Ruth Cummings (originally credited under her maiden name, Ruth Sinclair) was an American screenwriter and actress active from the 1910s through the 1930s. She was married to actor-director

Irving Cummings Irving Caminsky (October 9, 1888 – April 18, 1959) was an American movie actor and director. Career Born in New York City, Cummings started his acting career at age 16 in ''Diplomacy''. His Broadway, performances included ''In the Long ...

in 1917, and they had a son, screenwriter Irving Cummings Jr.

Biography

Cummings was born in Washington, D.C., to actor Henry Dupree Sinclair and his wife, Lillie Schreiner. She followed in her father's footsteps and took to the stage, performing in plays around the D.C. area and eventually winning parts on Broadway. She eventually began appearing in silent films in the 1910s, rising to leading lady status by the 1920s when she won the lead role in 1922's '' The Masquerader''. After marrying Irving Cummings (who she had worked with on films like 1917's '' A Man's Law''), she became Ruth Cummings and began writing titles at MGM. She worked at MGM for many years, and she once told a reporter that she got most of her ideas while drinking chocolate sodas. She appears to have retired after 1935's ''The Perfect Tribute''. She remained married to Cummings until his death in 1959, and she died on December 6, 1984, in the city of Los Angeles, California, in the neighborhood of Woodland Hills.

Selected filmography

The Masquerader (1922) - Post & Cummings

As writer: * ''The Perfect Tribute'' (1935) * '' By Candlelight'' (1933) * '' Never the Twain Shall Meet'' (1931) * '' Daybreak'' (1931) * '' Redemption'' (1930) * ''

Our Modern Maidens ''Our Modern Maidens'' is a 1929 American silent comedy-drama film directed by Jack Conway. Starring Joan Crawford in her last silent film role, the film also stars Rod La Rocque, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., and Anita Page. ''Our Modern Maidens' ...

'' (1929) * ''

The Bridge of San Luis Rey ''The Bridge of San Luis Rey'' is American author Thornton Wilder's second novel. It was first published in 1927 to worldwide acclaim. The novel won the Pulitzer Prize in 1928, and was the best-selling work of fiction that year. Premise ''The Bri ...

'' (1929) * '' Desert Nights'' (1929) * '' Wild Orchids'' (1929) * ''

A Woman of Affairs A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...

'' (1928) * ''

Dream of Love ''Dream of Love'' is a 1928 American silent biographical drama film directed by Fred Niblo, and starring Joan Crawford and Nils Asther. The film is based on the 1849 French tragedy ''Adrienne Lecouvreur'' by Eugène Scribe and Ernest Legouvé ...

'' (1928) * ''

The Masks of the Devil ''The Masks of the Devil'' is a lost 1928 American drama silent film directed by Victor Sjöström and written by Marian Ainslee, Ruth Cummings, Svend Gade and Frances Marion. The film stars John Gilbert, Alma Rubens, Theodore Roberts, Frank ...

'' (1928) * '' Beyond the Sierras'' (1928) * ''

Our Dancing Daughters ''Our Dancing Daughters'' is a 1928 American silent drama film starring Joan Crawford and John Mack Brown about the "loosening of youth morals" that took place during the 1920s. The film was directed by Harry Beaumont and produced by Hunt Str ...

'' (1928) * ''

The Mysterious Lady ''The Mysterious Lady'' (1928) is a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer silent film romantic drama, starring Greta Garbo, Conrad Nagel, and Gustav von Seyffertitz, directed by Fred Niblo, and based on the novel ''War in the Dark'' by Ludwig Wolff. The film g ...

'' (1928) * '' The Adventurer'' (1928) * ''

A Certain Young Man ''A Certain Young Man'' is a 1928 comedy film directed by Hobart Henley. The film stars Ramon Novarro, Marceline Day, Renée Adorée, Carmel Myers and Bert Roach. The film is considered lost. A trailer for the film is preserved at the Library of ...

'' (1928) * ''

Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the s ...

'' (1928) * ''

Love Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of meanings is that the love o ...

'' (1927) * '' In Old Kentucky'' (1927) * '' Quality Street'' (1927) * ''

The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg ''The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg'', also known as ''The Student Prince'' and ''Old Heidelberg'', is a 1927 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer silent drama film based on the 1901 play '' Old Heidelberg'' by Wilhelm Meyer-Förster. It was directed by Ern ...

'' (1927) * '' Foreign Devils'' (1927) * ''

Annie Laurie "Annie Laurie" is an old Scottish song based on a poem said to have been written by William Douglas (1682?–1748) of Dumfriesshire, about his romance with Annie Laurie (1682–1764). The words were modified and the tune was added by Alicia Sco ...

'' (1927) * ''

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

'' (1927) * '' Lovers?'' (1927) * '' Altars of Desire'' (1927) * ''

La Bohème ''La bohème'' (; ) is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions '' quadri'', '' tableaux'' or "images", rather than ''atti'' (acts). composed by Giacomo Puccini between 1893 and 1895 to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giusep ...

'' (1926) * ''

The Tower of Lies ''The Tower of Lies'' is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by Victor Sjöström. It was written by Agnes Christine Johnston and Max Marcin, based upon Selma Lagerlöf's 1914 novel '' The Emperor of Portugallia'' (MGM actually purchased ...

'' (1925) As actress: * ''

Dangerous Pastime ''Dangerous Pastime'' is a 1922 American silent drama film directed by James W. Horne and starring Lew Cody, Cleo Ridgely and Elinor Fair.Connelly p.337 Originally produced under the title ''Wait for Me'' it is also known as ''A Dangerous Pasti ...

'' (1922) * '' The Masquerader'' (1922) * ''

Without Benefit of Clergy ''Without Benefit of Clergy'' is a 1921 American silent drama film directed by James Young and featuring Virginia Brown Faire, Thomas Holding and Boris Karloff. It is based on the story by Rudyard Kipling. A print of the film still exists at t ...

'' (1921) * ''

The Heart Line ''The Heart Line'' is a 1921 American silent drama film directed by Frederick A. Thomson and starring Leah Baird, Jerome Patrick and Frederick Vroom.Goble p.792 Cast * Leah Baird as Fancy Gray * Jerome Patrick as Francis Granthope * Frederick V ...

'' (1921) * '' Some Bride'' (1919) * '' A Man's Law'' (1919) * ''

The Girl with the Green Eyes ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (1916) * '' Zaza'' (1915)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cummings, Ruth Screenwriters from Washington, D.C. American women screenwriters American silent film actresses 20th-century American actresses Actresses from Washington, D.C. 1894 births 1984 deaths 20th-century American women writers 20th-century American screenwriters