Ruth Clifford (February 17, 1900 – November 30, 1998) was an American actress of leading roles in

silent films A silent film is a film without synchronized 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) or key lines of dialogue may, wh ...

whose career lasted from that era into the television era.

Early years

Clifford was born in

Pawtucket, Rhode Island Pawtucket ( ) is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 75,604 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making the city the fourth-largest in the state. Pawtucket borders Providence, Rhode Island, Prov ...

, the daughter of parents who were both born in England. Following her mother's death when Ruth was 11, she and her sister were placed in St. Mary's Seminary in

Narragansett, Rhode Island Narragansett is a town in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 14,532 at the 2020 census. However, during the summer months the town's population more than doubles to near 34,000. The town of Narragansett occupie ...

. Four years later, they went to Los Angeles to live with their actress aunt.

Film

Clifford got work as an extra and began her career at 15 at

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company that is a subsidiary of Comcast ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of N ...

, in fairly substantial roles. She received her first film credit for her work in '' Behind the Lines'' (1916). By her mid-twenties, she was playing leads and second leads, including the role of

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

's lost love,

Ann Rutledge Ann Mayes Rutledge (January 7, 1813 – August 25, 1835) was allegedly Abraham Lincoln's first love. Early life Born near Henderson, Kentucky, Ann Mayes Rutledge was the third of 10 children born to Mary Ann Miller Rutledge and James Rutledg ...

, in '' The Dramatic Life of Abraham Lincoln'' (1924). But sound pictures found her roles diminishing, and throughout the next three decades she played smaller and smaller parts. She was a favorite of director

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), better known as John Ford, was an American film director and producer. He is regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers during the Golden Age of Hollywood, and w ...

(they played

bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...

together), who used her in eight films, but rarely in substantial roles. She was also, for a time, the voice of

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney ( ; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the Golden age of American animation, American animation industry, he introduced several develop ...

Minnie Mouse Minerva "Minnie" Mouse is an American cartoon character created by the Walt Disney Company. The longtime sweetheart of Mickey Mouse, she is an anthropomorphic mouse with white gloves, a red or pink bow, blue (or pink or red) polka-dotted dress, w ...

and

Daisy Duck Daisy Duck is an American cartoon character created by the Walt Disney Company. She is an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic white duck that has large eyelashes and ruffled tail feathers around her lowest region to suggest a skirt. She is often s ...

. Clifford's obituary in the

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

noted that she "became a prime source for historians of the silent screen era".

Stage

In the 1940s, Clifford toured the United States as a member of the

Abbey Theatre The Abbey Theatre (), also known as the National Theatre of Ireland () is a theatre in Dublin, Ireland. First opening to the public on 27 December 1904, and moved from its original building after a fire in 1951, it has remained active to the p ...

Company and had lead roles in "classic Irish plays".

Television

In the 1950s, Clifford appeared in episodes of ''Highway Patrol'' and in commercials.

Personal life

Clifford married

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hills ...

real-estate developer James CorneliusU.S. Census records for 1930, Beverly Hills, California, Sheet 14A on December 5, 1924. They had one child and divorced in 1938.

Death

Clifford died of

natural causes In many legal jurisdictions, the manner of death is a determination, typically made by the coroner, medical examiner, police, or similar officials, and recorded as a vital statistic. Within the United States and the United Kingdom, a distinc ...

in Woodland Hills, California, on November 30, 1998, at the age of 98. Her interment was in Culver City's Holy Cross Cemetery. She was survived by two first cousins.

Selected filmography

* '' Behind the Lines'' (1916) - Camilla * '' Polly Put the Kettle On'' (1917) - Polly Vance * '' Eternal Love'' (1917) - Mignon * '' A Kentucky Cinderella'' (1917) - Nannie * '' Mother O' Mine'' (1917) - Catherine Thurston * '' The Mysterious Mr. Tiller'' (1917) - Clara Hawthorne * '' The Desire of the Moth'' (1917) - Stella Vorhis *'' The Door Between'' (1917)- Heloise Crocker * '' The Savage'' (1917) - Marie Louise * '' Hands Down'' (1918) - Hilda Stuyvesant * ''

The Kaiser, the Beast of Berlin ''The Kaiser, the Beast of Berlin'' (also known as ''The Beast of Berlin'' and ''The Kaiser'') was a 1918 American silent war propaganda melodrama film produced and directed by, and starring, Rupert Julian. The screenplay was co-written by ...

