Ruth Stonehouse Movies

Dorothy Reid -- who before her marriage to ill-fated screen idol Wallace Reid was better known as Dorothy Davenport -- was both producer and star of Satin Woman. After the death of her husband from drug abuse in 1923, Davenport dedicated herself to helping others avoid the pitfalls of modern life by turning out a series of cautionary film fables. In Satin Woman, she endeavored to warn society women not to neglect their families for the sake of fads, foibles, and handsome younger men. Mrs. Jean Taylor (played by Davenport) learns this lesson too late when her husband George (Rockliffe Fellows) and daughter Jean Jr. (Alice White) walk out on her. When her daughter's head is turned by oily lounge lizard Maurice (John Miljan), the sadder-but-wiser Mrs. Taylor vows to prevent Jean Jr. from making the same mistakes that "mommy" did. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The "poor girls" in this big-city melodrama are actually one in number: heroine Dorothy Revier, who has been raised to believe that she was born into a wealthy and well-connected family. Upon learning that her sainted mother is a "mere" nightclub hostess, the pampered Revier leaves home in a huff and heads for New York, where she lands a job in a department store. Only after being threatened by various urban pitfalls does Revier come to realize how much she truly owes her mother for sheltering her from such perils. Critics in 1927 complained that Dorothy Revier's character was too unsympathetic to sustain interest for six full reels. Nor were they impressed by leading man Edmund Burns, whom they found stiffer than usual. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

"God Damn" O'Day (William Desmond) swears off gambling after he is falsely accused of murdering the husband of a saloon vamp, Denver Nell (Marguerite Clayton). Escaping from jail, God Damn manages to track down the real killer and later celebrates his good fortune by changing his name to "Good Deed" O'Day. If nothing else, this typical oater, filled with reliable veterans of the genre, proved that you could actually use the phrase "God damn" with impunity in 1925. Such language was rejected by the censors ten years later and "damn" wasn't heard again until Rhett Butler's famous closing line in Gone With the Wind (1939). ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

Financed to a great extent by local businessmen and historical societies, this Colorado-lensed silent western once again portrayed a highly fictionalized nine-reel account of General George Armstrong Custer's last stand. Former serial hero Robert Frazer starred as a college-educated Native American army captain whose loyalties are divided. There were a few scenes of the army captain romancing the commander's daughter (Clara Bow, of all people), and he later rescued Helen Ferguson from a war party. But the film centered mainly on the famous final battle, with Custer as the absolute hero and the Sioux braves a mostly anonymous enemy. Veteran actress Ruth Stonehouse portrayed Custer's widow, Libby, while Johnnie Walker and Walter McGrail played rival army lieutenants. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

The blend of comedy and melodrama in this picture did not work very well; perhaps that was because the material on which it was based -- an unsuccessful play by Paul Dickey and Mann Page -- wasn't very good to begin with. A pair of crooks -- High Shine Joe (Ben Deely) and Hair Pin Annie (Ruth Stonehouse), rob an Austin, TX, bank but Joe takes off without giving Annie her share of the loot. Annie believes that a large black bag carried by Eggs Winslow (Theodore Von Eltz) may have some of the money, and she follows him through a Pullman car. While on the train she meets Sea Bass (Walter McGrail), who says he's also got a score to settle with Joe. It turns out that the black bag contains nothing but screenplays -- Winslow is a writer -- and the crooks work out a scheme. Winslow writes a serial and the crooks use it to frame Joe with the use of a double. Joe, who is in South America, sees the serial and dashes back to the States to kill the writer. But another one of Joe's victims shows up with the police, which saves Winslow's life. Sea Bass reveals he's a detective and he wins Annie, who has decided to go straight. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

