Ruth Elder

Ruth Elder played ingenue parts in Thanhouser films released in 1914 and 1915. The New Rochelle Pioneer, December 26, 1914, reported: “Ruth Elder, the little Thanhouser ingenue, who won the first prize in The Morning Telegraph Popularity Contest, a grand piano, has been engaged by the Universal Film Corporation.” Her involvement with Universal may have been temporary, for during the summer of 1915 she was with Thanhouser in New Rochelle and was a member of the Thanhouser employees’ female baseball team. Her later married name was Ruth Cassidy.

A letter dated July 11, 1973, from Ruth Elder to film historian John Thayer, stated: “While I am Ruth Elder of silent pictures I am not Ruth Elder the aviatrix. This mistake of identity has happened many times. My career started in 1913. At 16 I was chosen queen of the Coney Island Carnival celebrated for one week. I then went to work as an extra for Edison films, then under contract with Thanhouser films.... I played ingenue leads for about two years, and The New York Telegraph was publishing a contest for the most popular moving picture star. This I was fortunate in winning. From there I joined two well-known comedians in a studio owned by the mayor of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. We made two-reel comedies for Paramount with two releases a month. I was under contract for three years. Leatrice Joy Gilbert was one of our players. I was married at that company, then back to New York and played in [other pictures]. By this time I became a mother and my husband was doing very well as a broker and developer so I stopped. That’s when the [other] Ruth Elder came on the scene and I received telegrams from all over saying ‘So happy you are coming back.’ As long as I knew that I was finished I didn’t question the use of an established name. I am with this local newspaper [in Altadena, California].... Now how did you find me? It’s been 50 years since I played in pictures. It would be interesting to know if you would like an autographed picture of me. Sincerely, Ruth Cassidy.”