Ruth Donnelly

Feisty, ebullient character comedienne who, for three decades, enlivened Hollywood films with her drollery and quick-fire repartee. The daughter of a newspaper editor and music critic, Ruth made her stage debut in the chorus of the touring production 'The Quaker Girl' in 1913. Four years later, she had made it to Broadway, playing a telephone operator in 'The Scrap of Paper' at the Criterion Theatre. She then appeared for ten months in the musical farce 'Going Up' (1917-18), which starred 'Frank Craven' (qv) and a young 'Ed Begley' (qv). Some of her biggest comic successes were in plays by 'George M. Cohan' (qv), notably 'A Prince There Was' (1918-19) and 'The Meanest Man in the World' (1920-21).Ruth appeared on screen, first in a small part in _Rubber Heels (1927)_ (qv). Not until the Wall Street crash of 1929 was she tempted to pursue a career in Hollywood, rather than on Broadway. For most of her time in the movies, she played acidulous secretaries, wisecracking friends of the heroine, or shrewish wives. She gave excellent support as Mary Brian's domineering mother in _Hard to Handle (1933)_ (qv) and was excellent as 'Edward G. Robinson' (qv)'s wife in the Runyonesque comedy _A Slight Case of Murder (1938)_ (qv). There were many other good roles as comedy relief from _Hands Across the Table (1935)_ (qv), with 'Carole Lombard' (qv) to _Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)_ (qv),with 'Gary Cooper' (qv)); and _Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)_ (qv),with 'James Stewart' (qv).. She was versatile enough to handle dramatic roles, playing a worldly nun in _The Bells of St. Mary's (1945)_ (qv) and one of the asylum inmates of _The Snake Pit (1948)_ (qv).Except for a handful of TV guest appearances, Ruth essentially retired after her last film, _The Way to the Gold (1957)_ (qv), and lived for the remainder of her life at the Wellington Hotel in Manhattan. She was for many years married to Basil de Guichard, an airline executive.::I.S.Mowis