List of the best Ruth Donnelly movies: Hard to Handle(1933), The Affairs of Annabel(1938), The Ghost Goes Wild(1947), Man Killer(1933), Female(1933), Ever in My Heart(1933), Sing, Sinner, Sing(1933), The Bells of St. Mary's(1945), A Slight Case of Murder(1938), Autumn Leaves(1956), Bureau of Missing Persons(1933), Mandalay(1934) ... ...
Comedy, Romance
USA
1933
75 Minutes
Lil Waters
James Cagney Mary Brian Ruth Donnelly Allen Jenkins Claire Dodd Robert McWade
Small time con artist Lefty Merrill has co-organized a crooked dance marathon and set-up his girlfriend to win the prize money. When his partner disappears with money before the contest is ... See full summary »
Comedy
USA
1938
68 Minutes
Josephine
Jack Oakie Lucille Ball Ruth Donnelly Bradley Page Fritz Feld Thurston Hall Elisabeth Risdon Granville Bates James Burke Lee Van Atta Anthony Warde
Wonder Pictures' seedy publicity man Lanny Morgan has put the studio's biggest star, Annabel Allison, in one crazy stunt after another. His latest scheme has Annabel pretending to be a maid... See full summary »
Comedy
USA
1947
66 Minutes
Aunt Susan Beecher
Jimmy Ellison Anne Gwynne Ruth Donnelly Edward Everett Horton Stephanie Bachelor Grant Withers Lloyd Corrigan Emil Rameau Jonathan Hale Charles Halton
Monty Crandall is a commercial artist who ridicules a dowager with a caricature of her on a magazine cover and she sues him. His troubles are multiplied when a pretty wife forces her ... See full summary »
Crime, Drama
1933
67 Minutes
Amy Moran
William Powell Margaret Lindsay Ruth Donnelly Gordon Westcott James Bell Arthur Byron Natalie Moorhead Sheila Terry Arthur Hohl Hobart Cavanaugh Theresa Harris
A down-and-out private eye (William Powell) falls for a woman (Margaret Lindsay) he has been hired to frame.
Comedy, Drama
1933
65 Minutes
Miss Frothingham
Ruth Chatterton William Dieterle George Brent Ruth Donnelly Philip Reed Johnny Mack Brown Lois Wilson Gavin Gordon Ferdinand Gottschalk Rafaela Ottiano
business owner beautiful woman engineer employee amusing passionate factory mansion new york city romance wealth automotive industry gender roles love transformation 1930s
An auto-company president (Ruth Chatterton) finds her right-hand man (George Brent) by process of elimination.
Drama
USA
1933
70 Minutes
Lizzie
Barbara Stanwyck Otto Kruger Ralph Bellamy Ruth Donnelly Frank Albertson George Cooper Nella Walker Florence Roberts Laura Hope Crews Ronnie Crosby Harry Beresford
wealthy girl ex-boyfriend german-american college professor housekeeper grandmother melodramatic sad passionate family home classroom new england small town bedroom immigration world war i prejudice marital problems patriotism suspicion
World War I brings tribulations to an American woman married to a German.
Drama, Romance
1933
67 Minutes
Maggie Flannigan
Paul Lukas Leila Hyams Don Dillaway Ruth Donnelly George E. Stone Joyce Compton Jill Dennett Arthur Hoyt Gladys Blake Arthur Housman
Other, Drama
USA
1945
126 Minutes
Sister Michael
Bing Crosby Ingrid Bergman Henry Travers William Gargan Ruth Donnelly Joan Carroll Martha Sleeper Rhys Williams
priest nun businessman child airy heartwarming tender mushy melodramatic new york city catholic school school catholic church resilience friendship confrontation rivalry transformation fall rescue
At a big city Catholic school, Father O'Malley and Sister Benedict indulge in friendly rivalry, and succeed in extending the school through the gift of a building.
