Madeleine Ruthven (October 26, 1893 – February 20, 1978) was an American screenwriter and poet active from 1923 to 1936.

Biography

Born to Dwight Skinner and Catherine Bingham in Hornick, Iowa, Madeleine Dwight Skinner was raised in Houston alongside her four siblings. She got her start as a newspaperwoman, working for ''

The Houston Press The ''Houston Press'' is an online newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in the Midtown area. It was also a weekly print newspaper until November 2017. The publication is supported entirely by advertising ...

'' from 1918 to 1920, and fiction writer publishing in magazines like ''The Black Cat'', before moving to Hollywood to pursue screenwriting. Her first job in the industry was working for Marshall Neilan's production company. She began writing stories and title cards before moving her way into penning full screenplays. Many of the films she was credited on during her time in Hollywood were B-Westerns and police dramas. In the 1950s, Ruthven was named by fellow screenwriter

Richard J. Collins Richard J. Collins (July 20, 1914 – February 14, 2013) was an American producer, director and screenwriter prominent in Hollywood during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. He worked on several notable television programs including ''Bonanza'', ' ...

as a Communist sympathizer and put on the blacklist. In addition to writing and/or contributing to over a dozen screenplays over the course of her years in the industry, she also wrote a book of poetry published by Los Angeles-based Primavera Press called ''Summer Denial''. When asked why she took up writing poetry, Ruthven answered, "It's cheaper than getting psychoanalyzed." Another collection of poems was titled ''Sondelius Comes to the Mountains'' (1934). Ruthven married her first husband, Samuel Ruthven, in 1918; the marriage ended in divorce. She married fellow progressive activist Reuben Borough in the 1950s.

Selected filmography

* ''

The Accusing Finger ''The Accusing Finger'' is a 1936 American drama film directed by James P. Hogan and written by Madeleine Ruthven, Brian Marlow, John Bright and Robert Tasker. The film stars Paul Kelly, Marsha Hunt, Kent Taylor, Robert Cummings, Harry Care ...

'' (1936) * '' Straight from the Shoulder'' (1936) * ''

Dangerous Corner ''Dangerous Corner'' was the first play by the English writer J. B. Priestley. It was premiered in May 1932 by Tyrone Guthrie at the Lyric Theatre, London, and filmed in 1934 by Phil Rosen. Priestley had recently collaborated with Edward Kno ...

'' (1934) * ''

Shock Shock may refer to: Common uses Collective noun *Shock, a historic commercial term for a group of 60, see English numerals#Special names * Stook, or shock of grain, stacked sheaves Healthcare * Shock (circulatory), circulatory medical emergen ...

'' (1934) * '' Wu Li Chang'' (1930) *''

The Ship from Shanghai ''The Ship from Shanghai'' is a 1930 Pre-Code American action film directed by Charles Brabin and written by John Howard Lawson. The film stars Conrad Nagel, Kay Johnson, Carmel Myers, Holmes Herbert and Zeffie Tilbury. The film was released ...

'' (1930) (titles) * ''Anna Christie'' (1930) (titles) * '' The Bushranger'' (1928) * '' The Rock of Friendship'' (1928) * '' Spoilers of the West'' (1927) *'' The Frontiersman'' (1927) (story) * ''The Rendezvous'' (1923) (story)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruthven, Madeleine 1893 births 1978 deaths American women screenwriters American women poets Writers from Houston People from Woodbury County, Iowa 20th-century American women writers 20th-century American screenwriters