'' (1918) - Gabrielle * '' Hungry Eyes'' (1918) - Mary Jane Appleton * ''The Red, Red Heart'' (1918) - Rhoda Tuttle * '' The Guilt of Silence'' (1918) - Mary * '' Midnight Madness'' (1918) - Gertrude Temple * ''Fires of Youth'' (1918) - Lucille Linforth * ''The Lure of Luxury'' (1918) - Dalle Aldis * ''The Cabaret Girl'' (1918) - Ann Reid * ''The Game's Up'' (1919) - Ruth Elliott * '' The Millionaire Pirate'' (1919) - The Girl * '' The Black Gate'' (1919) - Vera Hampton * '' The Amazing Woman'' (1920) - Anitra Frane * '' The Invisible Ray'' (1920, Serial) - Mystery * '' Tropical Love'' (1921) - Rosario * ''My Dad'' (1922) - Dawn * '' The Face on the Bar-Room Floor'' (1923) - Marion Trevor * '' The Dangerous Age'' (1923) - Gloria Sanderson * '' Truxton King'' (1923) - Lorraine * '' Daughters of the Rich'' (1923) - Sally Malakoff * '' Mothers-in-Law'' (1923) - Vianna Courtleigh * '' Hell's Hole'' (1923) - Dorothy Owen * '' April Showers'' (1923) - Miriam Welton * '' Ponjola'' (1923) - Gay Lypiatt * ''

The Whispered Name ''The Whispered Name'' is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by King Baggot and starring Ruth Clifford, Charles Clary, and W.E. Lawrence. It was based on a Broadway play that had previously been made into the 1917 film '' The Co-Resp ...

'' (1924) - Anne Gray * '' The Dramatic Life of Abraham Lincoln'' (1924) - Ann Rutledge * ''

Butterfly Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea, characterized by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The oldest butterfly fossi ...

'' (1924) - Hilary Collier * '' The Tornado'' (1924) - Ruth Travers * '' As Man Desires'' (1925) - Gloria Gordon * '' Her Husband's Secret'' (1925) - Mrs. Pearce * ''

The Phantom of the Opera The Phantom of the Opera may refer to: Novel * The Phantom of the Opera (novel), ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (novel), 1910 novel by Gaston Leroux Characters * Erik (The Phantom of the Opera), Erik (''The Phantom of the Opera''), the title char ...

'' (1925) - Ballerina (uncredited) * '' The Love Hour'' (1925) - Betty Brown * '' The Storm Breaker'' (1925) - Lysette DeJon * ''

Brooding Eyes ''Brooding Eyes'' is a 1926 American silent film, silent crime film directed by Edward LeSaint and starring Lionel Barrymore, Ruth Clifford, and Robert Ellis (actor, born 1892), Robert Ellis. Plot As described in a film magazine review, Slim Ji ...

'' (1926) - Joan Ayre * '' Typhoon Love'' (1926) * '' Lew Tyler's Wives'' (1926) - Jessie Winkler *''

Don Mike ''Don Mike'' is a 1927 American silent Western film directed by Lloyd Ingraham and starring Fred Thomson, Ruth Clifford, and Noah Young. It is set in Old California. Cast * Fred Thomson as Don Miguel Arguella * Ruth Clifford as Mary Kelse ...

'' (1927) - Mary Kelsey *'' The Thrill Seekers'' (1927) - Adrean Wainwright * '' The Devil's Apple Tree'' (1929) - Jane Norris * '' The Eternal Woman'' (1929) - Doris Forbes * '' The Show of Shows'' (1929) - Performer in 'Ladies of the Ensemble' Number * '' The Sign of the Cross'' (1932) - Christian Mother at Meeting (uncredited) * ''

Face in the Sky ''Face in the Sky'' is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy film starring Spencer Tracy and Stuart Erwin. The film was directed by Harry Lachman and released by Fox Film. Plot Two sign painters find themselves blackmailed by a beautiful woman dete ...

'' (1933) - Hotel Guest with Dog (uncredited) * ''

The Constant Woman ''The Constant Woman'' (1933), also known as ''Auction in Souls'' and ''Hell in a Circus'', is an American Pre-Code film directed by Victor Schertzinger. It is based on the 1913 Eugene O'Neill play ''Recklessness''. Plot Marlene Underwood is a ...

'' (1933) - Speakeasy Floozie * ''

Pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...

