Ruth Ann Baldwin was a journalist who became a

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

writer and director active during the 1910s, one of the few women to direct in the early era of filmmaking. Despite the fact that she was one of the first female directors in America, not much is known about her, but the work she did in the 1910s was relevant to the society she lived in.

Early life

Ruth Ann Baldwin was born in September 1886 in West Suffield, Connecticut, to Charles Baldwin and Abby Taylor. Her father died when she was young, and she and her mother relocated to the San Diego, California, area. Ruth Ann attended school in National City, where her musical talents were evident, before forging a career as a journalist. After working as a society columnist at '' The San Diego Sun'', she appears to have moved to Los Angeles around 1913. She was engaged to be married to Walter Bullard Ridgeway, a landscape architect, that same year, although that marriage does not seem to have taken place. Baldwin later married actor

Leo Pierson Leo Pierson (1888-1943) was an American film actor who was active during Hollywood's silent era. He was married to director and screenwriter Ruth Ann Baldwin. Biography Leo was born in Abilene, Kansas, to Charles Pierson and his wife, Maude; Ch ...

, who appeared in many of the films she directed, including her two feature films, ''

A Wife on Trial ''A Wife on Trial'' is a 1917 American silent film, silent drama film directed by Ruth Ann Baldwin and starring Mignon Anderson, Leo Pierson, and L.M. Wells.''Guide to the Silent Years of American Cinema'', p. 26 Cast * Mignon Anderson as Phyllis ...

'' and ''

'49–'17 49–'17'' is a 1917 American silent Western film directed by Ruth Ann Baldwin and starring Joseph W. Girard, Leo Pierson and William J. Dyer. Baldwin began work on writing and directing a silent film called ''49–'17,'' in 1917. It was the f ...

''.

Career

In 1913,

Universal Film Manufacturing Company Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...

hired Baldwin as a writer. She wrote scenarios for a number of films produced over the next few years, beginning with ''

Damon and Pythias The story of Damon (; grc-gre, Δάμων, gen. Δάμωνος) and Pythias (; or ; or Phintias, ) is a legend in Greek historic writings illustrating the Pythagorean ideal of friendship. Pythias is accused of and charged with plotting against ...

'' (1914). Most of the films for which she received writing credit are

shorts Shorts are a garment worn over the human pelvis, pelvic area, circling the waist and splitting to cover the upper part of the legs, sometimes extending down to the knees but not covering the entire length of the leg. They are called "shorts" b ...

, but Baldwin also contributed to feature-length films. In December 1914, Universal sent Baldwin to London to assist

E. Phillips Oppenheim Edward Phillips Oppenheim (22 October 1866 – 3 February 1946) was an English novelist, a prolific writer of best-selling genre fiction, featuring glamorous characters, international intrigue and fast action. Notably easy to read, they were vie ...

with turning his, '' The Black Box'' into a 15-episode serial. Phillips was an experienced novelist, but ''The Black Box'' was the first of his works to be adapted for film and Baldwin had gained a reputation for scenario expertise. In August 1916, after working for Universal for several years as a writer and a six-month stint as a film editor, Baldwin became a director for Universal. Her first directorial effort was ''The Mother Call'' (1916), a one-reel drama. In 1917, she directed a feature-length film called ''A Wife on Trial''. Based on the novel ''The Rose Garden Husband'', and starring her husband and

Mignon Anderson Mignon Anderson (March 31, 1892 – February 25, 1983) was an American film and stage actress. Her career was at its peak in the 1910s. Early years Born in Baltimore, Anderson was the daughter of Hallie Howard and Frank Anderson, who were also ...

, the film centers on a girl who dreams of owning a garden and ends up marrying a paralyzed man who owns one. Critic Robert C. McElravy of ''Moving Picture World'' opined, "... it gets over extremely well and will please the average audience immensely".

Post-directing

''49–'17'' is considered Baldwin's final directorial effort. Following ''49–'17'', Baldwin left Universal and returned to screenwriting. From 1919 until around 1921, Baldwin wrote scenarios and screenplays for many more films. In June 1921, Baldwin joined the Clubhouse of the

Screen Writers Guild The Screen Writers Guild was an organization of Hollywood screenplay authors, formed as a union in 1933. In 1954, it became two different organizations: Writers Guild of America, West and the Writers Guild of America, East. Founding Screenwriter ...

, and was elected to the board of directors.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baldwin, Ruth Ann 1886 births American women film directors Film directors from California Silent film directors Year of death missing Women film pioneers American journalists American women journalists