Occupation Actress, producer Parents Lillian Elizabeth Roland Role Film actress | Name Ruth Roland Years active 1908–1935 Education Hollywood High School | |
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Born August 26, 1892 ( 1892-08-26 ) San Francisco, California, U.S. Died September 22, 1937, Hollywood, California, United States Movies Ruth of the Rockies, The Timber Queen, The Red Circle Spouse Ben Bard (m. 1929–1937), Lionel T. Kent (m. 1917–1919) Similar People Ben Bard, James W Horne, George Marshall, W S Van Dyke, Louis J Gasnier | ||
Ruth Roland
Ruth Roland (August 26, 1892 – September 22, 1937) was an American stage and film actress and film producer.
Contents
Early life and career
Ruth Roland was born in San Francisco, California. Her father managed a theatre, and she became a child actress who went on to work in vaudeville. She was hired by director Sidney Olcott who had seen her on stage in New York City. She appeared in her first film for Kalem Studios in 1909 and along with actress Gene Gauntier was soon billed as a "Kalem Girl". She eventually was sent to Kalem's West Coast studio, where she was the leading actress and overseer of "Kalem House" where all the actors lived. Aged 12, she was the youngest student at Hollywood High School, having attended the school around 1904 or 1905 (there is debate on this date). Roland was Hollywood High School's first homegrown movie star.
Roland left Kalem and went on to even more fame at Balboa Films, where she was under contract from 1914 to 1917. In 1915 she appeared in a 14-episode adventure film serial titled The Red Circle. A shrewd businessperson, she established her own production company and signed a distribution deal with Pathé to make six new multi-episode serials that proved very successful.
Between 1909 and 1927, Roland appeared in more than 200 films. She appeared in an early color feature film Cupid Angling (1918) made in the Natural Color process invented by Leon F. Douglass, and filmed in the Lake Lagunitas area of Marin County, California.
Roland worked the film business until 1930 when she made her first talkie. Although her voice worked well enough on screen, now entering her forties she returned to performing in live theatre, making only one more film appearance, a talkie, in 1935.
Personal life
Roland was married to Lionel T. Kent from 1917 to 1919. In 1929 she married fellow actor Ben Bard, who also had a stage acting background, and ran a Hollywood acting school after they married. They were together until the end of Roland's life.
Death
Ruth Roland died of cancer in 1937, aged 45, in Hollywood and is interred near her husband, Ben Bard in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.
For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Ruth Roland received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6220 Hollywood Boulevard on February 8, 1960.
Filmography
Actress
1936
From Nine to Nine as
Cornelia Du Play
1930
Reno as
Felicia Brett
1927
Life in Hollywood No. 6 (Short)
1927
Life in Hollywood No. 7 (Short)
1927
The Masked Woman as
Dolly Green
1925
Where the Worst Begins as
Jane Brower
1925
Dollar Down as
Ruth Craig
1923
Ruth of the Range as
Ruth Remington
1923
The Haunted Valley as
Ruth Ranger
1922
The Timber Queen as
Ruth Reading
1922
White Eagle as
Ruth Randolph
1921
The Avenging Arrow as
Anita Delgado
1920
Ruth of the Rockies as
Bab Murphy
1919
The Adventures of Ruth as
Ruth Robin
1919
The Tiger's Trail as
Belle Boyd
1919
Love and the Law (participation unconfirmed)
1918
Hands Up as
Echo Delane
1918
Cupid Angling
1918
Shifting Sands (Short) as
The Wife
1918
The Rebound (Short) as
Violet
1918
In Poverty's Power (Short) as
The Sister
1918
Sold for Gold (Short) as
The Wife
1918
The Sin of Innocence (Short)
1918
The Cat's Paw (Short)
1918
Counterfeit Clues (Short) as
The Flirt
1918
Phantom Fame (Short) as
Kate Denton
1918
The Price of Folly (Short)
1917
A Message from Reno (Short)
1917
The Fringe of Society as
Esther Drake
1917
The Stolen Play as
Sylvia Smalley
1917
The Neglected Wife as
Margaret Warner
1917
The Devil's Bait (Short) as
Doris Sheldon
1916
The Sultana as
Virginia Lowndes
1916
The Matrimonial Martyr as
Erma Desmond / Bertie Stanley
1915
The Red Circle as
June Travers
1915
Comrade John as
Cynthia Grey
1915
Toil and Tyranny (Short) as
Laura Powers
1915
The Fruit of Folly (Short) as
Isabel Clay
1915
The Pomp of Earth (Short) as
Edith Hilton
1915
For the Commonwealth (Short) as
Clarice Adair
1915
Today and Tomorrow (Short) as
Julia Monroe - Lee's Fiancée
1915
Blue Blood and Yellow (Short) as
Anita Logan
1915
Houses of Glass (Short) as
Mrs. Ray Norris
1915
Unto Herself Alone (Short) as
Alicia Knight
1915
The Love Liar (Short) as
Selma Ashton
1915
When Justice Sleeps (Short) as
The Extravagant Wife
1915
The Pursuit of Pleasure (Short) as
Rita Deane
1915
The Price of Fame (Short) as
Ann Booth - later The Wife
1915
Who Pays?
