Robert Paige(bornJohn Arthur Paige,December 2, 1911 – December 21, 1987) was an American actor and a TV newscaster and political correspondent andUniversal Picturesleading manwho made 65 films in his lifetime.
Robert Paige | |
|---|---|
 Paige in 1957 | |
| Born | John Arthur Paige December 2, 1911 Indianapolis,Indiana,U.S. |
| Died | December 21, 1987(aged 76) |
| Resting place | Holy Cross CemeteryCulver City, California |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1934–1963 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 1 |
Early life
editBorn inIndianapolis, Indianain 1911, Paige was related to AdmiralDavid Beatty,hero of theWorld War IBattle ofJutland.[citation needed]
Education
editContrary to some accounts, Paige wasnota graduate ofWest Point.There were only three graduates of the U.S. Military Academy by the name of Paige, and this actor was not one of them. This has been verified by the USMA Register of Graduates.
Career
editPaige began his screen career in 1934, initially billed asDavid Carlyle[2]to avoid confusion with another rising leading man,John Payne.His handsome features and assured speaking voice earned him prominent roles in motion pictures, such asCain and MabelwithClark GableandMarion Davies.He worked primarily forWarner BrothersandRepublic Picturesduring this period.[citation needed]
In 1938 he signed a contract withColumbia Pictures,which changed his screen name to Robert Paige. Columbia cast him in "B" features and starred him in one serial,Flying G-Men.These were action pictures that didn't capitalize on his singing voice; when Columbia did allow him to sing, it was to supply uncredited vocals for other male stars. (He dubbed forCharles Starrettin the 1938 college musicalStart Cheering.) When the Columbia contract lapsed, Paige moved toParamount Picturesfor one year, and appeared in seven feature films, the most noteworthy being the horror filmThe Monster and the Girl(1941).
Robert Paige finally found a home in 1941 atUniversal Pictures,where he quickly became one of the studio's reliable stars. He played romantic leads in many Universal comedies and musicals, including those ofAbbott and Costello,Olsen and Johnson,Gloria Jean,andHugh Herbert,as well as numerous B-musicals, often paired with another singer,Jane Frazee.Many of Paige's performances displayed a flair for comedy, lending his romantic roles a breezy charm. He may be best remembered today for his heroic leading role in the classic 1943 horror filmSon of Dracula.Paige left Universal after a corporate shakeup in 1946, when the studio temporarily abandoned its program of light entertainments in favor of serious, artistic films.[3](Paige would return to Universal years later for one more feature, reuniting with Abbott and Costello in their science-fiction comedyAbbott and Costello Go to Mars.)
Paige became an independent film producer in 1947 and entered the new field of television. He was the last permanent host of NBC's variety seriesThe Colgate Comedy Hour,and won anEmmyin 1955 for "Best Male Personality" (a category that no longer exists). In the 1960s, he became a TV newscaster in Los Angeles at KABC-TV, Channel 7.[citation needed]
Paige continued to work in occasional films through 1963; his last two films wereThe Marriage-Go-Round(1961) andBye Bye Birdie(1963). From 1966 to 1970 Paige was a newscaster and political correspondent forABC Newsin Los Angeles. He left the news desk to become Deputy Supervisor of Los Angeles underBaxter Ward,and then moved into the public relations field. He retired in the late 1970s.[citation needed]
Death
editRobert Paige died from a sudden aortic aneurysm in 1987. He was 76 years old.[4]
Spouses
edit- Maxine Hoppe (1985–1987; his death)[citation needed]
- Joanne Ludden (1962–1980; divorce); 1 child[citation needed]
- Betty Henning (1940–1960; divorce)[citation needed]
Children
editHis only child, born when he was in his late 50s, is daughter Colleen Paige, a pet and home lifestyle expert, author, designer and the founder ofNational Dog Day,and many more philanthropic holidays. She currently resides in Los Angeles, California with her family and a menagerie of pets.[citation needed]
Filmography
edit- You Can't Buy Everything(1934) as Wedding extra (uncredited)
- Crime of Helen Stanley(1934)
- Annapolis Farewell(1935) as Ensign (uncredited)
- Hearts in Bondage(1936) as Union Lt. Evans (uncredited)
- Cain and Mabel(1936) as Ronny Cauldwell (billed as David Carlyle)
