Roy Del Ruth

Roy Del Ruth

Birth : 1893-10-18, New Castle, Delaware, USA

Death : 1961-04-27

History

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Roy Del Ruth (October 18, 1893 – April 27, 1961) was a Hollywood film director. Del Ruth, who started out as a screenwriter in 1915 writing gags for Mack Sennett, began directing feature films in the 1920s. He became known for directing urban and crime dramas including the 1931 version of The Maltese Falcon. He also directed the universally panned The Babe Ruth Story (1948) and the 20th Century Fox B-movie Alligator People (1959). Roy Del Ruth died in 1961 at age 67 and was interred in the San Fernando Mission Cemetery in Mission Hills, Los Angeles, California. For his contributions to the motion picture industry, he was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6150 Hollywood Blvd. Description above from the Wikipedia article Roy Del Ruth, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Profile

Roy Del Ruth

Movies

Why Must I Die
Director
A night club singer who is the daughter of a small-town crook is tried and convicted of murder.
The Alligator People
Director
Under therapeutic hypnosis, a seemingly well-adjusted young woman tells a fantastic story, verified by lie detector, of her forgotten marriage to a man who disappeared on the day of their honeymoon, and of her search for him which takes her to a lonely mansion in a remote section of swampland tenanted by snakes, alligators, a drunken one-armed lout, a mysterious doctor, and a cold-hearted elderly woman who lives alone in a brooding manse.
Phantom of the Rue Morgue
Director
When several women are found mutilated and murdered, the Paris police are baffled as to who the killer may be. All evidence points to Dupin, but soon it becomes apparent that it is someone (or something) stronger and deadlier than a human.
Three Sailors and a Girl
Director
A group of sailors invest in a musical revue.
Stop, You're Killing Me
Director
A gangster and his wife attempt to go straight. Comedy. Remake of the 1938 film "A Slight Case of Murder".
About Face
Director
Three friends enter military school together, but 2 of them don't know that the 3rd one is secretly married.
Starlift
Director
To impress a movie star, a U.S. Air Force crewman pretends he is soon to see combat. When his lie gets out, chaos ensues.
On Moonlight Bay
Director
The Winfield family moves into a new house in a small town in Indiana. Tomboy Marjorie Winfield begins a romance with William Sherman who lives across the street. Marjorie has to learn how to dance and act like a proper young lady. Unfortunately William Sherman has unconventional ideas for the time. His ideas include not believing in marriage or money, which causes friction with Marjorie's father, who is the local bank vice president
The Screen Director
A documentary short film depicting the work of the motion picture director. An anonymous director is shown preparing the various aspects of a film for production, meeting with the writer and producer, approving wardrobe and set design, rehearsing scenes with the actors and camera crew, shooting the scenes, watching dailies, working with the editor and composer, and attending the first preview. Then a number of real directors are shown in archive footage (as well as a predominance of staged 'archive' footage) working with actors and crew.
The West Point Story
Director
A Broadway director helps the West Point cadets put on a show, aided by two lovely ladies and assorted complications.
Always Leave Them Laughing
Director
A self-absorbed comedian steps all over his friends and colleagues in order to achieve success.
Red Light
Producer
Nick Cherney, in prison for embezzling from Torno Freight Co., sees a chance to get back at Johnny Torno through his young priest brother Jess. He pays fellow prisoner Rocky, who gets out a week before Nick, to murder Jess... who, dying, tells revenge-minded Johnny that he'd written a clue "in the Bible." Frustrated, Johnny obsessively searches for the missing Gideon Bible from Jess's hotel room.
Red Light
Director
Nick Cherney, in prison for embezzling from Torno Freight Co., sees a chance to get back at Johnny Torno through his young priest brother Jess. He pays fellow prisoner Rocky, who gets out a week before Nick, to murder Jess... who, dying, tells revenge-minded Johnny that he'd written a clue "in the Bible." Frustrated, Johnny obsessively searches for the missing Gideon Bible from Jess's hotel room.
The Babe Ruth Story
Producer
The baseball player goes from wayward youth to Boston Red Sox pitcher to New York Yankees home-run hero.
The Babe Ruth Story
Director
The baseball player goes from wayward youth to Boston Red Sox pitcher to New York Yankees home-run hero.
It Happened on Fifth Avenue
Producer
A New Yorker hobo moves into a mansion and along the way he gathers friends to live in the house with him. Before he knows it, he is living with the actual home owners.