Mary Miles Minter once more emulates her great rival Mary Pickford in Don't Call Me Little Girl. Ms. Minter plays a Miss Fixit type who descends upon a small town and warms everyone's heart therein. Her biggest task is to land a husband for her plain-jane cousin Ruth Stonehouse. Don't Call Me Little Girl was directed by Joseph Henaberry, Fatty Arbuckle's favorite director; ironically, within a year both Minter and Arbucke's careers would be destroyed by scandal. The film was based on Jerry, a play by Catherine Chisholm Cushing. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Actress Ruth Stonehouse was a pioneer in motion pictures, and during the 1910s she had the opportunity to both direct and star in a number of her films. Mary Ann (Stonehouse) is in love with Jimmy (David Kershaw), and is upset when her mother claims it's just puppy love. Jimmy is in love with a pretty girl, but she is spoiled and snubs him because he has no money to spend on her. Mary Ann resolves to make enough money to buy some nice clothes in the hope that it will make Jimmy notice her. She takes a job scrubbing floors at the local police station, using the money to buy some finery. Jimmy is trying to find a way to get some money. When Mrs. Kelly (Lydia Yeamans) drops her purse, he tries to take it. Mrs. Kelly catches him and calls for the police. Mary Ann stops the cop from arresting Jimmy and blames his actions on "that vampire." The cop lets Jimmy off, and Mary Ann uses the opportunity to wheedle a kiss out of him. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

This drama was adapted from a story that Maud Pettus wrote for All Story magazine. Nancy Glenn (Ruth Stonehouse), better known as "the Spider," dresses up in boy's clothes and steals women's purses for Pop Hoagland (M. W. Testa), a fence. She only escapes arrest by detective Spike O'Neill (Harry Dunkinson) because wealthy Ralph Harding (Lloyd Whitlock) and his friend Stella Farnsworth (Betty Schade) beg him to let her go. Not long after that, Nancy, while dressed in girl's clothes, is hit by a car and carried into the Harding home. She recognizes Ralph but doesn't reveal her identity. His mother (Lydia Yeamans Titus) becomes fond of the girl and accepts her as family. But things get complicated when Pliny Drew (J. Webster Dill), one of Nancy's old associates, swindles Ralph in a mining scheme and Nancy tries to intervene. O'Neill, meanwhile, is investigating the theft of some jewelry stolen from the Harding home and suspects Nancy. The butler turns out to be the thief, and Ralph gives Drew a sound thrashing. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

This amusing film is an absurd blend of two genres popular in the late 1910's -- the western and the mythical kingdom adventure. Jack Mulhall plays Jim, an Arizona cowboy who, along with his college-bred Indian pal (Noble Johnson), strike gold. With their newfound wealth they decide to go to Europe and happen upon the aforementioned mythical kingdom. Jim climbs over the wall to the Queen's palace -- he's never seen a queen before. In fact, he doesn't recognize her (Ruth Stonehouse) when he sees her, but he does fall instantly in love. The Queen, Sylvia, tells him she must marry the dissipated King Ferdinand (Jean Hersholt), who rules the neighboring kingdom; if she doesn't there will be war. Jim and the Indian take at look at the King's forces and tells Queen Sylvia that they're a sorry bunch. He knows a group of rough riders who fought in the Spanish War who could whup them. So Jim sends for his buddies and they vanquish the King's forces, enabling the Queen to marry the cowboy. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

Gambler John Kinkaid (R.A. Calvin) is suspected of stealing $10,000 to finance his Mexican gambling casino. Lady detective Nellie Gleason (Ruth Stonehouse) heads South of the Border, hoping to get the goods on Kinkaid and to retrieve the cash. Quite taken by Nellie, Kinkaid risks arrest to visit her in her Stateside headquarters. By now, Nellie has likewise fallen in love with Kinkaid and cannot bring herself to place him in custody. Ultimately, however, Duty wins out over Passion, and Nellie tearfully sets a trap for the moonstruck Kinkaid. Evidently hoping to have their cake and eat it too, the producers tacked on a happy ending, with the heroine aiding the hero in his daring escape from prison. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

An outright farce produced in Chicago by the Essanay company, this film was set in the country of Morovenia, where fat women were considered beautiful. Poor Princess Kalora (Ruth Stonehouse), unfashionably slender, cannot find herself a husband despite efforts to appear fatter by stuffing pillows down her dress. Kalora's father, Count Malagaski (Harry Dunkinson), ships her off to an American fat farm, where the thin princess falls in love with American businessman Alexander Pike (Francis X. Bushman). The Count forbids his daughter to marry a commoner, so the American is presented at the Morovenian court as "the Grand Exalted Ruler of the Fraternal Order, a Knight Templar and King of the Hoo Hoos." The Morvenian ruler accepts the disguise and the two lovers marry. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi