Robert Young
Born
February 22, 1907
Died
July 21, 1998 (91 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Robert George Young (February 22, 1907 – July 21, 1998) was an American television, film, and radio actor, best known for his leading roles as Jim Anderson, the father of Father Knows Best (NBC and then CBS) and as physician Marcus Welby in Marcus Welby, M.D. (ABC).
Young appeared in over 100 films between 1931 and 1952. After appearing on stage, Young was signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and, in spite of having a "tier B" status, he co-starred with some of the studio's most illustrious actresses, such as Katharine Hepburn, Margaret Sullavan, Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Helen Hayes, Luise Rainer, Hedy Lamarr, and Helen Twelvetrees. Yet, most of his assignments consisted of B movies, also known as "programmers," which required two to three weeks of shooting (considered very brief shooting periods at the time). Actors who were relegated to such a hectic schedule appeared, as Young did, in some six to eight movies per year.
As an MGM contract player, Young was resigned to the fate of most of his colleagues—to accept any film assigned to him or risk being placed on suspension—and many actors on suspension were prohibited from earning a salary from any endeavor at all (even those unrelated to the film industry). In 1936, MGM summarily loaned Young to Gaumont British for two films; the first was directed by Alfred Hitchcock with the other co-starring Jessie Matthews. While there he surmised that his employers intended to terminate his contract, but he was mistaken.
He unexpectedly received one of his most rewarding roles late in his MGM career, in H.M. Pulham, Esq., featuring one of Hedy Lamarr's most effective performances. He once remarked that he was assigned only those roles which Robert Montgomery and other A-list actors had rejected.
After his contract ended at MGM, Young starred in light comedies as well as in trenchant dramas for studios such as 20th Century Fox, United Artists, and RKO Radio Pictures. 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 later films—which was seldom the case in his MGM pictures—was applauded by numerous reviewers.
Young's career began an incremental and imperceptible decline, despite a propitious beginning as a freelance actor without the nurturing of a major studio. He continued starring as a leading man in the late 1940s and early 1950s, but only in mediocre films, then he subsequently disappeared from the silver screen - only to reappear several years later on a much smaller one.
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That's Entertainment! III
(archive footage)
1994

Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home To
(archive footage)
1990

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 50 Years of Magic
Self
1990

Marcus Welby, M.D.: A Holiday Affair
Dr. Marcus Welby
1988

A Conspiracy of Love
Joe Woldarski
1987

Mercy or Murder?
Roswell Gilbert
1987

The Return of Marcus Welby, M.D.
Dr. Marcus Welby
1984

Hollywood’s Children
Self (archive footage)
1982

Little Women
Mr. Laurence · (2 episodes)
1978

Father Knows Best: Home for Christmas
Jim Anderson
1977

The Father Knows Best Reunion
James Anderson
1977

That's Entertainment, Part II
(archive footage)
1976

Donny & Marie
Self · (2 episodes)
1976

Dinah!
Self · (1 episode)
1974

That's Entertainment!
(archive footage) (uncredited)
1974

My Darling Daughters' Anniversary
Judge Charles Raleigh
1973

All My Darling Daughters
Judge Charles Raleigh
1972

Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law
Dr. Marcus Welby · (1 episode)
1971

Vanished
Sen. Earl Gannon · (2 episodes)
1971

Marcus Welby, M.D.
Dr. Marcus Welby · (171 episodes)
1969

Marcus Welby, M.D.: A Matter of Humanities
Marcus Welby
1969

The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour
Self · (1 episode)
1969

The Name of the Game
Herman Allison · (1 episode)
1968

The Dick Cavett Show
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
1968

ABC Stage 67
Self - Host · (1 episode)
1966
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
Nick Holloway · (1 episode)
1963

Highball Highway
Himself
1963

The Merv Griffin Show
Self · (1 episode)
1962
Window on Main Street
(16 episodes)
1961