It Happened on Fifth Avenue
Director
A New Yorker hobo moves into a mansion and along the way he gathers friends to live in the house with him. Before he knows it, he is living with the actual home owners.
Ziegfeld Follies
Director
The late, great impresario Florenz Ziegfeld looks down from heaven and ordains a new revue in his grand old style.
Barbary Coast Gent
Director
Honest Plush Brannon is a con-man thrown out of the Barbary Coast in San Francisco in the 1880s and headed for the gold rush region of Nevada. He discovers a real mine which lead to several complications.
Broadway Rhythm
Director
Broadway producer Johnny Demming is only interested in big-name talent and scoffs that his sister, father and other small-time talent could be used in a successful show.
Du Barry Was a Lady
Director
Hat check man Louis Blore is in love with nightclub star May Daly. May, however, is in love with a poor dancer but wants to marry for money. When Louis wins the Irish Sweepstakes, he asks May to marry him and she accepts even though she doesn't love him. Soon after, Louis has an accident and gets knocked on the head, where he dreams that he's King Louis XV pursuing the infamous Madame Du Barry.
I Married an Angel
Director
A playboy drops his many girlfriends when he falls in love with a grounded angel.
Maisie Gets Her Man
Director
Struggling performers, Sothern and Skelton's lives are thrown off gear when they are caught with a bagful of hard cash robbed by a goon. With Skelton in prison, how will Sothern prove their innocence?
The Chocolate Soldier
Director
Maria and Karl Lang are the singing duo of Vienna. Maria is very flirtatious and Karl very jealous. Karl decides to masquerade as a Russian guardsman and attempts to make Maria flirt with him - to test her loyalty to him - as the Russian, Karl makes a vigorous attempt to seduce Maria. For a moment she accepts then rejects. Karl is left in turmoil...
Topper Returns
Director
Topper is once again tormented by a fun-loving spirit. This time, it's Gail Richards, who was accidentally murdered while vacationing at the home of her wealthy friend, Ann Carrington (Landis), the intended victim. With Topper's help, Gail sets out to find her killer with the expected zany results.
He Married His Wife
Director
Race horse owner pays so much attention to business he winds up divorced from his wife. His alimony payments are so steep he plots with his lawyer to get her married off.
Here I Am a Stranger
Director
The story of a young man's discovery of his father.
The Star Maker
Director
This is a film about the life of Gus Edwards, a well known vaudeville composer, entertainer, and producer.
Tail Spin
Director
Trixie is a female pilot looking to win a big race to advance her career. During one race, however, her plane becomes damaged, and she needs help to repair it. She meets a Navy pilot named "Tex" Price and tries to gain his aid. Tex soon meets another pilot, Gerry, a novice who seeks to win an important upcoming race. Tex, concerned for Gerry's safety, tries to convince her not to race. But Gerry, now a rival of Trixie's, is determined to fly.
My Lucky Star
Director
George Cabot Jr., the son of a department store owner, enrolls Kristina Nielsen, the store's sports clerk, at a university to use her as an advertisement for their fashion department. She falls for Larry Taylor, a teacher, and gets expelled.
Happy Landing
Director
Bandleader and manager discover skater in Norway. They become rivals as she returns with them to America.
Broadway Melody of 1938
Director
Steve Raleight wants to produce a show on Broadway. He finds a backer, Herman Whipple and a leading lady, Sally Lee. But Caroline Whipple forces Steve to use a known star, not a newcomer. Sally purchases a horse, she used to train when her parents had a farm before the depression and with to ex-vaudevillians, Sonny Ledford and Peter Trott she trains it to win a race, providing the money Steve needs for his show.
On the Avenue
Director
A new Broadway show starring Gary Blake shamelessly lampoons the rich Carraway family. To get her own back, daughter Mimi sets out to ensnare Blake, but the courtship is soon for real, to the annoyance of his co-star, hoofing chanteuese Mona Merrick.
Born to Dance
Director
Ted meets and falls in love with Nora Paige, an aspiring Broadway dancer who tries out for a show starring Lucy James. After Ted rescues Lucy's pet dog during a public relations campaign on his submarine, Lucy falls for him. Ted is ordered to meet Lucy for a date at a night club, who later sees their picture in the newspaper and no longer wants anything to do with him.
Private Number
Director
Ellen Neal, a young and inexperienced maid, becomes romantically involved with her employers son which causes various complications. The head butler also has an infatuation for the young girl but his intentions are not that good.
It Had to Happen
Director
A poor boy rises to power in politics.
