Jobyna Ralston

Curly-locked, cherubic knockabout comedienne of the silent cinema. Her mother, portrait photographer Mrs. Kemp Raulston, named her after her favorite actress, 'Jobyna Howland' (qv). She harbored ambitions for her daughter to achieve similar fame and trained her to that end. After a failed teenage marriage to a local farmer, 'Job' (qv)yna left her Tennessee home and went to New York in 1919 to join the 'Ned Wayburn' (qv) dancing academy, a popular springboard for aspiring actresses.In 1920, she appeared first on screen in Reelcraft "Cuckoo" comedy shorts made in Jacksonville, FL. Around this time she also co-starred in _Humor Risk (1921)_ (qv), which marked the film debut of 'The Marx Brothers' (qv), and is now considered a lost film. The following year she made her one Broadway appearance in "Two Little Girls in Blue" by 'George M. Cohan' (qv). Deciding that comedy was her forte, she went to Hollywood in 1922, starting as an extra with 'Hal Roach' (qv). She was cast in a rare dramatic role in _The Call of Home (1922)_ (qv), then partnered with French comedian 'Max Linder' (qv) and subsequently starred in Roach's 'James Parrott' (qv) comedies. When 'Harold Lloyd' (qv) became aware of her talent, he picked her as his leading lady, succeeding his wife-to-be 'Mildred Davis' (qv). By that time, 'Job' (qv)yna had already been in 60 one-reel comedy shorts for 'Hal Roach' (qv). She proceeded to star in six of Lloyd's features, of which _Why Worry? (1923)_ (qv), _The Freshman (1925)_ (qv) and _The Kid Brother (1927)_ (qv) are standouts for her ability to combine considerable comedic talent with pathos. Of her performance in _Girl Shy (1924)_ (qv), "Variety" commented (April 2) "'Jobyna Ralston' (qv) . . . proves herself considerable of an actress [sic] in addition to being decidedly pretty". In 1927 "'Job' (qv)y" was cast in a featured role in the Academy Award-winning drama _Wings (1927)_ (qv), whose star, 'Richard Arlen' (qv), she married in January of that year (she eventually divorced Arlen in 1945 on the grounds of desertion, obtaining a $250,000 settlement). As a freelance comedienne she appeared in leading roles opposite stars like 'Eddie Cantor' (qv), 'Charles Ray' (qv) and 'Buck Jones' (qv).'Job' (qv)yna also starred with 'Douglas Fairbanks Jr.' (qv) in an obscure 'Frank Capra' (qv) melodrama, _The Power of the Press (1928)_ (qv). She made just three talkies, _The College Coquette (1929)_ (qv), _Rough Waters (1930)_ (qv) (her co-star being 'Rin Tin Tin' (qv)!) and _Sheer Luck (1931)_ (qv). In regard to the first, the New York Times (August 26, 1929) declared that "Miss Ralston's utterances are frequently indistinct". Indeed, 'Job' (qv)yna was found to have a noticeable lisp which, combined with her impending pregnancy, effectively put an end to her career as a motion picture actress.::I.S.Mowis