Ruth Renick (born Ruth Griffin;[1] September 23, 1893 - May 4, 1984)[2] was an American actress on stage and in films.
Early years
Born in Colorado, Texas,[2] Renick was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R. H. Griffin.[3] While she was a high school student in Phoenix, Arizona, she joined the Maitland Davis stock theater company, working with the troupe for four months.[4]
Career
In 1916, Renick joined the Redmond stock company, debuting on June 1 in San Jose in When Knighthood Was in Flower.[5] She later acted with the Wilkes stock company in Seattle.[3] With Wilkes, she was featured in ingenue roles.[6] After some time spent working in films, she went to the Fulton Theater in Oakland to be the leading lady in its productions.[4]
Renick ventured into films in 1919, when she signed with the Jesse D. Hampton company.[7] Her film debut came in Hawthorn, U.S.A. (1920).[8]
Soon after that, she was signed by Douglas Fairbanks and appeared with him in The Mollycoddle.[9]
Controversy over invitation to speak at church
Renick found herself in a controversy in 1928 following the cancellation of an event in which she was to speak to the Men's Club of First Presbyterian Church in Berkeley, California. Renick was to talk about the film The King of Kings (1928) in the same meeting in which the dean of San Francisco Theological Seminary was to speak about what laymen could do for a church. However, on the morning of the scheduled meeting the speakers were notified that it had been canceled.[10]
When pressed for an explanation, the church's pastor said that its governing body decided "not to have any member of the organized theatrical profession" speak to the church's members.[11]
The cancellation resulted in front-page coverage in The San Francisco Examiner and the Oakland Tribune, with additional reporting inside each publication.[10][12] She was invited to speak the following week at the First Unitarian Church of Oakland but declined after she received a letter that contained a death threat.[13]
About six weeks later, Renick spoke to a class at the First Congregational Church of San Francisco, discussing relationships between the church and the theater.[14]
Personal life
In 1924, the question of whether Renick was married came to the public's attention when Wellington N. Bellford was arrested for impersonating an Army officer. Bellford denied that he and Renick were married, while she said, "But we were married."[15] Asked for details about the wedding, Renick replied, "I cannot say when or where, as my husband appears to have denied it."[15]
Her brother-in-law and sister reported Bellford's impersonation to the police after they investigated the supposed marriage but found that no marriage license had been issued for the couple in Santa Clara County or in San Jose, where Renick had told them that the couple had wed.[15] The impersonation charge against Bellford was dismissed in 1928, and authorities decided that he had used a mock wedding ceremony to trick Renick.[16]
Death
On May 4, 1984, Renick died in Hollywood, California,[2] at age 90. She is interred in the Chapel Columbarium at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
Partial filmography
Hawthorn, U.S.A. (1920)
The Mollycoddle (1920)
She Couldn't Help It (1920)[17]
The Witching Hour (1921)[18]
The White Dove[19]
The Parish Priest[19]
Bar Nothin' (1921)[20]
The Golden Snare (1921)[19]
What's a Wife Worth? (1921)[21]
Children of the Night (1922)[22]:373
The Men of Zanzibar (1922)[23]
Rags to Riches (1922)[22]
Roughshod (1922)[22]:118
Dog Scents (1926)
45 Calibre Echo (1932)
45 Calibre Echo (1932)
45 Calibre Echo (1932)
References
1. "Phoenix Moving Picture Actress Back On Stage". El Paso Herald. Texas, El Paso. December 26, 1921. p. 5. Retrieved 7 February 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
2. Ellenberger, Allan R. (2001). Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory. McFarland. p. 147. ISBN 9780786409839. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
3. "Phoenix Actress to Visit Here Few Days". Arizona Republic. Arizona, Phoenix. November 24, 1918. p. 4. Retrieved 7 February 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
4. Soister, John T.; Nicolella, Henry; Joyce, Steve (2014). American Silent Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy Feature Films, 1913-1929. McFarland. p. 664. ISBN 9780786487905. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
5."Ruth Griffin to Join Redmonds". Arizona Republic. Arizona, Phoenix. May 14, 1916. p. 19. Retrieved 7 February 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Popular Actress, Formerly With Wilkes, to Be Doug's Leading Lady". The Seattle Star. Washington, Seattle. February 20, 1920. p. 8. Retrieved 7 February 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Screen Brevities". Richmond Times Dispatch. Virginia, Richmond. December 24, 1919. p. 10. Retrieved 7 February 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "(untitled brief)". Camera!. IV (46): 7. February 25, 1922. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
9. "Ruth Renick at Colonial". The Seattle Star. Washington, Seattle. June 15, 1920. p. 3. Retrieved 7 February 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Bay Church Bans Address By Actress". The San Francisco Examiner. California, San Francisco. January 13, 1928. p. 1. Retrieved 8 February 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Church Bars Actress from Making Talk". The San Francisco Examiner. California, San Francisco. January 13, 1928. p. 7. Retrieved 8 February 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Berkeley Church Split Over Barring Of Actress". Oakland Tribune. California, Oakland. January 13, 1928. p. 1. Retrieved 8 February 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "Death Note Keeps Star from Pulpit". Oakland Tribune. California, Oakland. January 20, 1928. p. 43. Retrieved 8 February 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
14. "Ruth Renick to Speak in Church". The San Francisco Examiner. California, San Francisco. February 29, 1928. p. 13. Retrieved 8 February 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
15. "Ruth Renick's Mate Is Held". The Los Angeles Times. California, Los Angeles. January 13, 1924. p. 15. Retrieved 8 February 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
16. "'Love Pirate' Gets Case Dismissed". The San Francisco Examiner. California, San Francisco. September 16, 1928. p. 18. Retrieved 8 February 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
17. "Adaptation Of Stage Play Makes Satisfactory Crook Comedy Offering". Wid's Daily. XV (54): 13. February 27, 1921. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
18. "Who's Where on Los Angeles Screens". Camera!. IV (1): 6. April 16, 1921. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
19. "Ruth Renick in Curwood Release". Camera!. IV (13): 6. July 9, 1921. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
20. "Bar Nothin'". The Daily Herald. Utah, Provo. October 21, 1921. p. 17. Retrieved 8 February 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
21. "Who's Where". Camera!. IV (20): 14. August 27, 1921. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
Katchmer, George A. (2015). A Biographical Dictionary of Silent Film Western Actors and Actresses. McFarland. p. 365. ISBN 9781476609058. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
22. Solomon, Aubrey (2014). The Fox Film Corporation, 1915-1935: A History and Filmography. McFarland. p. 277. ISBN 9780786486106. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
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