Roy Roberts
Encyclopedia
Roy Roberts was an American character actor
. Over his more than 40-year career, he appeared in more than nine hundred productions on stage and screen.
, he began his acting career on the stage, first appearing on Broadway
in May 1931 before making his motion picture debut in 1943s Guadalcanal Diary
. He appeared in numerous films in secondary parts and returned to perform on Broadway in such productions as Twentieth Century
, My Sister Eileen
, and Carnival in Flanders
until he began making guest appearances on television series. After appearing on Gale Storm's
popular show, My Little Margie
in 1956, he became part of several television series for which he is best remembered. In a show that was the precursor to The Love Boat
, Roberts played the ship's captain for four years in Storm's next hit, Oh! Susanna
. He guest starred in scores of series, including the western
-themed crime drama, Sheriff of Cochise
, the children's western My Friend Flicka
, and Brian Keith
's Cold War
drama, Crusader
.
During the mid-1960s, Roberts was one of the most recognizable faces on television, and had recurring roles concurrently on a number of popular programs, including:
In the 1940s and 1950s Roberts was a regular in many films noir
, including Force of Evil
(1948), He Walked by Night
(1948), Nightmare Alley (1947), The Brasher Doubloon
(1947), Borderline
(1950) and The Enforcer (1951). In 1953 he appeared as Vincent Price
's crooked business partner (and first victim) in House of Wax
. He also appeared in the 1970s neo-noir
s The Outfit
(1973) and Chinatown (1974). He also had a small role in the hit 1963 comedy It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
as a police officer. Unfortunately, his role was cut from later TV and movie versions in order to reduce running time. However, due to an interest in restoring IAMMMMW to its original length, Roberts' brief role has seen life again in versions made for laser disc and extended length DVDs. Roberts died in Los Angeles, California
, of a heart attack and was interred in Greenwood Memorial Park in Fort Worth, Texas
.
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
. Over his more than 40-year career, he appeared in more than nine hundred productions on stage and screen.
Biography
Born Roy Barnes Jones in Tampa, FloridaTampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, he began his acting career on the stage, first appearing on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in May 1931 before making his motion picture debut in 1943s Guadalcanal Diary
Guadalcanal Diary (film)
Guadalcanal Diary is a 1943 World War II war film starring Preston Foster, Lloyd Nolan, William Bendix, Richard Conte, Anthony Quinn and the film debut of Richard Jaeckel...
. He appeared in numerous films in secondary parts and returned to perform on Broadway in such productions as Twentieth Century
Twentieth Century (play)
Twentieth Century is a play by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur based on the unproduced play Napoleon of Broadway by Charles B. Millholland, inspired by his experience working for the eccentric Broadway impresario David Belasco....
, My Sister Eileen
My Sister Eileen
My Sister Eileen originated as a series of short stories by Ruth McKenney that eventually evolved into a book, a play, a musical, a radio play , two films, and a CBS television series in the 1960-1961 season....
, and Carnival in Flanders
Carnival in Flanders (musical)
Carnival in Flanders is a 1953 musical with a book by Preston Sturges, lyrics by Johnny Burke, and music by Jimmy Van Heusen.Based on the 1934 French comedy film La Kermesse Héroïque, it is set in 1616 in the small Flemish village of Flackenburg, where a Spanish duke and his entourage descend upon...
until he began making guest appearances on television series. After appearing on Gale Storm's
Gale Storm
Gale Storm was an American actress and singer who starred in two popular television programs of the 1950s, My Little Margie and The Gale Storm Show.-Early life:...
popular show, My Little Margie
My Little Margie
My Little Margie is an American situation comedy that alternated between CBS and NBC from 1952 to 1955. The series was created by Frank Fox and produced in Los Angeles, California at Hal Roach Studios by Hal Roach, Jr. and Roland D...
in 1956, he became part of several television series for which he is best remembered. In a show that was the precursor to The Love Boat
The Love Boat
The Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain...
, Roberts played the ship's captain for four years in Storm's next hit, Oh! Susanna
The Gale Storm Show
The Gale Storm Show is an American sitcom starring Gale Storm. The series premiered on September 29, 1956, and ran until 1960 for 143 half-hour black-and-white episodes, initially on CBS and in its last year on ABC...
. He guest starred in scores of series, including the western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
-themed crime drama, Sheriff of Cochise
Sheriff of Cochise
Sheriff of Cochise , renamed U.S. Marshal , is a 58-episode syndicated western-themed crime drama set in Arizona and starring John Bromfield as law enforcement officer Frank Morgan. In the first two seasons, Morgan was sheriff of Cochise County...
, the children's western My Friend Flicka
My Friend Flicka (TV series)
My Friend Flicka is a 39-episode western television series set at the fictitious Goose Bar Ranch in Wyoming at the turn of the 20th century. The program was filmed in color but initially aired in black and white on CBS at 7:30 p.m. Fridays from February 10, 1956, to February 1, 1957. It was a...
, and Brian Keith
Brian Keith
Brian Keith was an American film, television, and stage actor who in his four decade-long career gained recognition for his work in movies such as the 1961 Disney family film The Parent Trap, the 1966 comedy The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming, and the 1975 adventure saga The Wind and...
's Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
drama, Crusader
Crusader (TV series)
Crusader is a half-hour black-and-white American adventure/drama series that aired on CBS for two seasons from October 7, 1955 to December 28, 1956.-Synopsis:...
.
During the mid-1960s, Roberts was one of the most recognizable faces on television, and had recurring roles concurrently on a number of popular programs, including:
- Bank president Mr. Cheever on The Lucy ShowThe Lucy ShowThe Lucy Show is an American situation comedy that aired on CBS from 1962 until 1968. It was Lucille Ball's follow-up to I Love Lucy. A significant change in cast and premise for the 1965-66 season divides the program into two distinct eras; aside from Ball, only Gale Gordon, who joined the program...
