Ruth Chatterton

Ruth Chatterton (December 24, 1892 – November 24, 1961) was an American stage, film and television actress. In the late 1930s, Chatterton retired from film acting but continued her career on the stage. She later became a successful novelist and early aviator. Chatterton briefly returned to screen acting in the 1950s before her death of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1961.

Early life

Chatterton was born in New York City on Christmas Eve 1892 to Walter, an architect, and Lillian (nèe Reed) Chatterton. She was of English and French extraction. Her parents separated while she was still quite young. Chatterton attended Mrs. Hagen's School in Pelham, New York.

In 1908, Chatterton and her friends were attending a play in Washington, D.C. Chatterton later criticized the acting of the lead actress to her friends who challenged her to become a stage actress herself or "shut up". Chatterton accepted the challenge and, a few days later, joined the chorus of the stage show. She soon dropped out of school to further pursue a stage career. Aged 16, Chatterton joined the Friend Stock Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she remained for six months.