Judy Nugent obit

 

Judy Nugent, Young Actress on ‘The Ruggles' and ‘Adventures of Superman,' Dies at 83

She was not on the list.

Judy Nugent, who portrayed one of the twins on the early TV sitcom The Ruggles and a girl who flies around the world in the arms of the Man of Steel on a heartwarming Adventures of Superman episode, has died. She was 83.

Nugent died on Thursday "surrounded by family at her Montana ranch after a short battle with cancer," according to a family statement shared by her daughter-in-law and Battlestar Galactica and Chicago Fire actress Anne Lockhart (the older daughter of Lassie and Lost in Space star June Lockhart).

The younger daughter of a prop man at MGM, Nugent also appeared in two films directed by Douglas Sirk: as a wise-cracking tomboy who tries to get a blinded widow (Jane Wyman) to snap out of it in Magnificent Obsession (1954), and as one of the daughters of Fred MacMurray and Joan Bennett's characters in There's Always Tomorrow (1956).

Nugent also played Annette Funicello‘s pal Jet Maypen on the 1958 serial Annette, which aired during third-season episodes of ABC's The Mickey Mouse Club.

When she was 9, Nugent was hired to portray Donna Ruggles opposite Jimmy Hawkins (It's a Wonderful Life) as her brother Donald on The Ruggles, which aired live from 1949-52 on ABC as one of the first TV shows to emanate not from New York but from Hollywood.

Nugent, however, is probably best known for her turn as Ann Carson, a blind girl who enters and wins a Daily Planet contest, on the episode "Around the World With Superman," which aired on March 13, 1954, as the second-season finale (and last black-and-white installment) of the syndicated series.

After an operation restores her sight - Superman (George Reeves) had spotted a piece of glass lodged near her optic nerve! - Ann gets an amazing bird's eye view of the planet while being whisked around by a superhero.

"That was top secret. I was told never to tell anyone about how George Reeves flew," she recalled in an undated interview for the website Western Clippings.

"Anyway, they put George on this cement thing and dressed him over it, form-fitting up to his chest. They had a huge fan that made his cape fly out. The special effects people did the ups and downs. There was a ladder underneath - I'd sit on the ladder and he'd hold me up. Even though I was still little, I got awfully heavy."

Judy Ann Nugent was born in Los Angeles on Aug. 22, 1940. Her father was Carl Nugent, who propped up the Cowardly Lion's tail in The Wizard of Oz (1939).

"He put my picture and my [older] sister Carol's picture on the side of his prop box," she said. "We were seen and offered a part in [1943's] The Man From Down Under with Charles Laughton."

Her mother, Lucille, then managed her daughters' acting careers.

The girls appeared as younger versions of Ginger Rogers' character in It Had to Be You (1947) before Judy worked on The Big Clock (1948), also starring Laughton, City Across the River (1949) and Angels in the Outfield (1949).

She and her sister worked together again in Here Comes the Groom (1951), starring Wyman and Bing Crosby, then played siblings in Ma and Pa Kettle at Home (1954), directed by Charles Lamont.

When original Mouseketeer Darlene Gillespie was dropped from the Lamont-helmed Annette, also starring Tim Considine, Nugent came on as the ranch girl Jet. (Nugent described herself as a tomboy who loved to ride horses, and she did some stunt work later in her career.)

She also handled TV guest shots on The Lone Ranger, Annie Oakley (she portrayed another blind girl in a reunion with Hawkins), The Life of Riley, Lassie, The Danny Thomas Show, Sugarfoot, The Millionaire, 77 Sunset Strip, Rawhide and The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.

While making Magnificent Obsession at Universal, she and Rock Hudson "were walking around the studio when Cary Grant walks by," she recalled. "Rock introduced me, and in that great Cary Grant voice, Cary said, ‘Judy, Judy, Judy!' It was so cool, I've never forgotten that. I'm not usually impressed with actors, but that was a standout! Really cute!"

Her film résumé also included Cecil B. DeMille's The Greatest Show on Earth (1952), the Gene Autry-starring Night Stage to Galveston (1952), Down Laredo Way (1953), Navy Wife (1956), the Jane Powell-starring The Girl Most Likely (1957) and High School Caesar (1960).

After recurring on the 1960-62 NBC series The Tall Man, starring Barry Sullivan and Clu Gulager, Nugent gave up acting to raise a family with her husband, Buck Taylor. She was married to the Gunsmoke actor - and son of noted character actor Dub Taylor - from March 1961 until their 1983 divorce.

