Wikipedia

Ruth Selwyn

Ruth Selwyn (born Ruth Virginia Wilcox; November 6, 1905 – December 13, 1954) was an American theater producer and actress.

Ruth Selwyn
Ruth Selwyn, a smiling white woman with short blonde wavy hair, wearing a hat and a blouse with a graphic print
Selwyn in 1932
Born
Ruth Virginia Wilcox

(1905-11-06)November 6, 1905
Tazewell, Virginia, U.S.
DiedDecember 13, 1954(1954-12-13) (aged 49)
Hollywood, California, U.S.
Resting placeForest Lawn Memorial Park
Other namesRuth Snyder, Ruth Warburton, Ruth Barrow
Occupation(s)Actress, theatrical producer
SpouseEdgar Selwyn
RelativesFred M. Wilcox (brother)
Nicholas Schenck (brother-in-law)

Early life and education

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Ruth Wilcox was born in Tazewell, Virginia and raised in Morgantown, West Virginia,[1] the daughter of James Columbus Wilcox and Martha McLeod WIlcox. Her father was an optometrist and jeweler.[2] Her brother was film and television director Fred M. Wilcox. Her sister Pansy Wilcox married film studio executive Nicholas Schenck.

Career

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Selwyn worked as an actress and theater producer.[3] She produced several productions of Broadway comedies and musicals.[4] In 1930, she produced The 9:15 Revue,[5] with formidable writing and performing rosters including Anita Loos, Ring Lardner, Ira Gershwin, George Gershwin, Harold Arlen,[6] Eddie Cantor, Ruth Etting, and Leslie Howard.[4] Despite this star power, the show closed after five performances.[7] Bachelor Born, which she produced in 1938 with Milton Shubert, ran for over a year with 400 performances, and toured nationally.[1] Her last Broadway production was Walk With Music (1940), with music by Hoagy Carmichael and lyrics by Johnny Mercer.[8]

Selwyn was also active in developing Palm Springs, where she owned the Red Roof Ranch.[9][10]

Filmography

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Personal life

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Wilcox married three times. Wilcox's first husband was Russell Martin Snyder; they married in 1922 and divorced in 1925. They had one son, Russell.[12] Her second husband was film director Edgar Selwyn; they married in 1926,[2] and he adopted her son. They divorced in 1938. She married Irish-born actor John Warburton in 1943.[13] They divorced in 1948.[14] Ruth Selwyn died in Hollywood on December 13, 1954, and was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California; she was 49 years old.[9][10][15]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Filmdom and Theater Seek Talent in S. F." The San Francisco Examiner. May 24, 1939. p. 15. Retrieved July 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b "Beautiful Ruth Selwyn Came into Life at Tazewell, Oldtimers Recall". The Roanoke Times. November 19, 1933. p. 19. Retrieved July 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Kellow, Brian (2007). Ethel Merman: A Life. Penguin. pp. 11–12. ISBN 978-0-670-01829-1.
  4. ^ a b Swan, Gilbert (February 28, 1930). "Broadway's Sole Woman Producer Rivals Her Eminent Husband". Arizona Republic. p. 23. Retrieved July 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "'The 9:15': Ruth Selwyn's Revue is No More Than So-So". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. February 13, 1930. p. 21. Retrieved July 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Jablonski, Edward (1996). Harold Arlen: Rhythm, Rainbows, and Blues. UPNE. pp. 31–32. ISBN 978-1-55553-366-3.
  7. ^ Love, Sam (February 18, 1930). "Ruth Selwyn's Show Fails For Lack of $3,000 Cash". The Pittsburgh Press. p. 10. Retrieved July 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Newcomer". The Windsor Star. June 8, 1940. p. 30. Retrieved July 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ a b "Funeral of Ruth Selwyn Draws Film Personages". The Los Angeles Times. December 17, 1954. p. 5. Retrieved July 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ a b "Ruth Warburton, Actress and Desert Resident, Dies". The Desert Sun. December 16, 1954. p. 1. Retrieved July 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "'Men Must Fight' Has Novel Dramatic Theme". The Paducah Sun-Democrat. March 12, 1933. p. 6. Retrieved July 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Ruth Warburton Estate Goes to Son, Russell Selwyn". The Desert Sun. December 30, 1954. p. 6. Retrieved July 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "English Actor's Engagement to Mrs. Ruth Selwyn Revealed". The Los Angeles Times. June 15, 1943. p. 4. Retrieved July 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Ruth Selwyn Divorces John Barrow Warburton". The Tulsa Tribune. December 24, 1948. p. 10. Retrieved July 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "'Obituary for Ruth Wilcox Selwyn SELWYN (Aged 49)'". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. December 15, 1954. p. 5. Retrieved July 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
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