Robert Young (actor)

Infobox actor
name = Robert Young


imagesize =
caption = from the trailer for "Journey for Margaret" (1942)
birthname = Robert George Young
birthdate = birth date|1907|2|22|mf=y
location = Chicago, Illinois, USA
deathdate = death date and age|1998|7|21|1907|2|22|mf=y
deathplace = Westlake Village, California, USA
spouse = Betty Henderson (1933–1994)
yearsactive = 1931-1988
emmyawards = Outstanding Lead Actor - Drama Series
1956 "Father Knows Best"
1957 "Father Knows Best"
1970" Marcus Welby, M.D."

Robert George Young (February 22 1907 - July 21 1998) was an American actor, best known for his leading roles of Jim Anderson, the father of "Father Knows Best" (NBC and then CBS) and physician Marcus Welby in "Marcus Welby, M.D." (ABC).

Hollywood career

After appearing on stage, Young was signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)—"the studio that had more stars than in the heavens"—and in spite of having a "tier B" status, he co-starred with some of the studio's most illustrious actresses such as Margaret Sullavan, Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Helen Hayes, Luise Rainer, and Helen Twelvetrees, among many, many others. Yet most of his assignments comprised B-movies, also known as programmers, which required a mere two to three weeks of shooting. Actors who were relegated to such a hectic schedule appeared, as Young did, in some six to eight movies per year.

He received one of his most rewarding roles late in his MGM career, in "H.M. Pulham, Esq.", featuring one of Hedy Lamarr's rarely lauded performances, and once remarked that he was assigned only those roles which Robert Montgomery and other "A-list" actors had rejected.

After his contract at MGM ended, Young starred in light comedies as well as in trenchant dramas for studios such as 20th Century Fox, United Artists, and RKO. From 1943, Young assayed more challenging roles in films like "Claudia", "The Enchanted Cottage", "They Won't Believe Me", "The Second Woman", and "Crossfire". His portrayal of unsympathetic characters in several of these latter films — which seldom occurred in his MGM pictures — was applauded by numerous reviewers.

Young appeared in 100 movies in a film career that spanned 1931 to 1952.

Television

Young is best known for his role in "Father Knows Best" (1949-1954 on radio, 1954-1960 on television), for which he and his co-star, Jane Wyatt, won several Emmy Awards. Young then created, produced, and starred with Ford Rainey and Constance Moore in the nostalgia CBS comedy series "Window on Main Street" (1961–1962) which only lasted six months. Film star Tim Matheson, then thirteen, got his acting start on the series.

Young later became famous for "Marcus Welby, M.D." (1969–1976) for which he won an Emmy for best leading actor in a drama series. Young became so well identified with his wise doctor persona that he became famous as the commercial spokesman for an aspirin product, saying, "I'm not a doctor but I play one on TV" while wearing a lab coat. [cite news | url=http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=336813&category=REXSMITH&BCCode=&newsdate=2/27/2005 | title=Principles, ethics in journalism |publisher=Times Union | author=Rex Smith | date=26 February 2005 | accessdate=2007-02-02] He continued making television commercials until the late 1980s.

Young has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for film at 6933 Hollywood Blvd and one for television at 6358.

Personal life

Young was the son of an Irish immigrant father and an American mother. He graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in Los Angeles, California.

He was married to Betty Henderson from 1933 until her death in 1994. They had four daughters.

Despite the fact that he portrayed happy, well-adjusted characters, Young suffered from depression and alcoholism, which contributed to his suicide attempt in 1991. Afterwards he spoke candidly about his problems in an effort to encourage people to seek help with their own. The Robert Young Center for Community Mental Health, an affiliate of Trinity Regional Health System, located in Rock Island, Illinois, is a comprehensive community mental health center. It is named after Young for his work with passage of the 708 Illinois Tax Referendum. [cite web | url=http://www.trinityqc.com/body.cfm?id=1470 | title=About the Robert Young Center for Community Mental Health | publisher=Trinity Regional Health System | accessdate=2007-06-14]

Young died at his home in Westlake Village, California at 91 from respiratory failure. He was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, in Glendale, California.

