The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-08-03
Prairie Girl
Made Good
i'm Big Way
BY MARION HALE
NEA Service Writer

NEW YORK, Aug. 3-If things
hadn't been difficult for Ruth Etting
in her childhood she might be the
leading modiste in David City, Neb.,
today instead Of the radio idol of
millions Of home folks.
"a Jack Of all trades never be-
comes master of one" her friends
and family cautioned when they OBJ
served Ruth fitting from sketching
to sewing, from sewing to dancing
Once in a while she would oblige
with a song, but it was the joyous
singing Of a youngster rather than
one imbued with ambition to later
MARBLE for a livelihood.
Ruth Fitting, the blue eyed blond
haired prairie girl, has made good
in big way In spite of the fact
that she has been a Jill Of all
trades"
Decided on Costuming
Ruth always had yen for draw
ing. This yearning grew with the
years, and because she could WELD
a mean pair of shears and turn a
few yards Of gingham into some
thing Of a creation, she decided that
costume designing was to be her
life's work.
She visioned a fine establishment
arising in her home town with the
simple announcement: Ruth Fitting
-Couturier
She discussed the matter at
length with her family. And it was
decided that when she graduated
from high school she would make
her home in Chicago and study at
the Academy Of Fine Arts. But after
one semester there was no money
for the next terms tuition.
Intent on Art Career
Some Of the girls were earning
expense money by dancing in the
chorus of ,neighboring night clubs,
so Ruth joined them.
Still intent upon that art career,
Ruth returned to school when she
had saved sufficient money from her
salary as a dancer. When the cash
gave out this time she joined
another troupe.
Ruth was an enterpTiSing miss
For when the management dis
covered her talent for sketching and
designing, she was put on the pay
roll to design the costumes of the
ensemble numbers, and for the
principals.
AS a member of the chorus, Ruth
had to sing as we'll as dance. One
night "plaintive something" in the
voice Of the prairie girl reached the
discerning ear of the musical
director.
Song Goes Over
It came straight from the heart
and ended in a full-throated throb.
He had her sing solo. number to
fill in for one of the principals who
was i'll. That song went over beau
tifully and Ruth advanced to the
principal class, singing blues songs
as if her very life depended up
on it.
The next art school semester be-
gan. But this time Ruth Fitting
was conspicuous by her absence.
Her newly discovered voice was
bringing her the first taste Of fame.
She was in demand for stage ap-
pearances in the great Chicago
movie palaces, and eventually ra-
dio reached out for her talents
Her mellow voice also registered
uncommonly well on records.
Drew Ziegfeld's Attention
When a beautiful girl wins the
plandits of a big city, it doesn't
take long for Flo ziegfeld to hear
about it. So when "Whoopee"
opened on Broadway, with Eddie
Cantor as its star, the slim, shy
girl from David City held the CEN
ter of the stage and sang her way
into the hearts of hard-boiled
f1rst-night audience.
She has been singing ever since.
Today Ruth Fitting is one of the
highest-paid stars on the stage and
on the air. When she isn't appear
ing in the ziegfeld Follies or
broadcasting, she is making rec
ords or talking picture Shorts"
But this Jill of all trades" who
has mastered one, still loves to
sketch, sew and dance. And her
hands fairly itch to plant some
Towering shrub in the cool, moist
soil as she did in her childhood
days.
Ruth's one ambition now, like
the one that Marion Tally realized,
is to save enough money to buy
farm in Nebraska and return there
when the footlights have lost their
lure.