Virginia Patton - wikipedia Virginia Patton Virginia Patton Patton in Black Eagle ( 1946 ) Virginia Ann Patton ( 1925 - 06 - 25 ) June 25, 1925 ( age 92 ) Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. Education Jefferson High School Alma mater University of Southern California University of Michigan Occupation Actress, businesswoman Years active 1943 -- 1949 Spouse ( s ) Cruse W. Moss ( m. 1949 ) Virginia Ann Patton ( born June 25, 1925 ) is an American retired businesswoman and former actress. After appearing in several films in the early 1940s, she was cast in her most well - known role as Ruth Dakin Bailey in Frank Capra 's It 's a Wonderful Life ( 1946 ). In 1949, Patton retired from acting, with her final film credit being The Lucky Stiff ( 1949 ). Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Personal life 4 Filmography 5 References 6 Bibliography 7 External links Early Life Patton was born in Cleveland, Ohio to Marie ( née Cain ) and Donald Patton. She was raised in her father 's hometown of Portland, Oregon, where her family relocated when she was an infant. She is a niece of World War II General George S. Patton. Patton graduated from Jefferson High School in Portland, and then relocated to Los Angeles, California, where she attended the University of Southern California. Career While a student the University of Southern California, Patton began to audition for acting parts. She collaborated in plays with screenwriter William C. deMille while in college. She had several insignificant film appearances before being cast in Capra 's It 's a Wonderful Life ( 1946 ) as Ruth Dakin Bailey, the wife of George Bailey 's younger brother Harry. Although Capra did not know Patton personally, she read the role for him and he signed her to a contract. Patton later said that she was the only girl the famous director ever signed in his whole career. Patton still gives interviews about It 's a Wonderful Life. With the death of Charles Lane in July 2007, Patton, Marian Carr, Carol Coombs, and Karolyn Grimes are the only credited actors in It 's a Wonderful Life still alive. She made only four films after It 's a Wonderful Life, including her first lead in the B - Western Black Eagle ( 1948 ). She appeared in the drama The Burning Cross ( 1946 ), a film about a World War II veteran who becomes embroiled with the Ku Klux Klan upon returning to his hometown. Personal Life Patton has been married to Cruse W. Moss since 1949, and gave up acting in the late 1940s to concentrate on raising a family with her husband in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She later attended the University of Michigan. Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1943 Thank Your Lucky Stars Girl in Ann Sheridan Number Uncredited 1943 Old Acquaintance College Girl Uncredited 1944 Roaring Guns Karen Ferris Short film 1944 Grandfather 's Follies Short film 1944 Janie Carrie Lou 1944 The Last Ride Hazel Dale Uncredited 1944 Hollywood Canteen Junior Hostess Uncredited 1945 The Horn Blows at Midnight Party Girl Uncredited 1946 Canyon Passage Liza Stone / Bartlett Uncredited 1946 Nobody Lives Forever Switchboard Operator Uncredited 1946 It 's a Wonderful Life Ruth Dakin Bailey 1947 The Burning Cross Doris Green 1947 A Double Life Actress onstage in Othello 1948 Black Eagle Ginny Long 1949 The Lucky Stiff Millie Dale ( final film role ) References Jump up ^ According to the Ohio Birth Index, 1908 -- 2011, Patton was born in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio. US Census records from 1940 show Patton 's residence in Portland, Oregon with an `` estimated '' age of fourteen. Jump up ^ `` St. Nicholas Institute : 2013 Award Winners ''. St. Nicholas Institute. Archived from the original on April 19, 2015. Retrieved July 1, 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` Virginia Ann Patton ( b. 1925 ) ''. Ohio Birth Index, 1908 - 2011. Record count : 13,254,340. Retrieved July 1, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Virginia A Patton in entry for Donn M Patton, 1930 ; United States Census, 1930 ''. Family Search. Retrieved July 1, 2016. Jump up ^ Reuter, Anne ( October 12, 1997 ). `` A gem gets its chance to Shine ''. The Ann Arbor News. p. F3. ^ Jump up to : McKay, John ( December 9, 2012 ). `` ' It 's a Wonderful Life ' Actress Recalls Classic Film Role in Visit to Plymouth ''. Patch. Plymouth, Michigan. Retrieved July 1, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Pronechen, Joseph ( December 26, 2013 ). `` ' It 's a Wonderful Life ' Actress Tells How Wonderful the Film Was and Is ''. National Catholic Register. Retrieved July 1, 2016. Jump up ^ Berry & Berry 2007, p. 48. Bibliography Berry, S. Torriano ; Venise T. Berry ( 2007 ). Historical Dictionary of African American Cinema. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 81085 - 545 - 8. External links Virginia Patton on IMDb Interview with Virginia Patton in 2013 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Virginia_Patton&oldid=826090866 '' Categories : 1925 births Living people American film actresses Actresses from Portland, Oregon Jefferson High School ( Portland, Oregon ) alumni University of Southern California alumni Actors from Ann Arbor, Michigan Hidden categories : Articles with hCards All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from July 2017 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Edit links This page was last edited on 17 February 2018, at 03 : 56. About Wikipedia

Question: who played ruth in its a wonderful life
Answer: Virginia Ann Patton