Esther Ralston (born Esther Louise Worth, September 17, 1902 – January 14, 1994) was an American silent film star. Her most prominent sound picture was To the Last Man in 1933.
Early life and career
Ralston was born Esther Louise Worth in Bar Harbor, Maine, in 1902, one of five siblings. She was the older sister of actor Howard Ralston (July 25, 1904 – June 1, 1992), who appeared in nine films between 1920 and 1924.
She began her career as a child actress in a family vaudeville act, which was billed as "The Ralston Family with Baby Esther, America's Youngest Juliet". From this, she appeared in a few small, silent-film roles, including alongside her brother in the 1920 film adaptation of Huckleberry Finn. Ralston later gained attention as Mrs. Darling in the 1924 film version of Peter Pan.
In the late 1920s, she appeared in many films for Paramount, at one point earning as much as $8,000 per week, and garnering much popularity, especially in United Kingdom. She appeared mainly in comedies, usually with her name billed above the title, often portraying spirited society girls, and also received good reviews for her forays into dramatic roles.
On radio, Ralston portrayed Kathy Marsh in Portia Faces Life and Marcella Hudnall in Our Gal Sunday.
Retirement and later years
Despite making a successful transition to sound films, she mainly was relegated to supporting roles by the mid-1930s. Her last leading role was in To the Last Man in 1933, directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Randolph Scott, with a supporting cast featuring Noah Beery Sr., Buster Crabbe, Shirley Temple, and John Carradine. In his book, The Hollywood Western: Ninety Years of Cowboys and Indians, Train Robbers, Sheriffs and Gunslingers, film historian William K. Everson discusses the film,Everson, William K. The Hollywood Western: Ninety Years of Cowboys and Indians, Train Robbers, Sheriffs and Gunslingers. New York. Citadel Press, 1992, First edition 1969. writing:To the Last Man was almost a model of its kind, an exceptionally strong story of feuding families in the post-Civil War era, with a cast worthy of an "A" feature, excellent direction by Henry Hathaway, and an unusual climactic fight between the villain (Jack LaRue) and the heroine (Esther Ralston, in an exceptionally appealing performance).
Ralston made her final film Tin Pan Alley in 1940 and chose to retire from films. She continued working on the stage and in radio throughout the 1940s, including being the leading lady for part of the run of Woman of Courage.
She returned to the screen in the early 1950s with guest roles on television series, including a Kraft Television Theatre version of Daphne Du Maurier's "September Tide" and an episode of Tales of Tomorrow titled "All the Time in the World". In 1962, she had a leading role in the short-lived daytime drama Our Five Daughters, her final onscreen role (all five of the actresses playing her daughters resembled Ralston in her heyday).
In 1985, Ralston released her autobiography Some Day We'll Laugh. In the book, she mentions that her career was sabotaged by Louis B. Mayer when she refused to sleep with him at the beginning of a swiftly abortive contract at his studio. She was graylisted and soon found herself toppled from the height of the industry to being predominantly relegated to supporting roles, mainly at minor studios, solving the mystery of why her career faltered at the dawn of sound despite her having had a lifetime of theatrical stage experience and a superb speaking voice.
Marriages On December 25, 1925, Ralston married her manager, actor George Webb Frey, in Manhattan, New York. He was credited in films as George Webb. They had a daughter, Mary Esther (born 1931), who at birth was known as the "$100,000 Baby" because her mother turned down a substantial film contract while pregnant. George and Esther divorced in 1934. George filed for bankruptcy in Los Angeles in March 1934. On June 16, 1935, Ralston married actor Will Morgan (Wilburt Whitfield Morgan), then a former New York stage actor and singer. They divorced in 1938. Morgan led the saxophone section for eight years for Fred Waring. On August 6, 1939, Ralston married radio announcer and columnist Ted Lloyd (Theodore Allen Lloyd) in Greenwich, Connecticut. Music publisher Jack Robbins (John Jacob Robbins) was Lloyd's best man. The couple had two children, Judy and Ted, Jr. Ted and Esther divorced in 1954. Before marrying Ralston, Lloyd had worked for newspapers and Radio News. In 1942, Lloyd became director of radio for 20th Century Fox. In 1946, with Hal Horne and Armand Deutsch, Lloyd formed Ted Lloyd, Inc. to manage personalities and to produce radio (later TV) programs. He produced several radio dramas, including My True Story for the NBC Red Network, Adventures of the Abbotts on NBC Red Network (18 episodes in 1955), Whispering Streets for CBS Radio, and Escape for CBS-TV.
Death On January 14, 1994, Ralston died of a heart attack at age 91 in her home in Ventura, California. The family held services on January 17, 1994, in Ventura, California, the day of the Northridge earthquake.
