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Ruth Dwyer (actress)

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Ruth Dwyer
Born
Ruth Mildred Dwyer

January 25, 1898
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
DiedMarch 2, 1978 (aged 80)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1919 - 1943 (film)
Spouse
William Jackie
​
(died 1954)​

Ruth Mildred Dwyer (January 25, 1898 – March 2, 1978) was an American film actress.[1] She had a number of starring roles in the silent era, most famously as Buster Keaton's leading lady in Seven Chances (1925). Dwyer mostly retired in 1928 and played a number of uncredited roles in sound films, but retired from the film business completely in the 1940s.

Early life and career

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Dwyer was the eldest of two daughters born to Lydia Hope Strong and Christian A. Dwyer.[2][3][4][5] Her sister Ethel Selina Dwyer also had a brief silent film career although best known as "Jane" opposite Ronald Adair in the 1921 Broadway production of Tarzan of the Apes.[2] Dwyer initially acted in school productions in Brooklyn, after which she and her sister performed on stage. A "test for motion pictures" resulted in her going to Hollywood to pursue work in films.[6]

Dwyer's entertainment career began with her working as a dancer in New York. Her performance in the chorus line in an off-Broadway production in 1919 led to her going to Hollywood. Her film debut came in the serial The Evil Eye.[7]

After a marriage and divorce,[8] Dwyer was married to actor and talent agent William Jackie until his death in 1954. They operated the Ruth Dwyer Agency in San Francisco, helping people obtain parts in films and television shows.[9]

Dwyer died on March 2, 1978, at the Motion Picture Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California.[10]

Selected filmography

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References

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  1. ^ Munden p. 390
  2. ^ a b Vancheri, Barbara (September 4, 1985). "Ethel Dwyer McGrady, played 'Jane' in 'Tarzan'". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 18. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  3. ^ "New York, New York City Births, 1846-1909," , FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2W4H-DQL : 11 February 2018), Ruth Mildred Dwyer, 25 Feb 1898; citing Manhattan, New York, New York, United States, reference cn 2502 New York Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 1,984,285.
  4. ^ "United States Census, 1900", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSP3-5F9 : Wed Jul 17 10:58:57 UTC 2024), Entry for Christan Dwyer and Lydia H Dwyer, 1900.
  5. ^ "United States Census, 1910", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MP1H-4C3 : Sun Mar 10 22:05:57 UTC 2024), Entry for Christian A Dwyer and Lydia H Dwyer, 1910.
  6. ^ Nevin, Susan B. (January 9, 1958). "Former Movie Actress Visits". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 16. Retrieved October 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Trabing, Wally (July 25, 1974). "Mostly about People: Chat With A Pre-Talkie Star". Santa Cruz Sentinel. p. 14. Retrieved March 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Trabing, Wally (May 8, 1958). "Former Silent Screen Actress Makes Her Home In Santa Cruz, Still Active". Santa Cruz Sentinel. p. 10. Retrieved October 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "William Jackie". The New York Times. September 20, 1954. p. 23. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  10. ^ "Ruth Dwyer". AllMovie. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved March 4, 2022.

Bibliography

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  • Munden, Kenneth White. The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States, Part 1. University of California Press, 1997.
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