Ruth Taylor (actress)
Encyclopedia
Ruth Taylor was an American
actress in silent film
s and early talkies. Her son is the writer Buck Henry
.
. She was two years old when her parents moved to Portland, Oregon
, where she graduated from high school.
in Ruth's biopic Heading Home
. She was discovered by Mack Sennett
in February 1925 when he was looking for a blonde to play in a Harry Langdon
comedy. She was chosen from around two hundred girls who responded to Sennett's call. She was also selected as one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars
in 1928.
In 1927, Taylor's two-year contract with Mack Sennett expired. She was cast as Lorelei Lee in the silent movie
version of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
(1928). Directed by Malcolm St. Clair
, the film co-starred Alice White and Ford Sterling
.
During the search for Lorelei Lee, fans sent 14,000 letters to Paramount Pictures
. Each suggested a choice of an actress for the role. In return, every fan was mailed a photo of Ruth Taylor when she was selected for the part. It was the largest shipment of pictures of one person ever shipped from Hollywood. Anita Loos was determined that Taylor play the role of her literary character. Just Married (1928) was the first offering in what was billed as a new comedy team featuring Taylor and James Hall. Produced by B.P. Schulberg, the movie was directed by Frank R. Strayer.
Taylor's final screen credits are roles in A Hint to Brides (1929), The College Coquette (1929), This Thing Called Love
(1929), and Scrappily Married (1930).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress in silent film
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...
s and early talkies. Her son is the writer Buck Henry
Buck Henry
Henry Zuckerman, better known as Buck Henry , is an American actor, writer, film director, and television director.-Early life:...
.
Early years
Born Ruth Alice Taylor to Norman and Ivah (Bates) Taylor in Grand Rapids, MichiganGrand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
. She was two years old when her parents moved to Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, where she graduated from high school.
Film career
After participating in amateur dramatics as a youth, Taylor persuaded her mother to bring her to Hollywood where the teenager spent a year working as an extra. In 1920, Taylor played opposite Babe RuthBabe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
in Ruth's biopic Heading Home
Heading Home
Heading Home is a 1920 American silent film directed by Lawrence C. Windom. It attempts to create a mythology surrounding the life of baseball player Babe Ruth....
. She was discovered by Mack Sennett
Mack Sennett
Mack Sennett was a Canadian-born American director and was known as the innovator of slapstick comedy in film. During his lifetime he was known at times as the "King of Comedy"...
in February 1925 when he was looking for a blonde to play in a Harry Langdon
Harry Langdon
Harry Philmore Langdon was an American comedian who appeared in vaudeville, silent films , and talkies. He was briefly partnered with Oliver Hardy.-Life and career:...
comedy. She was chosen from around two hundred girls who responded to Sennett's call. She was also selected as one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars
WAMPAS Baby Stars
The WAMPAS Baby Stars was a promotional campaign sponsored by the Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers in the United States which honored thirteen young women each year whom they believed to be on the threshold of movie stardom. They were selected from 1922 to 1934, and annual...
in 1928.
In 1927, Taylor's two-year contract with Mack Sennett expired. She was cast as Lorelei Lee in the silent movie
Silent Movie
Silent Movie is a 1976 satirical comedy film co-written, directed by, and starring Mel Brooks, and released by 20th Century Fox on June 17, 1976...
version of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (lost film)
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes was a silent film directed by Mal St. Clair, co-written by Anita Loos based on her novel, and released by Paramount Pictures. No copies are known to exist, and it is now considered to be a lost film...
(1928). Directed by Malcolm St. Clair
Malcolm St. Clair (filmmaker)
Malcolm St. Clair was a Hollywood film director, writer, producer and actor, he was sometimes credited as Mal St Clair. A disciple of Mack Sennett, St. Clair was an actor in many films primarily comedies. At 6'7" he can be seen in such Sennett films as Yankee Doodle in Berlin, towering over the...
, the film co-starred Alice White and Ford Sterling
Ford Sterling
Ford Sterling was an American comedian and actor best known for his work with Keystone Studios. One of the 'Big 4' he was the original chief of the Keystone Cops.-Biography:...
.
During the search for Lorelei Lee, fans sent 14,000 letters to Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
. Each suggested a choice of an actress for the role. In return, every fan was mailed a photo of Ruth Taylor when she was selected for the part. It was the largest shipment of pictures of one person ever shipped from Hollywood. Anita Loos was determined that Taylor play the role of her literary character. Just Married (1928) was the first offering in what was billed as a new comedy team featuring Taylor and James Hall. Produced by B.P. Schulberg, the movie was directed by Frank R. Strayer.
Taylor's final screen credits are roles in A Hint to Brides (1929), The College Coquette (1929), This Thing Called Love
This Thing Called Love
This Thing Called Love is a US romantic comedy film starring Edmund Lowe, Constance Bennett, Ruth Taylor, Roscoe Karns, Zazu Pitts, and Jean Harlow. Harlow appears in a cameo role, as she was not yet famous....
(1929), and Scrappily Married (1930).