For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Esther Ralston has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6664 Hollywood Boulevard.
Filmography
+ Film Year Title Role Notes 1915 The Deep Purple Bit, extra...as an Angel UncreditedLost film1918 The Doctor and the Woman Minor Role Uncredited; Lost film For Husbands Only Bit part UncreditedLost film1920 Huckleberry Finn Mary Jane Wilks The Peddler of Lies Minor RoleLost The Butterfly Man Uncredited Lost film Dangerous to Men Minor RoleLost Whispering Devils Rose GibbardLost film To Please One Woman Presumed lost1921 The Kid Extra in Heaven Scene Uncredited What Do Men Want? Uncredited Incomplete film Crossing Trails Helen StrattonLost film1922 Daring Danger Ethel Stanton Lost film Remembrance Beatrice Lost film Pals of the West Nina Youth to Youth Lost film The Lone Hand Lost film Oliver Twist Rose Maylie 1923 The Prisoner Marie Lost film The Phantom Fortune Mary Rogers Lost film Railroaded Joan Dunster Lost film The Victor Chewing Gum Baron's Daughter Lost film Blinky Mary Lou Kileen Lost film The Wild Party Bess Furth Lost film Pure Grit Stella BollingLost film1924 The Marriage Circle Miss Hofer Jack O'Clubs Queenie HatchLost film Fight and Win Holly Malloy The Heart Buster Rose Hillyer Lost film Wolves of the North Madge Chester Lost film Serial Peter Pan Mrs. Darling $50,000 Reward Carolyn Jordan1925 The Little French Girl Toppie Westmacott Lost film The Goose Hangs High Dagmar CarrollLost film Beggar on Horseback Cynthia Mason Incomplete film The Lucky Devil Doris McDee The Trouble with Wives Dagmar Lost film The Best People Alice O'Neil Lost film A Kiss for Cinderella Fairy Godmother Womanhandled Molly Martin 1926 The American Venus Mary Gray Lost film The Blind Goddess Moira Devens Lost film The Quarterback Louise Mason Old Ironsides Esther 1927 Fashions for Women Céleste de Givray and Lola Dauvry Lost film Children of Divorce Jean Waddington Ten Modern Commandments Kitty O'Day Lost film Figures Don't Lie Janet Wells Lost film The Spotlight Lizzie Stokes / Olga RostovaLost film1928 Love and Learn Nancy Blair Lost film Something Always Happens Diana Mallory Lost film Half a Bride Patience Winslow Lost film The Sawdust Paradise Hallie Lost film1929 The Case of Lena Smith Lena Smith Lost film Betrayal Vroni Lost film The Wheel of Life Ruth Dangan The Mighty Louise Patterson1931 Lonely Wives Madeline Smith The Prodigal Antonia Farraday1932 Rome Express Asta Marvelle After the Ball Elissa Strange1933 Black Beauty Leila Lambert To the Last Man Ellen Colby Alternative title: Law of Vengeance By Candlelight Baroness von Ballin1934 Sadie McKee Dolly Merrick Romance in the Rain Gwen de la Rue The Marines Are Coming Dorothy Manning Strange Wives Olga1935 Mister Dynamite Charmian Dvorjak Ladies Crave Excitement Miss Winkler Shadows of the Orient Viola Avery Streamline Express Elaine Vincent Together We Live Jenny Streamline Express Elaine Vincent Forced Landing Ruby Anatole1936 The Girl from Mandalay Mary Trevor Hollywood Boulevard Flora Moore Reunion Janet Fair We're in the Legion Now! Louise Rillette1937 As Good as Married Miss Danforth Jungle Menace Valerie Shield Serial, [Chs. 1, 3, 6, 7, 15] The Mysterious Pilot Vivian McNain Serial, [Chs.10-11]1938 The Spy Ring Jean Bruce Letter of Introduction Mrs. Sinclair Uncredited Slander House Ruth De Milo1940 Tin Pan Alley Nora Bayes The San Francisco Docks Frances March
+ Television Year Title Role Notes1952 Kraft Television Theatre Episode: "September Tide" Tales of Tomorrow The Collector Episode: "All the Time in the World" 1953 Broadway Television Theatre Mrs. Bancroft Episode: "The Noose" 1962 Our Five Daughters Helen Lee
References Notes
Citations
Sources
Speaking of Silents: First Ladies of the Screen, by William H. Drew, Vestal Press (1989); Some Day We'll Laugh: An Autobiography, by Esther Ralston, Anthony Slide (ed.), Scarecrow Press (1985);
External links
Photographs of Esther Ralston