Wesley Ruggles (June 11, 1889 – January 8, 1972) was an American

film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...

Life and work

He was born in Los Angeles, California, younger brother of actor

Charlie Ruggles Charles Sherman Ruggles (February 8, 1886 – December 23, 1970) was an American comic character actor. In a career spanning six decades, Ruggles appeared in close to 100 feature films, often in mild-mannered and comic roles. He was also the e ...

. He began his career in 1915 as an actor, appearing in a dozen or so

silent film 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, w ...

s, on occasion with

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered o ...

. In 1917, he turned his attention to directing, making more than 50 films—including a silent version of

Edith Wharton Edith Newbold Wharton (; ; January 24, 1862 – August 11, 1937) was an American writer and designer. Wharton drew upon her insider's knowledge of the upper-class New York "aristocracy" to portray, realistically, the lives and morals of the Gil ...

's novel ''The Age of Innocence'' (1924)—before he won acclaim with '' Cimarron'' in 1931. The adaptation of

Edna Ferber Edna Ferber (August 15, 1885 – April 16, 1968) was an American novelist, short story writer and playwright. Her novels include the Pulitzer Prize-winning '' So Big'' (1924), '' Show Boat'' (1926; made into the celebrated 1927 musical), '' Cima ...

's novel '' Cimarron'', about homesteaders settling in the prairies of Oklahoma, was the first

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

to win an Oscar as

Best Picture The following is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various films, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Bes ...

. Ruggles followed this success with the light comedy '' No Man of Her Own'' (1932) with

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American actor often referred to as the "King of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". He appeared in more than 60 Film, motion pictures across a variety of Film genre, genres dur ...

and

Carole Lombard Carole Lombard (born Jane Alice Peters; October 6, 1908 – January 16, 1942) was an American actress, particularly noted for her energetic, often off-beat roles in screwball comedies. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Lombard ...

, the comedy '' I'm No Angel'' (1933) with

Mae West Mary Jane "Mae" West (August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American actress, singer, comedian, screenwriter, and playwright whose career spanned more than seven decades. Recognized as a prominent sex symbol of her time, she was known ...

and

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English and American actor. Known for his blended British and American accent, debonair demeanor, lighthearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing, he ...

, '' College Humor'' (1933) with

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...

, and ''

Bolero Bolero is a genre of song which originated in eastern Cuba in the late 19th century as part of the trova tradition. Unrelated to the older Spanish dance of the same name, bolero is characterized by sophisticated lyrics dealing with love. It h ...

'' (1934) with

George Raft George Raft (né Ranft; September 26, 1901 – November 24, 1980) was an American film actor and dancer identified with portrayals of gangsters in crime melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s. A stylish leading man in dozens of movies, Raft is remembe ...

and Carole Lombard. He teamed with the

Rank Organisation The Rank Organisation (founded as the J. Arthur Rank Organisation) is a British entertainment conglomerate founded in 1937 by industrialist J. Arthur Rank. It quickly became the largest and most vertically integrated film company in the Uni ...

in 1946 to produce and direct '' London Town'' with Sid Field and

Petula Clark Sally "Petula" Clark (born 15 November 1932) is a British singer, actress, and songwriter. She started her professional career as a child actor, child performer and has had the longest career of any British entertainer, spanning more than 85 y ...

, based on a story he wrote. The film—British cinema's first attempt at a

Technicolor Technicolor is a family of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes. The first version, Process 1, was introduced in 1916, and improved versions followed over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black-and ...

musical—is notable as being one of the biggest critical and commercial failures in this country's film history. Ironically, Ruggles had been hired to direct it because as an American, it was thought, he was better equipped to handle a musical—despite the fact that nothing in his past had prepared him to work in the genre. It was his last film. An abridged version was released in the U.S. under the title '' My Heart Goes Crazy'' by

United Artists United Artists (UA) is an American film production and film distribution, distribution company owned by Amazon MGM Studios. In its original operating period, it was founded in February 1919 by Charlie Chaplin, D. W. Griffith, Mary Pickford an ...

in 1953. Ruggles died January 8, 1972, in Santa Monica, California, and was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California, near his brother Charles Ruggles. For his contributions to the motion picture industry, he has a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...

at 6400 Hollywood Boulevard.

Filmography

Film director

* '' London Town'' (1946) * ''

See Here, Private Hargrove ''See Here, Private Hargrove'' is a 1942 book by Marion Hargrove, about his experiences in U.S. Army basic training. Origin The author, a North Carolina native, was a correspondent for ''The Charlotte News'' prior to World War II. After he was ...

