Ruth Hart

Ruth E. Hart (August 1886 – May 2, 1952) was an American actress who worked in both stage and film. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, she was the daughter of Robert Hart and Laura Swan. Before entering performance, Hart worked as a secretary to theatrical producer A. H. Woods.

Hart's sole Broadway appearance came in 1906, when she was cast as Nellie Stoneman, the female lead in The Clansman. The production was adapted by its novelist, Thomas Dixon Jr., from his own book of the same name. The play would later serve as the basis for D. W. Griffith's 1915 film Birth of a Nation. Following the Broadway run, Hart continued performing the role in touring productions across the United States for approximately two years.

Her stage work in The Clansman appears to have opened the door to a film career closely associated with Griffith. Between 1909 and 1914, Hart appeared in more than thirty films, with a significant number of her confirmed screen credits being Griffith productions. Among her film appearances were Nursing a Viper (1909) and Judith of Bethulia (1914).

In September 1918, Hart married producer Walter John Moore. The couple had three children together: one daughter and two sons. Hart died on May 2, 1952, in New York City at the age of 65, survived by her husband and their three children.