Alma Rubens
Encyclopedia
Alma Rubens was an American silent film
actress and stage performer.
, she performed since youth and became a star at the age of 19. She was educated at the Sacred Heart Convent in San Francisco. Her mother, Theresa, born in December 1871 in San Francisco, was of Irish heritage. Her father, John Ruebens, born in 1857 in Germany, was Jewish, and emigrated to the United States in 1890. An older sister, Hazel, was born in 1893. Although some biographies erroneously state that her birth name was Genevieve Driscoll, Driscoll was in fact her maternal grandmother's maiden name.
. After a short time, Rubens left the troupe on the advice of Franklyn Farnum
(1878–1961), a member of the stock company. Farnum was given a motion picture role and persuaded Rubens to follow him into movies.
Her breakthrough performance was in 1916 in the movie Reggie Mixes In. She made six more films in that same year. In 1917 she starred in The Firefly of Tough Luck, which was a big success. She gained notoriety when she became Douglas Fairbanks
's leading lady in The Half Breed (1916) and supported Fairbanks and Bessie Love
in the cocaine comedy The Mystery of the Leaping Fish
later that same year. Soon she completed The World and His Wife, opposite Montague Love. She continued to work successfully until 1924. In that year she starred in The Price She Paid and Cytherea
. She retired temporarily from the screen in 1926.
Her career practically ended overnight, as fast as it had begun. Rubens did play Julie in the 1929 part-talkie film version of Show Boat
--her next-to-last film and one of her few sound films. The sound track for the portion in which she spoke, however, has apparently been lost.
She found it hard to get roles because of an addiction to cocaine
. William Randolph Hearst
, who had produced several of her earlier films, helped support her at Marion Davies
's request. But because of her addiction, she was in and out of mental institutions. Rubens was treated and pronounced cured of her drug problem at the State Narcotic Hospital in Spadra, California (now part of Pomona, California
), and at Patton State Hospital in San Bernardino, California
. Rubens' addiction became known when she attacked a physician who was taking her to a sanitarium for treatment. During her first confinement at the Spadra facility, Rubens made a spectacular escape. She returned voluntarily before being transferred to the Patton facility.
Her final stage appearance was in January 1930. She had a role in a play at the Writer's Club in Hollywood. Following her parole from the Patton hospital in December 1930, Rubens traveled to New York and announced a theatrical and screen comeback. She made an appearance on stage with her husband while there, but returned to Los Angeles the same month. She was there less than two weeks when she was arrested by Federal officers in San Diego, California
, on a narcotics charge. Rubens claimed she was a victim of a frame-up, and physicians attested to her statements that she was not taking drugs. She was bound over to Federal district court and released on bail, and appeared for a preliminary hearing the second week of January 1931.
Rubens died of pneumonia
the following week. She was unconscious for three days prior to her death at the home of her physician, Dr. Charles J. Pflueger of 112 North Manhattan Place, Los Angeles. She contracted a cold that quickly developed into pneumonia, became comatose, and never recovered. Her doctor described her fatal illness as typhoid asthenic pneumonia, one of the most lethal strains. It is characterized by a low temperature and high pulse rate. Beside her when she died were her mother, Theresa Rubens, and a sister, Hazel Large, of Madera, California
. Rubens was 33 years of age.
, nearly twenty years her senior, lasted only a month. The couple were married secretly, and Rubens sought a divorce in August 1918. In November 1923 she married Dr. Daniel Carson Goodman
, an author and film producer. The marriage was brief and a suit for divorce was filed in January 1925. During the next two years, she made several films for the Fox Film Corporation. When her contact expired, she went to Europe with actor Ricardo Cortez
and married him in February 1926.
Rubens' personal decline began when she returned to California in 1928, as her addiction completely consumed her. The actress once remarked that she became an addict through the mistake of a New York physician who administered a narcotic during an illness. A few months later, additional opiates were needed and the actress confessed she was taking them for every real or imaginary illness.
At the time of her death, Rubens was suing Cortez for divorce. Cortez claimed he had not been notified of his wife's death, and later remarked that he had not seen her for several months and was unaware that she was seriously ill.
Alma Rubens was buried in a mausoleum at Ararat Cemetery in Fresno
. Services were performed by the Gates, Crane & Earl Company of 1724 North Highland Avenue, Hollywood.
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
actress and stage performer.
Early life
Born to John B. and Theresa Hayes Rueben in San Francisco, CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, she performed since youth and became a star at the age of 19. She was educated at the Sacred Heart Convent in San Francisco. Her mother, Theresa, born in December 1871 in San Francisco, was of Irish heritage. Her father, John Ruebens, born in 1857 in Germany, was Jewish, and emigrated to the United States in 1890. An older sister, Hazel, was born in 1893. Although some biographies erroneously state that her birth name was Genevieve Driscoll, Driscoll was in fact her maternal grandmother's maiden name.
Fast career rise and addiction
In 1918, Alma announced that she was changing the spelling of her last name of Rueben to "Rubens" because it caused too much confusion in the movie industry and in publications. Alma's first stage opportunity came in 1917, when a chorus girl in a comedy became ill; the young aspirant was called on to replace her merely because she happened to be there. Soon the stock company came to Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. After a short time, Rubens left the troupe on the advice of Franklyn Farnum
Franklyn Farnum
William Smith , better known by his screen name, Franklyn Farnum, was an American character actor and Hollywood extra who appeared in 433 productions between the years 1916 and 1961....
(1878–1961), a member of the stock company. Farnum was given a motion picture role and persuaded Rubens to follow him into movies.
