Remembering Ruth Ford

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Remembering Ruth Ford

Ruth Ford, actress and salon hostess, passed away on August 12 at the age of 98.

Ford came to New York in the 1930s and appeared in "The Shoemaker's Holiday" and "Danton's Death," which were produced by Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre.

She also performed in the short film "Too Much Johnson," also produced by the Mercury.

She also appeared in the original productions of Sartre's "No Exit" and Lorca's "The House of Bernarda Alba."

However, she began to host social gatherings at her apartment on the Upper West Side and found a purpose there.

The parties were attended by William Faulkner, Tennessee Williams, and Truman Capote. She appeared in plays written by all three.

It was also at one of her parties where Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents met. That resulted in them working together on "West Side Story," which would establish Sondheim's reputation.

She appeared on the covers of magazines like Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, and Mademoiselle. She also wrote a film adaptation of William Faulkner's "Sanctuary."

Gina Wilhelm Actress