Biography for
Vera Ralston More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

12 July 1919, Prague, Czechoslovakia, now Czech Republic

Date of Death

9 February 2003, Santa Barbara, California, USA (cancer)

Birth Name

Vera Helena Hruba

Height

5' 5" (1.65 m)

Mini Biography

After achieving modest fame as an ice skater in her native Czechoslovakia, Vera Hruba was brought to America by Republic Pictures head Herbert J. Yates, who hoped to turn her into the next Sonja Henie. After featuring her in several Ice Capades movies, he added "Ralston" to her name and tried to pass her off as a leading lady. Hruba's English was so limited she was forced to learn her lines phonetically. Her English improved, and directors said she tried hard to learn her craft, but bad acting and a thick accent made it difficult for audiences to accept her.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Ray Hamel

Spouse

Charles de Alva	(16 June 1973 - 9 February 2003) (her death)
Herbert J. Yates	(March 1952 - 3 February 1966) (his death)

Trivia

Vocals for Ms. Ralston's songs in films were dubbed by Robie Lester.

The surname Ralston was taken from the name of a popular breakfast cereal.

Interviewed by Johnny Carson on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" (1962), Maureen Stapleton was asked what she did to make herself feel better when she knew she'd given a bad performance. "I look through the TV Guide and try to find a Vera Hruba Ralston picture to watch," said Stapleton, "because I know, no matter how bad a performance I may have given, I could NEVER be as bad as she was!".

Much like the Susan Foster Kane character in Citizen Kane (1941), Ralston is generally conceded to owe what stardom she had to her position as "protege" of Republic Pictures studio head Herbert J. Yates. Most of her films lost money, because audiences just never took to her (John Wayne, after having made a few films with her, refused to make any more as he believed that being identified as appearing in any more of her flops would damage his career). She and Yates were married in 1952. Significantly, she "retired" from the screen in 1958, the year Yates was deposed as head of the studio--mainly because of his insistence in starring her in expensive films even though they invariably lost money but also because of his refusal to sell Republic's films for TV broadcasting. Yates and Ralston remained married until Yates' death in 1966, at which point Ralston inherited half of his $10-million estate.

A beautiful young actress came to Hollywood but was forced to change her name because, even though she was born Vera Ralston, she couldn't use her own name because this Vera Ralston had used it first. So she changed her name and became known as Vera Miles.

Sister of Rudy Ralston.

Escaped her native Czechoslovakia on the last plane out before the Nazis closed the borders.

An accomplished figure skater.