Vera Ralston

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Birthday:

12 July 1923, Prague, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]

Birth Name:

Vera Helena Hruba

Height:

165 cm

After achieving modest fame as an ice skater in her native Czechoslovakia, Vera Hruba was brought to America by Republic Pictures head Herbert J. Yates, who hoped to turn her into the next Sonja Henie. After featuring her in several Ice Capades movies, he added "Ralston" to her name and tried to pass her off as a leading lady. Hruba's English was so limited she was forced to learn her lines phonetically. Her English improved, and directors said she tried hard to learn her craft, but bad acting and a thick accent made it difficult for audiences to accept her. Show less «

[Fair Wind to Java (1953)] was a hard picture for Fred [Fred MacMurray], because his wife [Lillian Lamont] was dying of cancer - and twice h...Show more »

[Fair Wind to Java (1953)] was a hard picture for Fred [Fred MacMurray], because his wife [Lillian Lamont] was dying of cancer - and twice he had to leave the set to go home. Fred and Victor [Victor McLaglen] were delightful to work with. Victor was a very funny man. A gentleman. Fred was a charming, charming man. Show less «

[on Walter Brennan] A delightful man; he played the captain in Dakota (1945) and didn't know what to do with the character. Then he told me,...Show more »

[on Walter Brennan] A delightful man; he played the captain in Dakota (1945) and didn't know what to do with the character. Then he told me, "Don't get scared, but I'm gonna take out my uppers". He wasn't as old as he looked like he was. Years later, he had to have an operation, and came to the hospital in Santa Barbara for it. So, I visited him in the hospital every day; I brought him food and we'd reminisce about the old days. An interesting thing was that when we started 'Dakota', the war was going on. While we were doing it, the war was over. We went to John Wayne's house to celebrate - Walter Brennan and the rest of the cast - we were at John Wayne's house. I'll never forget that! Show less «

I never miss watching the winter Olympics. Those girls are so talented; the techniques are so improved. What I did once they could do twice;...Show more »

I never miss watching the winter Olympics. Those girls are so talented; the techniques are so improved. What I did once they could do twice; if I did it twice, they do it three times. Show less «

I enjoyed locations, and wearing the costumes, and especially those hats. Hats make you look good.

[on memorabilia] I kept some - costumes, 16mm films, but some of it I donated to this museum and that museum. After all, what can you do wit...Show more »

[on memorabilia] I kept some - costumes, 16mm films, but some of it I donated to this museum and that museum. After all, what can you do with it? They are all so hard to preserve. Show less «

[Dakota (1945)] was recently colorized, and I frankly like it better in color. It gives you more with the costumes and the scenery...it is n...Show more »

[Dakota (1945)] was recently colorized, and I frankly like it better in color. It gives you more with the costumes and the scenery...it is nicer. It makes me think of The Fighting Kentuckian (1949), the second picture I made with Duke, which is what everybody called him [John Wayne]. He told me he loved the color of the costume I was wearing. He wanted his wife to get a dress of this same color, which, unfortunately, you didn't see in the film because it was in black and white. I knew John Wayne very well. He was a close family friend. Show less «

[on her movies] I do see them. I didn't watch rushes, because you are never satisfied - you wished you'd done it this way or that way. But, ...Show more »

[on her movies] I do see them. I didn't watch rushes, because you are never satisfied - you wished you'd done it this way or that way. But, those days are gone. I had a good time. Show less «

[on her Czech accent] It was something I just couldn't lose, no matter how hard I tried.

[on Fair Wind to Java (1953)] [Joseph Kane] directed me more strictly. I had to have dark hair, dark make-up. When I'd quit work for the day...Show more »

[on Fair Wind to Java (1953)] [Joseph Kane] directed me more strictly. I had to have dark hair, dark make-up. When I'd quit work for the day, I'd take a bath immediately, and the water would be black. I had fun doing it, but it was so hot out there - 105 degrees - and it was very difficult to do. Incidentally, although he isn't credited, John Ford did the location scenes in that, the Java scenes. I had hoped to work with John Ford one day, but I never did. He went to Java with the crew. Show less «

[on Ward Bond] We got along very well, we were close friends. He'd tell jokes; he was very funny. In pictures, he played serious parts, but ...Show more »