- John Cushing, president of the rival Merchant's Bank on The Beverly HillbilliesThe Beverly HillbilliesThe Beverly Hillbillies is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from 1962 to 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr....
- Railroad president Norman Curtis on Petticoat JunctionPetticoat JunctionPetticoat Junction is an American situation comedy produced by Filmways which originally aired on CBS from 1963 to 1970. The series is one of three interrelated shows about rural characters created by Paul Henning; the others are The Beverly Hillbillies and Green Acres.The setting for the series...
- Darrin's father Frank Stephens on BewitchedBewitchedBewitched is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York and Dick Sargent , Agnes Moorehead, and David White. The show is about a witch who marries a mortal and tries to lead the life of a typical suburban...
, having replaced Robert F. SimonRobert F. SimonRobert F. Simon was an American character actor, often portraying military or authority figure roles. Though his face was recognized by audiences, he was mostly unknown by name... - Banker Harry Bodkin on GunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....
- Dr. Reynolds, twice on The Road WestThe Road WestThe Road West is an American Western television series that aired on NBC from September 12, 1966 to May 1, 1967 for twenty-nine episodes with rebroadcasts continuing until August 28. The hour-long series, sponsored by Kraft Foods, aired in the 9 p.m...
- Neighbor Bruce MacDermott on Our Man HigginsOur Man HigginsOur Man Higgins is a 34-episode situation comedy, the story of an English butler — portrayed by Stanley Holloway, who is inherited by a suburban American family, resulting in a cultural clash that grows into a cultural blending. A Screen Gems presentation, Our Man Higgins was seen on ABC television...
- "Doc" on John PayneJohn Payne (actor)John Payne was an American film actor who is mainly remembered as a singer in 20th Century Fox musical films, and for his leading roles in Miracle on 34th Street and the NBC western television series The Restless Gun.-Background:Payne was born in Roanoke, Virginia...
's The Restless GunThe Restless GunThe Restless Gun is a western television series that appeared on NBC between 1957 and 1959, with John Payne in the role of Vint Bonner, a wandering cowboy in the era after the American Civil War. A skilled gunfighter, Bonner is an idealistic person who prefers peaceful resolutions of conflict...
in the 1957 episode "Trail to Sunset" - Admiral Rogers on McHale's NavyMcHale's NavyMcHale's Navy is an American television sitcom series which ran for 138 half-hour episodes from October 11,1962, to August 31, 1966, on the ABC network. The series was filmed in black and white and originated in a one-hour drama called Seven Against the Sea, broadcast on April 3, 1962...
(in some episodes, his first name is given as "John" and in others his name is given as "Bruce"). - Captain Walter A. Bascom on three episodes of CrossroadsCrossroads (1955 TV series)Crossroads is the title of a 30-minute American television religion drama series which aired from 1955–1957, the first season on ABC and the second via syndication....
In the 1940s and 1950s Roberts was a regular in many films noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
, including Force of Evil
Force of Evil
Force of Evil is a 1948 film noir directed by Abraham Polonsky who had already achieved a name for himself as a scriptwriter, most notably for the gritty boxing film Body and Soul . Like Body and Soul, the film starred John Garfield...
(1948), He Walked by Night
He Walked by Night
He Walked by Night is a black-and-white police procedural film noir, crediting Alfred L. Werker as director. The film, shot in semidocumentary tone, was loosely based on newspaper accounts of the real-life actions of Erwin "Machine-Gun" Walker, a former Glendale police department employee and...
(1948), Nightmare Alley (1947), The Brasher Doubloon
The Brasher Doubloon
The Brasher Doubloon is a 1947 film noir based on the novel The High Window by Raymond Chandler....
(1947), Borderline
Borderline (1950 film)
Borderline is a 1950 American film directed by William A. Seiter.-Plot:Pete Ritchie runs a narcotics smuggling operation to the USA from Mexico, which the Los Angeles Police Department and the US federal government have unsuccessfully tried to stop...
(1950) and The Enforcer (1951). In 1953 he appeared as Vincent Price
Vincent Price
Vincent Leonard Price, Jr. was an American actor, well known for his distinctive voice and serio-comic attitude in a series of horror films made in the latter part of his career.-Early life and career:Price was born in St...
's crooked business partner (and first victim) in House of Wax
House of Wax
House of Wax may refer to:*a wax museum*House of Wax , a 1953 3D horror film starring Vincent Price*House of Wax , a 2005 horror film starring Elisha Cuthbert and Chad Michael Murray- See also :...
. He also appeared in the 1970s neo-noir
Neo-noir
Neo-noir is a style often seen in modern motion pictures and other forms that prominently utilize elements of film noir, but with updated themes, content, style, visual elements or media that were absent in films noir of the 1940s and 1950s.-History:The term Film Noir was coined by...
s The Outfit
The Outfit (1973 film)
The Outfit is a 1973 film directed by John Flynn. It stars Robert Duvall, Karen Black, Joe Don Baker and Robert Ryan. The film is an adaptation of the book of the same name by Richard Stark and features a character modeled on Parker, who was introduced in The Hunter.- Plot :Released from prison In...
(1973) and Chinatown (1974). He also had a small role in the hit 1963 comedy It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World is a 1963 American comedy film produced and directed by Stanley Kramer about the madcap pursuit of $350,000 in stolen cash by a diverse and colorful group of strangers...
as a police officer. Unfortunately, his role was cut from later TV and movie versions in order to reduce running time. However, due to an interest in restoring IAMMMMW to its original length, Roberts' brief role has seen life again in versions made for laser disc and extended length DVDs. Roberts died in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, of a heart attack and was interred in Greenwood Memorial Park in Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
.