Ann Rutherford, R.I.P. -- a Special Episode of 'California's Gold'
On June 11, Hollywood lost Ann Rutherford, an actress perhaps best known today for her role in "Gone With the Wind." For KCET viewers, however, Rutherford might also be memorable for her role in the "California's Gold" episode "The Two Anns,"in which she and fellow Hollywood veteran Anne Jeffreys join Huell Howser for a lunch date at downtown eater The French Garden.
As a tribute to Rutherford, KCET will be re-airing "The Two Anns" at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 27, along with a special introduction in which Huell shares his memories of his late friend.
Rutherford played Carreen O'Hara, the sister to Vivien Leigh's character, in the 1939 film production of "Gone With the Wind," but at the time she was already well-known for playing Polly Benedict, the love interest in Mickey Rooney's "Andy Hardy" comedy film series. She also played the Spirit of Christmas past in a 1938 adaptation of "A Christmas Carol," Lydia Bennet in a 1940 production of "Pride and Prejudice," and Gertrude Griswald in the 1947 adaptation of "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty." Notably, Rutherford is even featured as the heroine of a children's detective novel, "Ann Rutherford and the Key to Nightmare Hall," a volume in the Whitman Publishing series, which featured real-life stars solving fictional mysteries.
Rutherford died of heart failure at her Beverly Hills home, with Anne Jeffreys at her side. Rutherford was 94 years old.
Watch a preview of "The Two Anns" here:
"The Two Anns," along with Huell Howser's special memorial introduction, is airing on KCET at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday and then again at midnight.