"She was mother to a daughter, Tiffany, and three boys, Adam, Matt and Cooper, and grandmother to children of Adam (1966-1994) and Anne Lockhart, Carlyle and Zane," a family statement said. Matt and Cooper have worked as stunt performers and stunt coordinators. Adam died at age 27 in a motorcycle accident.

Nugent's sister, Carol, played one of the Gilbreth children in Cheaper by the Dozen (1950) and its sequel, Belles on Their Toes (1952). The first of her two marriages was to The Rebel star Nick Adams, who died of a prescription drug overdose in 1968 at age 36.

Actress

Cattle Annie and Little Britches (1980)

Cattle Annie and Little Britches

6.1

Girl on Horse Riding Into Lake (uncredited)

1980

 

Buck Taylor and Johnny Bush in Beartooth (1978)

Beartooth

5.6

1978

 

Summer Run (1974)

Summer Run

6.4

Debbie

1974

 

Nick Adams in Saints and Sinners (1962)

Saints and Sinners

5.7

TV Series

Phoebe Hawley

1962

1 episode

 

Clu Gulager and Barry Sullivan in The Tall Man (1960)

The Tall Man

7.5

TV Series

June McBean

1960–1962

5 episodes

 

Gertrude Berg and Cedric Hardwicke in The Gertrude Berg Show (1961)

The Gertrude Berg Show

7.5

TV Series

Judy

1961

2 episodes

 

Bob Denver and Dwayne Hickman in The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (1959)

The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis

7.7

TV Series

Blonde

1961

1 episode

 

The Brothers Brannagan (1960)

The Brothers Brannagan

8.2

TV Series

Pinky's Accomplice

1961

1 episode

 

High School Caesar (1960)

High School Caesar

5.0

Wanda Anderson

1960

 

Clint Eastwood, Paul Brinegar, and Sheb Wooley in Rawhide (1959)

Rawhide

7.9

TV Series

Willie Carst

1960

1 episode

 

Edd Byrnes, Roger Smith, and Efrem Zimbalist Jr. in 77 Sunset Strip (1958)

77 Sunset Strip

7.7

TV Series

Bobbie Anderson

1959

1 episode

 

The Dennis O'Keefe Show (1959)

The Dennis O'Keefe Show

7.3

TV Series

1959

1 episode

 

Frank McHugh and Marvin Miller in The Millionaire (1955)

The Millionaire

7.8

TV Series

Betty Lou - the Babysitter

1959

1 episode

 

Chuck Berry, Jo Ann Campbell, Jimmy Clanton, Eddie Cochran, Alan Freed, Harvey Fuqua, Sandy Stewart, Ritchie Valens, Jackie Wilson, The Flamingos, and The Cadillacs in Go, Johnny, Go! (1959)

Go, Johnny, Go!

5.8

Blonde Fan (uncredited)

1959

 

Sugarfoot (1957)

Sugarfoot

7.4

TV Series

Charonne Wilkes

1959

1 episode

 

The Ann Sothern Show (1958)

The Ann Sothern Show

7.8

TV Series

Gloria

1959

1 episode

 

Angela Cartwright, Rusty Hamer, Sherry Jackson, Marjorie Lord, and Danny Thomas in The Danny Thomas Show (1953)

The Danny Thomas Show

7.1

TV Series

Betty

1959

1 episode

 

Phyllis Kirk, Peter Lawford, and Asta in The Thin Man (1957)

The Thin Man

7.1

TV Series

Jinx

1958

1 episode

 

Walt Disney, Kevin Corcoran, Annette Funicello, Sharon Baird, Lonnie Burr, Tommy Cole, Tim Considine, Jimmie Dodd, Lynn Fields, Darlene Gillespie, Don Grady, Cheryl Holdridge, Tommy Kirk, Cubby O'Brien, Karen Pendleton, David Stollery, Roy Williams, Lynn Ready, and Linda Hughes in The Mickey Mouse Club (1955)

The Mickey Mouse Club

7.6

TV Series

Jet Maypen

1958

20 episodes

 

Annette Funicello in Annette (1958)

Annette

8.2

TV Series

Jet Maypen

1958

15 episodes

 

"Eighty Yard Run, The" (Playhouse 90) Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. 1957 CBS

Playhouse 90

8.4

TV Series

Jenny

1958

1 episode

 

