Ruta Lee “IS” Hollywood.  From Classic to Contemporary. Her memoir, entitled “Consider Your Ass Kissed” (released through Briton Publishing), is a treasure trove of wonderful personal stories and anecdotes with rare first hand and authentic memories of the entertainment industry.

Topics in her new book feature her starring roles in films such as “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” to ‘Funny Face” “Bullet for a Badman” “Witness for the Prosecution” “Sergeants 3”

She also highlights working with remarkable leading men including Clint Eastwood, Burt Reynolds, Charles Bronson, James Garner, Johnny Carson, Fred Astaire, Robin Williams, Howard Keel, Bob Crane, Frank Sinatra and the rest of the Rat Pack, the list goes on!

As a young starlet, Ruta made international headlines when she convinced Khrushchev to release her 90 year old grandmother from the Soviet Union.

She speaks of her friendship circle, which includes, Rona Barrett, Phyllis Diller, Julie Newmar, Lucille Ball, Sally Fields, Gypsy Rose Lee (no relation) and her best friend and founder of Thalians, Debbie Reynolds.

She became one of the first female Game Show Hosts, with Alex Trebeck on “High Rollers”,  had a thriving film career, as she simultaneously, launched into television success with over 2000 appearances on shows from Perry Mason to Power Rangers, Twilight Zone to Murder She Wrote, Hogan’s Heroes to Love Boat, Roseanne and auditioned for the role of Ginger on Gilligan’s Island.

Debbie Reynolds, and Ruta Lee founded The Thalians,  and together  were the Leading Ladies of “Hollywood for Mental Health” raising millions for The Thalians Mental Health Center, with star studded events. Now The Thalians  are working with UCLA’s “Operation Mend” for the mental health of returning disabled Veterans. The Thalians honored Ruta Lee for her dedication to mental health, where she joined the ranks of previous honorees (All under her guidance), Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Mary Tyler Moore, Whoopi Goldberg, Angela Lansbury and and Clint Eastwood, to name just a few.

Ruta has headlined around the country in many musicals as Dolly, Annie, Molly, Peter Pan, Mame, Irene, Nelly, Irma, Rose, The Woman of the Year, and Madame in the Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Critics have raved about all of her stage roles, but two stand out as favorites, The Unsinkable Molly Brown and Goodbye Charlie. Lee’s performance in the former was described by composer Meredith Willson as “The greatest Molly of them all and had Ruta Lee created the role on Broadway, the original production would still be running.”