Ruth Roland (August 26, 1892 – September 22, 1937) was an American stage and film actress and film producer.

Early life and career

Roland was born in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

, California to Elizabeth Lillian Hauser and Jack Roland. Her father managed a

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

, and she became a

child actress The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage or in movies or television. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associated ...

who went on to work in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

. At age 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 A movie star (also known as a film star or cinema star) is an actor or actress who is famous for their starring, or leading, roles in movies. The term is used for performers who are marketable stars as they become popular household names and w ...

. She was hired by director

Sidney Olcott Sidney Olcott (born John Sidney Allcott, September 20, 1872 – December 16, 1949) was a Canadian-born film producer, director, actor and screenwriter. Biography Born John Sidney Allcott in Toronto, he became one of the first great direc ...

who had seen her on stage in New York City. She appeared in her first film, ''A Chance Shot'', for

Kalem Studios The Kalem Company was an early American film studio founded in New York City in 1907. It was one of the first companies to make films abroad and to set up winter production facilities, first in Florida and then in California. Kalem was sold to Vi ...

in 1911, becoming the

leading actress A leading actor, leading actress, or simply lead (), plays the role of the protagonist of a film, television show or play. The word ''lead'' may also refer to the largest role in the piece, and ''leading actor'' may refer to a person who typic ...

of their new West Coast studio. After

Gene Gauntier Gene Gauntier (born Genevieve Gauntier Liggett, August 26, 1885 – December 18, 1966) was an American screenwriter and actress who was one of the pioneers of the motion picture industry. A writer, director, and actress in films from mid 190 ...

's departure from Kalem, she became billed as the new "Kalem Girl." She eventually became

overseer Overseer may refer to: Professions * Supervisor or superintendent; one who keeps watch over and directs the work of others *Plantation overseer, often in the context of forced labor or slavery *Overseer of the poor, an official who administered re ...

of "Kalem House" where all the actors lived. 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 An adventure film is a form of adventure fiction, and is a genre of film. Subgenres of adventure films include swashbuckler films, pirate films, and survival films. Adventure films may also be combined with other film genres such as action, an ...

serial titled '' The Red Circle''. A shrewd businessperson, she established her own

production company A production company, production house, production studio, or a production team is a studio that creates works in the fields of performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, comics, interactive arts, video games, websites, music, and ...

, Ruth Roland Serials, and signed a

distribution Distribution may refer to: Mathematics *Distribution (mathematics), generalized functions used to formulate solutions of partial differential equations * Probability distribution, the probability of a particular value or value range of a vari ...

deal with

Pathé Pathé or Pathé Frères (, styled as PATHÉ!) is the name of various French people, French businesses that were founded and originally run by the Pathé Brothers of France starting in 1896. In the early 1900s, Pathé became the world's largest ...

to make seven 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 ''Cupid Angling'' was a 1918 silent film starring Ruth Roland, and was the only feature film photographed using the Douglass Natural Color process. The film was produced by Leon F. Douglass's National Color Film Company in the Lake Lagunita ...

'' (1918) made in the Natural Color process invented by Leon F. Douglass, and filmed in the

Lake Lagunitas Lake Lagunitas is a reservoir on Lagunitas Creek in Marin County, California. Nearby lakes Lake Lagunitas is one of seven reservoirs providing potable water to the Marin Municipal Water District. It is the oldest and smallest lake in the Mount ...

area of

Marin County, California Marin County is a County (United States), county located in the northwestern part of the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 262,231. Its county seat and ...

. Roland worked the film business until 1930 when she made her first

talkie A sound film is a motion picture A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, percep ...

. Although her voice worked well enough on screen, now entering her forties she returned to performing in

live theatre Live Theatre, formerly Live Theatre Company, is a new writing theatre and company based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. As well as producing and presenting new plays many of which go on to tour nationally and internationally, it seeks out an ...

, making only one more film appearance in 1936.

Personal life and death

Roland was married to Lionel T. Kent on May 16, 1917. The marriage was short-lived: they separated on September 2, 1918, and divorced on April 2, 1919. On February 14, 1929 she married fellow actor

Ben Bard Ben Bard (January 26, 1893 – May 17, 1974) was an American movie actor, stage actor, and acting teacher. With comedian Jack Pearl, Bard worked in a comedy duo in vaudeville. In 1926, Bard, Pearl, and Sascha Beaumont appeared in a short fil ...

, 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. Ruth Roland died of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

in 1937, aged 45, in Hollywood and is interred near her husband in the

Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks & Mortuaries is an American corporation that owns and operates a chain of cemeteries and mortuaries in Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside counties in Southern California. History The company was founded by a group of ...

Glendale, California Glendale is a city in the San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains regions of Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census the population was 196,543, up from ...

. For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Ruth Roland received a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...

at 6220

Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood Boulevard is a major east–west street in Los Angeles, California. It begins in the east at Sunset Boulevard in the Los Feliz district and proceeds to the west as a major thoroughfare through Little Armenia and Thai Town, Hollywoo ...

on February 8, 1960. In 1979, a concrete box containing Roland's personal film collection was discovered buried in the backyard of Roland's house, and donated to the UCLA Film Archives by her heirs in 1980.

