LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Rutherford had a long and varied acting career. She was perhaps best known as Mickey Rooney's girlfriend Polly in the series of Andy Hardy movies which ran from 1937 to 1958.

In the Golden Age of Television, she played the mother of Emily (Suzanne Pleshette) on "The Bob Newhart Show."

Rutherford also starred in a series of mystery/comedies with comedian Red Skelton such as "Whistling in the Dark" "Whistling in Dixie," and "Whistling in Brooklyn."

In the early 1940s, Rutherford left MGM to work without contract with different studios. In 1950, Rutherford retired from films.

In 1972, Rutherford returned to MGM to make the film "They Only Kill Their Masters," shot on the old Andy Hardy set. She was offered the role of Rose Calvert in the film James Cameron's "Titanic" in 1997, but turned it down. The role instead went to actress Gloria Stuart.

In October 2004, Rutherford made a guest appearance at the Margaret Mitchell Birthday celebration in Jonesboro, Georgia, to honor the film "Gone With the Wind." Rutherford signed autographs and reminisced about old times.
 
In June 2007, she was the guest star at the Marietta, Georgia Gone With the Wind Museum event "The Heart and History of Hollywood" with Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne as emcee. She was scheduled to return to Marietta on July 4, 2008 to be reunited with the four surviving costars from GWTW Cammie King, Fred Crane, Mickey Kuhn, and Patrick Curtis. Fred Crane died in August 2008, and Cammie King died September 1, 2010.

Her first husband, David May II, was from the May Company department store family; her second, William Dozier, produced the Adam West 1960s "Batman" series.

Rutherford is survived by a daughter and two grandsons.

As of June 2012, Alicia Rhett, who played Ashley Wilkes' sister India Wilkes, is the oldest surviving cast member. Also surviving are Olivia de Havilland, who played Melanie Wilkes; Mary Anderson, who played Maybelle Meriweather and Mickey Kuhn, who played Beau Wilkes.

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