Filmography

Television

*"Marcus Welby, M.D." "A Holiday Affair" (1988)
*"Conspiracy of Love" (1987)
*"Mercy or Murder?" (1987)
*"The Return of Marcus Welby, M.D." (1984)
*"Little Women" (1978)
*"My Darling Daughters' Anniversary" (1973)
*"All My Darling Daughters" (1972)
*"Vanished" (1971)
*"Marcus Welby, M.D." (1969-76)
*"Window on Main Street" (1961-62)
*"Father Knows Best" (1954-60) (radio, 1949-54)

Film

*"Secret of the Incas", 1954
*"The Half-Breed", 1952
*"Adventure in Baltimore", 1951
*"That Forsyte Woman", 1951
*"Bride for Sale", 1951
*"And Baby Makes Three", 1951
*"The Second Woman", 1951
*"Goodbye My Fancy", 1951
*"That Forsyte Woman", 1949
*"Relentless", 1948
*"Sitting Pretty", 1948
*"They Won't Believe Me", 1947
*"Crossfire", 1947
*"The Searching Wind", 1946
*"Claudia and David", 1946
*"Lady Luck", 1946
*"The Enchanted Cottage", 1945
*"Those Endearing Young Charms", 1945
*"The Canterville Ghost", 1944
*"Slightly Dangerous", 1943
*"Sweet Rosie O'Grady", 1943
*"Claudia", 1943
*"Joe Smith American", 1942
*"Cairo", 1942
*"Journey for Margaret", 1942
*"Western Union", 1941
*"The Trial of Mary Dugan", 1941
*"Lady Be Good", 1941
*"Married Bachelor", 1941
*"H.M. Pulham, Esq.", 1941
*"Northwest Passage", 1940
*"Florian", 1940
*"The Mortal Storm", 1940
*"Sporting Blood", 1940
*"Dr. Kildare's Crisis", 1940
*"Honolulu", 1939
*"Bridal Suite", 1939
*"Maisie", 1939
*"Miracles for Sale", 1939
*"Paradise for Three", 1938
*"Three Comrades", 1938
*"Josette", 1938
*"The Toy Wife", 1938
*"Rich Man Poor Girl", 1938
*"The Shining Hour", 1938
*"Dangerous Number", 1937
*"I Met Him in Paris", 1937
*"The Emperor's Candlesticks", 1937
*"Married Before Breakfast", 1937
*"The Bride Wore Red", 1937
*"Navy Blue and Gold", 1937
*"It's Love Again", 1936
*"The Three Wise Guys", 1936
*"Sworn Enemy", 1936
*"The Bride Walks Out", 1936
*"The Longest Night", 1936
*"Stowaway", 1936
*"Secret Agent", 1936
*"West Point of the Air", 1935
*"Vagabond Lady", 1935
*"Calm Yourself", 1935
*"Red Salute", 1935
*"Remember Last Night?", 1935
*"The Bride Comes Home", 1935
*"Carolina", 1934
*"Spitfire", 1934
*"The House of Rothschild", 1934
*"Whom the Gods Destroy", 1934
*"Paris Interlude", 1934
*"Death on the Diamond", 1934
*"The Band Plays On", 1934
*"Men Must Fight", 1933
*"Today We Live", 1933
*"Hell Below", 1933
*"Tugboat Annie", 1933
*"Saturday's Millions", 1933
*"The Right to Romance", 1933
*"The Wet Parade", 1932
*"New Morals for Old", 1932
*"Unashamed", 1932
*"Strange Interlude", 1932
*"The Kid from Spain", 1932
*"The Black Camel", 1931
*"The Sin of Madelon Claudet", 1931
*"The Guilty Generation", 1931
*"Hell Divers", 1931

Resources

*cite book |last=Eames |first=John Douglas |year=1986 |authorlink= |url= |title=The MGM Story |publisher=Crown Publishers |location=New York City |isbn=0517523892
*cite book |last=Gartside |first=Michael |year=2000/2001 |authorlink= |url= |title=Robert Young's British Films |publisher=Films of the Golden Age |issue =no 23 |location=Muscatine, IA |isbn=
*cite book |last=Jewell |first=Richard B. |coauthors=Harbin, Vernon |year=1982 |authorlink= |url= |title=The RKO Story |publisher=Crown Publishers |location=New York City |isbn=
*cite book |last=Katz |first=Ephraim |year=1981 |title=The Film Encyclopedia |publisher=Harper Perennial |location=New York City |isbn=

External links

*imdb name|0001870|Robert Young
*Findagrave|3252|Robert Young
*Robert Young at [http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/filmography.html?p_id=117694 "The New York Times"]
*Robert Young [http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/TV/9807/22/obit.young/ CNN Obituary]

Persondata
NAME=Young, Robert
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=American actor
DATE OF BIRTH=February 22 1907
PLACE OF BIRTH=Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DATE OF DEATH=July 21 1998
PLACE OF DEATH=Westlake Village, California