'' (1933) - Schoolteacher (uncredited) * '' Only Yesterday'' (1933) - Eleanor (uncredited) * ''

Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen ''Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen'' is a 1934 pre-Code American comedy-drama film, starring Dorothea Wieck, Alice Brady, and Baby LeRoy, written by Adela Rogers St. Johns and Jane Storm from a novel and story by Rupert Hughes, and directed by Ale ...

'' (1934) - Friend of Miss Fane (uncredited) * ''Woman Unafraid'' (1934) - Kate * ''

Stand Up and Cheer! ''Stand Up and Cheer!'' is a 1934 American Pre-Code musical film directed by Hamilton MacFadden. The screenplay by Lew Brown and Ralph Spence was based upon a story idea by Will Rogers and Philip Klein. The film is about efforts undertaken ...

'' (1934) - Secretary (uncredited) * '' Whom the Gods Destroy'' (1934) - Frightened Balkan Passenger (uncredited) * '' Elmer and Elsie'' (1934) - Mamie * '' Lady by Choice'' (1934) - Minor Role (uncredited) * '' Let's Live Tonight'' (1935) - American (uncredited) * ''

Stolen Harmony ''Stolen Harmony'' is a 1935 American crime film directed by Alfred L. Werker and starring George Raft, Ben Bernie and Grace Bradley. It is a semi-musical, featuring Big Band numbers. It was produced and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Plot ...

'' (1935) - Nurse (uncredited) * '' Hold 'Em Yale'' (1935) - (uncredited) * ''

Ginger Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice and a folk medicine. It is an herbaceous perennial that grows annual pseudostems (false stems made of the rolled bases of l ...

'' (1935) - Society Woman (uncredited) * ''

Dante's Inferno ''Inferno'' (; Italian for ' Hell') is the first part of Italian writer Dante Alighieri's 14th-century narrative poem '' The Divine Comedy'', followed by and . The ''Inferno'' describes the journey of a fictionalised version of Dante himsel ...

'' (1935) - Mrs. Gray (uncredited) * '' The Farmer Takes a Wife'' (1935) - Yorkshire Pioneer's Wife (uncredited) * ''

She Married Her Boss ''She Married Her Boss'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by Gregory La Cava and starring Claudette Colbert, Melvyn Douglas and Raymond Walburn. It was produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures, who had enjoyed a major success the pr ...

'' (1935) - Shopper (uncredited) * '' Paddy O'Day'' (1936) - Mrs. Right - First Class Passenger (uncredited) * '' The Return of Jimmy Valentine'' (1936) - Radio Actress (uncredited) * '' The Crime of Dr. Forbes'' (1936) - Reporter (uncredited) * '' To Mary - with Love'' (1936) - Nurse * ''

Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood Boulevard is a major east–west street in Los Angeles, California. It runs through the Hollywood, East Hollywood, Little Armenia, Thai Town, and Los Feliz districts. Its western terminus is at Sunset Plaza Drive in the Hollyw ...

'' (1936) - Nurse (uncredited) * '' Four Men and a Prayer'' (1938) - Telephone Operator (uncredited) * ''

Safety in Numbers Safety in numbers is the hypothesis that, by being part of a large physical group or mass, an individual is less likely to be the victim of a mishap, accident, attack, or other bad event. Some related theories also argue (and can show statistica ...

'' (1938) - Mrs. Hensley * '' Keep Smiling'' (1938) - Schoolteacher (uncredited) * '' Charlie Chan in Honolulu'' (1938) - Nurse (uncredited) * '' Wife, Husband and Friend'' (1939) - Seamstress (uncredited) * ''

Drums Along the Mohawk ''Drums Along the Mohawk'' is a 1939 American historical drama film based upon a 1936 novel of the same name by American author Walter D. Edmonds. The film stars Henry Fonda and Claudette Colbert, was produced by Darryl F. Zanuck, and direct ...

'' (1939) - Pioneer Woman (uncredited) * '' The Honeymoon's Over'' (1939) - Receptionist (uncredited) * '' Swanee River'' (1939) - Bit Role (uncredited) * '' The Man Who Wouldn't Talk'' (1940) - Mrs. Finney (uncredited) * '' Free, Blonde and 21'' (1940) - Nurse (uncredited) * ''

Lillian Russell Lillian Russell (born Helen Louise Leonard; December 4, 1860 or 1861 – June 6, 1922) was an American actress and singer. She became one of the most famous actresses and singers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, praised for her beaut ...

