Ruth Selwyn | |
|---|---|
 Selwyn in 1932 | |
| Born | Ruth Virginia Wilcox November 6, 1905 Tazewell, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | December 13, 1954 (aged 49) |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California |
| Other names | Ruth Snyder, Ruth Warburton, Ruth Barrow |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, theatrical producer |
| Spouse | Edgar Selwyn |
| Relatives | Fred M. Wilcox (brother) Nicholas Schenck (brother-in-law) |
Ruth Selwyn (born Ruth Virginia Wilcox; November 6, 1905 – December 13, 1954) was an American theater producer and actress.
Early life and education
Ruth Wilcox was born in Tazewell, Virginia and raised in Morgantown, West Virginia,[1] the daughter of James Columbus Wilcox and Martha McLeod WIlcox. Her father was an optometrist and jeweler.[2] Her brother was film and television director Fred M. Wilcox. Her sister Pansy Wilcox married film studio executive Nicholas Schenck.
Career
Selwyn worked as an actress and theater producer.[3] She produced several productions of Broadway comedies and musicals.[4] In 1930, she produced The 9:15 Revue,[5] with formidable writing and performing rosters including Anita Loos, Ring Lardner, Ira Gershwin, George Gershwin, Harold Arlen,[6] Eddie Cantor, Ruth Etting, and Leslie Howard.[4] Despite this star power, the show closed after five performances.[7] Bachelor Born, which she produced in 1938 with Milton Shubert, ran for over a year with 400 performances, and toured nationally.[1] Her last Broadway production was Walk With Music (1940), with music by Hoagy Carmichael and lyrics by Johnny Mercer.[8]
Selwyn was also active in developing Palm Springs, where she owned the Red Roof Ranch.[9][10]
Filmography
- Polly of the Circus (1932)
- The Trial of Vivienne Ware (1932)
- New Morals for Old (1932)
- Speak Easily (1932)
- Men Must Fight (1933)[11]
- Fugitive Lovers (1934)
- Baby Face Harrington (1935)
Personal life
Wilcox married three times. Wilcox's first husband was Russell Martin Snyder; they married in 1922 and divorced in 1925. They had one son, Russell.[12] Her second husband was film director Edgar Selwyn; they married in 1926,[2] and he adopted her son. They divorced in 1938. She married Irish-born actor John Warburton in 1943.[13] They divorced in 1948.[14] Ruth Selwyn died in Hollywood on December 13, 1954, and was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California; she was 49 years old.[9][10][15]
References
- ^ a b "Filmdom and Theater Seek Talent in S. F." The San Francisco Examiner. May 24, 1939. p. 15. Retrieved July 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Beautiful Ruth Selwyn Came into Life at Tazewell, Oldtimers Recall". The Roanoke Times. November 19, 1933. p. 19. Retrieved July 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Kellow, Brian (2007). Ethel Merman: A Life. Penguin. pp. 11–12. ISBN 978-0-670-01829-1.
- ^ a b Swan, Gilbert (February 28, 1930). "Broadway's Sole Woman Producer Rivals Her Eminent Husband". Arizona Republic. p. 23. Retrieved July 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "'The 9:15': Ruth Selwyn's Revue is No More Than So-So". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. February 13, 1930. p. 21. Retrieved July 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Jablonski, Edward (1996). Harold Arlen: Rhythm, Rainbows, and Blues. UPNE. pp. 31–32. ISBN 978-1-55553-366-3.
- ^ Love, Sam (February 18, 1930). "Ruth Selwyn's Show Fails For Lack of $3,000 Cash". The Pittsburgh Press. p. 10. Retrieved July 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Newcomer". The Windsor Star. June 8, 1940. p. 30. Retrieved July 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Funeral of Ruth Selwyn Draws Film Personages". The Los Angeles Times. December 17, 1954. p. 5. Retrieved July 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Ruth Warburton, Actress and Desert Resident, Dies". The Desert Sun. December 16, 1954. p. 1. Retrieved July 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "'Men Must Fight' Has Novel Dramatic Theme". The Paducah Sun-Democrat. March 12, 1933. p. 6. Retrieved July 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Ruth Warburton Estate Goes to Son, Russell Selwyn". The Desert Sun. December 30, 1954. p. 6. Retrieved July 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "English Actor's Engagement to Mrs. Ruth Selwyn Revealed". The Los Angeles Times. June 15, 1943. p. 4. Retrieved July 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Ruth Selwyn Divorces John Barrow Warburton". The Tulsa Tribune. December 24, 1948. p. 10. Retrieved July 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "'Obituary for Ruth Wilcox Selwyn SELWYN (Aged 49)'". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. December 15, 1954. p. 5. Retrieved July 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
- Ruth Selwyn at IMDb
- Ruth Selwyn at the Internet Broadway Database
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This page was last edited on 30 October 2023, at 10:21