Although the "star system" was discouraged at Edison studios, actress Viola Dana managed to rise to fame under the Edison banner -- thanks in no small part to her favorite director (and her husband!) John H. Collins. In
The Innocence of Ruth
, Dana plays the title character, who upon the death of her father is placed under the guardianship of bachelor and man-about-town Mr. Carter (Edward Earle). For the next five reels, Carter dedicates himself to the attempted deflowering of the wide-eyed Ruth. By and by, however, her sweet ingenuousness deflects him from his mission -- so much so that he rescues her from being seduced by
another
libidinous bachelor. Just like her spiritual sister Doris Day, Ruth uses her virginity as a weapon with which to conquer the man of her dreams.