6 Best Ruth Donnelly Movies

By Vlad Zakh · March 23, 2026

Ruth Donnelly brought tart, no-nonsense comic energy to Hollywood and frequently played sharp-tongued secretaries and world-weary confidantes. The Snake Pit follows a woman institutionalised for mental illness, Autumn Leaves reveals a younger husband’s disturbed past, The Bride Came C.O.D. strands a pilot with a runaway heiress, and Alibi Ike struggles with an excuse-making pitcher. Lady Killer and Footlight Parade round out the list.

Autumn Leaves (1956)

TMDB ★ 6.9

A lonely woman's whirlwind marriage to a younger man reveals his disturbed hidden past.

Directed by Robert Aldrich · 1h 47m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: Artiflix

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Snake Pit (1948)

TMDB ★ 7.4

A woman institutionalised for mental illness struggles to understand her condition and find her way back.

Directed by Anatole Litvak · 1h 48m

Where to watch

Stream: History Vault · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Bride Came C.O.D. (1941)

TMDB ★ 6.8

Chick Chandler appears when a pilot hired to kidnap a runaway heiress ends up stranded with her in the desert.

Directed by William Keighley · 1h 32m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: YouTube TV · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Alibi Ike (1935)

TMDB ★ 6.2

Ruth Donnelly features in this comedy about a talented but chronically excuse-making baseball pitcher who struggles to be taken seriously.

Directed by Ray Enright · 1h 12m

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Lady Killer (1933)

TMDB ★ 6.4

A small-time crook flees to Hollywood after a heist gone wrong and improbably becomes a movie star.

Directed by Roy Del Ruth · 1h 16m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Footlight Parade (1933)

TMDB ★ 7.2

A determined Broadway producer races the clock to stage elaborate live prologues before the movies steal his business.

Directed by Lloyd Bacon · 1h 44m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

6 Best Ruth Donnelly Movies

Autumn Leaves (1956)

The Snake Pit (1948)

The Bride Came C.O.D. (1941)

Alibi Ike (1935)

Lady Killer (1933)

Footlight Parade (1933)

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