Dr. Kildare
Dr. Gilbert Winfield · (1 episode)
1961

The Steve Allen Show
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
1956

The Steve Allen Show
Self - Recipient · (1 episode)
1956

Climax!
Lieutenant Commander Knowles · (1 episode)
1954

Father Knows Best
Jim Anderson · (203 episodes)
1954

Secret of the Incas
Stanley Moorehead
1954

The Big Moment
Narrator
1954

This Is Your Life
Self · (1 episode)
1952

The Half-Breed
Dan Craig
1952

Goodbye, My Fancy
Doctor James Merrill
1951

The Second Woman
Jeff Cohalan
1950

What's My Line?
Self - Mystery Guest · (3 episodes)
1950

What's My Line?
Self - Panelist · (1 episode)
1950

And Baby Makes Three
Vernon 'Vern' Walsh
1949

Bride for Sale
Stephen Tracy Adams
1949

That Forsyte Woman
Philip Bosinney
1949

Adventure in Baltimore
Dr. Andrew Sheldon
1949

The Ed Sullivan Show
Self · (2 episodes)
1948

Relentless
Nick Buckley
1948

Sitting Pretty
Harry King
1948

Crossfire
Finlay
1947

They Won't Believe Me
Larry Ballentine
1947

Lady Luck
Larry Scott
1946

The Searching Wind
Alex Hazen
1946

Claudia and David
David Naughton
1946

Those Endearing Young Charms
Lt. Hurley 'Hank' Travers
1945

The Enchanted Cottage
Oliver Bradford
1945

The Canterville Ghost
Cuffy Williams
1944

Twenty Years After
(archive footage)
1944

Claudia
David Naughton
1943

Sweet Rosie O'Grady
Samuel Magee
1943

Slightly Dangerous
Bob Stuart
1943

Journey for Margaret
John Davis
1942

Cairo
Homer Smith, aka Juniper Jones
1942

Joe Smith, American
Joe Smith
1942

H.M. Pulham, Esq.
Harry Moulton Pulham
1941

Married Bachelor
Randolph Haven
1941

Lady Be Good
Edward 'Eddie' Crane
1941

Western Union
Richard Blake
1941

The Trial of Mary Dugan
Jimmy Blake
1941

Dr. Kildare's Crisis
Douglas Lamont
1940

A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound
Self
1940

Sporting Blood
Myles Vanders
1940

The Mortal Storm
Fritz Marberg
1940

Florian
Anton Erban
1940

Hollywood: Style Center of the World
Self
1940

Northwest Passage
Langdon Towne
1940

Northward, Ho!
Himself
1940

Miracles for Sale
Michael Morgan
1939

Maisie
Charles 'Slim' Martin
1939

Bridal Suite
Neil McGill
1939

Hollywood Hobbies
Self (uncredited)
1939

Honolulu
Brooks Mason / George Smith
1939

The Shining Hour
David Linden
1938

Rich Man, Poor Girl
Bill Harrison
1938

Hollywood Goes to Town
Self
1938

The Toy Wife
Andre Vallaire
1938

Paradise for Three
Fritz Hagedorn
1938

Josette
Pierre Brassard
1938

Three Comrades
Gottfried Lenz
1938

Navy Blue and Gold
Roger 'Rog' Ash
1937

The Bride Wore Red
Rudolph 'Rudi' Pal
1937

The Romance of Celluloid
Self (archive footage)
1937

The Emperor's Candlesticks
Grand Duke Peter
1937

Married Before Breakfast
Tom Wakefield
1937

I Met Him in Paris
Gene Anders
1937

Dangerous Number
Hank
1937

Stowaway
Tommy Randall
1936

The Longest Night
Charley Phelps
1936

Sworn Enemy
Henry 'Hank' Sherman
1936

The Bride Walks Out
Hugh McKenzie
1936

Secret Agent
Robert Marvin
1936

The Three Wise Guys
Joe Hatcher
1936

It's Love Again
Peter Carlton
1936

The Bride Comes Home
Jack Bristow
1935

Remember Last Night?
Tony Milburn
1935

Red Salute
Jeff
1935

Calm Yourself
Preston Patton
1935

Vagabond Lady
Tony Spear
1935

West Point of the Air
Little Mike Stone
1935

The Band Plays On
Tony Ferrera
1934

Death on the Diamond
Larry Kelly
1934

Paris Interlude
Pat
1934

Whom the Gods Destroy
Jack Forrester
1934

Hollywood Party
Radio Announcer (uncredited)
1934

The House of Rothschild
Capt. Fitzroy
1934

Lazy River
William 'Bill' Drexel
1934

Spitfire
John Stafford
1934

Carolina
Will Connelly
1934

The Right To Romance
Bobby Preble
1933

Saturday's Millions
Jim Fowler
1933

Tugboat Annie
Alec (Son)
1933

Hell Below
Lieut. (JG) 'Brick' Walters
1933

Today We Live
Claude William Hope
1933

Men Must Fight
Geoffrey Aiken
1933

Strange Interlude
Gordon Evans as a young man
1932

The Kid from Spain
Ricardo
1932

Unashamed
Dick Ogden
1932

New Morals for Old
Ralph Thomas
1932

The Wet Parade
Kip Tarleton
1932

Hell Divers
Graham - Pilot Reporting Missing Airplanes (uncredited)
1932

The Guilty Generation
Marco Ricca, also known as Marco Smith
1931

The Sin of Madelon Claudet
Dr.Claudet
1931

The Black Camel
Jimmy Bradshaw
1931

The Campus Vamp
Student at Dance / at Beach (uncredited)
1928