Ruth Nelson, a stage actress, gained recognition as one of the founding members of the renowned Group Theatre in the 1930s. She made a lasting impression playing the cabby's wife in Clifford Odets' short play "Waiting for Lefty" in 1935. This role would become a staple of her career, portraying the non-flashy, blue-collar or "working-class" wife, deeply devoted to her family.
Nelson's performance was so understated that she often went unnoticed, even when transitioning to film roles in the 1940s. She delivered restrained realism in her parts in "The North Star" (1943),"A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" (1945),"Humoresque" (1946),"The Sea of Grass" (1947),and "Mother Wore Tights" (1947),among others.
Her second husband, director John Cromwell, fell victim to the "Red Scare" in the early 1950s after being labeled a Communist. Ruth could have experienced a major career boost with her significant casting in the play "Death of a Salesman" but chose to turn it down when the role would have required her to relocate to New York, leaving her husband in Los Angeles who needed her support.
As a result, Nelson was forced to step away from films for the next 30 years, with most of her work during this period being on stage. Notably, she appeared in a 1966 production of "The Skin of Our Teeth." It was director Robert Altman who finally persuaded her to return to films in 1977, featuring her in "3 Women" (1977) and "A Wedding" (1978).
Her last significant movie role was as Robert De Niro's mother in "Awakenings" (1990). Ruth Nelson passed away in 1992, succumbing to cancer.