1915
Following a Clue (Short) as
Ruth, the Girl Detective
1915
Jared Fairfax's Millions (Short) as
Ruth, the Girl Detective
1915
Old Isaacson's Diamonds (Short) as
Ruth, the Girl Detective
1915
She Would Be a Cowboy (Short) as
Helen
1915
The Mystery of the Tea Dansant (Short) as
Ruth, the Girl Detective
1915
The Disappearance of Harry Warrington (Short) as
Ruth, the Girl Detective
1915
The Apartment House Mystery (Short) as
Ruth, the Girl Detective
1915
The Affair of the Deserted House (Short) as
Ruth- the Society Girl
1915
The Girl Detective (Short) as
Ruth - The Girl Detective
1915
A Model Wife (Short) as
Mrs. Morton
1915
The Tip-Off (Short) as
Blanche Adams
1914
Love, Oil and Grease (Short) as
Hazel - Ray's Sweetheart
1914
Cupid Backs the Winners (Short) as
Dorothy
1914
Bud, Bill and the Waiter (Short) as
Mildred
1914
Ham the Iceman (Short) as
Mrs. Rubberhead
1914
A Peach at the Beach (Short) as
Mrs. Hothead - a Flirtatious Wife
1914
Ham, the Piano Mover (Short) as
Mrs. Newlywed
1914
Lizzie the Life Saver (Short) as
Lizzie
1914
Ham and the Villain Factory (Short) as
Millicent - a Telegraph Operator
1914
Si's Wonderful Mineral Spring (Short) as
Helen Mayfield
1914
The Tattered Duke (Short) as
Jean Newlyrich
1914
The Slavery of Foxicus (Short) as
Ruthinius - Foxicus' Sweetheart
1914
Ham the Lineman (Short) as
Mrs. Johnson
1914
When Men Wear Skirts (Short) as
Billee - a Barber
1914
Sherlock Bonehead (Short) as
Helen - a Girl from the Ciry
1914
A Substitute for Pants (Short) as
Ruth - the Ranch Owner's Daughter
1914
Don't Monkey with the Buzz Saw (Short) as
The Henpecking Wife
1914
The Deadly Battle at Hicksville (Short) as
Dolly - a Southern Belle
1914
The Bingville Fire Department (Short) as
Minnie - the Mayor's Daughter
1914
Wanted: An Heir (Short) as
Tilly - a Country Girl
1914
Rube, the Interloper (Short) as
Helen - an Actress
1914
Fleeing from the Fleas (Short) as
Clementine White
1914
An Elopement in Rome (Short) as
Cleo - Darius' Sweetheart
1914
The Wages of Sinn (Short) as
Mrs. Sinn - the Family Treasurer
1914
Reaping for the Whirlwind (Short) as
Blanche - Aspiring Actress
1914
Tight Shoes (Short) as
Alice - Bennet's Sweetheart
1914
The Girl and the Gondolier (Short) as
Theresa Garlic
1914
McBride's Bride (Short) as
Helen Highbrow
1914
Dippy's Dream (Short) as
Ruth Schnitzel - Hans' Daughter
1914
Gertie Gets the Cash (Short) as
Gertie - Matilda's Niece
1914
Hubby's Night Off (Short) as
Helen - Jim's Wife
1914
The Confiscated Count (Short) as
Elsie Vanderfeller
1914
And the Villain Still Pursued Her (Short) as
Geraldine - John's Wife
1914
The Family Skeleton (Short) as
Flo - the Bride
1914
Her Fallen Hero (Short) as
Mandy - Gike's Daughter
1914
Looking for a Fortune (Short) as
Nell
1914
Hiram's Hotel (Short) as
Belle - a Cabaret Dancer
1914
Reggie, the Squaw Man (Short) as
Annie Wagontongue - Pump Handle's Daughter
1914
