From 1929, Ruggles appeared in talking pictures. His first was "Gentleman of the Press" in which he played a comic, alcoholic newspaper reporter. Throughout the 1930s, he was teamed with comic actress Mary Boland in a string of domestic farces, notably "If I Had a Million", "Six of a Kind", "Ruggles of Red Gap", and "People Will Talk". Ruggles is best remembered today as the big-game hunter in "Bringing Up Baby" and billionaire Michael J. 'Mike' O'Connor in "It Happened on Fifth Avenue".