Ruth Stonehouse

Ruth Stonehouse (September 28, 1892 "-" May 12, 1941) was a petite star of silent films from Denver, Colorado.

At one time she was a reporter for a Chicago, Illinois newspaper. Stonehouse contributed short stories to magazines.

Actress and Director of Silents

She worked for Triangle Film Corporation and Universal Pictures during a career which extended from 1911 until 1928. As an actress she possessed a unique ability to resemble a man. Her androgynous appearance was most apparent in the role of "Nancy Glenn" in the 1917 motion picture, "The Edge of the Law". She was a talented comedienne who could perform admirably in dramatic roles. An example of the latter was in the patriotic film "Doing Her Bit" (1917), which was directed by Jack Conway.

Also in 1917 Ruth directed the films "Daredevil Dan", "A Walloping Time", "The Winning Pair", "A Limb of Satan", and "Tacky Sue's Romance". These movies were one-reel "orphan asylum pictures," the first of which was entitled "Mary Ann".

Varied Interests

Ruth owned a cabin in Santa Anita Canyon in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Here she entertained men and women of prominence in the film world, cooking "culinary masterpieces" which her friends deemed superior to most chefs. Miss Stonehouse was a fan of the Owen Magnetic Auto and promoted it in newspapers. The car had the capacity to reach a "thousand speeds" without shifting gears. In the California hills the Owen Magnetic was adaptable to the many sharp turns, which called for low and second-gear work. Ruth was an avid gardener who grew fibrous-rooted begonias, pleromas, fuchsias, cinerias, and hyacinths. Her home, located at 204 North Rossmore Avenue in Los Angeles, California, was an adaptation of a Spanish design that was situated well to the front of a large lot. The actress was an active worker in the Children's Home Society for twenty-five years and also a member of the Garden Club of California.

Ruth Stonehouse died in Hollywood, California of a cerebral hemorrhage on May 12, 1941. She was 48. She was listed as Mrs. Felix Hughes in her obituary. Her funeral services were conducted from Wee Kirk o' the Heather, Forest Lawn Memorial Park. She was buried in a mausoleum.

References

*cite news| publisher=Janesville Daily Gazette |title=News Notes From Movieland |date=October 13, 1916 |page=6
*cite news| publisher=Los Angeles Times |title=Millionaires Write Checks For Three "Gearless" Autos" |date=April 29, 1917, |page=V112
*cite news| publisher=Los Angeles Times |title=Quite Some Chef Is Ruth Stonehouse |date=September 30, 1917 |page=III16
*cite news| |publisher=Los Angeles Times |title=Do You Know This Boy? |date=October 2, 1917 |page=II3
*cite news| publisher=Los Angeles Times |title=Film Fame Is Replaced by the Joy of Gardening |date=December 20, 1931 |page=C8
*cite news| publisher=Los Angeles Times |title=Mrs. Felix Hughes |date=May 14, 1941 |page=18