{{short description|American actress}} {{no footnotes|date=July 2014}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Cleo Ridgely | image = Cleo Ridgely Stars of the Photoplay.jpg | caption = Ridgely in 1916 | birth_name = Freda Cleo Helwig | birth_date = {{Birth date|1893|05|12}} | birth_place = New York City, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|1962|08|18|1893|05|12}} | death_place = Glendale, California, U.S. | occupation = Actress | years_active = 1911–1951 | children = 2 | imagesize = | spouse = Jaudon M. Ridgely (div. 1916)<br/>James W. Horne }}

'''Cleo Ridgely-Horne''' (born '''Freda Cleo Helwig''', May 12, 1893<ref name="pk">{{cite news |title=Wild scenes in 'The Love Mask' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/47834084/cleo-ridgely/ |access-date=April 2, 2020 |work=Pittsburg Kansan |date=May 6, 1916 |location=Kansas, Pittsburg |page=2|via = Newspapers.com}}</ref> &ndash; August 18, 1962) was a star of silent and sound motion pictures. Her career began early in the silent film era, in 1911, and continued for forty years. She retired in the 1930s but later returned to make more movies. Her final film was ''Hollywood Story'' (1951), in which she had a bit part.

==Early life== Ridgely was born Freda Cleo Helwig in New York City. She was the daughter of August Helwig and Catherine Emily Sommerkamp. She had two sisters, Christina and Martha.{{Citation needed |date=April 2020}} After her parents' deaths when she was 2 years old, she lived in Wisconsin with her grandmother.<ref name="mpc">{{cite journal |last1=Gaddis |first1=Pearl |title=The Girl Who Rode Across the Continent |journal=Motion Picture Classic |date=August 1916 |volume=II |issue=6 |pages=33–34|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cQ9KAQAAMAAJ&q=%22Cleo+Ridgely%22+actress&pg=PT443 |access-date=April 2, 2020}}</ref>

[[File:The golden chance 1916 photoplay magazine.jpg|thumb|Wallace Reid and Cleo Ridgely in a publicity photo for the 1915 film The Golden Chance]] ==Career== Before she began working in films, Ridgely performed in the chorus at the Hippodrome Theater in New York City. In 1910, she began acting for the Kalem Company film studio in Jacksonville, Florida. After that, she worked for the Lubin and Rex studios.<ref name="cbdh">{{cite book |last1=Birchard |first1=Robert S. |title=Cecil B. DeMille's Hollywood |date=2009 |publisher=University Press of Kentucky |isbn=978-0-8131-3829-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h8I1dEf7GqIC&q=%22Cleo+Ridgely%22&pg=PT103 |access-date=April 2, 2020 |language=en}}</ref>

Ridgely starred with Ruth Roland in a girl detective series in the 1920s and co-starred in a number of films with Wallace Reid and Lew Cody.

Ridgely worked with Famous Players–Lasky Film Company and also for Paramount Pictures. She was selected queen of the Auburn exhibit at the downtown automobile show in Los Angeles in October 1915. A publicity photo posed the actress with a 1916 Auburn Six. It was made by the Auburn Automobile Company and appeared at the show.

==Equestrian== Ridgely was an accomplished horsewoman. In 1912, accompanied by her first husband, she rode across the country on horseback from New York to Los Angeles.<ref name="cbdh" /> Making numerous promotional stops along the way, the trip lasted several months.<ref>{{cite news |title=Man and Wife on Long Ride |date=September 22, 1912 |location=Harrisburg, Pennsylvania |newspaper=The Courier |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-courier-ridgelys-ride-across-country/172649524/}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=The Novelty Sensation of the Season: J.M. & Cleo Ridgely |date=October 28, 1913 |location=Phoenix |newspaper=The Arizona Republic |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-arizona-republic-ridgelys-horseback/172650206/}}</ref> In one of her Lasky features she stopped a runaway four-in-hand, risking her life, while on top of a stagecoach.<ref>{{cite news |title=What's the Price of Film Stardom? Cleo Ridgely Says, 'Defiance of Death' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/47834505/cleo-ridgely/ |access-date=April 2, 2020 |work=The Leavenworth Post |date=April 11, 1916 |location=Kansas, Leavenworth |page=7|via = Newspapers.com}}</ref> Ridgely lived her later years in Glendale, California.

According to the magazine Kalem Kalendar (January 1915), during a trip over the Arizona borderline, Ridgely was captured by Mexican rebels. Fortunately, some American citizens heard of the incident and secured her release a few hours later.

In 2016, Ridgely was honored with a Letter of Commendation by the City of Glendale, California.

== Personal life == She was divorced from her first husband, Jaudon M. Ridgely, in Los Angeles in December 1916. She was then married to James W. Horne, who directed the Laurel and Hardy comedies for many years. She and Horne had twins, Jimmy Horne Jr. and June Jessamine Horne.<ref>{{cite journal |title=The Heavenly Twins |journal=Photoplay |date=May 1918 |volume=XIII |issue=6 |page=27 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1n0NAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Cleo+Ridgely%22&pg=RA3-PA28-IA1 |access-date=April 2, 2020}}</ref>

== Death == Ridgely died in 1962 at her home at the age of 69. She was buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The Los Angeles Times |title=Rites Set Today for Mrs. Horne, Former Actress |date=August 21, 1962 |page=21 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-cleo-ridgely-horne/172649018/}}</ref>

==Partial filmography== * ''Leaves in the Storm'' (1912) * ''The Spoilers'' (1914) * ''Stolen Goods'' (1915) * ''The Fighting Hope'' (1915) * ''The Puppet Crown'' (1915) * ''The Marriage of Kitty'' (1915) * ''The Chorus Lady'' (1915) * ''The Golden Chance'' (1915) * ''The Love Mask'' (1916) * ''The Selfish Woman'' (1916) * ''The House with the Golden Windows'' (1916) * ''The Victory of Conscience'' (1916) * ''The Yellow Pawn'' (1916) * ''The Victoria Cross'' (1916) * ''Joan the Woman'' (1916) * ''The Law and the Woman'' (1922) * ''The Forgotten Law'' (1922) * ''Dangerous Pastime'' (1922) * ''The Sleepwalker'' (1922) * ''The Beautiful and Damned'' (1922)

==References== {{reflist}} *Lima, Ohio, Times-Democrat, ''What's The Price of Film Stardom? Cleo Ridgely Says, Defiance of Death'', Saturday Evening, May 6, 1916, Page 9. *Los Angeles Times, ''Cleo Ridgely To Be Auburn Queen at Broadway Show'', September 19, 1915, Page VII. *Los Angeles Times, ''Pen Points'', December 10, 1916, Page II4. *Los Angeles Times, ''The Week in Review'', August 26, 1962, Page GB2. *1930 United States census

==External links== {{Portal|Biography}} {{commons category}} *{{IMDb name|0725889}} *{{Find a Grave|8874803}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ridgely, Cleo}} Category:1893 births Category:1962 deaths Category:American film actresses Category:American silent film actresses Category:Actresses from New York City Category:20th-century American actresses Category:Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)