Barbara Rush

Actor

About

Birth Place

Denver, Colorado, USA

Born

January 04, 1927

Biography

Filmography

Widow's Kiss (1995)

Web Of Deceit (1990)

Judith Hale

The Night the Bridge Fell Down (1983)

Summer Lovers (1982)

Can't Stop The Music (1980)

Norma White

Flamingo Road (1980)

Photos & Videos

View All

It Came From Outer Space (1953) -- (Movie Clip) It's A Nice Town

It Came From Outer Space (1953) -- (Movie Clip) Like Nothing We've Ever Seen

Family & Companions

Jeffrey Hunter

Husband

Actor. Married in 1950; divorced in 1955.

Warren Cowan

Husband

Public relations executive. Married and divorced; renewed relationship in late 1980s but separated in the 1990s.

James Gruzalski

Husband

Married in 1970; divorced.

Notes

Barbara Rush lived for many years in the former home of Hedda Hopper.

Biography

An attractive leading lady often cast in well-bred roles, Barbara Rush entered films at the tail end of the studio system, making her debut in a small role in "Molly" (1950), based on the popular radio show "The Goldbergs." She went on to play leading ladies in some top pictures, but appeared in numerous forgettable ones before breaking into TV in the 1960s. Although Rush won her first leading roles in such Paramount films as "The First Legion" (1951), she is probably better remembered as Joan, the woman who loves Paul Newman even after he chooses a job over her hand in marriage, in "The Young Philadelphians" (1959), and opposite Frank Sinatra in "Come Blow Your Horn" (1963). She also had key roles in "The Young Lions" (1958), "The Man" (1972), and an amusing supporting role in "Can't Stop the Music" (1980).

Rush first worked as a series regular playing a Washington newspaper correspondent in "Saints and Sinners" (NBC, 1962). She garnered some notice for her season-long (1968-69) stint as Marcia Russell on ABC's primetime soap "Peyton Place." Rush then tried her hand at comedy, portraying a temperamental soap opera star on "The New Dick Van Dyke Show" (CBS, 1973-74). In the early 80s, it was back to the real thing as the matriarch Eudora Weldon on NBC's "Flamingo Road" (1981-82) and a brief turn on ABC's daytime staple "All My Children."

Approaching the age when actresses find roles difficult to land, Rush stayed active on stage appearing throughout the USA in such fluff as "Forty Carats" and "Same Time, Next Year." She commissioned and earned rave reviews in the solo theatrical piece "A Woman of Independent Means," based on the novel by Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey in New York and Los Angeles. More recently, Rush returned to the small screen appearing in the recurring role of Stephen Collins' mother in "7th Heaven" (The WB).

Filmography

Life Events

1937

At age 10, made first stage appearance at the Loberto Theater in Santa Barbara, CA, in the fantasy play, "Golden Ball" (date approximate)

1950

Feature film debut in a small supporting role in "Molly"

1951

Played first leading lady roles in "The First Legion" and "Flaming Feather"

1962

First TV series, "Saints and Sinners"

1971

TV-movie debut, "Suddenly Single" (ABC)

1973

Last feature film for seven years, "Superdad"

1980

Returned to features to play a supporting role in "Can't Stop the Music"

1996

Co-starred in "Widow's Kiss" (HBO)

1997

Had recurring role as Stephen Collins' mother on "7th Heaven" (The WB)

Photo Collections

Robin and the 7 Hoods - Movie Posters

Here are a few original-release movie posters from Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964), starring Frank Sinatra and members of the Rat Pack. Included is a rare British Quad poster.

Taza, Son of Cochise - Behind-the-Scenes Stills

Taza, Son of Cochise - Publicity Stills

Taza, Son of Cochise - Scene Stills

Taza, Son of Cochise - Publicity Illustrations

Here in black-and-white are finished illustrations from Universal Pictures' Taza, Son of Cochise (1954), starring Rock Hudson. Originally prepared by the studio publicity department for movie posters, such art was often photographed for stills and made available for newspaper and magazine reproduction.

Captain Lightfoot - Lobby Cards

Here are a few Lobby Cards from Captain Lightfoot (1955), directed by Douglas Sirk and starring Rock Hudson, Barbara Rush, and Jeff Morrow. Lobby Cards were 11" x 14" posters that came in sets of 8. As the name implies, they were most often displayed in movie theater lobbies, to advertise current or coming attractions.

Captain Lightfoot - Behind-the-Scenes Stills

Here are a few photos taken behind-the-scenes during production of Universal Pictures' Captain Lightfoot (1955), directed by Douglas Sirk and starring Rock Hudson, Barbara Rush, and Jeff Morrow.

Captain Lightfoot - Publicity Stills

Here are a few Publicity Stills from Universal Pictures' Captain Lightfoot (1955), starring Rock Hudson, Barbara Rush, and Jeff Morrow. Publicity stills were specially-posed photos, taken for purposes of publicity or reference for promotional artwork.

Captain Lightfoot - Scene Stills

Here are several scene stills from Universal Pictures' Captain Lightfoot (1955), directed by Douglas Sirk and starring Rock Hudson, Barbara Rush, and Jeff Morrow.

Captain Lightfoot - Movie Posters

Here are some original-release movie posters from Universal Pictures' Captain Lightfoot (1955), directed by Douglas Sirk and starring Rock Hudson, Barbara Rush, and Jeff Morrow.

Taza, Son of Cochise - Movie Posters

Taza, Son of Cochise - Pressbook

Here is the original campaign book (pressbook) for Taza, Son of Cochise (1954). Pressbooks were sent to exhibitors and theater owners to aid them in publicizing the film's run in their theater.