Ruth Gordon's Unique and Defiant Journey to Oscar

In this video I talk about the resilience of Ruth Gordon and her Oscar win for Rosemary's Baby in 1969!

Read Ruth Gordon's books for free online:

Watch some of Ruth's Movies:
Rosemary's Baby is streaming on Hulu
Inside Daisy Clover is streaming on HBO Max
Adam's Rib is streaming on HBO Max

[jacobrobson]

She should have got an Oscar nomination for Harold and Maude!

[delaxjinkxrpdrfan]

Ruth is an icon and should've been nominated again for Harold & Maude. However Rosemary's Baby deserved so many more nominations (esp Mia Farrow)

[lamoneal]

Years ago, I worked after school in an art gallery in midtown Manhattan. One day after delivering a package, I happened to walk by a tiny well-dressed elderly woman. I did a sudden double take as I realized I was looking at Ruth Gordon. I gawked, she smiled and gave me a wink, and kept right on walking. She made my day.

[alejandraacosta]

I appreciate how it is never framed as if these actresses were competing against each other. You always manage to tell a story.

[VeeLondon]

I’m obsessed with Ruth Gordon. Best Oscar speech of all time “I can't tell you how encouragin' a thing like this is..” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched her episode of Columbo - Try and Catch Me, as she plays mystery writer Abigail Mitchell. She was really brilliant.

[MADHAUSMARKALLAN]

I met Ruth Gordon Back in November 1984 backstage at Whoopi Goldbergs first Broadway show. Mike Nichols was there, and Ruth Gordon with their wearing a pink raincoat with pink galoshes, and a pink rain hat. This wonderful video about her reminded me of exactly how memorable she really was. It was just a passing “How do you do?” but she was great! I was already a fan at 22 and it was such a treat to meet her and on the Eve Whoopi signing on to do “the color purple”

[darrylreilly]

"“It pays to stay alive; you never know what’s going to happen” is among the numerous quotable nuggets from Ruth Gordon’s three delightful memoirs. She’s long been one of my favorite people, so this brilliant and inspired video essay was enthralling. Check out “Whatever Happened to Aunt Alice?” where she battles Geraldine Page!

[KingoftheJuice]

Your videos are consistently top-notch: impeccably researched, thoroughly insightful, and wonderfully entertaining.

[joser]

Honestly, as someone that dealt with constant rejection and people telling me I wouldn't have the business I own now with 20+ employees... I love stories like this. She never gave up. It's remarkable.

[madego]

I'm so happy you mentioned Mia Farrow's snub for "Rosemary's Baby" - she really anchored that movie beautifully. Thanks for throwing that in. I remember after she was also ignored for her remarkable work in "Broadway Danny Rose" thinking, "Well, here we go again...".

[VeeLondon]

Id love you to do a breakdown on Barbara Stanwyck and her career. One of my first loves. Just a brilliant unique actress.

[bo]

I do think she deserved an Oscar for Rosemarys Baby. It was a "simple role" that she made so dynamic all by herself.

She was funny, irritating, charming, chilling, compassionate, cold, and a genuine scene stealer in every moment she's on screen.

She reminds me so much of Thelma Ritter. A powerhouse actress that doesnt even have to really try, a good performance comes naturally to them.

[larrydirtybird]

I’m so glad you are delving into the supporting category and that you started with Ruth Gordon, who won for the year I was born, and who was a talented, enduring and resourceful badass extraordinaire. You said what I’ve always thought: She won for an non horror movie performance in a horror movie. In my opinion, she is one of the actors who won for a comedic role. And I love how you called her Minnie a Satanic Dolly! So perfect and true. I’ve never thought of it that way. I wish I could have seen her Dolly Levi. Thanks for this wonderful tribute to a great woman.

[WellingtonOliveira_well_author]

"And for those who didn't vote for me... Please, excuse me" HER OSCAR SPEECH IS LIFE GOALS! 😂😎

[outinsider]

Ruth Gordon is amazing! I liked her normal approach to her character in Rosemary's Baby. It made the reveals more potent.

[sabrinagrant]

Thank you for highlighting “Ruth Gordon” I always thought she was one of the greats. That reporter was right, sometimes you just have to survive, the rest will eventually see how great you are.

[AshtonGarland]

I fell in love with Ruth Gordon after seeing Harold and Maude. I’m so glad this video was made, she deserves so much more recognition.

[PokhrajRoy.]

The whole bit about talented actors who are “discovered” and become a star after many years is so commonplace. For example, in Mainstream Hindi Cinema, we had Neena Gupta who worked in some credible roles across media but got her break much later, Lilette Dubey who was a Stage Icon but made her film debut in her 40s and Boman Irani who started his film much later in life.

[rubytuesdayphoenix]

I don't have a lot of goals in life, but one I do have is to be as Ruth Gordon (or Thelma Ritter)-like as possible when I reach retirement age. What a fabulous woman!

[natasagajic]

"... more than anything else, she has survived. She was too short to be an actress, but she acted anyway. She was not pretty enough to be in the movies, but she was in films anyway."
Darn... as someone with severe inferiority complex in some aspects of myself, this hits so close to home that I have teared up and almost cried. I have never heard about Ruth Gordon before, but, from this video at least, she seems like such an inspirational person.
Thank you for this video 💖😭