Rita Gam

Rita Gam (born Rita Eleanore MacKay on 2 April 1927 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) was an American actress, documentary filmmaker and author whose career spanned nearly five decades. The daughter of Belle (née Fately), a Romanian immigrant, and Milton A. MacKay, a French‑born son of Romanian parents, she assumed the surname of her stepfather, Benjamin J. Gam, after her father's early death. Before entering the performing arts she worked as a fashion model, a experience that opened doors to Broadway where she appeared in productions such as There's a Girl in My Soup, The Insect Comedy, A Flag is Born and A Temporary Island. Her screen debut arrived in the 1952 film‑noir The Thief alongside Ray Milland, and later that year she signed a long‑term contract with MGM that led to supporting roles in Hollywood pictures, most notably as Herodias in the 1961 biblical epic King of Kings. During the 1950s and early 1960s Gam was a frequent panelist on the CBS game show What’s My Line?, showcasing her quick wit and public presence. In 1962 she shared the prestigious Silver Bear for Best Actress at the Berlin International Film Festival with Viveca Lindfors for her performance in Tad Danielewski’s adaptation of No Exit. The following year she joined the Minnesota Theatre Company for the inaugural season of the Tyrone Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, affirming her commitment to the stage. After a period of work in European cinema she returned to the United States, appearing in smaller but memorable parts such as the nurse in Klute (1971) before turning her attention to documentary filmmaking. In the early 2000s she participated in the off‑Broadway reading series Wit & Wisdom and even appeared in a series of advertisements for the Royal Bank of Scotland in 2004. Gam’s personal life was marked by two high‑profile marriages: to director Sidney Lumet (1949‑1955) and later to publisher Thomas Guinzburg (1956‑1963), with whom she had two children. She also served as a bridesmaid at Grace Kelly’s 1956 wedding to Prince Rainier of Monaco. An author of two books, Actress to Actress and Actors: A Celebration, she remained active in artistic circles until her death from respiratory failure on 22 March 2016 at Cedars‑Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.