Charlie Ruggles
Charles Ruggles | |
---|---|
Publicity photo of Ruggles from his guest appearance on Dick Powell Theatre (1963) | |
Born |
Charles Sherman Ruggles February 8, 1886 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Died |
December 23, 1970 84) Santa Monica, California, U.S. | (aged
Cause of death | Cancer |
Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale |
Years active | 1905–1968 |
Spouse(s) |
Adele Rowland (1914–1916; divorced) Marion LaBarba (1942–1970) |
Charles Sherman Ruggles (February 8, 1886 – December 23, 1970) was a comic American character actor. In a career spanning six decades, Ruggles appeared in close to 100 feature films, often in mild-mannered and comic roles. He was also the elder brother of director, producer, and silent film actor Wesley Ruggles (1889–1972).
Career
Ruggles was born in Los Angeles, California in 1886. Despite training to be a doctor, Ruggles soon found himself on the stage, appearing in a stock production of Nathan Hale in 1905. At Los Angeles's Majestic Theatre, he played Private Jo Files in L. Frank Baum and Louis F. Gottschalk's musical The Tik-Tok Man of Oz in 1913.
He moved to Broadway to appear in Help Wanted in 1914. His first screen role came in the silent Peer Gynt the following year. Throughout the 1910s and 1920s, Ruggles continued to appear in silent movies, though his passion remained the stage, appearing in long-running productions such as The Passing Show of 1918, The Demi-Virgin and Battling Butler. His most famous stage hit was Queen High, one of his last before a 20-year hiatus, produced in 1926.
From 1929, Ruggles appeared in talking pictures. His first was Gentleman of the Press in which he played a comic, alcoholic newspaper reporter. Throughout the 1930s, he was teamed with comic actress Mary Boland in a string of domestic farces, notably If I Had a Million, Six of a Kind, Ruggles of Red Gap, and People Will Talk. Ruggles is best remembered today as the big-game hunter in Bringing Up Baby and billionaire Michael J. 'Mike' O'Connor in It Happened on Fifth Avenue.
In 1949, Ruggles halted his film career to return to the stage and to move into television. He was the headline character in the TV series The Ruggles, a family comedy in which he played a character also called Charlie Ruggles, and The World of Mr. Sweeney. He guest starred on The Martha Raye Show and portrayed a time-traveling librarian in "Man from 1997," a 1956 science fiction episode of the television series Conflict. In 1961, Ruggles was cast in "Hassie's European Tour", in which he portrays a wealthy neighbor who offers to finance a European trip for series character Hassie McCoy (Lydia Reed) on The Real McCoys.
Ruggles returned to the big screen in 1961, playing Charles McKendrick in The Parent Trap and Mackenzie Savage in The Pleasure of His Company. In the latter film, he reprised the role for which he had won a Tony Award in 1959. In 1963 he memorably played the grandfather of silent star Corinne Griffith in Papa's Delicate Condition. Griffith had written the book of her early life on which the film is based.
Ruggles had a recurring guest role on The Beverly Hillbillies in the mid-1960s as Lowell Redlings Farquhar, father-in-law of Milburn Drysdale (Raymond Bailey). Ruggles also played Aunt Clara's (Marion Lorne) old flame, the warlock Hedley Partridge, as well as a Mr. Caldwell, whose company marketed soup, in the television series Bewitched.[1]
He played Congressman John Canfield on an episode of The Andy Griffith Show called "Aunt Bee, The Swinger", and appeared as a driving instructor on The Munsters. Ruggles also lent his voice to the Aesop and Son features in Jay Ward's The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.
Personal life
His marriage to Adele Rowland (1914–1916) ended in divorce after two years. He then married Marion LaBarba in 1942; the couple remained wed until his death in 1970.[2] Marion died in 1978.