Thanks a Million
Director
A show troupe is engaged by Judge Culliman, who is running for Governor, to enhance his political campaign. When the inebriated Judge has to be replaced in doing his campaign speech by the troupe crooner, Eric Land, his political backers decide that they want him to run for Governor in the Judge's place. Romance, music, political corruption and the election results follow.
Broadway Melody of 1936
Director
Lovely, gifted Irene Foster hopes that her childhood sweetheart-turned Broadway producer Robert Gordon will recognize her--and her talent. Gordon is too busy sparring with a dirt-dishing gossip columnist to notice, but his wisecracking, heart-of-gold secretary certainly does. She and Irene must use their wits to show him what he's missing!
L'homme des Folies Bergère
Director
Alternate-language French version of Folies Bergère de Paris (1935).
Folies Bergère
Director
An entertainer impersonates a look-alike banker, causing comic confusion for wife and girlfriend.
Kid Millions
Director
A musical comedy about a Brooklyn boy who inherits a fortune from his archaeologist father, but has to go to Egypt to claim it.
Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back
Director
Bulldog Drummond finds himself immersed in another adventure when he stumbles upon a corpse in the mysterious London mansion of Prince Achmed. Enlisting the help of his old friend Algy and the beautiful Lola, Drummond uncovers a scheme to ship illegal cargo into the country. He must rely on his cunning to survive when the prince offers a reward for his capture.
Upperworld
Director
A railroad tycoon, disillusioned with his marriage, starts seeing a showgirl. Things go agreeably until the woman's manager decides to blackmail the millionaire.
Lady Killer
Director
An ex-gangster tries to resist his old cohorts' criminal activities after he accidentally becomes a movie star.
Bureau of Missing Persons
Director
Butch Saunders has been transferred to Missing Persons because he was too brutal in other police work...
Captured!
Director
While waiting out World War I in a German POW camp, Captain Fred Allison discovers that his oldest and dearest friend Digby has also been captured and put into the same camp with him. Fred longs for news of his wife, Monica, but Digby speaks little of her. Digby knows a secret about Monica, a secret he must keep from his friend, and it wears at his conscience so much that he attempts a reckless escape.
The Little Giant
Director
Prohibition is ending so bootlegger Bugs Ahearn decides to crack California society. He leases a house from down-on-her-luck Ruth and hires her as social secretary. He rescues Polly Cass from a horsefall and goes home to meet her dad who sells him some phony stock certificates. When he learns about this he sends to Chicago for mob help.
The Mind Reader
Director
Chandler, a con-man, and his helper Frank decide to create a clairvoyant act for the carny circuit, as a little research reveals Ameicans spent $125 million on mind-readers and astrology. The carny, renamed Chandra, falls for one of his marks, Sylvia, but their love is tested when he brings tragedy to other peoples' lives and she asks him to go straight.
Employees' Entrance
Director
Kurt Anderson is the tyrannical manager of a New York department store in financial straits. He thinks nothing of firing an employee of more than 20 years or of toying with the affections of every woman he meets. One such victim is Madeline, a beautiful young woman in need of a job. Anderson hires her as a salesgirl, but not before the two spend the night together. Madeline is ashamed, especially after she falls for Martin West, a rising young star at the store. Her biggest fear is that Martin finds out the truth about her "career move."
Blessed Event
Director
A New York gossip columnist feuds with a singer and enjoys the power of the press.
Winner Take All
Producer
Overworked boxer Jim goes to a health ranch in New Mexico to recover where he falls in love with Peggy and her sickly son. Once recovered, Jim leaves to return to the ring. Can their romance survive the distance?
Winner Take All
Director
Overworked boxer Jim goes to a health ranch in New Mexico to recover where he falls in love with Peggy and her sickly son. Once recovered, Jim leaves to return to the ring. Can their romance survive the distance?
Beauty and the Boss
Director
An ultra-efficient Plain Jane secretary blossoms when she accompanies her boss on a business trip to Paris.
Taxi!
Director
Amidst a backdrop of growing violence and intimidation, independent cab drivers struggling against a consolidated juggernaut rally around hot-tempered Matt Nolan. Nolan is determined to keep competition alive on the streets, even if it means losing the woman he loves.
Side Show
Director
A circus side show performer tries to discourage her younger sister from following in her footsteps.
Blonde Crazy
Director
Adventures of a cocky con man and his beautiful accomplice.
The Maltese Falcon
Director
A lovely dame with dangerous lies employs the services of a private detective, who is quickly caught up in the mystery and intrigue of a statuette known as the Maltese Falcon.