Comedy
USA
1938
85 Minutes
Nora Marco
Edward G. Robinson Jane Bryan Allen Jenkins Willard Parker Ruth Donnelly John Litel Eric Stanley Harold Huber Edward Brophy Paul Harvey Bobby Jordan
police officer bootlegger bar owner gangster orphan wife lighthearted cheeky new york state household business adoption prohibition crime murder transformation fall 1930s
Former bootlegger Remy Marco has a slight problem with forclosing bankers, a prospective son-in-law, and four hard-to-explain corpses.
Drama
USA
1956
108 Minutes
Liz Eckhart
Joan Crawford Cliff Robertson Vera Miles Lorne Greene Ruth Donnelly Shepperd Strudwick Selmer Jackson Maxine Cooper Marjorie Bennett Frank Gerstle Leonard Mudie
woman husband father ex-wife psychiatrist emotional shocking intricate powerful los angeles apartment hotel secret life love family dysfunction mental breakdown schizophrenia love discovery 1950s
Millicent Wetherby is a middle-aged woman whose life is devoid of love and affection. Millicent's solitary existence changes when she encounters Burt Hansen a charismatic younger man. As ... See full summary »
Crime, Drama
USA
1933
75 Minutes
Gwendolyn `'Pete'` Harris
Pat O'Brien Bette Davis Lewis Stone Allen Jenkins Ruth Donnelly Hugh Herbert Glenda Farrell Alan Dinehart George Chandler
Butch Saunders has been transferred to Missing Persons because he was too brutal in other police work. He regards the assignment as "kindergarten" work. When a young woman asks him to help ... See full summary »
Drama
USA
1934
65 Minutes
Mrs. Peters
Kay Francis Ricardo Cortez Lyle Talbot Warner Oland Ruth Donnelly Reginald Owen Hobart Cavanaugh David Torrence Rafaela Ottiano Halliwell Hobbes Etienne Girardot
political refugee surgeon gunrunner pimp prostitute beautiful woman tense melodramatic sultry mandalay, myanmar rangoon, myanmar brothel boat city poverty prostitution organized crime blackmail secret past new life
Abandoned by her lover, a woman becomes the main "hostess" in a decadent nightclub, but tries to put her past behind her on a steamer to Mandalay.
Romance
USA
1936
77 Minutes
Helen Davis
Jean Arthur George Brent Lionel Stander Dorothea Kent Ruth Donnelly Reginald Denny Charles Halton
secretary editor floozy colleague health nut lighthearted spirited office new york city romance journalism employment working woman love rivalry transformation 1930s
When the co-owner of a secretarial school visits a magazine editor to find out why he runs through secretaries, she's mistaken for an applicant. Drawn to him, she accepts the position.
Drama
USA
1934
70 Minutes
Dora Wilson
Bette Davis George Brent Ann Dvorak John Halliday Ruth Donnelly Robert Barrat Hobart Cavanaugh Joseph Cawthorn Harry Tyler Leila Bennett Ronnie Cosby
housewife ad copywriter lover husband son old friend witty melodramatic uneasy advertising office house courtroom divorce advertising ambition infidelity poverty marriage love rise
Nan Reynolds encourages her copywriter husband Bill to open his own agency. Nearly out of business, he finally gets a client. Former girlfriend Patricia Berkeley writes a very successful ... See full summary »
Comedy
USA
1941
94 Minutes
Emma
Barbara Stanwyck Henry Fonda Edgar Buchanan Roger Clark Ruth Donnelly Melville Cooper Ralph Peters Maude Eburne Renie Riano Ellen Lowe Mary Treen
doctor playboy attorney patient gardener airy hilarious playful california ski resort hospital los angeles mansion department store romance jealousy career wealth medical profession marriage
A jealous and insecure newlywed man interferes with his wife's medical work in order to prevent her from seeing attractive male patients.
Musical
USA
1933
102 Minutes
Harriet Bowers Gould
James Cagney Joan Blondell Ruby Keeler Dick Powell Guy Kibbee Ruth Donnelly Hugh Herbert Frank McHugh
director actor secretary competitor theater owner ex-wife lighthearted charming spectacular witty new york city stage backstage apartment street filmmaking musicals theft secret love show business
Chester Kent struggles against time, romance, and a rival's spy to produce spectacular live "prologues" for movie houses.
