ROSS ELLIOTT

June 18, 1917

Ross Elliott was born Elliott Blum in the Bronx, New York. While at City College of New York, he participated in the college’s dramatic society, causing him to abandon his original plan to become a lawyer. He did four Broadway shows between 1938 and 1946.  

 After serving in World War II (where he appeared in 1943′s This Is The Army), he moved to Hollywood and appeared in The Burning Cross in 1946, which also starred “Lucy” character actor Herb Vigran in a story about the Ku Klux Klan. From the Klan to Christ, his first TV appearance was as Elam in a 1951 episode of “The Living Christ Series”. 

On May 5, 1952, he made his first appearance opposite Lucille Ball. Elliott played the director of Lucy Ricardo’s Vitameatavegamin commercial in “Lucy Does a TV Commercial” (ILL S1;E30).  The now classic episodes was filmed on March 28, 1952. From 1961 to 1964 he played another TV director on “The Jack Benny Program.”  

Ross Elliott returned to the series as Ricky’s Publicity Agent (named Ross) in “Don Juan and the Starlets” (ILL S4;E17) which first aired on February 14, 1955 and was filmed on December 9, 1954.  He would play Ross in two more Hollywood-set episodes. 

Although using his own name for the character, Elliott was an actor playing a publicist, not a publicist appearing as himself.

Ross returned five weeks later for “Bullfight Dance” (ILL S4;E22) filmed on February 17, 1955, the same week as the first airing of “Starlets”.  

Ross appeared for the final time in the next episode, “Hollywood Anniversary” (ILL S4;E23) filmed on February 24, 1955 and first aired on April 4, 1955.

In the summer of 1958, Desilu created a sales film (only meant to be shown internally) for Westinghouse employees.  It was informally titled “Lucy Buys Westinghouse.”  

It featured a tour of Desilu Studios for a (fictional) Westinghouse Executive named Mr. Hayden (Ross Elliott), led by Desi.  All the while Lucy is trying to submit her requests for Westinghouse appliances to furnish her dressing room!  The film was never broadcast, but released on home video, and was colorized in some releases. 

Elliott played a film director in “Lucy and the Return of Iron Man” (TLS S4;E11) in late November 1965.  In the story, Lucy needs some fast cash to pay bills, so she returns to her alter-ego, stuntman Iron Man Carmichael working on a pirate film directed by Elliott. 

His final appearance with Lucille Ball was “Lucy, The Sheriff” (HL S6;E18) in 1974.  Elliott plays Chuck Stewart, the Mayor of Cartridge Belt, Montana, where Lucy Carter has been named honorary Sheriff.  The name Chuck Stewart was the same name adopted by the psychiatrist (Gerald Mohr) treating Lucy Ricardo in “The Inferiority Complex” (ILL S2;E18).  This appearance means Elliott was one of the few actors to appear in all three (to date) of Lucille Ball’s sitcoms.  

While appearing with Lucille Ball, he also appeared in shows produced by Desilu, or at Desilu Studios:

• Desilu’s “Cavalcade of America” ~ 4 episodes from 1954 to 1957
• Desilu’s “The Adventures of Jim Bowie” ~ 2 episodes in 1956
• “The Westinghouse-Desilu Playhouse” ~ 1 episode in 1958
• Desilu’s “The Ann Sothern Show” ~ 1 episode in 1960
• Desilu’s “The Untouchables” ~ 1 episode in 1961
• “Gomer Pyle USMC” (filmed at Desilu Studios) ~ 1 episode in 1964
• “The Dick Van Dyke Show” (filmed at Desilu Studios) ~ 2 episodes in 1964 and 1965
• “The Andy Griffith Show” (filmed at Desilu Studios) ~ 2 episodes in 1961 and 1965

His career waned in the 1970s and he turned to real estate. His last film was a small role in Scorpion (1986). He died of cancer at age 82 on August 12, 1999,

He was married to Esther Susan Melling from December 1954 until his death.