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Wesley Ruggles

Wesley Ruggles

Director and producer, also writer · Died January 8, 1972, aged 82 · Los Angeles, California, USA

Wesley Ruggles (June 11, 1889 – January 8, 1972) was an American film director. He was born in Los Angeles, a younger brother of actor Charles Ruggles. He began his career in 1915 as an actor, appearing in a dozen or so silent films, on occasion with Charles Chaplin. In 1917, he turned his attention to directing, making more than 50 mostly forgettable films — including a silent film version of Edith Wharton's novel The Age of Innocence (1924) — before he won acclaim with Cimarron in 1931. The adaptation of Edna Ferber's novel Cimarron, about homesteaders settling in the prairies of Oklahoma, was the first Western to win an Academy Award as Best Picture. Although Ruggles followed this success with the light comedy No Man of Her Own (1932) with Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, the comedy I'm No Angel (1933) with Mae West and Cary Grant , College Humor (1933) with Bing Crosby, and Bolero (1934) with George Raft and Carole Lombard, few of his later films were in any way memorable (an exception is Arizona). His career was on the downslide when he teamed with the Rank Organisation in 1946 to produce and direct London Town with Sid Field and Petula Clark, based on a story he wrote. The film — British cinema's first attempt at a Technicolor musical extravaganza — is notable as being one of the biggest critical and commercial failures in that country's film history. Ironically, Ruggles had been hired to helm it because as an American, it was thought, he was better equipped to handle a musical — despite the fact that nothing in his past had prepared him to work in the genre. It was his last film. An abridged version was released in the U.S. under the title My Heart Goes Crazy by United Artists in 1953. Ruggles died in 1972 in Santa Monica and was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California. Description above from the Wikipedia article Wesley Ruggles, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
June 10, 1889
Died
January 8, 1972 (aged 82)
From
Los Angeles, California, USA
Works as
Director and producer, also writer
Titles
15 on MovieCove · 81 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 24% in 30 days

What are Wesley Ruggles' films like?

Across their 14 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 57th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 50th percentile
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
51%
Self
25%
Society
12%
Morality
5%
Power
4%
Survival
3%
Romantic love9 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage4 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFame2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 14 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 11 · Serious 3 · Dark 0

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 11 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 0

Gentle: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their gentle movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 11 · Charged 3 · Intense 0

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 12 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 7

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 13 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 14 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
8
Warm
8
Romantic
9
Hopeful
2
Melancholic
2
Other
3

How their films linger

Feel-good11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy11
  • Bittersweet2
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Wesley Ruggles' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 1 of their 15 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Subscription and free streaming for Wesley Ruggles' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

81 credits, 15 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • The Incredible World of James Bond(1965)

    Associate Producer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • A Burlesque on the Opera "Carmen" (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Actor

  • London Town (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    Director · Producer · Story

  • See Here, Private Hargrove(1944)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Slightly Dangerous(1943)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Somewhere I'll Find You(1942)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • You Belong to Me(1941)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Arizona(1940)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Too Many Husbands (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Director · Producer

  • Invitation to Happiness(1939)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Sing, You Sinners (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Director · Producer

  • True Confession (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Director

  • I Met Him in Paris(1937)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Valiant Is the Word for Carrie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Director · Producer

  • The Bride Comes Home(1935)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Accent on Youth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Director

  • Mississippi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Co-Director

  • The Gilded Lily(1935)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Shoot the Works (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Director

  • Bolero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Director

  • I'm No Angel(1933)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • College Humor(1933)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • The Monkey's Paw (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Director

  • No Man of Her Own(1932)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Roar of the Dragon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Director

  • Are These Our Children? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Director · Story

  • Cimarron(1931)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • The Sea Bat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Director · Producer

  • Honey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Director

  • Condemned! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Director

  • Street Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Director · Producer

  • Girl Overboard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Director

  • Scandal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Director

  • The Cross Country Run (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Director

  • Finders Keepers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Director

  • The Fourflusher (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Director

  • Silk Stockings (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Director

  • Beware of Widows (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Director

  • Breaking Records (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Director

  • Flashing Oars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Director

  • The Cinder Path (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Director

  • The Relay (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Director

  • Around the Bases (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Director

  • The Last Lap (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Director

  • The Collegians (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Director

  • Hooked at the Altar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Director

  • A Man of Quality (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Director

  • The Plastic Age (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    Director · Continuity

  • A Broadway Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    Director

  • The Age of Innocence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Director

  • Slippy McGee (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Director

  • The Heart Raider (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Director

  • The Remittance Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Director

  • Mr. Billings Spends His Dime (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Director

  • If I Were Queen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    Director

  • Wild Honey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    Director

  • Over the Wire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Director

  • Uncharted Seas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Director

  • The Greater Claim (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Director

  • Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Director

  • The Leopard Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Director

  • The Desperate Hero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Director

  • Sooner or Later (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Director

  • Piccadilly Jim (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Director

  • Triple Trouble (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    as Crook

  • For France (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Director

  • Outcast (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Assistant Director

  • Her Torpedoed Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    as Messenger Inside the House

  • Behind the Screen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    as Actor (uncredited)

  • The Pawnshop (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    as Ring Client (uncredited)

  • Beatrice Fairfax (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    as #15 Wristwatches

  • Police (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    as Jailbird and Thief

  • The Floorwalker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    as Policeman (uncredited)

  • A Submarine Pirate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    as His accomplice / Sub Officer

  • A Night in the Show(1915)

    as Second Man in Balcony Front Row

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Her Painted Hero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    as Effeminate Party Guest (uncredited)

  • Shanghaied (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    as Shipowner

  • A Lover's Lost Control (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    as Shoe Clerk

  • Gussle Rivals Jonah (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    as Ship Steward / Ship Passenger

  • Gussle's Wayward Path (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    as Clergyman

  • Caught in a Park (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    as The Cop

Career shape

A full career of 81 titles from 1915 to 1965.

Biggest box office

I'm No Angel (1933)

$159 worldwide

Highest rated

I'm No Angel (1933)

Midcredits 74th

Most popular right now

You Belong to Me (1941)

Film career

  • 1915Screen debut· Shanghaied

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting16 of 81: 16 only acting, 0 with another roleDirecting63 of 81: 48 only directing, 15 with another role · typical Midcredits score49thWriting3 of 81: 0 only writing, 3 with another roleProducing13 of 81: 1 only producing, 12 with another role · typical Midcredits score47thOther crew2 of 81: 1 only other crew, 1 with another role

81 titles, 15 with more than one role.

By decade

1910s18 · 15 acting · 3 crew1920s34 · crew1930s20 · crew1940s7 · crew1950s1 · acting1960s1 · crew

Billing

usually 6th · top billed in 0% of 7 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Wesley Ruggles' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 54th percentile, the median of all 15; across their 14 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 53rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

53rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Approval · how many liked their films

50thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Reach · how many have seen their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Midcredits score across 15 titles, by percentile

  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th7

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 15 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Crowd Pleaser7
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · producer

The Incredible World of James Bond (1965)

59th percentile spread · 15% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

I'm No Angel (1933)

Midcredits 74th · 66% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 60/100 and the pacing 45/100 in their films, across 12 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Wesley Ruggles work with?

People who share at least 2 of Wesley Ruggles' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Claude Binyon shares the most, 7.

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers