June 2000

Ruby Keeler was born on August 25, 1910 in Halifax, Nova Scotia of Irish- Canadian parents. She was the second of three children, having an older brother and younger sister. Deciding to move their children to New York city, Ruby's parents moved to a section of the city known as "Yorkville" which was a neighborhood that would later be remembered fondly by Ruby. Ruby's father was an Iceman, who delivered ice from home to home; Ruby's mother was a stage mother and when the children started performing, she was responsible for all of the children's costumes and indeed, was instrumental in supporting the children in all their show business endeavors. The family was poor, but Ruby recalls that they really didn't know any better and had a marvelous time!

During her early school years, Ruby was seen in dance classes and it was noticed early on that she was very talented. She would later dance at local community functions and her talent was so obvious, that the Keelers enrolled her in the Professional Children's School in New York. Many benefactors were from the best families of New York, and When Ruby was 12, the Keelers enrolled her in the Jack Blue School of Rhythm and Taps. While attending, she became a regular child performer in stage shows and it was no different then her parents, who had themselves won many dance contests in ballroom dancing! Everyone in Ruby's family appreciated dance and so Ruby was supported in her talents from an early age.
Ruby and unidentified friend in "Highland Fling" dance recital, 1921
Ruby and the girls from Texas' Place" 1926
Ruby's youth and teenage years saw her dancing in theaters, and clubs and she was always a favorite with the audiences. In the 1920s, it was a gay time in New York, and Ruby, just a teenager was carefully chaperoned by her mother, in spite of the rather "lurid" surroundings of the dance clubs she performed in for her early professional career. Ruby was fortunate to catch the eye of Texas Guinan, a club hostess and owner who had the fame and ability to attract a wide spread audience from gangsters to kings! She had a chorus line of girls at the club, and Ruby was her special Protˇgˇ. Thus, Ruby got her dancing shoes and earned her title as the best "buck and Wing" girl, at Texas' place and remembers that she danced for gangsters, crooks, thugs and even New York's best society - all part of the world of Prohibition in New York. Ruby was just 16 years old! She caught the eyes of a producer, who cast her in the show "Bye Bye Bonnie" and her dancing and technical agility caught on with the crowds who roared their approval.
1927 was a big year for Ruby. She was cast in several shows like "the Sidewalks of New York" in which she played an orphan named "Mamie". Appearing alongside Ruby, was an unknown comedian named "Lester Hope" we know him, as BOB HOPE. The "Sidewalks" show ran for a long time, and Ruby enjoyed her run in it. She later said that she never tired of the shows then, and that she enjoyed the family atmosphere of show business. All the Keeler family were by now, very proficient in the show business talents of dancing and singing and each had their own special brand of talent. Ruby was later named by the press as the gal wit the "Best legs in New York". Two men in the audience who would later play an important role in her life, were Al Jolsen and Flo Ziegfeld. Both would be very influential in creating the Ruby Keeler that audiences all over the world would know in the film, "42nd Street" as the "kid chorine" who would enter as a "chorus girl" and go "out the star".
Ruby, the best "Buck and Wing" girl
Chorus Girl Ruby Keeler