Ruth Chatterton

Ruth Chatterton
Elmer Fryer / Warner Brothers

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Ruth Chatterton
Film: North side of the 6200 block of Hollywood Boulevard
Actress | Writer
Born Dec. 24, 1892 in New York, NY
Died Nov. 24, 1961 in Norwalk, CT

Ruth Chatterton was a stage and film actress during the transition from silent films to “talkies,” and after retiring from acting became a successful novelist.

Chatterton began her stage career at age 14 in Washington, D.C., and first appeared on a Broadway stage in 1911 with “The Great Name.” At age 21, she became a star while playing on Broadway in the Henry Miller production of “Daddy Long Legs.”

Her first film appearance was in “Sins of the Fathers” with Paramount in 1928. She also appeared in the studio’s all-star revue “Paramount on Parade” (1930) with Clara Bow, Gary Cooper, Jean Arthur and other Paramount stars.

She would continue working with the studio until 1932, when she did films with First National and, later, Warner Bros. In 1936 she costarred in the film “Dodsworth” for Samuel Goldwyn and United Artists. It won an Oscar for best art direction and was nominated for six other awards.

She was nominated for Oscars for her work in “Madame X” (1928) and “Sarah and Son” (1929). After her last film, “A Royal Divorce” in 1938, she went on to appear on American television plays such as “Hamlet” (1953) with Maurice Evans.

After she left acting, she wrote several novels — including “Homeward Borne” in 1950, which became a bestseller — and was one of the few female aviators of the day, along with Amelia Earhart. Chatterton died in 1961.

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Points of interest

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    Academy Awards

    Year Category Work
    1928 Best Actress Madame X Nomination
    1929 Best Actress Sarah and Son Nomination

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