[on Ward Bond] We got along very well, we were close friends. He'd tell jokes; he was very funny. In pictures, he played serious parts, but he was very funny off-screen. I asked him how he could do that - be funny in real life; be so mean and serious in pictures, and he told me, "That's acting!". Show less «

I was very fortunate in my career to work with all nice, kind people. And John Wayne was the nicest of them all. I get along with crews and ...Show more »

I was very fortunate in my career to work with all nice, kind people. And John Wayne was the nicest of them all. I get along with crews and actors - life is too short to argue. Show less «

[Joseph Kane] directed me 11 times. He was one of my favorite directors, a nice man, with a very lovely family. His wife and children. His d...Show more »

[Joseph Kane] directed me 11 times. He was one of my favorite directors, a nice man, with a very lovely family. His wife and children. His daughter Louise [Louise Kane], who was eight at the time, played me as a child in Wyoming (1947). Joe Kane was a very charming man. He loved horses more than people. I enjoyed working with him. He did pay more attention to the action scenes than to the actors' scenes, and I didn't appreciate that part. Show less «

[on her career beginnings] When we were coming to Hollywood, I was asked if there was a movie star I'd like to meet, and I said, "Of course,...Show more »

[on her career beginnings] When we were coming to Hollywood, I was asked if there was a movie star I'd like to meet, and I said, "Of course, John Wayne!" I never dreamed I'd actually meet him, and star with him in two pictures. Republic gave me a screen test to see if I could act. They thought I might have talent, and the test went very well, because I was signed to a contract. I made several "ice pictures". I was in Lake Placid Serenade (1944) and Murder in the Music Hall (1946), but I consider my first real movie The Lady and the Monster (1944) with Richard Arlen, followed by Storm Over Lisbon (1944) with Robert Livingston. Show less «

[on ice skating] I came in second to Sonja Henie in the 1936 Winter Olympics in Berlin. Sonja was so elegant and graceful, I admired her so ...Show more »

[on ice skating] I came in second to Sonja Henie in the 1936 Winter Olympics in Berlin. Sonja was so elegant and graceful, I admired her so much. She was an excellent skater; I have great respect for her. People don't realize how hard and dangerous skating can be. I suffered several broken bones, ankles. There are long hours to it, practicing. It is a part of my life that is gone forever. Show less «

[on coming to America] My mother and I came over first, to escape the Nazis. My brother Rudy [Rudy Ralston] came later and went into the war...Show more »

[on coming to America] My mother and I came over first, to escape the Nazis. My brother Rudy [Rudy Ralston] came later and went into the war. My father was the last to come. I was the champion skater of Czechoslovakia and later the world. I was part of the Ice Capades and we toured America. When we came to California, Republic saw the show and loved it. They put everyone under contract and made Ice-Capades (1941) which was so successful they made a follow-up, Ice-Capades Revue (1942), the following year. I always wanted to be an actress, ever since I was a little girl. It was my dream. I would see the American pictures, people like Jean Harlow, and always wanted to be one of them. Show less «

I like outside, I love animals and I love horses, but I am not too keen about being *on* a horse! I fell off once and never got over it. But...Show more »

I like outside, I love animals and I love horses, but I am not too keen about being *on* a horse! I fell off once and never got over it. But I did ride horses - in fact, I often did the doubling for myself in pictures. That is, until one day, the insurance people came up to me and put a stop to it. When they have you on a horse, you are sitting on the horse. Then the director calls action, a bell rings, and the horse gets nervous. And that made *me* nervous - after I had fallen off! Show less «

John Wayne was a very big star when we made Dakota (1945), and it was my third acting picture. He was so kind; he showed me, helped me...he ...Show more »

John Wayne was a very big star when we made Dakota (1945), and it was my third acting picture. He was so kind; he showed me, helped me...he helped any youngsters getting started. He was so patient with me. Show less «

Republic was a small studio and it was all like family. Everybody knew each other. There were very few outsiders in your pictures. It was us...Show more »

Republic was a small studio and it was all like family. Everybody knew each other. There were very few outsiders in your pictures. It was usually the same people, all together. John Wayne was so fond of Herbert J. Yates - they were very good friends - that Wayne would keep returning to the studio, after he was a big, big star. Show less «

Vera Ralston's Photos

Vera Ralston's FILMOGRAPHY

as Actor (2)

Hoodlum Empire

The Fighting Kentuckian

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Vera Ralston'S roles

Fleurette De Marchand