Early in her career, Ruick sang in clubs and acted in Little Theater productions.
She achieved success in radio prior to signing as a contract player with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
She was heard in the original radio version of Dragnet.
She also recorded several songs for MGM Records.
In the 1950s, Ruick starred as Kay in the first LP recording of the songs from George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin's 1926 Broadway musical, Oh, Kay!.
This was a studio cast recording released by Columbia Records, and conducted by Lehman Engel.

She landed a job on Hollywood Screen Test, a talent show which aired on ABC Television from 1948-1953.
Ruick appeared on the Kraft Television Theater, soap operas, and The College Bowl (1950), which was hosted by Chico Marx.
She also performed for fifteen weeks on The Jerry Colonna Show.
In 1955 she was a regular on The Johnny Carson Show.

She made guest appearances on The Millionaire (1957), Public Defender (1954), Brothers Brannigan (1960), The 20th Century Fox Hour (1956), and Climax Mystery Theater (1955).

In 1951, Ruick was signed by MGM for a role in the film Invitation (1952).
She had bit parts in her first four films, one of them being The Band Wagon (1953), and then graduated to supporting roles.
Her best remembered roles both came from Rodgers and Hammerstein.
She played Carrie Pipperidge in the film version of Carousel (1956) and Esmerelda, one of the wicked stepsisters, in the 1965 TV version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella.
Early in her career, Ruick sang in clubs and acted in Little Theater productions. She achieved success in radio prior to signing as a contract player with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. She was heard in the original radio version of Dragnet. She also recorded several songs for MGM Records. In the 1950s, Ruick starred as Kay in the first LP recording of the songs from George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin's 1926 Broadway musical, Oh, Kay!. This was a studio cast recording released by Columbia Records, and conducted by Lehman Engel. 
She landed a job on Hollywood Screen Test, a talent show which aired on ABC Television from 1948-1953. Ruick appeared on the Kraft Television Theater, soap operas, and The College Bowl (1950), which was hosted by Chico Marx. She also performed for fifteen weeks on The Jerry Colonna Show. In 1955 she was a regular on The Johnny Carson Show.
She made guest appearances on The Millionaire (1957), Public Defender (1954), Brothers Brannigan (1960), The 20th Century Fox Hour (1956), and Climax Mystery Theater (1955).
In 1951, Ruick was signed by MGM for a role in the film Invitation (1952). She had bit parts in her first four films, one of them being The Band Wagon (1953), and then graduated to supporting roles. Her best remembered roles both came from Rodgers and Hammerstein. She played Carrie Pipperidge in the film version of Carousel (1956) and Esmerelda, one of the wicked stepsisters, in the 1965 TV version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella.
Barbara Ruick