Not to be confused with Ruthie Foster.
Ruth Foster
Birth dateJanuary 29, 1920
Birth placeCincinnati, Ohio, US
Death dateMay 12, 2012 (aged 92)
Death placeDel Mar, California, US
SpouseBobby Pinkus (m. 1939; died 1986)
OccupationActress

Ruth E. Foster (January 29, 1920 – May 12, 2012) was an American actress who portrayed Walnut Grove's postmaster, also named Foster, for several seasons on the NBC TV series Little House on the Prairie (1974–1983).

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

Acting

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1966Dimension 5Grumpy Man's WifeScience fiction/espionage or spy-fi film written by Arthur C. Pierce and directed by Franklin Adreon.[6]
Cyborg 2087Citizen in CrowdScience fiction film directed by Franklin Adreon and written by Arthur C. Pierce.[7]

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1954The Spike Jones ShowPickpocketEpisode: "Panel Shows" (S 1:Ep 2)
1962–64Ben CaseyMiss Fleming
1969BonanzaWoman on StreetEpisode: "A Darker Shadow" (S 11:Ep 10)
1971Medical CenterNurseEpisode: "Web of Darkness" (S 2:Ep 17)
1974Little House on the PrairieAunt RubyEpisode: "Pilot"
1974–83Little House on the PrairieMelinda Foster
1984Little House: Bless All the Dear ChildrenMade-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 FarewellMade-for-TV-Movie written & directed by Michael Landon and based on the Little House series of books by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
1989Highway to HeavenWoman #1Episode: "The Reunion" (S 5:Ep 5)

Producing

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1987Fatal Confession: A Father Dowling MysteryAssociate producerMade-for-TV-Movie directed by Christopher Hibler.[8]

Editing

Documentaries

YearTitleRoleNotes
1987Paul Simon: Graceland – The African ConcertFilm editorDocumentary 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]
1996The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll CircusDocumentary of a December 11, 1968 event organized by the Rolling Stones.[10][11]

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1991The Object of BeautyFilm editorComedy crime–drama film directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg.[12]
1995Frankie StarlightDrama–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

YearTitleRoleNotes
1983The Littlest HoboVideo tape editorEpisode: "Trucker" (S 5:Ep 5)
1985American PlayhouseFilm editorEpisode: "Breakfast with Les and Bess" (S 4:Ep 12)
Great PerformancesEpisode: "Grown-Ups" (S 13–Episode aired 25 November 1985)
Master Harold...and the BoysMade-for TV-Movie drama by Athol Fugard, adapted from his 1982 play of the same title, directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg.
All the WayMade-for-TV-Movie directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg.
1986–87Matlock6 episodes
1987Fatal 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)
1988Tanner '88Created & written by Garry Trudeau and directed by Robert Altman.[15]
Tidy EndingsMade-for-TV-Movie directed by Gavin Millar.[16][17]
The Christmas WifeMade-for-TV-Movie directed by David Jones and written by Catherine Ann Jones.[18]
Betrayal of SilenceMade-for-TV-Movie directed by Jeffrey Woolnough.
1989Glory! 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. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  5. ^ "Find Peter Accardy Graves Records". Grave-Records Mooseroots. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  6. ^ "Dimension 5". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Archived from the original on June 6, 2013. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  7. ^ "Cyborg 2087". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Archived from the original on September 19, 2011. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  8. ^ "Fatal Confession: A Father Dowling Mystery". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Archived from the original on March 31, 2014. 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. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  11. ^ "The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Archived from the original on October 6, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  12. ^ "The Object of Beauty". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Archived from the original on September 21, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  13. ^ "Frankie Starlight". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. 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. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  16. ^ "Tidy Endings". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Archived from the original on April 17, 2018. 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). Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  19. ^ "Glory! Glory!". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Archived from the original on March 3, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2016.

Sources