'' (1940) - Extra (uncredited) * ''

Sailor's Lady ''Sailor's Lady'', also known as ''Sweetheart of Turret One'', is a 1940 film directed by Allan Dwan and starring Nancy Kelly and Jon Hall. The supporting cast includes Joan Davis, Dana Andrews, and Buster Crabbe. Football player Amby Schind ...

'' (1940) - Maid (uncredited) * '' Along the Rio Grande'' (1941) - Paula * '' We Go Fast'' (1941) - Miss Kertz - Hempstead's Secretary (uncredited) * '' Mr. Celebrity'' (1941) - Woman In Convertible * '' How Green Was My Valley'' (1941) - Village Woman (uncredited) * '' Cadet Girl'' (1941) - Minor Role (uncredited) * '' Road to Happiness'' (1941) - Ship Passenger (uncredited) * '' Blue, White and Perfect'' (1942) - Ship's Passenger (uncredited) * '' Land of the Open Range'' (1942) - Mrs. Palmer (uncredited) * '' It Happened in Flatbush'' (1942) - Ruth - Mrs. McAvoy's Secretary (uncredited) * '' Ten Gentlemen from West Point'' (1942) - Graduation Spectator (uncredited) * '' The Postman Didn't Ring'' (1942) - Secretary (uncredited) * ''

Holiday Inn Holiday Inn by IHG is a chain of hotels based in Atlanta, Georgia and a brand of IHG Hotels & Resorts. The chain was founded in 1952 by Kemmons Wilson (1913–2003), who opened the first location in Memphis, Tennessee. The chain was a division ...

'' (1942) - Guest at Inn (uncredited) * ''

Coney Island Coney Island is a neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach to its east, Lower New York Bay to the south and west, and Gravesend to ...

'' (1943) - Saloon Patron (uncredited) * '' The Lodger''(1944) - Hairdresser (uncredited) * '' In the Meantime, Darling'' (1944) - Mrs. Phillips (uncredited) * ''

The Keys of the Kingdom ''The Keys of the Kingdom'' is a 1941 in literature, 1941 novel by A. J. Cronin. Spanning six decades, it tells the story of Father Francis Chisholm, an unconventional Scottish Catholic priest who struggles to establish a mission (Christian), ...

'' (1944) - Sister Mercy Mary (uncredited) * ''

Leave Her to Heaven ''Leave Her to Heaven'' is a 1945 American film directed by John M. Stahl, starring Gene Tierney, Cornel Wilde, Jeanne Crain, and Vincent Price. Adapted by screenwriter Jo Swerling from the 1944 novel of the same name by Ben Ames Williams, the ...

'' (1945) - Telephone Operator (uncredited) * ''

The Spider The Spider is an American pulp-magazine hero of the 1930s and 1940s. The character was created by publisher Harry Steeger and written by a variety of authors for 118 monthly issues of '' The Spider'' from 1933 to 1943. ''The Spider'' sold well ...

'' (1945) - Mrs. Gillespie, Tenant * ''

Shock Shock may refer to: Common uses Healthcare * Acute stress reaction, also known as psychological or mental shock ** Shell shock, soldiers' reaction to battle trauma * Circulatory shock, a medical emergency ** Cardiogenic shock, resulting from ...

'' (1946) - Mrs. Margaret Cross (uncredited) * ''

My Darling Clementine ''My Darling Clementine'' is a 1946 American Western film directed by John Ford and starring Henry Fonda as Wyatt Earp during the period leading up to the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. The ensemble cast also features Victor Mature (as Doc Holli ...

'' (1946) - Opera House Patron (uncredited) * '' Mother Wore Tights'' (1947) - Resort Guest (uncredited) * ''

Fun and Fancy Free ''Fun and Fancy Free'' is a 1947 American animated musical fantasy anthology film produced by Walt Disney and Ben Sharpsteen and released on September 27, 1947, by RKO Radio Pictures. The film is a compilation of two stories: ''Bongo'', narrate ...

'' (1947) - Minnie Mouse (uncredited) * ''

Hazard A hazard is a potential source of harm. Substances, events, or circumstances can constitute hazards when their nature would potentially allow them to cause damage to health, life, property, or any other interest of value. The probability of that ...

'' (1948) - Waitress (uncredited) * '' The Walls of Jericho'' (1948) - (uncredited) * '' The Luck of the Irish'' (1948) - Secretary (uncredited) * '' Cry of the City'' (1948) - Nurse (uncredited) * ''

The Snake Pit ''The Snake Pit'' is a 1948 American psychological drama film directed by Anatole Litvak and starring Olivia de Havilland, Mark Stevens, Leo Genn, Celeste Holm, Beulah Bondi, and Lee Patrick. Based on Mary Jane Ward's 1946 semi-autobiog ...

