​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Roy Del Ruth (October 18, 1893 – April 27, 1961) was a Hollywood film director. Del Ruth, who started out as a screenwriter in 1915 writing gags for Mack Sennett, began directing feature films in the 1920s. He became known for directing urban and crime dramas including the 1931 version of The Maltese Falcon. He also directed the universally panned The Babe ...