''The Awakening of Ruth'' is a 1917 American silent

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by

Edward H. Griffith Edward H. Griffith (August 23, 1888 – March 3, 1975)F ...

and starring Shirley Mason, George J. Forth and

Donald Hall Donald Andrew Hall Jr. (September 20, 1928 – June 23, 2018) was an American poet, writer, editor and literary critic. He was the author of over 50 books across several genres from children's literature, biography, memoir, essays, and includin ...

.Matheson p.207

Cast

* Shirley Mason as Ruth Hoagland * George J. Forth as Bob Winthrop * Joseph Burke as Reuben Hoagland * William T. Hayes as Reverend Josiah Arbuthnot *

as Dr. William Strong *

Sally Crute Sally Crute (born Sally C. Kirby, June 27, 1886 – August 12, 1971) was an American actress of the silent film era. Biography Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, before entering motion pictures Crute performed on stage. Crute was generally ca ...

as Fay Harrington * Jessie Stevens as Mrs. Greer *

Edward Elkas Edward Elkas (February 8, 1862 – December 17, 1933) was an American film actor of the silent era. He appeared in more than 80 films between 1911 and 1926. He was born in New York City. On Broadway, Elkas portrayed a headwaiter in ''A Tale o ...

as Joseph Ulrich * David Davies as Henri Ressori * Carolyn Lee as Rosaline Fothergill

Plot

Ruth Hoagland lives on an island near Massachusetts, with only her father for company. Her father, Reuben, is a fisherman who spends his time searching for buried treasure. One day, Ruth meets a yachtsman named Bob Winthrop, who is vacationing on the island. Bob and Ruth fall in love, but Bob has to return to his home in New York. After a year, Bob has forgotten Ruth. Then, Ruth finds two chests in a cave. She also finds her father, unconscious from a fall from a cliff. Ruth goes to Massachusetts for help, finding Reverend Josiah Arbuthnot and Dr. William Strong. Upon their return, they find Ruth's father dead. Dr. Strong offers to marry Ruth, but she refuses, still waiting for Bob's return. She divides the chests with Dr. Strong and Reverend Arbuthnot. Dr. Strong, after discovering that the chests only have damp gunpowder, withdraws his savings. He gives the money to Ruth, telling her he got it from selling the items in the chests. He tells her to go to New York and develop her voice. After learning that Bob moved on, Ruth goes back to the island to get ready for Broadway. While back on the island, Ruth discovers the sacrifice Dr. Strong made.

References

*: *:

Bibliography

* Matheson, Sue. ''The John Ford Encyclopedia''. Rowman & Littlefield, 2019.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Awakening of Ruth, The 1917 films 1917 drama films 1910s English-language films American silent feature films Silent American drama films American black-and-white films Films directed by Edward H. Griffith Edison Studios films 1910s American films