Ruth Renick (born Ruth Griffin; September 23, 1893 - May 7, 1984) was an American actress on stage and in films. She made her debut in film in 1919, in a
silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) ...
. Her career spanned the shift to "talkies", and Renick had her last role in a Western film in 1932. She had started acting in theatre in high school in
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1,608,139 residents as of 2020. It is the fifth-most populous city in the United States, and the o ...
. Later she moved to California where she had more stage roles, and ultimately expanded her career in film.
Early years
Born Ruth Griffin in 1893 in Colorado, Texas, she was the daughter of R. H. Griffin and his wife. Her family moved to
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1,608,139 residents as of 2020. It is the fifth-most populous city in the United States, and the o ...
when she was young. While Griffin was a high school student there, she joined the Maitland Davis stock theater company, working with the troupe for four months.
Career
In 1916, Renick joined the Redmond stock company, debuting on June 1 in
San Jose, California
San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popul ...
in ''When Knighthood Was in Flower''. She later acted with the Wilkes stock company in
Seattle, Washington
Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...
, where she was featured in ingenue roles. After some time working in films, she went to the Fulton Theater in
Oakland, California
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...
to be the leading lady in its productions.
In 1919 Renick signed with the Jesse D. Hampton company to work in films. She made her film debut in ''
Hawthorne of the U.S.A.
''Hawthorne of the U.S.A.'' is a 1919 American silent comedy adventure film directed by James Cruze and starring Wallace Reid and Lila Lee.Douglas Fairbanks
Douglas Elton Fairbanks Sr. (born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman; May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was an American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. He was best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films including '' The Thi ...
, who had a production company, and appeared with him in ''
The Mollycoddle
''The Mollycoddle'' is a 1920 American film starring Douglas Fairbanks and Wallace Beery, and directed by Victor Fleming.
As a well-known star, Renick was invited to public speaking engagements. In 1928 she was scheduled to speak to the Men's Club of First Presbyterian Church in
Berkeley, California
Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and Emer ...
about the film ''
The King of Kings
King of Kings; grc-gre, Βασιλεὺς Βασιλέων, Basileùs Basiléōn; hy, արքայից արքա, ark'ayits ark'a; sa, महाराजाधिराज, Mahārājadhirāja; ka, მეფეთ მეფე, ''Mepet mepe'' ...
'' (1928). Also invited to that meeting was the dean of
San Francisco Theological Seminary
The San Francisco Theological Seminary (SFTS) is a seminary in San Anselmo, California with historic ties to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). SFTS became embedded in a new Graduate School of Theology of the University of Redlands in 2019. It w ...
, who was to talk about laymen and the church. Because the elders raised objections, both speakers were told the morning of the meeting that it had been cancelled. The church's pastor said that its governing body decided "not to have any member of the organized theatrical profession" speak to the church's members. Given Renick's status as a popular starring actress, the cancellation received front-page coverage in ''
The San Francisco Examiner
The ''San Francisco Examiner'' is a newspaper distributed in and around San Francisco, California, and published since 1863.
Once self-dubbed the "Monarch of the Dailies" by then-owner William Randolph Hearst, and flagship of the Hearst Corpora ...
'' and the ''
Oakland Tribune
The ''Oakland Tribune'' is a weekly newspaper published in Oakland, California, by the Bay Area News Group (BANG), a subsidiary of MediaNews Group.
Founded in 1874, the ''Tribune'' rose to become an influential daily newspaper. With the decli ...
'', with additional reporting inside. The
First Unitarian Church of Oakland
The First Unitarian Church of Oakland is located in western Downtown Oakland, California. It is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association.
History
The building site was purchased in November 1888 from Jane K. Sather, a patron of the ...
quickly invited Renick to speak to their congregation the following week, but she declined after receiving a letter with a death threat. About six weeks later, Renick did speak to a class at the First Congregational Church of San Francisco, discussing relationships between the church and the theatre.