My Past
Director
A stage star finds herself torn between a wealthy older man and a handsome younger one.
Divorce Among Friends
Director
George Morris constantly lies to his wife, Helen, to hide his escapades. As he is about to leave his wife, some guests arrives, including Paul Wilcox, who is in love with Helen. By the end of the party, however, George and Helen have reconciled yet again. Soon after, George meets Joan Whitley and loses a lighter which his wife has given him; Whitley drives off with it. When Helen throws a party, Joan, who is an old friend of Helen, arrives. When Helen introduces Joan to George, they pretend not to know each other. George pleads with Joan to return his lighter. She agrees to meet him later in the library and if he is nice to her she will give him back the lighter.
The Life of the Party
Director
Two gold diggers try a French dressmaker, two Mr. Smiths and Havana.
Three Faces East
Director
The action takes place during the Great War in the home of the First Lord of the Admiralty.
The Second Floor Mystery
Director
In this mystery, a man and woman have been corresponding through a "personal" column under the names Lord Strawberries and Lady Grapefruit. When the man's neighbor is found dead upstairs, he and the lady are the prime suspects of a police inspector, who has his own very good reason for blaming them.
Hold Everything
Director
A man is mistaken for a champion fighter.
Gold Diggers of Broadway
Director
Three Broadway chorus girls seek rich husbands.
The Desert Song
Director
French General Birabeau has been sent to Morocco to root out and destroy the Riffs, a band of Arab rebels, who threaten the safety of the French outpost in the Moroccan desert. Their dashing, daredevil leader is the mysterious "Red Shadow". Margot Bonvalet, a lovely, sassy French girl, is soon to be married at the fort to Birabeau's right-hand man, Captain Fontaine. Birabeau's son Pierre, in reality the Red Shadow, loves Margot, but pretends to be a milksop to preserve his secret identity. Margot tells Pierre that she secretly yearns to be swept into the arms of some bold, dashing sheik, perhaps even the Red Shadow himself. Pierre, as the Red Shadow, kidnaps Margot and declares his love for her.
Conquest
Director
Two pilots are in love with the same girl. On a flight over the Antarctic, the plane suddenly spins out of control and crashes into a snowbank. One of the pilots is injured and the other leaves him to die, so he can have the girl all to himself. However, the injured pilot survives and when he recovers he vows vengeance on the man who left him to die--especially after he finds out that he married the girl they were both after.
Beware of Bachelors
Director
A young doctor is accused by his pretty wife of paying too much attention to one of his woman patients when she makes a pass at him. Ferris, assuming that her husband is having an affair, decides to have one herself with a perfumer.
The Terror
Director
Guests at an old English manor house are stalked by a mysterious killer known only as "The Terror".
Powder My Back
Director
Rex Hale, a reform mayor, closes the musical comedy "Powder My Back" because he feels that it is immoral. Indignant, Fritzi Foy, star of the comedy, determines to revenge herself on Hale. Gaining entrance to his home by pretending to be injured in an automobile accident, Fritzi has Claude, her press agent, masquerade as a doctor and advise that she should not be disturbed until she has completely recovered. Hale is enraged, but his son, Jack, falls in love with Fritzi though he is already engaged to Ruth Stevens, an attractive flapper. When she sees that her plan has caused unhappiness for an innocent person, Fritzi dissuades Jack, who returns to his old sweetheart; she ends up with the mayor.
If I Were Single
Director
Rich girl Joan Whitney does her flirtatious best to break up the marriage of May and Ted Howard and almost succeeds, but not before May Howard has a light flirtation with a light-in-the-slippers specimen named Claude.
Ham and Eggs at the Front
Director
Fifi, a dusky, sultry Senegalese spy, uses her wiles to get information out of two American army soldiers, Ham and Eggs, in France during World War I.
The First Auto
Director
The transition from horses to automobiles at the turn of the century causes problems between a father and son.
Across the Pacific
Director
Following the Spanish-American War, a soldier is given the assignment of finding the leader of a band of rebels in the Philippines. In order to do this, he must romance Roma, a cabaret spy working for the rebels. This does not please the daughter of his commanding officer, whom he is romancing.
Footloose Widows
Director
Department-store models Flo and Marian set their sights on wealthy young soft-drink magnate J. A. Smith. Through a misunderstanding, they pick on the wrong J. A. Smith, a fortune hunter himself who assumes that Marian is a wealthy widow. Meanwhile, Marian falls for the real Smith, never dreaming that he's the millionaire.