'' (1944) * '' Slightly Dangerous'' (1943) * '' Somewhere I'll Find You'' (1942) * '' You Belong to Me'' (1941) * ''

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

'' (1940) * '' Too Many Husbands'' (1940) * ''

Invitation to Happiness ''Invitation to Happiness'' is a 1939 American drama film directed by Wesley Ruggles and written by Claude Binyon. The film stars Irene Dunne, Fred MacMurray, Charlie Ruggles, Billy Cook, William Collier, Sr. and Marion Martin. The film was relea ...

'' (1939) * '' Sing, You Sinners'' (1938) * '' True Confession'' (1937) * '' I Met Him in Paris'' (1937) * '' Valiant Is the Word for Carrie'' (1936) * '' The Bride Comes Home'' (1935) * '' Accent on Youth'' (1935) * ''

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

'' (1935, fill-in director - uncredited) * '' The Gilded Lily'' (1935) * ''

'' (1934) * '' Shoot the Works'' (1934) * '' I'm No Angel'' (1933) * '' College Humor'' (1933) * ''

The Monkey's Paw "The Monkey's Paw" is a Horror fiction, horror short story by English author W. W. Jacobs. It first appeared in ''Harper's Monthly'' in September, 1902, and was reprinted in his third collection of short stories, ''The Lady of the Barge'', late ...

'' (1933) * '' No Man of Her Own'' (1932) * ''

Roar of the Dragon ''Roar of the Dragon'' is a 1932 American Pre-Code adventure film directed by Wesley Ruggles and written by Howard Estabrook and released on July 8, 1932. The film stars Richard Dix, Gwili Andre, Edward Everett Horton, Arline Judge, and Za ...

'' (1932) * ''

Are These Our Children? ''Are These Our Children?'' is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film directed by Wesley Ruggles and written by Howard Estabrook. The film stars Eric Linden, Ben Alexander, Beryl Mercer, Mary Kornman, Arline Judge, and Rochelle Hudson. The f ...

'' (1931) * '' Cimarron'' (1931, "A Wesley Ruggles Production"--not specified as director) * '' The Sea Bat'' (1930, replaced during production: Lionel Barrymore, uncredited) * ''

Honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several species of bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of pl ...

'' (1930) * '' Condemned'' (1929) * ''

Street Girl ''Street Girl'' is a 1929 Pre-Code Hollywood, pre-Code musical film directed by Wesley Ruggles and starring Betty Compson, John Harron and Jack Oakie. It was adapted by Jane Murfin from "The Viennese Charmer", a short story by William Carey Won ...

'' (1929, uncredited) * '' Port of Dreams'' (1929) * ''

Scandal A scandal can be broadly defined as the strong social reactions of outrage, anger, or surprise, when accusations or rumours circulate or appear for some reason, regarding a person or persons who are perceived to have transgressed in some way a ...

'' (1929) * '' Finders Keepers'' (1928) * '' The Fourflusher'' (1928) * ''

Silk Stockings ''Silk Stockings'' is a musical with a book by George S. Kaufman, Leueen MacGrath, and Abe Burrows and music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The musical is loosely based on the Melchior Lengyel story ''Ninotchka'' and the 1939 film adaptation it ...

'' (1927) * '' Beware of Widows'' (1927) * '' Breaking Records'' (1927, Short) * '' Flashing Oars'' (1927, Short) * '' The Cinder Path'' (1927, Short) * '' The Relay'' (1927, Short) * '' Around the Bases'' (1927, Short) * '' The Last Lap'' (1926, Short) * ''The Collegians'' (1926, Serial) * '' A Man of Quality'' (1926) * '' The Kick-Off'' (1926) * '' Hooked at the Altar'' (1926, Short) * '' California Here We Come'' (1926, Short) * '' The Plastic Age'' (1925) * '' Broadway Lady'' (1925) * '' Miss Me Again'' (1925, Short) * '' Don Coo Coo'' (1925, Short) * '' Barbara Snitches'' (1925, Short) * '' What Price Gloria?'' (1925, Short) * '' The Merry Kiddo'' (1925, Short) * '' Three Bases East'' (1925, Short) * '' Madam Sans Gin'' (1925, Short) * '' The Covered Flagon'' (1925, Short) * '' The Fast Male'' (1925, Short) * '' The Great Decide'' (1925, Short) * '' Merton of the Goofies'' (1925, Short) * '' He Who Gets Rapped'' (1925, Short) * '' The Pacemakers'' (1925, Short) * '' Welcome Granger'' (1925, Short) * '' The Age of Innocence'' (1924) * '' Slippy McGee'' (1923) * '' The Heart Raider'' (1923) * '' The Remittance Woman'' (1923) * '' Mr. Billings Spends His Dime'' (1923) * ''

If I Were Queen ''If I Were Queen'' is a lost film, lost 1922 American silent romantic drama film directed by Wesley Ruggles and starring Ethel Clayton. It is based on a short story by Du Vernett Rabell. Film Booking Offices of America, FBO handled the distribut ...