Romance
USA
1935
80 Minutes
Laura
Carole Lombard Fred MacMurray Ralph Bellamy Astrid Allwyn Marie Prevost Ruth Donnelly
manicurist wealthy man love interest heiress lighthearted endearing amusing new york city hotel apartment marrying for money the great depression schemes unlikely romance quest discovery 1930s
A loafer and a manicurist, both planning to marry money, meet and form an uneasy alliance.
Musical, Comedy
USA
1934
86 Minutes
Anna
Dick Powell Josephine Hutchinson John Halliday Frank McHugh Allen Jenkins Ruth Donnelly Dorothy Dare Marjorie Gateson
Society heiress Joan Bradford rebels against her mother's choice of a future husband by masquerading as a working class girl and dating a window washer.
Comedy
USA
1935
65 Minutes
Millicent Twitchell
Joan Blondell Glenda Farrell William Gargan Hugh Herbert Grant Mitchell Ruth Donnelly Al Shean Johnny Arthur Mary Treen Joseph Crehan
Angela Twitchell is the daughter of a tooth-paste manufacturer, Rufus K. Twitchell, who has monopolized the business for many years that he has grown conservative, and his rivals have begin... See full summary »
Comedy
USA
1935
73 Minutes
Bess
Joe E. Brown Olivia de Havilland William Frawley Roscoe Karns Joe King Ruth Donnelly Paul Harvey Eddie Shubert G. Pat Collins Spencer Charters Gene Morgan
pitcher fiancée baseball manager baseball player gambler wife hilarious thrilling chicago baseball field stadium household baseball gambling lying kidnapping engagement love rise transformation
Idiosyncratic new recruit Francis "Ike" Farrell tries to help the Cubs to the pennant with his pitching and hitting.
Musical
USA
1943
127 Minutes
Nurse Hamilton
Eddie Cantor Dennis Morgan Joan Leslie S.Z. Sakall Edward Everett Horton Ruth Donnelly Joyce Reynolds Richard Lane Don Wilson Henry Armetta Willie Best
theatrical producer star bus driver singer amusing madcap heartwarming stage hollywood, calif. studio movie set world war ii singing performance egoism charity identity theft quest underdog 1940s
Two producers are putting together a wartime charity show with an all-star cast but the egotism of radio personality Eddie Cantor disrupts their plans.
Musical
USA
1934
85 Minutes
Mrs. Emma Simpson
Al Jolson Kay Francis Dolores del Río Ricardo Cortez Hal LeRoy Guy Kibbee Ruth Donnelly Hugh Herbert Louise Fazenda Fifi D'Orsay Robert Barrat
Harry and Inez are a dance team at the Wonder Bar. Inez loves Harry, but he is in love with Liane, the wife of a wealthy business man. Al Wonder and the conductor/singer Tommy are in love ... See full summary »
Musical
USA
1935
80 Minutes
Lawrence Tibbett Virginia Bruce Alice Brady Cesar Romero Thurston Hall Luis Alberni George F. Marion Ruth Donnelly Franklyn Ardell Adrian Rosley Christian Rub
opera singer conductor opera director love interest diva friend engaging spirited positive new york city opera house house philadelphia theater opera creative process rehearsal big break egoism new romance
Opera prima donna leaves the Metropolitan to form her own company with Tibbett as leading man. She leaves this company too which means Tibbett and company must carry on without her.
Musical, Comedy
USA
1936
90 Minutes
Aunt Mimi
Marion Davies Clark Gable Allen Jenkins Roscoe Karns Walter Catlett Robert Paige Hobart Cavanaugh Ruth Donnelly Pert Kelton William Collier Sammy White
A talented boxer and a gifted dancer hope to increase their waning popularity by inventing a fictitious love affair for the benefit of the tabloids.
Western
USA
1955
78 Minutes
Molly Higgins
Randolph Scott Angela Lansbury Warner Anderson Jean Parker Wallace Ford John Emery James Bell Ruth Donnelly Michael Pate Don Megowan Jeanette Nolan
marshal showgirl assassin businessman criminal melodramatic gripping wild west small town street violence murder lost loves law and order quest transformation 19th century
Marshal Calem Ware (Randolph Scott) must face unpleasant facts about his past when he attempts to run a criminal gang out of town.
