Pippa Scott, Actress in ‘The Searchers’ and ‘Auntie Mame,’ Dies at 90

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Actress Pippa Scott, known for her roles as one of the abducted daughters in John Ford’s film “The Searchers” and the secretary of Rosalind Russell’s character in “Auntie Mame,” passed away at the age of 90.

Scott passed away tranquilly on May 2 due to a lifelong heart condition, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter, according to her daughter Miranda Tollman.

Scott’s filmography encompassed a diverse range, including “My Six Loves” directed by Gower Champion in 1963, “Petulia” by Richard Lester from 1968, “Cold Turkey,” the work of Norman Lear in 1971, and “The Sound of Murder,” which was helmed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg in 1982.

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In addition to his own movies, Scott had been a part of films like “My Six Loves” (directed by Gower Champion), “Petulia” (Richard Lester), “Cold Turkey” (Norman Lear) and “The Sound of Murder” (Michael Lindsay-Hogg). These were made in 1963, 1968, 1971, and 1982 respectively.

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Scott was featured in a number of films, such as “My Six Loves,” directed by Gower Champion (1963), “Petulia” by Richard Lester (1968), “Cold Turkey,” directed by Norman Lear (1971), and “The Sound of Murder,” directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg (1982).

In the realm of television, I, as an actor, was the fiery redhead who starred in various roles. I stepped into the shoes of a wife of a Broadway actor (Brian Aherne) in the 1960s Twilight Zone episode “The Trouble With Templeton.” Later, I became the wife of a rabbi, lending a hand to Morey Amsterdam’s character during his very delayed bar mitzvah on an episode of the Dick Van Dyke Show in 1966. Lastly, I played a nursery school teacher and love interest for Jack Warden’s detective in the 1976 NBC drama Jigsaw John.

Scott’s acting career had a powerful launch, as she played the character Lucy Edwards, Debbie Edwards’ older sister (played by Wood), in the 1956 film “The Searchers,” which starred John Wayne. Additionally, in the movie “Auntie Mame,” she portrayed Pegeen, who developed feelings for Roger Smith’s character, Patrick Dennis.

Scott, born on November 10th, 1934, in Los Angeles, was the child of stage actress Laura Straub and Oscar-nominated screenwriter Allan Scott. The latter is notable for penning the scripts for the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musicals ‘Top Hat’ (1935) and ‘Swing Time’ (1936).

Back in the McCarthy era, my own uncle – screenwriter and producer Adrian Scott – got hit with the blacklist as one of the Hollywood Ten. Later on, I had the honor to play a role in a 1964 film he penned titled “The Confession.

After receiving education at Radcliffe and UCLA, and undergoing training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, Scott first appeared on Broadway in 1956 for the play “Child of Fortune” directed by Jed Harris. In 1958, she took the lead role as a teacher who gets kidnapped in the production titled “As Young as We Are”.

(The goal here is to make it more conversational and easy to understand while retaining the original meaning.)

Scott made guest appearances on numerous television series, including “Mr. Lucky,” “The Virginian,” “Maverick,” “Thriller,” “Have Gun – Will Travel,” “Dr. Kildare,” “The Fugitive,” “Wagon Train,” “Ben Casey,” “Perry Mason,” twice on “Wagon Train,” “F Troop,” “I Spy,” “Family Affair,” “Medical Center,” “Gunsmoke,” “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Mission: Impossible,” “Barnaby Jones,” “Columbo,” “The Waltons,” “Ironside,” “The Streets of San Francisco,” “Mannix,” and “Remington Steele.

On the stage, she featured in the New York troupe for the 1959 play “Look Back in Anger” and the 1984 play “Isn’t It Romantic”. Additionally, she worked alongside John Houseman at UCLA during a 1973 performance of “Three Sisters”, which was part of the preparation for the launch of the Center Theatre Group.

In the year 1964, Scott tied the knot with Lee Rich, a producer and co-founder of Lorimar Productions – a company famous for hit shows like “The Waltons,” “Dallas,” “Falcon Crest,” “Knots Landing,” “Eight Is Enough,” and “The Blue Knight.” However, they separated in 1983. Their paths crossed again in 1996, and they spent the remainder of Scott’s life together until his passing in 2012.

Born into a family that had endured persecution’s effects, Scott launched The International Monitor Institute in 1993. This nonprofit organization aimed to collect evidence to aid in the prosecution of war crimes across various regions, including the Balkans, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Congo, Cambodia, and Iraq. The institute’s focus was not only on investigating war crimes but also on exposing the systematic use of rape and child soldiers in genocide.

The Human Rights department at Duke University currently supports the ongoing efforts of the IMI in prosecuting war crimes.

In addition to Scott’s efforts, she established Linden Productions as a means to shed light on abuse of human rights, with projects undertaken by various organizations such as the United Nations, Human Rights Watch, and the International Rescue Committee.

1998 saw her create for PBS’s Frontline a documentary titled “The World’s Most Wanted Man,” which delved into the pursuit of Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic. In 2006, she also produced another film, “King Leopold’s Ghost,” that highlighted the exploitation of the Congo by the king of Belgium.

Following about twenty years of working as a cinematographer, she starred in her final acting role for an independent film called Footprints (2009).

Survivors include her daughters, Miranda and Jessica, and five grandchildren.

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2025-06-08 21:54