Arthur Hughes (‘Bill’) & Ruth Russell (‘Nancy‘), "Just Plain Bill” publicity photo
Ruth Russell with the cast of “Grease: The Musical”
Arthur Hughes (‘Bill’) & Ruth Russell (‘Nancy‘), "Just Plain Bill” publicity photo
Ruth Russell Actress
Ruth Elizabeth Russell (June 28, 1905 - January 8, 1999) was an American actress of stage, radio, and film. She was perhaps best known as ‘Nancy’ on the long-running daytime radio serial, “Just Plain Bill.”
“Just Plain Bill” was a 1932-1955 15-minute American radio drama program heard on CBS Radio (1932-1936) and NBC Radio (1936-1955). It was "a story of people just like people we all know."
Ruth Russell (‘Nancy‘) & Arthur Hughes (‘Bill’) "Just Plain Bill” publicity photo
The program began on CBS on September 19, 1932. It was originally broadcast at night, but on October 16, 1933, CBS added a daytime version. Night broadcasts ended in 1935, leaving only the daytime program thereafter until the show ended on NBC on September 30, 1955.
Aside from acting in radio's first and most enduring soap opera series, her pure diction was present in other radio favorites such as "Mr. District Attorney," The Perry Mason Show," "Death Valley Days," "Our Gal Sunday" (as ‘Kathy’), "Pepper Young's Family," and "Mercury Theatre" with Orson Welles.
From 1973-1975, she was with the national tour of “Grease: The Musical” as a ‘Miss Lynch’ replacement and performed with names you may recognize such as Patrick Swayze, Marilu Henner, Treat Williams, Danny Jacobson (“Roseanne,” “Mad About You,” “Davis Rules”) and many other names you may not recognize, but the mutual affection they all shared was unsurpassed amongst castmates.