A Bottled Romance (Short) as
Helen
1914
Too Many Johnnies (Short) as
Mrs. Jones
1914
The Gun Behind the Man (Short) as
Bessie
1914
The Medicine Show at Stone Gulch (Short) as
Pearl - Connem's Assistant
1914
At Last They Eat (Short) as
Undetermined Role (unconfirmed)
1914
Only One Shirt (Short) as
Mabel - Billy's Sweetheart
1914
The Joke on Jane (Short) as
Jane Davis - the Wife
1914
Bill's Board Bill (Short) as
Mrs. Cross - the Landlady
1913
Able-Minded Abe
1913
Fat and Fate (Short)
1913
Emancipated Women (Short) as
Jean
1913
General Bunko's Victory (Short) as
Helen - Bunko's Sweetheart
1913
While Father Telephoned (Short) as
Ethel Marlin - the Daughter
1913
Good for the Gout (Short) as
The Daughter
1913
The Good Old Summer Time (Short) as
Mrs. Mason
1913
The Laundress and the Lady (Short) as
Mary Hall
1913
Hypnotizing Mamie (Short) as
Mamie
1913
The Fickle Freak (Short) as
The Bearded Lady
1913
The Tightwad's Present (Short) as
Mrs. Tightwad
1913
The Speed Limit (Short) as
Jane Holden - the Judge's Daughter
1913
The Troublesome Telephone (Short) as
Mrs. Morris - his wife
1913
Pete's Insurance Policy (Short) as
Mandy - Pete's Sweetheart
1913
And the Watch Came Back (Short) as
Anna - Jack's Sweetheart
1913
The Hobo and the Myth (Short) as
Dolly Martin
1913
One Best Bet (Short) as
Ida - Bud's Wife
1913
The Burglar and the Baby (Short) as
The Nurse
1913
Boggs' Predicament (Short) as
Marie - Geoffrey's Sweetheart
1913
Mike, the Timid Cop (Short) as
Nora, the Cook
1913
The Captivating Widow (Short) as
The Captivating Widow
1913
The Amateur Burglar (Short) as
Mrs. Brown
1913
The Hobo and the Hobble Skirt (Short) as
Mrs. Smith
1913
Hoodooed on His Wedding Day (Short) as
Isabel
1913
The Tenderfoot's Luck (Short) as
Jean - the Belle
1913
What the Doctor Ordered (Short) as
Jane - John's Wife
1913
Entertaining Uncle (Short) as
Flossie - the Stenographer
1913
The Raiders from Double L Ranch (Short) as
Bessie Morgan - Frank's Sister
1913
Curing Her Extravagance (Short) as
Kate Morton - the Daughter
1913
The Knight of Cyclone Gulch (Short) as
Mary - Bill's Sweetheart
1913
Cupid's Lariat (Short) as
Jane Stebbins - the Daughter
1913
Smoked to a Finish (Short) as
Mrs. Brown
1913
Percy's Wooing (Short) as
Nellie Gray
1913
When Women Are Police (Short) as
Jennie Lee
1913
The Comedy Team's Strategy (Short) as
Jane - an Actress
1913
The Black Hand (Short) as
Clara Montford - the Daughter
1913
The Egyptian Mummy (Short) as
Arvilla Howe - the Professor's Daughter
1913
Pat, the Cowboy (Short) as
Betty
1913
The Hash House Count (Short) as
Jane
1913
Fatty's Busy Day (Short) as
Mary
1913
A Coupon Courtship (Short) as
Ruth
1913
The Phony Singer (Short) as
Helen
1913
The Bravest Girl in California (Short) as
The Comedian's Daughter
1913
The Indestructible Mr. Jenks (Short) as
Mrs. Jenks
1913
Fatty's Deception (Short) as
Emma
1913
The 'Fired' Cook (Short) as
Mrs. Adair
1913