'' (1948) - Nurse (uncredited) * '' Unfaithfully Yours'' (1948) - Saleslady (uncredited) * '' 3 Godfathers'' (1948) - Woman in Bar (uncredited) * '' Not Wanted'' (1949) - Mrs. Elizabeth Stone * '' You're My Everything'' (1949) - Nurse (uncredited) * '' Father Was a Fullback'' (1949) - Neighbor * ''Prejudice'' (1949) - Ma Hanson's Friend (uncredited) * '' Everybody Does It'' (1949) - Nurse (uncredited) * '' Free for All'' (1949) - Miss Berry (uncredited) * ''

Whirlpool A whirlpool is a body of rotating water produced by opposing currents or a current running into an obstacle. Small whirlpools form when a bath or a sink is draining. More powerful ones formed in seas or oceans may be called maelstroms ( ). ''Vo ...

'' (1949) - Nurse Eliott (uncredited) * '' Key to the City'' (1950) - Mrs. Anderson (uncredited) * ''

Wagon Master ''Wagon Master'' is a 1950 American Western film produced and directed by John Ford and starring Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr., Joanne Dru, and Ward Bond. The story follows a Mormon pioneer wagon train across treacherous desert to the San ...

'' (1950) - Fleuretty Phyffe * ''

Sunset Boulevard Sunset Boulevard is a boulevard in the central and western part of Los Angeles, California, United States, that stretches from the Pacific Coast Highway (California), Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, Pacific Palisad ...

'' (1950) - Sheldrake's Secretary (uncredited) * '' The Quiet Man'' (1952) - Mother (uncredited) * '' Stars and Stripes Forever'' (1952) - Brooklyn Navy Yard Nurse (uncredited) * ''

Flight Nurse A flight nurse is a registered nurse specializing in the field of providing comprehensive pre-hospital, emergency critical care, and hospital care to a vast scope of patients. The care of these patients is generally provided during aeromedical ...

'' (1953) - Mother (uncredited) * ''

Give a Girl a Break ''Give a Girl a Break'' is a 1953 American musical romantic comedy film directed by Stanley Donen, starring Debbie Reynolds and the dance team of Marge and Gower Champion. A young Bob Fosse has a featured role. Plot When the temperamental star ...

'' (1953) - Madelyn's Mother (uncredited) * '' Prince of Players'' (1955) - English Nurse (uncredited), Mrs. Jenkins * '' A Man Called Peter'' (1955) - Nurse (uncredited) * '' The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit'' (1956) - Florence (uncredited) * ''

The Searchers ''The Searchers'' is a 1956 American epic Western film directed by John Ford and written by Frank S. Nugent, based on the 1954 novel by Alan Le May. It is set during the Texas–Indian wars, and stars John Wayne as a middle-aged Civil War v ...

'' (1956) - Deranged Woman at Fort (uncredited) * '' Bigger Than Life'' (1956) - Churchgoer (uncredited) * ''

Designing Woman ''Designing Woman'' is a 1957 American Metrocolor romantic comedy film, in CinemaScope, about two young, whirlwind-romanced newlywed professionals and their misadventures in adjusting to each other's lifestyles. Vincente Minnelli directed the f ...

'' (1957) - Vanessa Cole (uncredited) * '' The Last Hurrah'' (1958) - Nurse (uncredited) * '' Sergeant Rutledge'' (1960) - Officer's Wife (uncredited) * ''

Two Rode Together ''Two Rode Together'' is a 1961 American Western film directed by John Ford and starring James Stewart, Richard Widmark, and Shirley Jones. The supporting cast includes Linda Cristal, Andy Devine, and John McIntire. The film was based upon ...

'' (1961) - Woman (uncredited) * ''

I'd Rather Be Rich ''I'd Rather Be Rich'' is a 1964 American romantic comedy film with musical aspects directed by Jack Smight, produced by Ross Hunter and starring Sandra Dee. The film focuses on a dying man who wishes to meet his granddaughter's fiancé, but he ...

'' (1964) - Director's Wife (uncredited) * '' Funny Girl'' (1968) - Maid (uncredited)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Clifford, Ruth 1900 births 1998 deaths American film actresses American silent film actresses Burials at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City People from Pawtucket, Rhode Island Actresses from Greater Los Angeles Actresses from Rhode Island 20th-century American actresses Disney people