Esther Ralston
Esther Ralston was an American film actress who was popular in the silent era.
Early life and career
Ralston was born Esther Louise Worth in Bar Harbor, Maine, one of five siblings. She was the older sister of actor Howard Ralston, 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 a role 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, often portraying spirited society girls, but 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. 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 Kraft Television Theatre and Tales of Tomorrow. In 1962, she had a leading role in the short-lived daytime drama Our Five Daughters, her final onscreen role. In 1985, Ralston released her autobiography Some Day We'll Laugh.
Marriages
- On December 25, 1925, Ralston married her manager, the actor George Webb Frey in Manhattan, New York. He was credited in films as George Webb. They had a daughter, Mary Esther, 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, 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 in Greenwich, Connecticut. Music publisher Jack 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 programs. He produced several radio dramas, including My True Story for the NBC Red Network, Adventures of the Abbotts on NBC Red Network, Whispering Streets for CBS Radio, and Escape'' for CBS-TV.
Death
For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Esther Ralston had a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6664 Hollywood Boulevard.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1952 | Kraft Television Theatre | Episode: "September Tide" | |
| 1952 | 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 |
General references
- Speaking of Silents: First Ladies of the Screen, by William H. Drew, Vestal Press ;
- Some Day We'll Laugh: An Autobiography, by Esther Ralston, Anthony Slide, Scarecrow Press ;
Inline citations