Her breakthrough performance was in 1916 in the movie Reggie Mixes In. She made six more films in that same year. In 1917 she starred in The Firefly of Tough Luck, which was a big success. She gained notoriety when she became Douglas Fairbanks
Douglas Fairbanks
Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. was an American actor, screenwriter, director and producer. He was best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films such as The Thief of Bagdad, Robin Hood, and The Mark of Zorro....
's leading lady in The Half Breed (1916) and supported Fairbanks and Bessie Love
Bessie Love
Bessie Love was an American motion picture actress who achieved prominence mainly in the silent films and early talkies. With a small frame and delicate features, she played innocent young girls, flappers, and wholesome leading ladies. Her role in The Broadway Melody earned her a nomination for...
in the cocaine comedy The Mystery of the Leaping Fish
The Mystery of the Leaping Fish
The Mystery of the Leaping Fish is a short film starring Douglas Fairbanks and Bessie Love. In this unusually broad comedy for Fairbanks, the acrobatic leading man plays "Coke Ennyday," a cocaine-shooting detective parody of Sherlock Holmes given to injecting himself with cocaine from a bandolier...
later that same year. Soon she completed The World and His Wife, opposite Montague Love. She continued to work successfully until 1924. In that year she starred in The Price She Paid and Cytherea
Cytherea (1924 film)
Cytherea is an American drama film which featured two dream sequences filmed in an early version of the Technicolor color film process.-Production background:...
. She retired temporarily from the screen in 1926.
Her career practically ended overnight, as fast as it had begun. Rubens did play Julie in the 1929 part-talkie film version of Show Boat
Show Boat (1929 film)
Show Boat is a film based on the novel by Edna Ferber. This version was released by Universal in two editions, one a silent film for movie theatres still not equipped for sound, and one a part-talkie with a sound prologue...
--her next-to-last film and one of her few sound films. The sound track for the portion in which she spoke, however, has apparently been lost.
She found it hard to get roles because of an addiction to cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
. William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst was an American business magnate and leading newspaper publisher. Hearst entered the publishing business in 1887, after taking control of The San Francisco Examiner from his father...
, who had produced several of her earlier films, helped support her at Marion Davies
Marion Davies
Marion Davies was an American film actress. Davies is best remembered for her relationship with newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst, as her high-profile social life often obscured her professional career....
's request. But because of her addiction, she was in and out of mental institutions. Rubens was treated and pronounced cured of her drug problem at the State Narcotic Hospital in Spadra, California (now part of Pomona, California
Pomona, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Pomona had a population of 149,058, a slight decline from the 2000 census population. The population density was 6,491.2 people per square mile...
), and at Patton State Hospital in San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...
. Rubens' addiction became known when she attacked a physician who was taking her to a sanitarium for treatment. During her first confinement at the Spadra facility, Rubens made a spectacular escape. She returned voluntarily before being transferred to the Patton facility.
Her final stage appearance was in January 1930. She had a role in a play at the Writer's Club in Hollywood. Following her parole from the Patton hospital in December 1930, Rubens traveled to New York and announced a theatrical and screen comeback. She made an appearance on stage with her husband while there, but returned to Los Angeles the same month. She was there less than two weeks when she was arrested by Federal officers in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, on a narcotics charge. Rubens claimed she was a victim of a frame-up, and physicians attested to her statements that she was not taking drugs. She was bound over to Federal district court and released on bail, and appeared for a preliminary hearing the second week of January 1931.
Rubens died of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
the following week. She was unconscious for three days prior to her death at the home of her physician, Dr. Charles J. Pflueger of 112 North Manhattan Place, Los Angeles. She contracted a cold that quickly developed into pneumonia, became comatose, and never recovered. Her doctor described her fatal illness as typhoid asthenic pneumonia, one of the most lethal strains. It is characterized by a low temperature and high pulse rate. Beside her when she died were her mother, Theresa Rubens, and a sister, Hazel Large, of Madera, California
Madera, California
Madera is a city in and the county seat of Madera County, California, United States. It is a principal city of the Madera–Chowchilla Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Madera County, and Metropolitan Fresno. It is located in California's San Joaquin Valley. As of the 2010...
. Rubens was 33 years of age.
Personal life
Rubens married three times. Her first marriage to actor Franklyn FarnumFranklyn Farnum
William Smith , better known by his screen name, Franklyn Farnum, was an American character actor and Hollywood extra who appeared in 433 productions between the years 1916 and 1961....
, nearly twenty years her senior, lasted only a month. The couple were married secretly, and Rubens sought a divorce in August 1918. In November 1923 she married Dr. Daniel Carson Goodman
Daniel Carson Goodman
Daniel Carson Goodman was an American screenwriter, who wrote the storyline for 28 silent films – the first of them was Sapho . He worked as miscellaneous crew in three films, produced two films and directed one film, Thoughtless Women .He was engaged to marry the actress Florence La Badie...
, an author and film producer. The marriage was brief and a suit for divorce was filed in January 1925. During the next two years, she made several films for the Fox Film Corporation. When her contact expired, she went to Europe with actor Ricardo Cortez
Ricardo Cortez
Jacob Krantz , known by his stage name Ricardo Cortez, was an American film actor who began his career during the silent era.-Life and career:...
and married him in February 1926.
Rubens' personal decline began when she returned to California in 1928, as her addiction completely consumed her. The actress once remarked that she became an addict through the mistake of a New York physician who administered a narcotic during an illness. A few months later, additional opiates were needed and the actress confessed she was taking them for every real or imaginary illness.
At the time of her death, Rubens was suing Cortez for divorce. Cortez claimed he had not been notified of his wife's death, and later remarked that he had not seen her for several months and was unaware that she was seriously ill.
Alma Rubens was buried in a mausoleum at Ararat Cemetery in Fresno
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
. Services were performed by the Gates, Crane & Earl Company of 1724 North Highland Avenue, Hollywood.