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

Pippa Scott, who appeared in movies including “The Searchers,” “Petulia” and “Auntie Mame” before making numerous TV appearances and marrying Lorimar Productions co-founder Lee Rich, died May 22. She was 90.

Her daughter Miranda Tollman reported her death.

Among Scott’s other film roles were “The Confession,” “Mr. Lucky,” “For Pete’s Sake!,” “Petulia” and “Cold Turkey.” One of her final parts was in the 2009 indie “Footprints.”

Born in Los Angeles, she was the daughter of stage actress Laura Straub and playwright and screenwriter Allan Scott, who wrote several musicals for Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Her uncle, Adrian Scott, was one of the Hollywood Ten blacklisted during the McCarthy era.

She was educated at Radcliffe and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, and debuted in Jed Harris’ 1956 Broadway producion “Child of Fortune.”

That same year, Scott appeared in John Ford’s “The Searchers,” in which she played Lucy, Lucy, a member of the Edwards family who is taken captive with her sister Debbie after a raid on their ranch. In 1958’s popular “Auntie Mame,” she played Pegeen Ryan, an interior decorator who captures the interest of Patrick Dennis.

A familiar guest star on TV series in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s, her appearances included parts in “The Twilight Zone,” “Perry Mason,” “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Columbo” and many more. She has a recurring role in the 1976 series “Jigsaw” as Jack Warden’s love interest.

Onstage she appeared in “Look Back in Anger,” “Isn’t It Romantic” and “The Three Sisters” with John Houseman at UCLA.

Scott married producer Lee Rich in 1964, and he went on to form Lorimar Productions, which produced shows including “The Waltons,” “Dallas” and “Knots Landing.”

After divorcing in 1983, Scott and Rich reconnected in 1996 and remained together until his death in 2012.

After her family’s experience with the Blacklist, Scott became involved in advocating for human rights and founded the International Monitor Institute, a non-profit that gathered evidence to assist the prosecution of war crimes. She also founded Linden Productions to make documentaries including “World’s Most Wanted Man, The Hunt for Radovan Karadzic” for PBS Frontline and “King Leopold’s Ghost.”

She is survived by daughters Jessica and Miranda and five grandchildren.