Jane Powell, Keith Andes, Tommy Noonan, and Cliff Robertson in The Girl Most Likely (1957)

The Girl Most Likely

5.9

Pauline - Dodie's Sister

1957

 

Joan Bennett and Gary Merrill in Navy Wife (1956)

Navy Wife

4.5

Debby Blain

1956

 

Matinee Theatre (1955)

Matinee Theatre

7.7

TV Series

Emma

1956

1 episode

 

Celebrity Playhouse (1955)

Celebrity Playhouse

7.7

TV Series

1956

1 episode

 

There's Always Tomorrow (1956)

There's Always Tomorrow

7.4

Frances (Frankie) Groves

1956

 

Jon Provost, Tommy Rettig, Lassie the Dog, and Lassie in Lassie (1954)

Lassie

6.5

TV Series

Spike

1955

1 episode

 

The Man Behind the Badge (1953)

The Man Behind the Badge

7.2

TV Series

Donna Eldred

1955

1 episode

 

The Ford Television Theatre (1952)

The Ford Television Theatre

7.4

TV Series

Kathy Johnson

1954

1 episode

 

William Bendix, Wesley Morgan, Marjorie Reynolds, and Lugene Sanders in The Life of Riley (1953)

The Life of Riley

8.0

TV Series

Janet

1954

1 episode

 

Magnificent Obsession (1954)

Magnificent Obsession

7.0

Judy

1954

 

Gail Davis in Annie Oakley (1954)

Annie Oakley

7.2

TV Series

Donna Bishop

1954

1 episode

 

George Reeves in Adventures of Superman (1952)

Adventures of Superman

7.7

TV Series

Ann Carson (as Judy Anne Nugent)

1954

1 episode

 

Brett Halsey, Alice Kelley, Percy Kilbride, and Marjorie Main in Ma and Pa Kettle at Home (1954)

Ma and Pa Kettle at Home

6.7

Betty Kettle (uncredited)

1954

 

Slim Pickens, Rex Allen, and Koko in Down Laredo Way (1953)

Down Laredo Way

6.7

Taffy Wells

1953

 

Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels in The Lone Ranger (1949)

The Lone Ranger

7.7

TV Series

Susan Rich

1953

1 episode

 

The Ruggles (1949)

The Ruggles

7.3

TV Series

Donna Ruggles

1949–1952

137 episodes

 

Gene Autry and Champion in Night Stage to Galveston (1952)

Night Stage to Galveston

6.3

Cathy Evans

1952

 

Charlton Heston, James Stewart, Gloria Grahame, Betty Hutton, Dorothy Lamour, and Cornel Wilde in The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)

The Greatest Show on Earth

6.6

Little Girl Spectator (uncredited)

1952

 

Bing Crosby, Anna Maria Alberghetti, James Barton, Jacques Gencel, Alexis Smith, Franchot Tone, Beverly Washburn, and Jane Wyman in Here Comes the Groom (1951)

Here Comes the Groom

6.3

McGonigle Girl (uncredited)

1951

 

Janet Leigh and Paul Douglas in Angels in the Outfield (1951)

Angels in the Outfield

7.1

Margaret (uncredited)

1951

 

Sue England, Stephen McNally, and Barbara Whiting in City Across the River (1949)

City Across the River

6.3

Little Girl (uncredited)

1949

 

Charles Laughton and Ray Milland in The Big Clock (1948)

The Big Clock

7.6

Penelope Patterson (uncredited)

1948

 

Ginger Rogers and Cornel Wilde in It Had to Be You (1947)

It Had to Be You

6.4

Victoria at Age 5 (uncredited)

1947

 

Charles Laughton, Donna Reed, Binnie Barnes, and Richard Carlson in The Man from Down Under (1943)

The Man from Down Under

6.0

Young Girl (uncredited)

1943

 

Stunts

Cattle Annie and Little Britches (1980)

Cattle Annie and Little Britches

6.1

stunt double: Amanda Plummer

stunt double: Diane Lane

1980

 

Jack Elam, Ken Curtis, Maureen McCormick, Stewart Petersen, Buck Taylor, Dub Taylor, and Henry Wilcoxon in Pony Express Rider (1976)

Pony Express Rider

5.3

stunts

1976

 

Additional Crew

Jack Elam, Ken Curtis, Maureen McCormick, Stewart Petersen, Buck Taylor, Dub Taylor, and Henry Wilcoxon in Pony Express Rider (1976)

Pony Express Rider

5.3

horse wrangler

1976