Ruth Taylor was an American film director, editor, and producer who was active in the motion picture industry from the late 1910s to the early 1940s. She was one of the first women to direct feature films in the United States and was one of the first female members of the Director's Guild of America.
Taylor was born in 1894 in Cincinnati, Ohio. She was the daughter of a prominent businessman and was raised in a well-to-do family. Even as a young girl, she had a keen interest in the motion picture industry and dreamed of one day working in the movies.
After graduating from high school, Taylor moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dream of becoming a filmmaker. She enrolled in the California Motion Picture School and trained as an editor and assistant director. She quickly found work in the industry and within a few years was directing her own films.
Taylor's early films were mostly short comedies and melodramas featuring popular actors such as Rin-Tin-Tin, Louise Fazenda, and Mary Pickford. She also directed features, including the 1921 drama “Du Barry, Woman of Passion” starring Clara Kimball Young.
In 1924, Taylor was appointed director of the Educational Pictures and oversaw the production of dozens of short films. She also produced a number of feature films, including the 1925 silent classic “The Lost World” starring Wallace Beery.
Taylor's career came to an abrupt end in the early 1930s following the advent of sound films. She found it difficult to adjust to the new technology and was unable to make the transition to sound films. She retired from the industry in 1936 and died in her sleep in 1942.
Ruth Taylor was an important figure in the early history of the motion picture industry. She was one of the first female filmmakers in the United States and helped pave the way for future generations of female filmmakers. Her work as a director, editor, and producer was admired by her peers and helped shape the industry for decades to come.