The Little Irish Girl
Director
Beautiful Dot Walker is part of a ring of crooks in San Francisco, who use her to lure impressionable young men into a crooked card game. Young Johnny has come to the big city to sell his grandmother's hotel back in his home town, but he falls under Dot's spell, gets suckered into the game and loses all his money. He asks his newfound "friends" to come back to his hometown to buy the hotel. They accept but are actually planning to swindle Johnny's grandmother out of her hotel. It turns out that Granny isn't quite the easy mark they thought she would be.
The Man Upstairs
Director
The Man Upstairs is a lost 1926 silent film comedy directed by Roy Del Ruth and starring Monte Blue. It was produced and distributed by Warner Brothers. The film is based on a novel, The Agony Column by Earl Derr Biggers.
Hogan's Alley
Director
Lefty O'Brien, a pugilist, becomes engaged to ex-tomboy Patsy Ryan against the wishes of her father, Michael. They both live in an Irish-Jewish neighborhood on New York's East Side known as "Hogan's Alley." Lefty defeats Battling Savage for the championship, breaking his left hand and leaving his opponent close to death.
Eve's Lover
Director
Austin Starfield has his greedy eye on a steel mill belonging to Eve Burnside. He persuades an impoverished count, Leon Molnar to marry Eve so he can then gain control of her fortune.
A Deep Sea Panic
Director
A cruel sea captain shanghais Jimmie to work on his ship, but Jimmie's girlfriend also stows away on board, disguised as a sailor.
His New Mamma
Director
The aging father of a farm lad thinks the boy is after dad's fiancée, so he banishes the lad. The young man heads to California where he drives a cab. Through a fare, he meets a lovely lassie. His work takes him to the beach, where he sees dad's fiancée with another man. The lad and his lassie follow the woman and try to prevent her from marrying yet another rich man. Will our farm boy and his sweetie stop injustice from happening again?
The Cat's Meow
Director
Mild-mannered Harry gets roughed up by a slum gang. Later he returns as a cop to see that justice is done.
The Hollywood Kid
Director
A short packed with more stars and gags than most features of its day, this film delivered a gaggle of guffaws!
Shanghaied Lovers
Director
Shanghaied on his wedding day, Harry struggles to cope with a cruel captain while fending off a sailor who seems attracted to him.
Smile Please
Director
Our hero is the town's photographer and its sheriff. He' in love with a young woman who's also pursued by the older, more devious Dudley Somerset. First our hero must do a few heroic things, saving the lass from danger. He must also not move too quickly on the romantic front. Once she's willing to marry him, he must balance the duties of groom with that of sheriff, while Dudley tries to convince the lass that our hero is untrue to her...
Flip Flops
Director
An itching courtship from Mack Sennett.
Asleep at the Switch
Director
Asleep at the Switch is a 1923 comedy short.
Skylarking
Director
The story is about a crackpot inventor who manages to get himself in a heap of trouble. Though no fault of his own, it appears that he's run off with the wife of a cop and both the policeman and the inventor's wife are in hot pursuit. What makes this interesting are the inventor's clever devices--such as a hot air balloon car!
Nip and Tuck
Director
Billy Bevan, Harry Gribbon, Kewpie Morgan and their dog engage in a poker game.
When Summer Comes
Director
Rampaging lions are on the loose in a hunting lodge.
Gymnasium Jim
Director
Keystone comedy about a garage owner pining for the girl next door, coming into money, and betting on a fixed fight.
On Patrol
Director
Billy Bevan trying to escape the cops!
The Duck Hunter
Director
A 1922 comedy short.
Bright Eyes
Director
An oil heir and the daughter of a social climbing family are set to marry.
Be Reasonable
Director
Billy is a bit of a masher. He meets a lady on the beach and immediately gives her an expensive gift (some pearls). The problems are that she has her eyes set on the handsome lifeguard and the collection agents either want Billy to pay for this necklace or return it. Well, she naturally doesn't want to give up the pearls, so Billy decides to break in to her house to steal them (and a few other items while he's at it).
Love and Doughnuts
Director
His Noisy Still
Director
If you can't buy it... make your own! A Fox silent short subject comedy.
The Heart Snatcher
Director
A farce in which the poor Lamo has to flee after he tries to rob a rich cinema operator. While on the run, he starts working for a blacksmith, who then betrays him.
Wife and Auto Trouble
Scenario Writer
A mild-mannered man's problems with his domineering wife and mother-in-law lead to complications with the law.