kitchen, his outdoor kitchen, which was a restaurant here in Beverly Hills in Hollywood. And he would come in and the brother loaded and sometimes he take out his teeth and lay them on the table. And it just became so sad that in some ways, I was glad when his endgame because he was not a happy camper. He was an unhappy person. And he was one of the without a doubt, the funniest man I ever knew. Jerry was the comic. But Dean was the true comedian. Truly, innately the funniest man I have ever known. He would be quiet and all of a sudden making quip that would knock everybody off. They're just great. So he was great, but I love them both. And thank God for the pleasure of working with two great stars on a very personal level.

Jeff Dwoskin 39:29

Funny People, Lucille Ball. Oh, wow.

Ruta Lee 39:33

Yeah, my mother's birthday was August 5. Hers was August 6. And she came to a wonderful party that I was having for my mother and we had the cake for two of them. And it was a sweet moment to to have Lucy as a personal friend enough to where she would come to a party for my mom and make it good. She was very special. I loved her very much. I see her daughter Lucy in Palm Springs where she lives We were good friends, but it was a great blessing to be able to say she's a friend of mine, and we add her home playing game and doing whatever. I just I loved her.

Jeff Dwoskin 40:12

I watched the clip of you on the Lucy show with with Milton Berle who was

Ruta Lee 40:17

built. God that was so funny. I peed my pants laughing on that thing. When that salad hit his head and came down and he made wipers out of his fingers to get the sauce off his glasses. I literally dribbled. I mean, it was so funny. And I was trying to hold it in and not laugh, but it was such such fun. And of course, you see there was another difficult person. According to the business, Milton Berle not everybody loved but I adored him. And he was always good to me. And he came and did things for me when, as did Lucy, when I asked her to be our star for the failure. And she said yes, when I asked her to chair the event for the city of hope that I was doing for diabetic research. She did that as did milk Merle, as did Jack Carter, as did all those wonderful old comics. You know, Norm Crosby, they're all gone. It's frightening. There's nobody left there shaking green left in this world. There's none of the old timers left. That would say all right, god dammit. I'll come and do it. You know, they were just great.

Jeff Dwoskin 41:23

Ruda. These are amazing stories. We didn't even get to Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. That's how much into this.

Ruta Lee 41:29

I'll tell you what, why don't we pick this up another day? That would be nice saying, You can call me anytime you like you got my num vert. Bah bah. Thank you for sharing your audience with me. Thank you for letting me relive some of the sweet moments of my life with you and your listeners. And what can I do with say, May God keep smiling on you, dear Jeff, and may

Jeff Dwoskin 41:55

God keep smiling on you rudely.

Ruta Lee 41:58

Thank you, my friend. Call me whenever you want. Thanks, Ruda. Hi, darlin.

Jeff Dwoskin 42:02

All right, everyone. How amazing was movie star Ruta Lee The reason I kept on or movie star Ruta Lee is because when she was on the Lucy show, Lucy opens his door and says, Oh, my God, it's movie star Ruta Lee. So that's, that's where I got that. I loved all those stories. Go check out her Twilight Zone episode. Don't forget to buy her book and sit here as cast really is Hollywood royalty. She's an amazing philanthropist. Her organization that aliens is amazing. Definitely check it out links in the show notes to everything. Well, with the interview over can't believe it. That means episode 204 has come to an end. I want to thank once again, my amazing guests movie star Ruta Lee. And of course, I want to thank all of you podcast listeners, stars, they come back week after week. Thank you so much. It means the world to me, and I'll see you next time.

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Transcribed by https://otter.ai