Dorothy Fay

Dorothy Fay (April 4, 1915 – November 5, 2003) was an American actress. She was born Dorothy Fay Southworth in Prescott, Arizona, the daughter of Harry T. Southworth and Harriet Fay Fox. Her father was a medical doctor.

Dorothy attended the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California, and studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. She began her motion picture career in the late 1930s, performing in several B grade Westerns. In 1938, she appeared opposite George Houston in Frontier Scout at Grand National Pictures. She also appeared with Western stars Buck Jones and William Elliott.

Fay made four movies with her husband, country singer and actor Tex Ritter, at Monogram Pictures: Song of the Buckaroo (1938), Sundown on the Prairie (1939), Rollin' Westward (1939) and Rainbow Over the Range (1940).

Dorothy Fay married singer/actor Tex Ritter June 14, 1941; the marriage ended at his death January 2, 1974. They had two sons, Thomas Ritter and John Ritter, a well known comedic actor. Among her grandchildren is actor Jason Ritter.

Fay made several more movies after she and Ritter married, but then retired from show business in late 1941. In 1965, she and Tex moved to Nashville, because of his singing and recording career. For a time, she was an official greeter at the Grand Ole Opry.

Dorothy Fay died in Woodland Hills less than two months after the death of her youngest son, John. She is interred with her parents at Mountain View Cemetery, in her hometown, Prescott, Arizona.