Comedy, Drama
USA
1934
64 Minutes
Lois
Margaret Lindsay Donald Woods Guy Kibbee Glenda Farrell Hugh Herbert Frank McHugh Roscoe Ates Ruth Donnelly Hobart Cavanaugh
Three couples raise a ruckus when they travel to Nevada for quickie divorces.
Musical, Comedy
USA
1941
93 Minutes
Jack Oakie George Murphy Linda Darnell Walter Brennan Milton Berle Sheldon Leonard Donald Meek Ruth Donnelly
gangster professor college president college student football player daughter amusing lighthearted tender college household football field classroom kidnapping final exams student-teacher relationship college athletics football sports betting rise
Stupid football player is kidnapped by gangsters. Lunatics abound: former footballer now dancer, professor interested in magic, gangster who makes horse noises when excited.
Comedy, Drama
USA
1933
75 Minutes
Miss Hall
Warren William Loretta Young Wallace Ford Alice White Albert Gran Allen Jenkins Marjorie Gateson Hale Hamilton Ruth Donnelly Zita Moulton Frank Reicher
manager wife salesman owner board member model amusing melodramatic spirited department store new york city work-life balance secret marriage workplace romance money affair wretched excess forbidden love 1930s
A working girl is menaced by her tyrannical employer.
Romance
USA
1935
77 Minutes
Mrs. Edith Rooney
Barbara Stanwyck Robert Young Hardie Albright Harry Bowen Allan Cavan Eddy Chandler Jack Cheatham Joe Dominguez Ruth Donnelly Tom Dugan Cliff Edwards
The rebellious daughter of an army general becomes involved with a communist agitator, much to the consternation of her father, who instead attempts to pair her with a handsome yet dim-witted soldier.
Adventure
USA
1956
84 Minutes
Duchess
Anne Baxter Jeff Chandler Rory Calhoun Barbara Britton Raymond Walburn Ray Danton John McIntire Wallace Ford Carl Benton Reid Ruth Donnelly Willis Bouchey
In 1899 Alaska, miners have to protect themselves from a phony legal team trying to steal their gold claims.
Comedy
USA
1936
115 Minutes
Gary Cooper Jean Arthur George Bancroft Lionel Stander Douglas Dumbrille Raymond Walburn Margaret Matzenauer H.B. Warner Warren Hymer Muriel Evans Ruth Donnelly
heir reporter lawyer amusing charming spirited new york city small town vermont fame wealth love small-town life city vs. country love discovery transformation rise 1930s
A simple small-town man inherits a massive fortune and is immediately hounded by those who wish to take advantage of him.
Comedy, Drama
USA
1939
125 Minutes
James Stewart Jean Arthur Claude Rains Edward Arnold Guy Kibbee Thomas Mitchell Eugene Pallette Beulah Bondi H.B. Warner Harry Carey Astrid Allwyn
senator politician secretary uplifting inspiring engaging washington, d.c. courtroom office politics aspirations leadership corruption underdog discovery rise 1930s
A naive man is appointed to fill a vacancy in the United States Senate. His plans promptly collide with political corruption, but he doesn't back down.
Comedy
USA
1932
68 Minutes
William Powell Kay Francis Helen Vinson Hardie Albright Andre Luguet Henry Kolker Spencer Charters Alan Mowbray Lawrence Grant Jacques Vanaire Charles Coleman
baron baroness thief detective husband lover amusing lighthearted vienna jewelry shop house crime jewelry theft investigation infidelity affair love pursuit forbidden love temptation
A gentleman thief charms a Viennese baron's wife and also conducts a daring daylight robbery of a jewellers.
Biography
USA
1948
93 Minutes
Pat O'Brien Darryl Hickman Charles Kemper Phil L. Ryan Una O'Connor Arthur Shields Harry Shannon Joe Sawyer Anna Q. Nilsson Donn Gift Myrna Dell
In 1905, a crusading priest tries to help poor newsboys.