The Cat and the Bonnet (Short) as
Mrs. Brown
1913
Jones' Jonah Day (Short) as
Mrs. Jones
1913
The Indian Maid's Warning (Short) as
Starlight - an Indian Maid
1913
Absent Minded Abe (Short) as
Abe's Sweetheart
1913
Parcel Post Johnnie (Short) as
Flossie - Johnnie's Sweetheart
1913
The Sheriff of Stone Gulch (Short) as
Helen - the Sheriff's Daughter
1913
Sally's Guardian (Short)
1913
The Cold Storage Egg (Short) as
Eva
1913
Trixie and the Press Agent (Short) as
Trixie Blossom
1913
The Matrimonial Venture of the 'Bar X' Hands (Short) as
One of the Girls (unconfirmed)
1913
Three Suitors and a Dog (Short) as
Ethel
1913
The Horse That Wouldn't Stay Hitched (Short) as
Ruth - Abbott's Daughter
1913
One on Willie (Short) as
Helene Dolliver - Hiram's Daughter
1913
A Hero's Reward (Short) as
Iva - Hen's Sweetheart
1913
The Manicurist and the Mutt (Short) as
Marcella - the Manicurist
1913
The Mission of a Bullet (Short) as
Alice
1912
The Peace Offering (Short) as
Arthur's Wife
1912
A Mountain Tragedy (Short) as
Nell - Kincaid's Ward
1912
Brave Old Bill (Short) as
Nettie - 1st Bathing Girl
1912
Pulque Pete and the Opera Troupe (Short) as
The Chorus Girl
1912
The Mummy and the Cowpuncher (Short) as
Julia - Rant's Daughter
1912
A California Snipe Hunt (Short) as
Hattie - the Village Belle
1912
Something Wrong with Bessie (Short) as
Bessie
1912
The Chaperon Gets a Ducking (Short) as
Minnie
1912
Strong Arm Nellie (Short) as
Nellie
1912
The Landlubber (Short) as
Polly - Ned's Sweetheart
1912
I Saw Him First (Short) as
Lilly
1912
The Bachelor's Bride (Short) as
Nellie
1912
Stenographer Wanted (Short) as
Minnie - The Stenographer
1912
Death Valley Scotty's Mine (Short) as
Nell
1912
Paying the Board Bill (Short) as
Ruth
1912
The Belle of the Beach (Short) as
Lizzie Mooney - Belle of the Beach
1912
A Hospital Hoax (Short) as
Nora - the Nurse
1912
Queen of the Kitchen (Short) as
Mrs. Clark
1912
Fat Bill's Wooing (Short) as
Tina
1912
In Peril of Their Lives (Short) as
The Fisherman's 1st Daughter
1912
Dr. Skinnem's Wonderful Invention (Short) as
The Old Maid
1912
The Loneliness of the Hills (Short) as
Moonlight - an Ogallala Maid
1912
The Hoodoo Hat (Short) as
Della
1912
The Woman Hater (Short) as
Phyllis Longworth
1912
The Beauty Parlor of Stone Gulch (Short) as
Tillie Temple
1912
The Girl Bandits' Hoodoo (Short) as
Nell
1912
The Chauffeur's Dream (Short) as
Dolores Wentworth
1912
The Pugilist and the Girl (Short) as
Velma Fischer
1912
Ranch Girls on a Rampage (Short) as
Jennie - a Ranch Girl
1912
Hypnotic Nell (Short) as
Nell - the Ranch Girl
1912
A Fish Story (Short) as
Vivian Grant
1912
The Pasadena Peach (Short) as
Mary - the Pasadena Peach
1912
The Trail of Gold (Short) as
Mary
1912
The Schoolma'm of Stone Gulch (Short) as
Bess - the Schoolma'm of Stone Gulch
1912
Outwitting Father (Short) as
Jennie Armstrong
1912
The Kidnapped Conductor (Short) as
