Ruth Chatterton
Biography
Ruth Chatterton was an American actress of stage, film, and television who was also a pilot and a writer of fiction. Born in New York City in 1892, she abandoned school as a teenager for a stock company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her Broadway debut came in 1911 in The Great Name, and her biggest stage triumph was Daddy Long Legs in 1914. She entered films in 1928 and earned two Academy Award nominations for Best Actress, for Madame X and Sarah and Son. Among her pictures were the comedy-drama Female (1933) and Dodsworth (1936), widely counted her finest. She left the movies in the late 1930s for Broadway work, took television roles into the early 1950s, and in 1950 published her first novel, Homeward Borne, which became a best seller, with three more to follow. Her honors included a Hollywood Walk of Fame star and a place in the American Theater Hall of Fame.
68years old at death
- Born New York City
- Died Norwalk
- Star sign: CapricornThe sign runs December 22 to January 19
Movie Career
- Films
- 5
- Career span
- 4 years1932 to 1936
Every film, newest first
- 1936DodsworthIMDb rating 7.7
- 1936Girls DormitoryIMDb rating 6.2
- 1933FemaleIMDb rating 6.7
- 1933Frisco JennyIMDb rating 6.8
- 1932The Rich Are Always with UsIMDb rating 6.2
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First role
Chatterton entered acting after criticizing a lead actress's performance during a 1908 Washington, D.C. play; her friends challenged her to become a stage actress or stop complaining, and she joined the show's chorus days later.
First role
Emil Jannings helped Chatterton land her first film part, in Sins of the Fathers, in 1928. Paramount Pictures signed her to a contract that same year.
A first
Chatterton's first sound film, The Doctor's Secret, was also her first film for Paramount, and her stage experience let her move from silents to sound.
Big break
Later in 1929, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer borrowed Chatterton, and she took the lead in Madame X. That movie won praise from critics and did well at the box office, and it launched her career. She earned her first Best Actress Academy Award nomination for it.
Behind the camera
Chatterton's first novel, Homeward Borne, came out in 1950 and turned into a best seller. After that she wrote three more novels, including The Betrayers, The Pride of the Peacock and The Southern Wild.
Ruth Chatterton movies on Netflix
Most often with
Four actors appear in two of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Robert Warwick's page
Berton Churchill's page
George Brent's page
Walter Walker's page
Awards
One award and honor.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other honors | |||
| Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame | Honored | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.