Image of Ruth Clifford

Ruth Clifford

American actress, originally of leading roles, whose career lasted from silent days into the television era. A native of Rhode Island, she attended St. Mary's Seminary in Narragansett, Rhode Island, then, following her mother's death in 1911, came to Los Angeles as a teenager to live with her actress aunt. She got work as an extra and began her career at 15 at Universal, in fairly substantial roles. By her mid-twenties, she was playing leads and second leads, including the role of Abraham Lincoln's lost love, Ann Rutledge, in The Dramatic Life of Abraham Lincoln (1924). But sound pictures found her roles diminishing, and throughout the next three decades she played smaller and smaller parts. She was a favorite of John Ford(they played bridge together), who used her in eight films, but rarely in substantial roles. She was also, for a time, the voice of Walt Disney's "Minnie Mouse." She lived long enough to find herself in demand for documentary interviews on the subject of early Hollywood. Married for a time to Beverly Hills real-estate developer James Cornelius, she survived that marriage by more than sixty years. She died in 1998, two and one-half months before her 99th birthday. Date of Birth 17 February 1900, Pawtucket, Rhode Island Date of Death 30 November 1998, Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California  (natural causes)


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Born:
Feb 17, 1900
Movie/TV Credits:
101
First Appeared:
In the movie Behind the Lines 1916-09-11
Latest Project:
Movie Mickey's Family Album 1998-06-11
Known For
Poster of The Silent Feminists: America's First Women Directors
Poster of Brooding Eyes
Poster of The Dangerous Age
Poster of My Dad
Filmography
Movie Mickey's Family Album Minnie Mouse (Mickey's Delayed Date) (voice) 1998-06-11
Movie The Silent Feminists: America's First Women Directors Herself 1993-06-30
Movie Funny Girl Maid (uncredited) 1968-09-19
Movie Two Rode Together Woman (uncredited) 1961-05-24
Movie Sergeant Rutledge Officer's Wife (uncredited) 1960-05-25
Movie The Last Hurrah Nurse (uncredited) 1958-12-31
Movie Designing Woman Vanessa Cole 1957-05-16
Movie The Searchers Deranged Woman at Fort (uncredited) 1956-05-16
Movie The Cobweb Mrs. Jenkins 1955-06-07
Movie The Quiet Man Mother (uncredited) 1952-07-21
Movie Pluto's Christmas Tree Minnie Mouse (voice) (uncredited) 1952-11-21
Movie Dude Duck Cowgirls 1951-03-02
Movie Sunset Boulevard Sheldrake's Secretary (uncredited) 1950-08-10
Movie Whirlpool Nurse Eliott (uncredited) 1950-01-13
Movie Key to the City Mrs. Anderson (uncredited) 1950-02-02
Movie Wagon Master Fleuretty Phyffe 1950-04-22
Movie Pluto's Sweater Minnie Mouse (voice) (uncredited) 1949-04-29
Movie Not Wanted Mrs. Stone 1949-06-24
Movie Father Was a Fullback Neighbor 1949-09-30
Movie You're My Everything Nurse (uncredited) 1949-07-22
Movie Free For All Miss Berry (uncredited) 1949-11-01
Movie Hazard Waitress (uncredited) 1948-05-28
Movie The Luck of the Irish Secretary 1948-09-15
Movie Donald's Dream Voice Daisy Duck (voice) (uncredited) 1948-05-21
Movie Cry of the City Nurse 1948-09-29
Movie 3 Godfathers Woman in Bar (uncredited) 1948-12-31
Movie Mother Wore Tights Resort Guest (uncredited) 1947-08-20
Movie Mickey's Delayed Date Minnie Mouse 1947-10-03
Movie Shock Mrs. Margaret Cross 1946-02-01
Movie Bath Day Minnie Mouse (voice) (uncredited) 1946-10-11
Movie My Darling Clementine Opera House Patron (uncredited) 1946-10-17
Movie Circumstantial Evidence Bridge Player (uncredited) 1945-04-20
Movie The Spider Mrs. Gillespie - Tenant 1945-12-01
