Actress, Author. She was an American actress of the silent screen. She is best remembered for playing the role of Esmeralda, the gypsy dancer, opposite Lon Chaney in the silent film version of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" in 1923. Born Ruth Mae Miller, she was a small-town beauty contest winner. Her mother pushed her to become an actress and even had a role playing her mother in one of her films. She had to change her name as not to be confused with another actress named Ruth Miller. Described as a beauty with a dark-hair framed face and a charming, bubbling personality, she was chosen as a WAMPAS Baby Star in 1922, yet never reached full stardom. Although her silent film career ended in 1931, she made cameo appearances in the 1951 film "Quebec" and the low-budget black and white film, "Mother," in 1978. A prolific performer, she is credited with appearing in 74 films, which included comedies and having dance routines. Other noted performances include "Camille" in 1921, "Fool of the Dark" in 1924 and "Hell-Bent for Heaven" in 1926. Running for only a week, she had a role in the Broadway show "White Man" in 1936. She became a successful short story writer, credited with receiving three O Henry Awards, but not listed as a first-place recipient. Her novel, "That Flanagan Girl" was published in 1939. She wrote a book about the Russian composer of the famous ballet the "Nutcracker," Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, "Music in My Heart," which was adapted to a musical and ran for 124 performances at the Adelphi Theatre on Broadway during the holiday season of 1947 to 1948. She wrote radio scripts. Her 1988 book, "My Hollywood: When Both of Us Were Young," contains many of her professional stories, details of making the "Hunchback of Notre Dame," and a host of photographs from the Golden Age of Hollywood. With many engagements to marry publicly announced, she was married three times, divorced twice, and became a widow with her third. She had one son from her second marriage. She was the older sister of Winston Miller, a noted screenwriter and producer. Her personal and professional papers are archived at the New York City Public Library.
Actress, Author. She was an American actress of the silent screen. She is best remembered for playing the role of Esmeralda, the gypsy dancer, opposite Lon Chaney in the silent film version of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" in 1923. Born Ruth Mae Miller, she was a small-town beauty contest winner. Her mother pushed her to become an actress and even had a role playing her mother in one of her films. She had to change her name as not to be confused with another actress named Ruth Miller. Described as a beauty with a dark-hair framed face and a charming, bubbling personality, she was chosen as a WAMPAS Baby Star in 1922, yet never reached full stardom. Although her silent film career ended in 1931, she made cameo appearances in the 1951 film "Quebec" and the low-budget black and white film, "Mother," in 1978. A prolific performer, she is credited with appearing in 74 films, which included comedies and having dance routines. Other noted performances include "Camille" in 1921, "Fool of the Dark" in 1924 and "Hell-Bent for Heaven" in 1926. Running for only a week, she had a role in the Broadway show "White Man" in 1936. She became a successful short story writer, credited with receiving three O Henry Awards, but not listed as a first-place recipient. Her novel, "That Flanagan Girl" was published in 1939. She wrote a book about the Russian composer of the famous ballet the "Nutcracker," Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, "Music in My Heart," which was adapted to a musical and ran for 124 performances at the Adelphi Theatre on Broadway during the holiday season of 1947 to 1948. She wrote radio scripts. Her 1988 book, "My Hollywood: When Both of Us Were Young," contains many of her professional stories, details of making the "Hunchback of Notre Dame," and a host of photographs from the Golden Age of Hollywood. With many engagements to marry publicly announced, she was married three times, divorced twice, and became a widow with her third. She had one son from her second marriage. She was the older sister of Winston Miller, a noted screenwriter and producer. Her personal and professional papers are archived at the New York City Public Library.
Bio by: Linda Davis
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