Ruth - the Cashier
1912
The Trail Through the Hills (Short) as
Mary Lane - a Pioneer's Daughter
1912
The Romance of a Dry Town (Short) as
Jennie
1912
The Girl Deputy (Short) as
Rose - The Girl Deputy
1912
The Swimming Party (Short)
1912
Walk, -- You, Walk! (Short) as
Rose
1912
Accidents Will Happen (Short) as
Ruth
1912
How Jim Proposed (Short)
1912
Things Are Seldom What They Seem (Short) as
Dorothy Dix, a Ranchman's Daughter
1912
The Desert Trail (Short) as
May
1912
The Dude Cowboy (Short) as
Rose - Dick's Sweetheart
1912
The Cowboy Artist's Jonah Day (Short) as
The Light of Pete's Eye
1911
He Who Laughs Last (Short) as
Kitty
1911
Too Much Realism (Short) as
Lyn - a Cowgirl
1911
How Texas Got Left (Short) as
Dell
1911
The Mesquite's Gratitude (Short) as
Bess
1911
The Smugglers (Short) as
Rose
1911
Arizona Bill (Short) as
Nancy - the Rancher's Daughter
1911
A Sheepman's Triumph (Short) as
Nan
1911
A Chance Shot (Short) as
White Doe - the Chief's Daughter
1910
Her Indian Mother (Short) as
Moore's Indian Wife
1910
The Indian Scout's Vengeance (Short)
1909
The Cardboard Baby (Short)
1909
The Old Soldier's Story (Short)
1908
The Scarlet Letter (Short)
Producer
1923
The Haunted Valley (producer - uncredited)
1922
White Eagle (producer)
1921
The Avenging Arrow (producer)
1920
Ruth of the Rockies (producer)
1919
The Adventures of Ruth (producer)
Director
1919
The Adventures of Ruth (uncredited)
Writer
1919
The Adventures of Ruth (story)
Self
1930
Fashion News (Documentary short) as
Self (1929)
1930
Screen Snapshots Series 9, No. 24 (Short) as
Self
1930
The Voice of Hollywood No. 14 (Short) as
Self (uncredited)
1930
The Voice of Hollywood No. 15 (Short) as
Self (uncredited)
1930
The Voice of Hollywood No. 13 (Short) as
Self - Guest Host
1930
The Voice of Hollywood, Series 1, No. 2 (Short) as
Self
1928
The Circus: Premiere (Documentary short) as
Self
1926
Screen Snapshots (Short documentary) as
Self
1925
Screen Snapshots No. 2 (Documentary short) as
Self
1925
Screen Snapshots, Series 6, No. 2 (Documentary short) as
Self
1923
Screen Snapshots, Series 3, No. 26 (Documentary short) as
Self
1923
Screen Snapshots, Series 3, No. 24 (Documentary short) as
Self
1923
Screen Snapshots, Series 3, No. 20 (Documentary short) as
Self
1923
Screen Snapshots, Series 3, No. 17 (Documentary short) as
Self
1922
Screen Snapshots, Series 3, No. 15 (Documentary short) as
Self
1922
Screen Snapshots, Series 3, No. 6 (Documentary short) as
Self
1921
Screen Snapshots, Series 1, No. 20 (Documentary short) as
Self
1912
Ruth Roland, the Kalem Girl (Documentary short) as
Self
Archive Footage
1962
The Great Chase (Documentary)
1961
Days of Thrills and Laughter (Documentary) as
Self
1942
Screen Snapshots Series 22, No 10 (Short) as
Self
1937
Screen Snapshots Series 17, No. 1 (Documentary short) as
Self
References
Ruth Roland Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA