Ruth Blair (actress)

This article is about the American silent film actress born in 1891; for the American librarian of the same name, born in 1889, see 'Ruth Blair.
Ruth Blair
A young smiling white woman with curly hair, one hand behind her ear
Ruth Blair, from a 1916 publication
Born
Ruth Naomi Powell

(1891-07-13)July 13, 1891
Williamsport, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedFebruary 24, 1957(1957-02-24) (aged 65)
Fresno, California, U.S.
OccupationActress

Ruth Blair (July 13, 1891 – February 24, 1957), born Ruth Naomi Powell, was an American actress in silent films made in 1915 and 1916.

Early life and education

Ruth Naomi Powell was born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.[1] Her mother died when Ruth was 12 years old.[2] Her New York drama coach Ada Dow Currier considered her "another Julia Marlowe".[3][4]

Career

In 1915 Blair won a nationwide talent search[5] and signed a three-year contract with Smallwood Film Corporation to star in comedies.[6] She appeared in the silent films The Law of Nature (1915), Canned Curiosity (1915),[7] His Wife's Past (1915), Pyramid Pictures (1915),[8] The Fourth Estate (1916),[9] His Promise (1916), and The Folly of Fear (1916).[10]

Blair was considered pretty and stylish,[8][11] a "'perfect Parisian thirty-six' of the hipless, small-busted style so much admired these days both on the screen and before the footlights."[3] She designed her own clothes[12] and enjoyed outdoor recreation, especially riding and photography.[1][9] She modeled Easter hats for Photoplay magazine in 1916,[13] and she was featured on the cover of Motography magazine in January 1916.[14]

Personal life

Although she was always referred to as "Miss Blair" in publicity, Powell was married to a dental technician, Charles Harrison Blair, in 1909. They had four children, two sons born before her brief film career, and two daughters, born after. Blair died in 1957, at age 65, in Fresno, California.[15]

References

  1. ^ a b "Ruth Blair is Star in 'Fourth Estate'". The Tulsa Tribune. 1916-02-09. p. 7. Retrieved 2023-08-07 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Ruth Blair Today; Former Williamsport Girl Star in Big Film Production". Williamsport Sun-Gazette. 1916-02-15. p. 2. Retrieved 2023-08-07 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b "Will She Be Another Marlowe?". The Green Book Magazine. 15: 897. May 1916.
  4. ^ "Julia Marlowe; Reminiscences of the Actress by Ada Dow Currier". Boston Evening Transcript. 1915-06-26. p. 39. Retrieved 2023-08-07 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Miss Ruth Blair Wins the Prize; Williamsport Girl Selected to Play Leads". Williamsport Sun-Gazette. 1915-03-16. p. 8. Retrieved 2023-08-07 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "New Smallwood Lead". Motography. 13 (12): 448. March 20, 1915.
  7. ^ "Mutual Program". The Moving Picture World. 30: 713. November 4, 1916.
  8. ^ a b "Ruth Blair in Comedy". Moving Picture World. 26: 85. October 2, 1915.
  9. ^ a b "Ruth Blair". Moving Picture World. 26: 1469. November 20, 1915.
  10. ^ "Mutual Offerings". The Moving Picture World. 30: 565. October 28, 1916.
  11. ^ "Pretty and Popular Actress Scared by Unusual Bomb". The Idaho Statesman. 1915-12-01. p. 5. Retrieved 2023-08-07 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Ruth Blair of Fox". Motography. 15 (1): 6. January 1, 1916 – via Internet Archive.
  13. ^ Howard, Lillian (April 1916). "The Eternal Easter Hat". Photoplay: 85 – via Internet Archive.
  14. ^ "Cover image of Ruth Blair". Motography. 15 (2): cover. January 8, 1916 – via Internet Archive.
  15. ^ "Obituary for Ruth Blair". The Fresno Bee. 1957-02-25. p. 8. Retrieved 2023-08-07 – via Newspapers.com.