Ruth King (1898–1946) was an American

film actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lite ...

of the

silent era 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, wh ...

. She played a mixture of

lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...

and

supporting role A supporting character is a character in a narrative that is not the focus of the primary storyline, but is important to the plot/protagonist, and appears or is mentioned in the story enough to be more than just a minor character or a cameo ap ...

s including starring in several

Essanay Studios The Essanay Film Manufacturing Company was an early American motion picture studio. The studio was founded in 1907 in Chicago, and later developed an additional film lot in Niles Canyon, California. Its various stars included Francis X. Bushman, ...

films directed by

W.S. Van Dyke Woodbridge Strong Van Dyke II (Woody) (March 21, 1889 – February 5, 1943) was an American film director and writer who made several successful early sound films, including ''Tarzan the Ape Man'' in 1932, ''The Thin Man'' in 1934, ''San Franci ...

. King was married to actor Tom Forman. They were divorced in 1917. She later married Ward Hamilton. In 1928, King was sued for $200,000 for alienation of affections. Verda Sherwood charged that her husband, George Sherwood, "had become infatuated with Miss King".

Selected filmography

* ''

The Land of Long Shadows ''The Land of Long Shadows'' is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by W.S. Van Dyke and starring Jack Gardner, Ruth King and Carl Stockdale.Connelly p.371 It marked the directorial debut of Van Dyke, who later became an established di ...

'' (1917) * ''

Open Places ''Open Places'' is a 1917 American silent Western film directed by W. S. Van Dyke and starring Jack Gardner, Carl Stockdale and Ruth King.Connelly, p. 392. Cast * Jack Gardner as Constable Calhoun * Carl Stockdale Carl Stockdale also ...

'' (1917) * '' The Evil Eye'' (1917) * ''

The Range Boss ''The Range Boss'' is a 1917 silent film western directed by W. S. Van Dyke and starring Jack Gardner. It was produced by the Essanay Film Company and released through K-E-S-E. Cast * Jack Gardner - Rex Randerson * Ruth King - Ruth Harkness ...

'' (1917) * '' The Blood of His Fathers'' (1917) * ''

Men of the Desert ''Men of the Desert'' is a 1917 American silent Western film directed by W.S. Van Dyke and starring Jack Gardner, Ruth King and Carl Stockdale.Singer p.389 Cast * Jack Gardner as Jack * Ruth King as May * Carl Stockdale Carl Stockd ...

'' (1917) * ''

The Devil's Pass Key ''The Devil's Pass Key'' (or ''The Devil's Passkey'') is a 1920 silent drama film directed by Erich von Stroheim. Considered a “lost film”, no print is officially known to exist. The film was produced by Universal Pictures and distributed ...

'' (1920) * '' Dangerous Love'' (1920) * ''

Alias Miss Dodd ''Alias Miss Dodd'' is a 1920 American comedy film directed by Harry L. Franklin and written by Charles J. Wilson. The film stars Edith Roberts, Walter Richardson, John Cook, Harry von Meter, Margaret McWade and Vida Johnson. The film was rele ...

'' (1920) * '' A Beggar in Purple'' (1920) * ''

For the Soul of Rafael ''For the Soul of Rafael'' is a 1920 American silent drama film directed by Harry Garson and starring Clara Kimball Young, Bertram Grassby and Eugenie Besserer.Connelly p.350 Cast * Clara Kimball Young as Marta Raquel Estevan * Bertram Grassby a ...

'' (1920) * ''

Fifty Candles ''Fifty Candles'' is a 1921 American silent mystery film directed by Irvin Willat and starring Bertram Grassby, Marjorie Daw and Ruth King.Munden p.236 Cast * Bertram Grassby as Hung Chin Chung * Marjorie Daw as Mary-Will Tellfair * Ruth Ki ...

'' (1921) * '' The Cheater Reformed'' (1921) * '' Silent Years'' (1921) * '' A Cafe in Cairo'' (1924) * ''

He Who Gets Slapped ''He Who Gets Slapped'' ( rus, Тот, кто получает пощёчины, links=no) is a play in four acts by Russian dramatist Leonid Andreyev; completed in August 1915 and first produced in that same year at the Moscow Art Theatre on ...

'' (1924) * ''

The Dixie Handicap ''The Dixie Handicap'' is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by Reginald Barker. The film stars Claire Windsor, Lloyd Hughes, and Otis Harlan. It is written by Waldemar Young. Plot As described in a review in a film magazine, Judge Ro ...

'' (1924) * '' Scandal Proof'' (1925) * ''

The Lady from Hell ''The Lady from Hell'' is a 1926 American silent Western film directed by Stuart Paton and starring Roy Stewart, Blanche Sweet, and Ralph Lewis. It was released in the United Kingdom later the same year by Ideal Films under the alternative t ...

'' (1926) * ''

Driftin' Thru ''Driftin' Thru'' is a 1926 American silent Western film starring Harry Carey. Cast * Harry Carey as Daniel Brown * Stanton Heck as Bull Dunn * Ruth King as Stella Dunn * G. Raymond Nye as Joe Walters * Joseph W. Girard as Sheriff (as Jos ...

'' (1926)

References

External links

Bibliography

* Goble, Alan. ''The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film''. Walter de Gruyter, 1999. 1898 births 1946 deaths American film actresses American silent film actresses 20th-century American actresses People from Sioux City, Iowa {{US-actor-stub