Selected filmography

A Matrimonial Martyr.jpg, ''A Matrimonial Martyr'' (1916) The Sultana.jpg, ''The Sultana'' (1916) The Neglected Wife.jpg, ''The Neglected Wife'' (1917) Hands Up 1918.jpg, ''Hands Up'' (1918) Ruth Roland 1919.jpg, ''The Tiger's Trail'' (1919) RuthRolandTimberQueen1922.jpg, ''

The Timber Queen ''The Timber Queen'' is a 1922 American action film, action Silent film, silent film serial directed by Fred Jackman. The film serial stars Ruth Roland and Bruce Gordon (actor/director), Bruce Gordon. Produced by Pathé, Pathé Exchange, the ser ...

'' (1922)

Ruth Roland on the cover of Motion Picture Classic, January 1922, cover by Benjamin Eggleston

* ''A Chance Shot'' (1911) * ''He Who Laughs Last'' (1911) * ''Ruth Roland, the Kalem Girl'' (1912) * ''Pulque Pete and the Opera Troupe'' (1912) * ''The Raiders from Double L Ranch'' (1913) * ''Gertie Gets the Cash'' (1914) * ''

The Deadly Battle at Hicksville ''The Deadly Battle at Hicksville'' is a 1914 American silent short comedy film directed by Marshall Neilan and starring John E. Brennan, Ruth Roland, and Lloyd Hamilton. The film was released by General Film Company on July 31, 1914. Plot ...

'' (1914) * ''The Pursuit of Pleasure'' (1915) * ''The Girl Detective'' (1915) * ''Who Pays?'' (1915) * '' The Red Circle'' (1915) * '' Comrade John'' (1915) * '' A Matrimonial Martyr'' (1916) * ''

The Sultana ''The Sultana'' is a lost 1916 silent film crime drama directed by Sherwood MacDonald and starring Ruth Roland. It was produced by Balboa Amusement Producing Company and distributed by Pathé Exchange. Cast *Ruth Roland as Virginia Lowndes *Will ...

'' (1916) * ''

The Devil's Bait ''The Devil's Bait'' is an extant 1917 dramatic silent feature film starring Ruth Roland, an actress usually associated with serials. It was directed by Harry Harvey and produced by the Balboa Amusement Producing Company. General Film Company han ...

'' (1917) * ''

The Neglected Wife ''The Neglected Wife'' is a 1917 American drama film serial directed by William Bertram. Cast * Ruth Roland as Margaret Warner * Roland Bottomley as Horace Kennedy * Corinne Grant as Mary Kennedy * Neil Hardin as Edgar Doyle (as Neil C. Hardi ...

'' (1917) * ''The Fringe of Society'' (1917) * '' Hands Up'' (1918) * ''

'' (1918) * ''

The Tiger's Trail ''The Tiger's Trail'' is a 1919 American adventure film serial starring Ruth Roland, directed by Robert Ellis, Louis J. Gasnier and Paul Hurst. A "fragmentary print" from the serial survives. Plot As described in a film magazine, Grim Gordon ...

'' (1919) * ''

The Adventures of Ruth ''The Adventures of Ruth'' is a 1919 American film serial directed by George Marshall. It is now considered to be a lost film. The serial was advertised as written, produced and directed by Ruth Roland. Roland was the producer, but it was writt ...

'' (1919) * ''

Ruth of the Rockies ''Ruth of the Rockies'' is a 1920 American silent Western film serial directed by George Marshall. Two of the 15 episodes survive in the UCLA Film and Television Archive. Plot As described in a film magazine, in New York City breezy Bab Murphy ...

'' (1920) * ''

The Avenging Arrow ''The Avenging Arrow'' is a 1921 American silent Western film serial directed by William J. Bowman and W. S. Van Dyke. Its 15 episodes are now considered to be lost. Episodes Fifteen episodes of ''The Avenging Arrow'' were released weekly f ...

'' (1921) * '' White Eagle'' (1922) * ''

'' (1922) * '' Haunted Valley'' (1923) * '' Ruth of the Range'' (1923) * '' Dollar Down'' (1925) * ''

Where the Worst Begins ''Where the Worst Begins'' is a 1925 American silent Western film directed by John McDermott and starring Ruth Roland Ruth Roland (August 26, 1892 – September 22, 1937) was an American stage and film actress and film producer. Early life ...

'' (1925) * '' The Masked Woman'' (1927) * ''

Reno Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...

'' (1930) * ''From Nine to Nine'' (1936)

References

Bibliography

* ''Balboa Films – A History and Filmography of the Silent Film Studio''

External links

* *
Literature on Ruth Roland
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roland, Ruth 1892 births 1937 deaths American child actresses American film actresses Film producers from California American silent film actresses American stage actresses Film serial actresses Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) Actresses from San Francisco American stunt performers Vaudeville performers Deaths from cancer in California Actresses from the San Francisco Bay Area 20th-century American actresses American women film producers