Death
Ruggles died of cancer at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California on December 23, 1970 at the age of 84.[3][4]
He is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California in the Garden of Memory near his brother Wesley Ruggles.[5][6][7][8]
Legacy
Charlie Ruggles has three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for his contributions to motion pictures on 6200 Hollywood Boulevard, one for his radio work on 6300 Hollywood Boulevard, and one for television is on 1600 Vine Street.[9]
Complete filmography
- The Patchwork Girl of Oz (1914) (unconfirmed)
- The Majesty of the Law (1915)
- Peer Gynt (1915)
- The Reform Candidate (1915)
- The Heart Raider (1923)
- Gentlemen of the Press (1929)
- The Lady Lies (1929)
- The Battle of Paris (1929)
- Roadhouse Nights (1930)
- Young Man of Manhattan (1930)
- Queen High (1930)
- Her Wedding Night (1930)
- Charley's Aunt (1930)
- Honor Among Lovers (1931)
- The Smiling Lieutenant (1931)
- The Girl Habit (1931)
- The Beloved Bachelor (1931)
- Husband's Holiday (1931)
- This Reckless Age (1932)
- One Hour with You (1932)
- This Is the Night (1932)
- Make Me a Star (1932) (uncredited)
- Love Me Tonight (1932)
- 70,000 Witnesses (1932)
- The Night of June 13 (1932)
- Trouble in Paradise (1932)
- Evenings for Sale (1932)
- If I Had a Million (1932)
- Madame Butterfly (1932)
- Murders in the Zoo (1933)
- Terror Aboard (1933)
- Melody Cruise (1933)
- Mama Loves Papa (1933)
- Goodbye Love (1933)
- Girl Without a Room (1933)
- Alice in Wonderland (1933)
- Six of a Kind (1933)
- Melody in Spring (1934)
- Murder in the Private Car (1934)
- Friends of Mr. Sweeney (1934)
- The Pursuit of Happiness (1934)
- Ruggles of Red Gap (1935)
- People Will Talk (1935)
- No More Ladies (1935)
- The Big Broadcast of 1936 (1935)
- Anything Goes (1936)
- The Preview Murder Mystery (1936) (uncredited)
- Early to Bed (1936)
- Hearts Divided (1936)
- Yours for the Asking (1936) (uncredited)
- Wives Never Know (1936)
- Mind Your Own Business (1936)
- Turn Off the Moon (1937)
- Exclusive (1937)
- Bringing Up Baby (1938)
- Hollywood Handicap (1938 short)
- Screen Snapshots Series 17, No. 12 (1938 documentary short)
- Breaking the Ice (1938)
- Service de Luxe (1938)
- His Exciting Night (1938)
- Boy Trouble (1939)
- Sudden Money (1939)
- Invitation to Happiness (1939)
- Night Work (1939)
- Balalaika (1939)
- The Farmer's Daughter (1940)
- Opened by Mistake (1940)
- Maryland (1940)
- Public Deb No. 1 (1940)
- No Time for Comedy (1940)
- The Invisible Woman (1940)
- Honeymoon for Three (1941)
- Model Wife (1941)
- The Parson of Panamint (1941)
- Go West, Young Lady (1941)
- The Perfect Snob (1941)
- Friendly Enemies (1942)
- Dixie Dugan (1943)
- The Shining Future (1944 short)
- The Road to Victory (1944 short) (uncredited)
- The Doughgirls (1944)
- Our Hearts Were Young and Gay (1944)
- Three Is a Family (1944)
- Bedside Manner (1945)
- Incendiary Blonde (1945)
- A Stolen Life (1946)
- Gallant Journey (1946)
- The Perfect Marriage (1947)
- My Brother Talks to Horses (1947)
- Ramrod (1947)
- It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947)
- Give My Regards to Broadway (1948)
- The Lovable Cheat (1949)
- Look for the Silver Lining (1949)
- Ben and Me (1953 short) (uncredited voice of Ben Franklin)
- The Bells of St. Mary's (1959 TV movie)
- Once Upon a Christmas Time (1959 TV movie)
- All in a Night's Work (1961)
- The Parent Trap (1961)
- The Pleasure of His Company (1961)
- The Ginger Rogers Show (1961 TV movie)
- Ernestine (1962 TV movie)
- Son of Flubber (1963)
- Papa's Delicate Condition (1963)
- I'd Rather Be Rich (1964)
- The Ugly Dachshund (1966)
- Follow Me, Boys! (1966)
- Carousel (1967 TV movie)
Television credits
- Father Knows Best (1960) (1 episode) as Jim's co-worker
- Rocky and His Friends (1960-1961) as Aesop
- The Bullwinkle Show (1961) as Aesop
- Burke's Law (1963) (Season 1, episode 11)
- Beverly Hillbillies (1964) as Mrs. Drysdale's father
- Bewitched (1964) 'Help Help, Don't Save Me' & (1965) 'Aunt Clara's Old Flame'
- The Andy Griffith Show (1965) (episode "Aunt Bee, The Swinger")
- The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1965) (1 episode)
- The Munsters (1965) (1 episode, Herman's Driving Test)
- Bonanza (1966) (1 episode, Horse of a Different Hue)
- The Danny Thomas Hour 1968 (1 episode, One for My Baby)
Radio appearances
Year | Program | Episode/source |
---|---|---|
1942 | Suspense | The Burning Court[10] |
1942 | Philip Morris Playhouse | Friendly Enemies[11] |
References
- ↑ Bewitched, 'Help, Help, Don't Save Me' (ABC, 1964), script by Danny Arnold & Sol Saks
- ↑ Charlie Ruggles on IMDb
- ↑ "Archives: Story". filmsofthegoldenage.com. Retrieved 2015-12-28.
- ↑ "Eugene Register-Guard - Google News Archive Search". google.com. Retrieved 2015-12-28.
- ↑ "Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, CA". www.nndb.com. Retrieved 2015-12-28.
- ↑ "Charlie Ruggles (1886-1970)". findagrave.com. Retrieved 2015-12-28.
- ↑ "Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)". museum.escubes.com. 2015-08-21. Retrieved 2015-12-28.
- ↑ "Forest Lawn Memorial Park". bguthriephotos.com. Retrieved 2015-12-28.
- ↑ "Charles Ruggles". latimes.com. Retrieved 2016-04-08.
- ↑ "Those Were the Days". Nostalgia Digest. 38 (3): 32–39. Summer 2012.
- ↑ "Playhouse Presents Stars in Radio Adaptation of "Friendly Enemies"". Harrisburg Telegraph. June 20, 1942. p. 22. Retrieved August 4, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Charles Ruggles. |