JARRETT GOODMAN
Staff Writer
Did you know that Jobyna Ralston, a well renowned silent film actress from the 1920s, was from Marion County?
Born on Nov. 21, 1899 in South Pittsburg to Joe Lancaster Raulston and Sara E. Kemp Brady Raulston, Jobyna was named after actress Jobyna Howland, who made a name for herself across various Broadway and other theatrical shows. At age nine, Ralston starred in her very first live performance for “Cinderella” at South Pittsburg’s Wilson Theater and Opera House in 1909, kick starting a passion for acting which she carried with her six years later in 1915. During that time, she attended acting school in Manhattan and later performed across several Broadway productions of her own, eventually staring in the Marx Brothers’ first film, “Humor Risk.”
In 1921, Ralston made her move to Los Angeles, Calif., where she appeared as an extra and in small roles across several silent films. However, her major break into Hollywood fame came when she starred alongside comedian Harold Floyd in silent films from 1923 to 1928. This partnership would eventually land her in her biggest role in her historic career as Sylvia Lewis in 1927’s “Wings.” The film also starred actor Richard Arlen, who would later go on to marry Ralston in 1927.
The film would be recognized at the inaugural Academy Awards (known as the Oscars today) as it received the award for Best Picture due to its storytelling and cinematography, all of which set a major benchmark in filmmaking history.
Across her career, Ralston starred in over 100 silent films. However, after marrying Arlen, she decided to step down from the world of acting to focus on her newfound family, eventually giving birth to a son in May of 1933. Her final film appearance was in 1930 lost film “Rough Waters,” which also starred Lane Chandler, Edmund Breese and famed German Shepard Rin Tin Tin.
Ralston passed away on Jan. 22, 1967 in Los Angeles due to complications caused by pneumonia. Since her passing, her career in film made a lasting impact both within the world of Hollywood and in Marion County’s history. In 2004, the Jobyna Ralston-Arlen Birthplace marker in South Pittsburg was officially dedicated on Elm Avenue, where 47 residents at the time witnessed the officially dedication. More recently in December 2025, an entire mural sculpted by artist Cheyenne Renee was also dedicated directly behind the town’s well renowned Princess Theatre, further ensuring the county’s historic celebrity and the lasting legacy she left behind lives on within the community for many years to come.
Photos from www.moviestarhistory.com