# Alice Drummond

Alice Elizabeth Drummond (née Ruyter, May 21, 1928 – November 30, 2016) was an American actress. A veteran Off-Broadway performer, she was nominated in 1970 for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her performance as Mrs. Lee in The Chinese by Murray Schisgal. She may be best known as Alice, the librarian, in the opening scenes of the 1984 horror-comedy Ghostbusters.

## Early life

Alice Elizabeth Ruyter was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island in 1928, the daughter of Sarah Irene (née Alker), a secretary, and Arthur Ruyter, an auto mechanic. She graduated from Pembroke College (the women's college of Brown University) in 1950.

## Career

Drummond played Nurse Jackson on the TV series Dark Shadows in 1967 and was a regular on the CBS soap opera, Where the Heart Is, on which she originated the role of Loretta Jardin, which she played until the series ended in 1973. She also appeared in a short-term role on another CBS soap opera, As the World Turns. She appeared in guest roles on television series including Kate & Allie, Law & Order, Boston Legal and Yes, Dear.
One of Drummond's notable movie roles is a librarian haunted and frightened by a poltergeist at the beginning of the feature film Ghostbusters. She portrayed a catatonic patient named Lucy in 1990's Awakenings. She also played a senior citizen in the movie Furry Vengeance. Other notable appearances include Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar and Pieces of April.

## Personal life and death

Alice Ruyter married Paul Drummond in 1951. They resided in Manhattan, New York City, New York. They separated in 1975 and divorced in 1976.
She died on November 30, 2016, from complications of a fall at her home in The Bronx, New York City, at age 88.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1970 | Where's Poppa? | Woman in Elevator | |
| 1974 | Man on a Swing | Mrs. Dawson | |
| 1977 | Thieves | Mrs. Ramsey | |
| 1978 | King of the Gypsies | Zharko's Nurse | |
| 1980 | Hide in Plain Sight | Mrs. Novack | |
| 1981 | Eyewitness | Mrs. Eunice Deever | |
| 1982 | The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas | Governor's Secretary | |
| 1984 | Ghostbusters | Librarian | |
| 1988 | The House on Carroll Street | Woman at Hearing | |
| 1988 | The Suicide Club | | |
| 1988 | Funny Farm | Mrs. Ethel Dinges | |
| 1988 | Running on Empty | Mrs. Powell | |
| 1989 | Animal Behavior | Site Committee #1 | |
| 1990 | Tales from the Darkside: The Movie | Carolyn | Segment: "Cat From Hell" |
| 1990 | Awakenings | Lucy | |
| 1993 | Money for Nothing | Mrs. Breen | |
| 1994 | Ace Ventura: Pet Detective | Mrs. Finkle | |
| 1994 | Nobody's Fool | Hattie | |
| 1994 | I.Q. | Dinner Guest | |
| 1995 | Jeffrey | Grandma Rose | |
| 1995 | To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar | Clara | |
| 1996 | Walking and Talking | Betsy | |
| 1996 | Just in Time | Edith | Short film |
| 1997 | Commandments | Mrs. Mann | |
| 1997 | 'Til There Was You | Harriet | |
| 1997 | Office Killer | Carlotta Douglas | |
| 1997 | In & Out | Aunt Susan | |
| 1999 | Just the Ticket | Lady with Cash | |
| 1999 | The Love Letter | Postal Clerk | |
| 1999 | I'll Take You There | Stella | |
| 1999 | Advice from a Caterpillar | Diner Grandmother | |
| 2000 | Joe Gould's Secret | Helen | |
| 2001 | The Rising Place | Aunt Millie | |
| 2003 | Pieces of April | Grandma Dottie | |
| 2004 | House of D | Mrs. Brevoort | |
| 2005 | The Honeymooners | Miss Benvenuti | |
| 2008 | Chronic Town | Elizabeth | |
| 2008 | Synecdoche, New York | Actress Playing Frances | |
| 2008 | Doubt | Sister Veronica | |
| 2009 | Motherhood | Edith | |
| 2009 | After.Life | Mrs. Hutton | |
| 2010 | Furry Vengeance | Mrs. Martin | |
| 2011 | Open House | Ruthie | Short film |
| 2019 | Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters | Herself | Documentary film; posthumous release |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1967 | Dark Shadows | Nurse Jackson | Recurring role (5 episodes) |
| 1970 | New York Television Theatre | | Episode: "The Sandbox" |
| 1971-1973 | Where the Heart Is | Loretta Jardin | TV series |
| 1972 | Particular Men | Mrs. Ewing | TV film |
| 1977 | The Best of Families | Mabel Baldwin | TV miniseries |
| 1977 | Great Performances | Mrs. Varney | Episode: "Secret Service" |
| 1978 | Ryan's Hope | Susie Simpson | Episodes: "1.714", "1.719", "1.720" |
| 1979 | Sanctuary of Fear | Grace Barringer | TV film |
| 1981 | Park Place | Frances Heine | Main role (4 episodes) |
| 1981 | Love, Sidney | Tina | Episode: "Hello, Yetta" |
| 1984 | American Playhouse | Hiss' Secretary | Episode: "Concealed Enemies, Part I: Suspicion" |
| 1984 | Night Court | Mavis Tuttle | Episode: "Harry and the Rock Star" |
| 1984 | Great Performances | Gay Wellington | Episode: "You Can't Take It with You" |
| 1986 | The Equalizer | Kind Woman | Episode: "Nocturne" |
| 1987 | Night Court | Alice Beeker | Episode: "Murder" |
| 1988 | Kate & Allie | Mrs. Rinde | Episode: "The Band Singer" |
| 1989 | Nikki and Alexander | Mrs. Klein | TV pilot |
| 1989 | The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd | Juror | Episode: "Here's a Major Organ Interlude" |
| 1989 | Money, Power, Murder. | Helen | TV film |
| 1990-1991 | Lenny | Mary Callahan | Regular role (16 episodes) |
| 1992 | Frannie's Turn | Rosa Escobar | Main role (6 episodes) |
| 1993 | Daybreak | Anna | TV film |
| 1994 | Grace Under Fire | Nana Lil | Episode: "With This Ring" |
| 1994 | Friends | Althea | Episode: "The One Where Nana Dies Twice" |
| 1994 | Law & Order | Zelda | Episode: "Mayhem" |
| 1995 | New York News | | Episode: "Thin Line" |
| 1996 | Cosby | Mrs. Bagley | Episode: "Neighborhood Watch" |
| 1998 | Trinity | Mrs. Bingham | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 1999 | Earthly Possessions | Old Woman In Jalopy | TV film |
| 2000 | Spin City | Sondra Spencer | Episode: "Suffragette City" |
| 2002 | Ed | Mrs. Shroeder | Episode: "Memory Lane" |
| 2004 | The Jury | Hannah Francis | Episode: "The Honeymoon Suite" |
| 2005 | Boston Legal | Lydia Tuffalo | Episode: "The Ass Fat Jungle" |
| 2007 | Oprah Winfrey Presents: Mitch Albom's For One More Day | Rose | TV film |