- Rose Bowl(1936) as Football Player (uncredited)
- Smart Blonde(1937) as Lewis Friel (billed as David Carlyle)
- Once a Doctor(1937) as Dr. Burton (billed as David Carlyle)
- Melody for Two(1937) as Mr. Carlson (uncredited)
- The Cherokee Strip(1937) as Tom Valley (billed as David Carlyle)
- Rhythm in the Clouds(1937) as Phil Hale (billed as David Carlyle)
- Meet the Boyfriend(1937) as Tony Page (billed as David Carlyle)
- Talent Scout(1937) as Bert Smith (billed as David Carlyle)
- Sergeant Murphy(1938) as Lt. Duncan (uncredited)
- The Kid Comes Back(1938) as Radio Announcer (billed as David Carlyle)
- Who Killed Gail Preston?(1938) as "Swing" Traynor
- When G-Men Step In(1938) as G-Man Bruce Garth
- There's Always a Woman(1938) as Jerry Marlowe
- The Main Event(1938) as Mac Richards
- Highway Patrol(1938) as William Rolph
- The Lady Objects(1938) as Ken Harper
- I Stand Accused(1938) as Joe Benson
- The Last Warning(1938) as Tony Henderson (billed as Robert Page)
- Homicide Bureau(1939) as Thurston
- Flying G-Men(1939) as Hal Andrews, the Black Falcon
- Death of a Champion(1939) as Alec Temple
- First Love(1939) as Ball Guest (uncredited)
- Emergency Squad(1940) as Chester "Chesty" Miller
- Parole Fixer(1940) as Steve Eddson
- Women Without Names(1940) as Fred MacNeil
- Opened by Mistake(1940) as Jimmie Daniels
- Golden Gloves(1940) as Wally Matson
- Dancing on a Dime(1940) as Ted Brooks
- The Monster and the Girl(1941) as Larry Reed
- The Flame of New Orleans(1941) as Narrator (uncredited)
- San Antonio Rose(1941) as Con Conway
- Melody Lane(1941) as Gabe Morgan
- Hellzapoppin'(1941) as Jeff Hunter
- Don't Get Personal(1942) as Paul Stevens
- Jail House Blues(1942) as Cliff Bailey
- What's Cookin'?(1942) as Bob J. Riley
- You're Telling Me(1942) as Dr. Burnside 'Burnsy' Walker
- Almost Married(1942) as James Manning, III
- Pardon My Sarong(1942) as Tommy Layton
- Get Hep to Love(1942) as Stephen Winters
- How's About It(1943) as George Selby
- Hi'ya, Chum(1943) as Tommy Craig
- Hi, Buddy(1943) as Johnny Blake
- Keep 'Em Slugging(1943, in stock footage fromHi'Ya, Chum) as star in moviehouse film (uncredited)
- Cowboy in Manhattan(1943) as Bob Allen
- What We Are Fighting For(1943, Short) as Karl Baxter, German husband
- Mister Big(1943) as Johnny Hanley
- Get Going(1943) as Bob Carlton
- Frontier Badmen(1943) as Steve Logan
- Fired Wife(1943) as Hank Dunne
- Crazy House(1943) guest appearance as himself
- Son of Dracula(1943) as Frank Stanley
- Her Primitive Man(1944) as Peter Mathews
- Follow the Boys(1944) uncredited guest appearance as himself
- Can't Help Singing(1944) as Lawlor
- Shady Lady(1945) as Bob Wendell
- Tangier(1946) as Paul Kenyon
- The Red Stallion(1947) as Andy McBride
- The Flame(1947) as Barry MacAllister
- Blonde Ice(1948) as Les Burns
- The Green Promise(1949) as David Barkley
- Out There(1951, TV Series)
- Gruen Guild Playhouse(1952, TV Series)
- The Unexpected(1952, TV Series) as Gigolo
- Fireside Theatre(1952–1953, TV Series) as Harrison / Boss / Steven
- The Schaefer Century Theatre(1952, TV Series) as Father
- Abbott and Costello Go to Mars(1953) as Dr. Wilson
- Split Second(1953) as Arthur Ashton
- Lux Video Theatre(1953, TV Series)
- Cavalcade of America(1953, TV Series)
- The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse(1953–1954, TV Series) as The Father / Sam / Roger Libbott
- Four Star Playhouse(1954, TV Series) as Paul Campbell
- The Colgate Comedy Hour(1955, TV Series) as Himself – Host
- Bride and Groom(1957–1958, TV Series)
- The Big Payoff(1958, TV Series) as Himself – Host
- It Happened to Jane(1959) as Bob Paige – Host 'The Big Payoff' (as Bob Paige)
- The Millionaire(1960, TV Series) as Whitney Ames
- The Marriage-Go-Round(1961) as Dr. Ross Barnett
- The Barbara Stanwyck Show(1961, TV Series) as Roger Haines
- Bye Bye Birdie(1963) as Bob Precht (final film role)
References
edit- ^"Robert Paige is Dead; Appeared in 65 Films".The New York Times.December 24, 1987.
- ^Room, Adrian (2010).Dictionary of Pseudonyms: 13,000 Assumed Names and Their Origins, 5th ed.McFarland. p. 366.ISBN978-0-7864-5763-2.RetrievedJanuary 13,2017.
- ^Scott and Jan MacGillivray,Gloria Jean: A Little Bit of Heaven,iUniverse, New York, 2005,ISBN978-0595674541
- ^Folkart, Burt a (December 23, 1987)."Obituaries: Robert Paige; Film Actor and TV Show Host".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedAugust 4,2023.