Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

90

Gender

Female

Birthday

1896-05-17

Day of Death

1982-11-17 (86 years old)

Place of Birth

North Trenton - New Jersey - USA

Also Known As

Ruth Donnelly

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Ruth Donnelly (May 17, 1896 – November 17, 1982) was an American stage and film actress. Her father was the mayor of Trenton, New Jersey. She began her stage career at the age of 17 in 1913, in The Quaker Girl. Her Broadway debut brought her to the attention of George M. Cohan, who proceeded to cast her in numerous comic-relief roles in such musicals as Going Up (1917). Though she made her first film appearance in 1913, her Hollywood career began in earnest in 1931 and lasted until 1957. In her films she often played the wife of Guy Kibbee (Footlight Parade, Wonder Bar, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington). Among her roles was the part of Sister Michael in The Bells of St. Mary's, starring Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman.

Known For

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

The Snake Pit

The Snake Pit

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Housewife

Housewife

The Roundup

The Roundup

Acting

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

1939

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

as

Emma Hopper

Behind the Scenes of Cain and Mabel

1936

Behind the Scenes of Cain and Mabel

as

Self

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

1936

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

as

Mabel Dawson

Hands Across the Table

1935

Hands Across the Table

as

Laura

The Bells of St. Mary's

1945

The Bells of St. Mary's

as

Sister Michael

Petticoat Politics

1941

Petticoat Politics

as

Lil Higgins

Jewel Robbery

1932

Jewel Robbery

as

Berta, Teri's Maid (uncredited)

