Ruth Gloria Nelson (August , â€" September , ) was an American stage
and film actress. She is known for her roles in such films as Wilson,
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Humoresque, Women, The Late Show and
Awakenings. She was the wife of John Cromwell, whom she acted
alongside on multiple occasions.Born in Saginaw, Michigan, Nelson was
the daughter of vaudeville actress Eva Mudge. She attended Immaculate
Heart Convent School in Los Angeles and went on to study at the
American Laboratory Theatre in New York City during the early s.
Nelson made her New York City stage debut as a member of the theatre
collective Group Theatre throughout its run from to , receiving
praise for the role of the chief striker's wife in Clifford Odets'
play Waiting for Lefty.After Group Theatre ended in , Nelson relocated
to Hollywood. Throughout the s, she made a number of movies for th
Century Fox and other Hollywood studios. One of these was A Tree Grows
in Brooklyn (), directed by fellow Group Theatre member Elia Kazan.
She also appeared in Kazan's film The Sea of Grass in .As her career
began to take off, she was compelled to put things on hold when her
husband, the director John Cromwell, a leading Roosevelt Democrat in
the film industry, was falsely accused of Communism by actor Adolphe
Menjou in front of the House UnAmerican Activities Committee hearings
on Hollywood in and his career went on to be blacklisted. While
offered a New York stage role as a wife in what turned out to be Death
of a Salesman, Nelson turned down most acting offers at this time to
stay in Los Angeles and support Cromwell.
and film actress. She is known for her roles in such films as Wilson,
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Humoresque, Women, The Late Show and
Awakenings. She was the wife of John Cromwell, whom she acted
alongside on multiple occasions.Born in Saginaw, Michigan, Nelson was
the daughter of vaudeville actress Eva Mudge. She attended Immaculate
Heart Convent School in Los Angeles and went on to study at the
American Laboratory Theatre in New York City during the early s.
Nelson made her New York City stage debut as a member of the theatre
collective Group Theatre throughout its run from to , receiving
praise for the role of the chief striker's wife in Clifford Odets'
play Waiting for Lefty.After Group Theatre ended in , Nelson relocated
to Hollywood. Throughout the s, she made a number of movies for th
Century Fox and other Hollywood studios. One of these was A Tree Grows
in Brooklyn (), directed by fellow Group Theatre member Elia Kazan.
She also appeared in Kazan's film The Sea of Grass in .As her career
began to take off, she was compelled to put things on hold when her
husband, the director John Cromwell, a leading Roosevelt Democrat in
the film industry, was falsely accused of Communism by actor Adolphe
Menjou in front of the House UnAmerican Activities Committee hearings
on Hollywood in and his career went on to be blacklisted. While
offered a New York stage role as a wife in what turned out to be Death
of a Salesman, Nelson turned down most acting offers at this time to
stay in Los Angeles and support Cromwell.
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