Movie Leave Her to Heaven Telephone Operator (uncredited) 1945-12-25
Movie The Lodger Hairdresser (uncredited) 1944-01-19
Movie Marriage Is a Private Affair Kelly 1944-08-23
Movie Swooner Crooner Chickens (voice) 1944-05-06
Movie First Aiders Minnie Mouse (voice) (uncredited) 1944-09-22
Movie The Keys of the Kingdom Sister Mercy Mary (uncredited) 1944-12-15
Movie Coney Island Saloon Patron 1943-06-18
Movie Blue, White, and Perfect Ship's Passenger (uncredited) 1942-01-06
Movie Holiday Inn Guest at Inn (uncredited) 1942-01-01
Movie It Happened in Flatbush Ruth (uncredited) 1942-05-28
Movie Ten Gentlemen from West Point Graduation Spectator (uncredited) 1942-06-26
Movie Baggage Buster Birds (voice) (uncredited) 1941-04-18
Movie Along the Rio Grande Paula 1941-02-07
Movie Mr. Celebrity Woman In Convertible 1941-10-10
Movie Cadet Girl Undetermined Minor Role (uncredited) 1941-11-28
Movie Ball of Fire Chorus Girl (uncredited) 1941-12-02
Movie Road to Happiness Ship Passenger (uncredited) 1941-12-19
Movie The Man Who Wouldn't Talk Mrs. Finney 1940-01-11
Movie Lillian Russell Extra 1940-05-24
Movie Free, Blonde and 21 Nurse 1940-03-28
Movie Wife, Husband and Friend Seamstress 1939-03-03
Movie Drums Along the Mohawk Pioneer Woman (uncredited) 1939-11-10
Movie Swanee River Bit Role 1939-12-29
Movie Four Men and a Prayer Telephone Operator (uncredited) 1938-04-29
Movie Safety in Numbers Mrs. Hensley 1938-05-30
Movie Charlie Chan in Honolulu Nurse 1938-12-30
Movie Porky in Wackyland Various Wackyland Citizens (voice) 1938-09-24
Movie Fatal Lady Brazilian Opera Troupe 1936-05-15
Movie Paddy O'Day Mrs. Right - First Class Passenger 1936-01-17
Movie To Mary - with Love Nurse 1936-08-01
Movie Hollywood Boulevard Nurse (uncredited) 1936-08-20
Movie Stolen Harmony Nurse (uncredited) 1935-04-20
Movie She Married Her Boss Undetermined Supporting Role (uncredited) 1935-09-19
Movie Woman Unafraid Kate 1934-03-27
Movie Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen Friend of Miss Fane 1934-01-12
Movie Making the Rounds 1934-07-06
Movie Face in the Sky Hotel Guest with Dog (uncredited) 1933-01-15
Movie The Constant Woman Speakeasy Floozie 1933-03-12
Movie Only Yesterday Eleanor (Uncredited) 1933-11-01
Movie Pilgrimage 1933-07-12
Movie Show of Shows Performer in 'Ladies of the Ensemble' Number (uncredited) 1929-11-21
Movie Don Mike Mary Kelsey 1927-01-25
Movie The Thrill Seekers Adrean Wainwright 1927-09-01
Movie Brooding Eyes Joan Ayre 1926-03-15
Movie The Phantom of the Opera Ballerina (uncredited) 1925-09-22
Movie The Tornado Ruth Travers 1925-01-04
Movie As Man Desires Gloria Gordon 1925-01-11
Movie The Whispered Name Anne Gray 1924-01-21
Movie The Dramatic Life of Abraham Lincoln Ann Rutledge, first sweetheart 1924-02-02
Movie The Face on the Barroom Floor Marion Trevor 1923-01-01
Movie The Dangerous Age Gloria Sanderson 1923-02-04
Movie Ponjola Gay Lypiatt 1923-10-28
Movie Hell's Hole Dorothy Owen 1923-09-23
Movie My Dad Dawn 1922-07-23
Movie The Invisible Ray Mystery 1920-07-01
Movie The Game's Up Ruth Elliott 1919-01-20
Movie The Millionaire Pirate The Girl 1919-02-10
Movie The Cabaret Girl Ann Reid 1918-12-30
Movie Midnight Madness Gertrude Temple 1918-06-08
Movie Hands Down Hilda Stuyvesant 1918-02-11
Movie The Lure of Luxury Dale Aldis 1918-10-07
Movie A Kentucky Cinderella Nannie 1917-06-25
Movie Eternal Love Mignon 1917-05-07
Movie The Mysterious Mr. Tiller Clara Hawthorne 1917-09-17
Movie The Savage Marie Louise 1917-11-19
Movie The Desire of the Moth Stella Vorhis 1917-10-22
Movie The Door Between Heloise Crocker 1917-12-10
Movie Behind the Lines Camilla 1916-09-11