← Back

Ruth Etting

Ruth Etting

Born: 1896-11-22 • David City, Nebraska, USA

From Wikipedia

Ruth Etting (November 23, 1896 – September 24, 1978) was an American singing star and actress of the 1920s and 1930s, who had over 60 hit recordings and worked in stage, radio, and film. She is known as "America's sweetheart of song". Her signature tunes were "Shine On, Harvest Moon", "Ten Cents a Dance" and "Love Me or Leave Me". Her other popular recordings included "Button Up Your Overcoat", "Mean to Me", "Exactly Like You" and "Shaking the Blues Away".

In Hollywood, Etting made a long series of movie shorts between 1929 and 1936, and three feature movies in 1933 and 1934. In 1936, she appeared in London in Ray Henderson's Transatlantic Rhythm.

Her life was the basis for the fictionalized 1955 film Love Me or Leave Me, which starred Doris Day (as Etting), James Cagney (as Snyder) and Cameron Mitchell (as Alderman). Etting, Myrl Alderman and Moe Snyder all sold their rights to the story to MGM. Shortly before her death, Etting said she thought the screen portrayal of her was too tough and that Jane Powell would have been a better choice for the lead.

For her work in films, Etting has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located on the north side of the 6500 block of Hollywood Boulevard.

Filmography
No Image
Melody in May
1936 • Ruth Etting
No Image
An Old Spanish Onion
1935
No Contest! poster
No Contest!
1934 • Ruth
Gift of Gab poster
Gift of Gab
1934 • Ruth
The Song of Fame poster
The Song of Fame
1934
Hips, Hips, Hooray! poster
Hips, Hips, Hooray!
1934 • Ruth Etting
Roman Scandals poster
Roman Scandals
1933 • Olga
Mr. Broadway poster
Mr. Broadway
1933 • Ruth Etting
No Image
Knee Deep In Music
1933 • Self
Along Came Ruth poster
Along Came Ruth
1933 • Ruth Etting a.k.a. Ruth Eldridge
I Know Everybody and Everybody's Racket poster
I Know Everybody and Everybody's Racket
1933 • Self
No Image
Bye-Gones
1933
A Modern Cinderella poster
A Modern Cinderella
1932 • Anita Ragusa
No Image
A Regular Trouper
1932 • Ruth Eton
No Image
Artistic Temper
1932 • Ruth
Words & Music poster
Words & Music
1931 • Ruth Eton
No Image
Old Lace
1931
Freshman Love poster
Freshman Love
1931 • Ruth Eton
One Good Turn poster
One Good Turn
1930 • Ruth Eton
Roseland poster
Roseland
1930 • Helen Leslie
Broadway's Like That poster
Broadway's Like That
1930 • Ruth
Ruth Etting in Favorite Melodies poster
Ruth Etting in Favorite Melodies
1929 • Herself