'' (1922) * '' Wild Honey'' (1922) * '' Over the Wire'' (1921) * '' Uncharted Seas'' (1921) * '' The Greater Claim'' (1921) * ''

Love Love is a feeling of strong attraction and emotional attachment (psychology), attachment to a person, animal, or thing. It is expressed in many forms, encompassing a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most su ...

'' (1920) * '' The Leopard Woman'' (1920) * '' The Desperate Hero'' (1920) * '' Sooner or Later'' (1920) * '' Piccadilly Jim'' (1919) * '' The Winchester Woman'' (1919) * '' The Blind Adventure'' (1918, as Wesley H. Ruggles) * '' He Had to Camouflage'' (1917, Short) * '' Bobby's Bravery'' (1917, Short) * '' For France'' (1917, as Wesley H. Ruggles) * '' Bobby, Movie Director'' (1917, Short)

Producer

* '' London Town'' (1946) * '' You Belong to Me'' (1941) * ''

'' (1940, uncredited) * '' Too Many Husbands'' (1940) * ''

'' (1939) * '' Sing, You Sinners'' (1938) * '' I Met Him in Paris'' (1937) * '' Valiant Is the Word for Carrie'' (1936) * '' The Bride Comes Home'' (1935) * '' Cimarron'' (1931) * '' The Sea Bat'' (1930, uncredited) * ''

'' (1929, uncredited)

Actor

* '' Triple Trouble'' (1918, Short) - Crook (uncredited) * '' Her Torpedoed Love'' (1917, Short) - Messenger Inside the House (uncredited) * ''

Behind the Screen ''Behind the Screen'' is a 1916 American silent short comedy film written by, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin, and also starring Eric Campbell and Edna Purviance. The film is in the public domain. Plot The film takes place in a ...

'' (1916, Short) - Actor (uncredited) * '' The Pawnshop'' (1916, Short) - Client with Ring (uncredited) * '' Beatrice Fairfax'' (1916) - #15 Wristwatches * ''

The Floorwalker ''The Floorwalker'' is a 1916 American silent comedy film, Charlie Chaplin's first Mutual Film Corporation film. The film stars Chaplin, in his traditional Tramp persona, as a customer who creates chaos in a department store and becomes ina ...

'' (1916, Short) - Policeman (uncredited) * ''

Police The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...

'' (1916, Short) - The Crook * '' A Submarine Pirate'' (1915, Short) - Inventor's Accomplice / Sub Officer * '' Burlesque on Carmen'' (1915, Short) - A Vagabond (uncredited) * '' Her Painted Hero'' (1915, Short) - Effeminate Party Guest (uncredited) * ''

A Night in the Show ''A Night in the Show'' was Charlie Chaplin's 12th film for Essanay. It was made at Majestic Studio in Los Angeles in late 1915. Chaplin played two roles: one as Mr. Pest and one as Mr. Rowdy. The film was created from Chaplin's stage work from ...

'' (1915, Short) - Second Man in Balcony Front Row (uncredited) * '' Shanghaied'' (1915, Short) - Shipowner (uncredited) * '' The Bank'' (1915, Short) - Bank Customer (uncredited) * '' A Lover's Lost Control'' (1915, Short) - Shoe Clerk (uncredited) * '' Gussle Tied to Trouble'' (1915, Short) - Man with Monocle (uncredited) * '' Gussle's Backward Way'' (1915, Short) - Man with Monocle (uncredited) * '' Gussle Rivals Jonah'' (1915, Short) - Ship Steward / Ship Passenger * '' Gussle's Wayward Path'' (1915, Short) - Clergyman * '' Caught in a Park'' (1915, Short) - The Cop

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ruggles, Wesley Western (genre) film directors Male actors from Los Angeles Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) 1889 births 1972 deaths Film directors from Los Angeles 20th-century American male actors Directors of Best Picture Academy Award winners