This forgotten actress started off as a Ziegfeld girl and was in my opinion, one of the great beauties of her day--not just because of her sexual allure, but her stunning eyes and heart-shaped face. She was never a major star, but she sure had her name in papers an awful lot. With a total of 24 (credited) acting credits, Miss Adrienne walked out on her Hollywood career in the late 30s to move to radio, where she had her own broadcast channel until her untimely death. For you radio fans out there, you can view a few episodes by clicking here
Adrienne Ames was born Ruth Adrienne McClure on August 3, 1903, in Fort Worth, Texas. She went by the name Adrienne Truex during her days in the follies--Truex was the name of her first husband and Ames came from her second marriage to film Producer, Stephen Ames. Adrienne married a third time to Actor Bruce Cabot, whom she worked with in Disgraced! (1933), but the pair divorced four years later due to his frequent drinking and dismissive behavior.
Ruth was the eldest sibling in the family. She had three sisters and three brothers: Jane, Doris, and Gladys, Samuel, Joseph, and Walter. Unfortunately, Doris and Gladys died young.
Following an elopement at 16, Adrienne had her only child, a daughter named Barbara a year later. She once said in an interview: "I was married at sixteen, was the mother of a baby girl at seventeen, and divorced at eighteen!"
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Adrienne and her third husband Bruce Cabot.
"It was Jane who got me my first job--as an extra in pictures. I was Adrienne Truex in those days. During those two years I worked at the grandest assortment of jobs. I couldn’t count on steady work as an extra in films. And more than once I thought of my ‘little gay home in the South.’" |
I’m not entirely sure if she worked as a stand-in for Pola Negri, but it’s very possible she did.
In the 1920s, she had a job as a chorus girl in the Ziegfeld Follies. Although the typical stage work didn’t interest her, there was a time when she did struggle, but by the 1930s, she was back on her feet and became one of the best-looking, glamorous dames in Hollywood. But boy, was she lucky she was employed during that Depression.
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| Adrienne by Alfred Cheney Johnston |
She had roles in over 29 films, including some of the uncredited/scenes cut roles. Perhaps she is best remembered for The Death Kiss (1932), opposite Bela Lugosi, and From Hell to Heaven (1933) with Carole Lombard, whose lavish parties she often attended. Personally, I think some of her best work was Slander House (1938) and Gigolette (1935). And for my top choice, You’re Telling Me (1934) with the great W.C. Fields, in which she plays a beautiful princess. After having a modest acting career in Hollywood, she moved to radio and hosted her own program where she would advertise beauty products and clothes. Other than fashion and beauty, she would also model for Coke, chesterfield, and Lux soap ads. Her appearances, however, were scarce. There are virtually no pictures of her in the 1940s. I have only been able to find a few newspaper ads. Here is one from 1942. She undeniably looks very gorgeous in 40s fashion. If only there were more photos of her from that period.
Her career died when cancer took her at the young age of 43 in 1947. She was laid down to rest in her hometown of Fort Worth, Texas.
Because I’ve found her so fascinating for some reason, I’ve done lots of digging in the archives to find pictures and information about her. Behold this beauty above!
