Summary
Mary Ellen Ruffalo (née Keaggy, August 29, 1929 – 2017), better known as Mary Ellen Kay, was an American television and film actress.[1]
Mary Ellen Kay | |
|---|---|
 Mary Ellen Kay in Voodoo Woman, 1957 | |
| Born | Mary Ellen Keaggy August 29, 1929 Boardman, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | 2017 (aged 87) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1950–1966 (film) |
| Spouse |
Tim Ruffalo
(m. 1963; died 1993) |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Phil Keaggy (brother) |
Biography edit
Kay was born in Boardman, Ohio, on August 29, 1929.[2] She was one of ten siblings and the sister of virtuoso guitarist Phil Keaggy. Her brother credits her with introducing him to the Christian faith.[3] Prior to her acting career, Kay was a singer, having started at the age of 6. She later toured with Gene Ryan's orchestra, and by the time she was 17, she had become a headliner in supper clubs. Her initial foray into acting occurred through Little Theatre productions in the Hollywood area.[4] Kay co-starred with Rex Allen in 19 western films.[2]
In 1963, she married her second husband, Tim Ruffalo. They had one son, Bill, and remained together until his passing from a stroke in 1993.[5] In an interview dated August 14, 2018, Kay's brother, Phil Keaggy, revealed that Mary Ellen had passed away in 2017 at the age of 87.[6]
Selected filmography edit
- Girls' School (1950)
- Streets of Ghost Town (1950)
- Tarzan and the Slave Girl (1950)
- Fort Dodge Stampede (1951)
- Desert of Lost Men (1951)
- Rodeo King and the Senorita (1951)
- Silver City Bonanza (1951)
- Government Agents vs. Phantom Legion (serial) (1951)
- Colorado Sundown (1952)
- The Last Musketeer (1952)
- Vice Squad (1953)
- Yukon Vengeance (1954)
- The Long Wait (1954)
- Thunder Pass (1954)
- Runaway Daughters (1956)
- Voodoo Woman (1957)
- Buffalo Gun (1961)
References edit
- ^ Drew p.109
- ^ a b Fitzgerald, Michael G.; Magers, Boyd (2006). Ladies of the Western: Interviews with Fifty-One More Actresses from the Silent Era to the Television Westerns of the 1950s and 1960s. McFarland. pp. 112–120. ISBN 9781476607962. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
- ^ Phil Keaggy (27 March 2015). Worship in Song and Guitar Artistry (concert). Wheaton College: Wheaton College. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
- ^ Adams, Marjory (June 15, 1954). "Mary Ellen Kay in Show Business at Age 6; Now Young Film Veteran". The Boston Globe. Massachusetts, Boston. p. 38. Retrieved October 22, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Mary Kay Ellen interview". Western Clippings. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
- ^ "God Saved Me For A Purpose – Phil Keaggy Pt. 1". Cultivated podcast. 14 August 2018. pp. 5:30. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
Bibliography edit
- Bernard A. Drew. Motion Picture Series and Sequels: A Reference Guide. Routledge, 2013.
External links edit
- Mary Ellen Kay at IMDb