Ruth Clifford (February 17, 1900 – November 30, 1998) was an American actress of leading roles in silent films whose career lasted from that era into the television era.
Early years
Clifford was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, the daughter of parents who were both born in England.[1] Following her mother's death when Ruth was 11, she and her sister were placed in St. Mary's Seminary in Narragansett, Rhode Island. Four years later, they went to Los Angeles to live with their actress aunt.[2]
Film
Clifford got work as an extra and began her career at 15 at Universal, in fairly substantial roles.[2] She received her first film credit for her work in Behind the Lines (1916).[1]
By her mid-twenties, she was playing leads and second leads, including the role of Abraham Lincoln's lost love, Ann Rutledge, in The Dramatic Life of Abraham Lincoln (1924). But sound pictures found her roles diminishing, and throughout the next three decades she played smaller and smaller parts.[citation needed]
She was a favorite of director John Ford (they played bridge together), who used her in eight films, but rarely in substantial roles. She was also, for a time, the voice of Walt Disney's Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck.[3][4]
Clifford's obituary in the Los Angeles Times noted that she "became a prime source for historians of the silent screen era".[5]
Stage
In the 1940s, Clifford toured the United States as a member of the Abbey Theatre Company and had lead roles in "classic Irish plays".[1]
Television
In the 1950s, Clifford appeared in episodes of Highway Patrol and in commercials.[1]
Personal life
Clifford married Beverly Hills, California real-estate developer James Cornelius[6] on December 5, 1924.[1] They had one child and divorced in 1938.
Death
Clifford died of natural causes in Woodland Hills, California,[7] on November 30, 1998,[1] at the age of 98.[2] Her interment was in Culver City's Holy Cross Cemetery. She was survived by two first cousins.[5]
