Ruby Keeler
- Known For
- Acting
- Born
- August 25, 1910 in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Died
- February 28, 1993
- Active Years
- 1930–2025 (96 Years)
- Total Credits
- 32 credits in database
Biography
Subject: Ruby Keeler (Acting).
Goal: Factual identity profile.
Constraints: 90-130 words. Plain prose only. No headings, no preamble, no markdown, no asterisks, no bullet points. Use ONLY provided facts.
Sources: TMDB, Wikipedia, IMDb, Simple English Wikipedia, Britannica.
Names: Ruby Keeler, Ethel Hilda Keeler [5], Ethel Ruby Keeler [2, 4].
Birth Date: August 25, 1910 [1, 5] or August 25, 1909 [2, 4, 6].
Birth Place: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada [1] or Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada [6].
Death Date: February 28, 1993 [1, 2, 4, 5, 6].
Death Place: Rancho Mirage, California, U.S. [6].
Occupations: Actress, singer, dancer [1, 2, 4, 5], musician [4], actor [6].
Career Highlights: Paired on-screen with Dick Powell in successful early musicals at Warner Bros./Warner Brothers, notably 42nd Street (1933) [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Started as a dancer on Broadway [3].
Personal/Marriage: Married to singer Al Jolson from 1928 to 1940 [1, 5].
Retirement/Comeback: Retired for almost 30 years after her divorce from Jolson [3] or in the 1940s [5]. Made a comeback on Broadway in 1971 in No No Nanette [3, 5].
Ruby Keeler, born Ethel Hilda Keeler or Ethel Ruby Keeler, was a Canadian and American actress, singer, dancer, and musician. Born on August 25, 1910, or August 25, 1909, in Dartmouth or Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, she died on February 28, 1993,
Career overview
Ruby Keeler, born Ethel Hilda Keeler, was a Canadian and American actress, singer, and dancer. She was born on August 25, 1909, or August 25, 1910, in Nova Scotia, Canada. Keeler began her career as a dancer on Broadway. Following her marriage to singer Al Jolson, she moved to Hollywood and became a star in musicals at Warner Brothers. She was most famous for her on-screen coupling with Dick Powell in a string of successful early musicals, most notably 42nd Street in 1933.
After her divorce from Jolson, Keeler retired from show business for almost 30 years. She eventually made a widely publicized comeback on Broadway in 1971, appearing in No No Nanette. Keeler died on February 28, 1993.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
32 titles- Gene Kelly: An American in Hollywood (2025) as Self (archive footage)
- Busby Berkeley: A Journey with a Star (2007) as Self (archive footage)
- Gold Diggers: FDR'S New Deal... Broadway Bound (2006) as Self (archive footage)
- 42nd Street: From Book to Screen to Stage (2006) as Self (archive footage)
- Beverly Hills Brats (1989) as Goldie
- Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood (1987) as Self
- That's Dancing! (1985) as From '42nd Street' and 'Dames' (archive footage)
- Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? (1975) as Self (archive footage)
- The Phynx (1970) as Ruby Keeler
- The Dick Cavett Show (1968) as Self - Guest
- The Greatest Show on Earth (1963)
- Vacation Playhouse (1963) as Ruby
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Performer
- The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) as Self
- Six Hits and a Miss (1942) as Herself
- Calling All Girls (1942) as Herself (archive footage)
- Sweetheart of the Campus (1941) as Betty Blake
- Mother Carey's Chickens (1938) as Kitty Carey
- Hollywood Handicap (1938) as Herself
- Ready, Willing and Able (1937) as Jane
- A Day at Santa Anita (1937) as Ruby Keeler (uncredited)
- Colleen (1936) as Colleen Reilly
- Go Into Your Dance (1935) as Dorothy 'Dot' Wayne
- Shipmates Forever (1935) as June Blackburn
- And She Learned About Dames (1934) as Herself
- Dames (1934) as Barbara Hemingway
- Flirtation Walk (1934) as Kathleen "Kit" Fitts
- Studio Highlights (1934) as Self
- Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933) as Polly
- Footlight Parade (1933) as Bea
- 42nd Street (1933) as Peggy
- Show Girl in Hollywood (1930) as Ruby Keeler
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Ruby Keeler best known for?
Ruby Keeler is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including The Stepford Wives (2004), The Greatest Show on Earth (1963), Tony Awards (1956), The Ed Sullivan Show (1948).
When and where was Ruby Keeler born?
Ruby Keeler was born on August 25, 1910 in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. They passed away on February 28, 1993.
How many credits does Ruby Keeler have?
Ruby Keeler has accumulated over 32 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1930 to 2025.
What is Ruby Keeler's background in cinema and television?
Subject: Ruby Keeler (Acting). Goal: Factual identity profile. Constraints: 90-130 words. Plain prose only. No headings, no preamble, no markdown, no asterisks, no bullet points. Use ONLY provided facts. Sources: TMDB, Wikipedia, IMDb, Simple English Wikipedia, Britannica. Names: Ruby Keeler, Ethel Hilda Keeler [5], Et...
Ruby Keeler by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- The Greatest Show on Earth (1963) — aged about 52
- 42nd Street (1933) as Peggy — aged about 22
- The Dick Cavett Show (1968) as Self - Guest — aged about 57
- The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) as Self — aged about 37
- Show Girl in Hollywood (1930) as Ruby Keeler — aged about 19
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Performer — aged about 45
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