Oct 26, 2023
Recently, the legendary actress Ruta Lee (Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Funny Face, Witness for the Prosecution) received Lithuania's highest honor from President Valdas Adamkus at a magnificent ceremony in the Vilnius Presidential Palace and this past week, Ruta Lee was presented a new honor by Lithuanian Pres. Gitanas Nauseda and First Lady Diana.
Ruta Lee’s famous Hollywood Estate served as the perfect backdrop to receive a visit from Lithuanian Pres. Gitanas Nauseda and First Lady Diana, with Lithuanian Ambassador To US Audra Plepyte in attendance.
The President and First Lady
remarked on how the visit to the estate gave them the rare
experience of Hollywood’s golden era, as the former home of
entertainment icons, Rita Hayworth and Orson Wells. In
addition to the Hollywood luminaries that were imagined to have
gathered at galas in the estates palacios living room, or having
dinners of 20 or more in the dinning hall, as well as the thought
of Ms Hayworth and Mr Wells themselves making an entrance on the
grand staircase, is like stepping back in time, as mental images of
“Citizen Kane” come to mind.
The home still entertains
Hollywood elite as guests of Ms Lee,
past and present including George Chakiris, Rich Little, Phyllis
Diller, Bob Hope, Alex Trebeck, Michael Feinstein, Carol Channing,
Hugh O’Brien, Sally Struthers, Debbie Reynolds and the Rat Pack and
many more.
During the recent state
gathering, with lunch prepared by “Star Chef” Joey Santos,
Ms Lee was presented with a
gorgeous Lithuanian glass art sculpture, in gratitude for her
lifelong connection to and pride in her Lithuanian
Heritage.
Ms Lee’s connection to her old work roots in Lithuania,
stem from her grandmother, whose release from Siberia
made international headlines, and the subject in her recently
released, best-selling memoirs title “Consider Your Ass Kiss.” A
title referencing the actions required and gratitude for the
monumental effort to bring her family to America from Russia during
the Cold War. At the time her grandmother made all the news and
even went on Johnny Carson with her.
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