Ruth Clifford was an American actress of leading roles in silent films, whose career lasted from silent days into the television era. From 1942–1952, she voiced Minnie Mouse and shared the role of Daisy Duck in tandem with Gloria Blondell.
Clifford was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Following her mother's death when Ruth was 11, she and her sister were placed in St. Mary's Seminary in Narragansett, Rhode Island. Four years later, they went to Los Angeles to live with their actress aunt. Clifford got work as an extra and began her career at 15 at Universal, in fairly substantial roles. She received her first film credit for her work in Behind the Lines. By her mid-twenties, she was playing leads and second leads, including the role of Abraham Lincoln's lost love, Ann Rutledge, in The Dramatic Life of Abraham Lincoln.
But sound pictures found her roles diminishing, and throughout the next three decades she played smaller roles in films, like Elmer and Elsie, Safety in Numbers, Holiday Inn, The Lodger, The Spider, My Darling Clementine, The Luck of the Irish, 3 Godfathers, Wagon Master, Sunset Boulevard, Stars and Stripes Forever, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, The Searchers, Designing Woman, Sergeant Rutledge, I'd Rather Be Rich, and Funny Girl.
In the 1950s, Clifford made television appearances in shows, like Highway Patrol, Police Story, Fireside Theatre, The Millionaire, Jungle Jim, Hazel, and Dr. Kildare, while also appearing in commercials.
Clifford died in Woodland Hills, California, on November 30, 1998, at the age of 98. Her interment was in Culver City's Holy Cross Cemetery. She was survived by two first cousins.
Disney filmography[]
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1944 | First Aiders | Minnie Mouse |
| 1946 | Bath Day | Minnie Mouse - uncredited |
| 1947 | Figaro and Frankie | Minnie Mouse - uncredited |
| 1947 | Mickey's Delayed Date | Minnie Mouse - uncredited |
| 1947 | Fun and Fancy Free | Minnie Mouse (scenes deleted) |
| 1948 | Donald's Dream Voice | Daisy Duck - uncredited |
| 1949 | Pluto's Sweater | Minnie Mouse |
| 1950 | Pluto's Heart Throb | Dinah the Dachshund |
| 1950 | Pluto and the Gopher | Minnie Mouse |
| 1950 | Wonder Dog | Dinah the Dachshund |
| 1952 | Pluto's Christmas Tree | Minnie Mouse - uncredited |