A Slight Case of Murder

1938

A Slight Case of Murder

as

Nora Marko

Footlight Parade

1933

Footlight Parade

as

Mrs. Harriet Gould

The Secret of Convict Lake

1951

The Secret of Convict Lake

as

Mary Fancher

My Little Chickadee

1940

My Little Chickadee

as

Aunt Lou

Autumn Leaves

1956

Autumn Leaves

as

Liz Eckhart

A Lawless Street

1955

A Lawless Street

as

Molly Higgins

Blessed Event

1932

Blessed Event

as

Miss Stevens

This Is the Army

1943

This Is the Army

as

Mrs. O'Brien

Employees' Entrance

1933

Employees' Entrance

as

Miss Hall, Anderson's secretary

The Snake Pit

1948

The Snake Pit

as

Ruth

Where the Sidewalk Ends

1950

Where the Sidewalk Ends

as

Martha

I'd Climb the Highest Mountain

1951

I'd Climb the Highest Mountain

as

Glory White

Private Detective 62

1933

Private Detective 62

as

Amy Moran

The Ghost Goes Wild

1947

The Ghost Goes Wild

as

Aunt Susan Beecher

Female

1933

Female

as

Miss Frothingham

Lilly Turner

1933

Lilly Turner

as

Edna Yokum

Merry Wives of Reno

1934

Merry Wives of Reno

as

Lois

You Belong to Me

1941

You Belong to Me

as

Emma

The Affairs of Annabel

1938

The Affairs of Annabel

as

Josephine

Pillow to Post

1945

Pillow to Post

as

Mrs. Grace Wingate

Alibi Ike

1935

Alibi Ike

as

Bess

Wonder Bar

1934

Wonder Bar

as

Emma Simpson

Personal Maid's Secret

1935

Personal Maid's Secret

as

Lizzie

Ever in My Heart

1933

Ever in My Heart

as

Lizzie

Sing, Sinner, Sing

1933

Sing, Sinner, Sing

as

Margaret 'Maggie' Flannigan

The Amazing Mr. Williams

1939

The Amazing Mr. Williams

as

Effie Perkins

The Wild Blue Yonder

1951

The Wild Blue Yonder

as

Maj. Ida Winton

Cain and Mabel

1936

Cain and Mabel

as

Aunt Mimi

Housewife

1934

Housewife

as

Dora Wilson

Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

1983

Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

as

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

More Than a Secretary

1936

More Than a Secretary

as

Helen Davis

Maybe It's Love

1935

Maybe It's Love

as

Florrie Sands

Army Girl

1938

Army Girl

as

Leila Kennett

The Fabulous Texan

1947

The Fabulous Texan

as

Utopia Mills

The White Cockatoo

1935

The White Cockatoo

as

Mrs. Byng

The Way to the Gold

1957

The Way to the Gold

as

Mrs. Williams

Just Around the Corner

1933

Just Around the Corner

as

Mrs. Sears

Goodbye Again

1933

Goodbye Again

as

Richview Hotel Maid

Havana Widows

1933

Havana Widows

as

Mrs. Emily Jones

13 Hours by Air

1936

13 Hours by Air

as

Vi Johnson

Convention City

1933

Convention City

as

Mrs. Ellerbe

Personal Secretary

1938

Personal Secretary

as

Grumpy

Mandalay

1934

Mandalay

as

Mrs. George Peters

Hard to Handle

1933

Hard to Handle

as

Lil Waters

Scatterbrain

1940

Scatterbrain

as

Miss Stevens

Annabel Takes a Tour

1938

Annabel Takes a Tour

as

Josephine

Cross My Heart

1946

Cross My Heart

as

Eve Harper

Fighting Father Dunne

1948

Fighting Father Dunne

as

Kate Mulvey

The Spider

1931

The Spider

as

Mrs. Wimbledon

Fatal Lady

1936

Fatal Lady

as

Melba York

Happiness Ahead

1934

Happiness Ahead

as

Anna

The Family Next Door

1939

The Family Next Door

as

Mrs. Rose Pierce

Heat Lightning

1934

Heat Lightning

as

Mrs. Ashton-Ashley

Cinderella Jones

1946

Cinderella Jones

as

Cora Elliot

Ladies They Talk About

1933

Ladies They Talk About

as

Noonan

Portia on Trial

1937

Portia on Trial

as

Jane Wilkins

The Gay Vagabond

1941

The Gay Vagabond

as

Kate Dixon

Sailors on Leave

1941

Sailors on Leave

as

Aunt Navy

Traveling Saleslady

1935

Traveling Saleslady

as

Mrs. Twitchell

Song and Dance Man

1936

Song and Dance Man

as

Patsy O'Madigan

The Roundup

1941

The Roundup

as

Polly Hope

1932

Make Me a Star

as

The Countess

Bureau of Missing Persons

1933

Bureau of Missing Persons

as

Gwendolyn 'Pete' Harris

Red Salute

1935

Red Salute

as

Mrs. Edith Rooney

Meet the Girls

1938

Meet the Girls

as

Daisy Watson

In Old Sacramento

1946

In Old Sacramento

as

Zebby Booker

The Spoilers

1955

The Spoilers

as

Duchess

Model Wife

1941

Model Wife

as

Mrs. Milo Everett

Little Miss Broadway

1947

Little Miss Broadway

as

Minerva Van Dorn

Meet the Missus

1940

Meet the Missus

as

Lil Higgins

Breakdowns of 1944

1944

Breakdowns of 1944

as

Self

Roaring Timber

1937

Roaring Timber

as

Aunt Mary

Johnny Doughboy

1942

Johnny Doughboy

as

Biggy Biggsworth

How to Break 90 #6: Fine Points

1933

How to Break 90 #6: Fine Points

as

Herself

Wicked

1931

Wicked

as

Fanny

Rise and Shine

1941

Rise and Shine

as

Mame Bacon

Romance in the Rain

1934

Romance in the Rain

as

Miss Sparks

Sleepy Lagoon

1943

Sleepy Lagoon

as

Sarah Rogers

The Rainbow Trail

1932

The Rainbow Trail

as

Widow Abigail

Millie's Daughter

1947

Millie's Daughter

as

Helen Reilly

Thank Your Lucky Stars

1943

Thank Your Lucky Stars

as

Nurse Hamilton

Rubber Heels

1927

Rubber Heels

as

Fanny Pratt

Cavalcade of America

Cavalcade of America

as

Ma Dolan

Production

Crew

Directing