|Directed by||William D. Russell|
|Produced by||Paul Jones|
|Written by||Norman Krasna (play)
|Distributed by||Paramount Pictures|
|Box office||$3.8 million|
Dear Ruth is a 1947 romantic comedy film starring Joan Caulfield, William Holden, Mona Freeman, and Edward Arnold. It was based on the Broadway play of the same name by Norman Krasna. A teenage girl has a soldier for a pen pal, but uses her older sister's name and photograph. Then the man shows up while on a two-day leave.
- Joan Caulfield as Ruth Wilkins
- William Holden as Lieutenant William Seacroft
- Mona Freeman as Miriam Wilkins
- Edward Arnold as Judge Wilkins
- Billy De Wolfe as Albert Kummer
- Mary Philips as Mrs. Edie Wilkins
- Virginia Welles as Martha Seacroft
- Kenny O'Morrison as Sergeant Chuck Vincent
|Written by||Norman Krasna|
|Date premiered||13 December 1944|
|Place premiered||Henry Millers Theatre, Broadway|
|Setting||The living-room of the Wilkins home, Kew Gardens, Long Island. Late Summer, 1944.|
Norman Krasna had written a serious play, The Man with Blond Hair, which received a tepid response. He says Moss Hart suggested he write a commercial comedy instead along the lines of Junior Miss. Krasna based the family in the play on that of Groucho Marx, who was a good friend and occasional collaborator. The play was named in honour of Krasna's first wife, Ruth.
Film rights were sold for a reported $450,000.
As part of the purchase price for the play, Paramount had the rights to use the characters for a sequel.
- *McGilligan, Patrick, "Norman Krasna: The Woolworth's Touch", Backstory: Interviews with Screenwriters of Hollywood's Golden Age, University of California Press,1986 p218, 226
- Norman Krasna's Wife Is Awarded Divorce, The Washington Post (1923–1954) [Washington, D.C] 28 Apr 1950: 3.
- Dear Ruth at Playbill
- SCREEN NEWS: 'DEAR RUTH' IS BOUGHT FOR REPORTED $450,000 Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES.. New York Times (1923–Current file) [New York, N.Y] 08 Feb 1945: 14.
- PARAMOUNT PLANS 'DEAR RUTH' SEQUEL: Studio's Production 'Dear Wife' Will Use Available Members of Original Film's Cast By THOMAS F. BRADYSpecial to THE NEW YORK TIMES.. New York Times (1923-Current file) [New York, N.Y] 06 Dec 1947: 11.
- Dear Ruth at the Internet Movie Database
- Dear Ruth at the TCM Movie Database
- Dear Ruth at AllMovie
- Dear Ruth at the Internet Broadway Database
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