Ruth Foster

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).

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)​

Life and career

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

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

Film
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
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)

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

Documentaries
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
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
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
  1. "Ruth Foster". Western Boot Hill. United States: Blogger. May 16, 2012. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  2. "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. "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
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