Personal life
In her mid-20s, Renick married Wellington N. Bellford, who was arrested shortly afterward in January 1924 in Oakland for impersonating an Army officer. At the time Bellford denied that he and Renick were married, while she said, "But we were married". Asked for details about the wedding, Renick replied, "I cannot say when or where, as my husband appears to have denied it." While out on bail, Bellford also acknowledged that he had claimed to have been a writer of short stories and screenplays in Los Angeles. The publicity was embarrassing for Renick, but she proceeded with her performances at the theatre in Oakland.
After receiving a telegram from her about the marriage, her sister and brother-in-law had investigated the so-called major. They reported Bellford's impersonation to the police after finding no marriage license had been issued for the couple in Santa Clara County or in San Jose, where Renick had said they had wed. The impersonation charge against Bellford was finally dismissed in 1928, when he was described as a 'love pirate'. Authorities decided that he had used a mock wedding ceremony to trick Renick. Although he disappeared at the time, he was later prosecuted for embezzlement in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...
, Michigan.
Death
On May 7, 1984, Renick died in Hollywood, California, at age 90.
Partial filmography
*''
Hawthorne of the U.S.A.
''Hawthorne of the U.S.A.'' is a 1919 American silent comedy adventure film directed by James Cruze and starring Wallace Reid and Lila Lee.The White Dove'' (1920)
*''
The Mollycoddle
''The Mollycoddle'' is a 1920 American film starring Douglas Fairbanks and Wallace Beery, and directed by Victor Fleming.Conrad in Quest of His Youth'' (1920)
*''The Parish Priest'' (1920)
*''
She Couldn't Help It
''She Couldn't Help It'' is a lost 1920 American silent comedy romance film directed by Maurice Campbell and starring Bebe Daniels. The story is based on the novel ''In the Bishop’s Carriage'' by Miriam Michelson and play of the same name by ...
'' (1920)
*''
The Jucklins
''The Jucklins'' is an 1896 novel by Opie Read. It was a best selling book in the United States (Read asserted that over one million copies were sold Hart, James DavidThe Popular Book: A History of America's Literary Taste pp. 206–310 (1950)), ...
The Men of Zanzibar
''The Men of Zanzibar'' is a 1922 American silent mystery film directed by Rowland V. Lee and starring William Russell, Ruth Renick and Claude Payton.Solomon p.277 The American consul in Zanzibar is informed that a fugitive American has just ...
'' (1922)
*''
Rags to Riches
Rags to riches refers to any situation in which a person rises from poverty to wealth, and in some cases from absolute obscurity to heights of fame, fortune and celebrity—sometimes instantly. This is a common archetype in literature and popula ...
The Fire Bride
''The Fire Bride'' is a 1922 American silent adventure film directed by Arthur Rosson and starring Ruth Renick,
Edward Hearn and Walt Whitman.Connelly p.347
Cast
* Ruth Renick as Lois Markham
* Edward Hearn as Steve Maitland
* Walt Whitman a ...
'' (1922)
*''
Conductor 1492
''Conductor 1492'' is a 1924 American silent comedy film directed by Charles Hines and starring Johnny Hines. It was produced and distributed by Warner Bros.
Plot
As described in a review of the film in a film magazine, Terence O’Toole (Hin ...
'' (1924)
*''
Ask Dad
''Ask Dad'' is a 1929 American Pre-Code film directed by Hugh Faulcon and starring Edward Everett Horton and Winston Miller.
Cast
* Edward Everett Horton as Dad
* Winston Miller as Tommy
* Ruth Renick as Miss Grace Wilson
External links ...
45 Calibre Echo
45 Calibre Echo is a 1932 American Western film directed by Bruce M. Mitchell and starring Jack Perrin, Ben Corbett and Elinor Fair.Pitts, p. 172. The supporting cast features Ruth Renick in her final theatrical film role.
Cast
* Jack Perrin ...