Robert Young
Known for Acting · 135 credits
- Born
- 1907-02-22
- Died
- 1998-07-21
- Place of birth
- Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Also known as
- Robert George Young
Biography
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.
Known For
TV Shows (22)
Golden Globe Awards
1944
as Self - Nominee
The Merv Griffin Show
1962
as Self
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
1963
as Nick Holloway
The Dick Cavett Show
1968
as Self - Guest
Climax!
1954
as Lieutenant Commander Knowles
Father Knows Best
1954
as Jim Anderson
Dr. Kildare
1961
as Dr. Gilbert Winfield
What's My Line?
1950
as Self
Marcus Welby, M.D.
1969
as Dr. Marcus Welby
The Ed Sullivan Show
1948
as Self
Dinah!
1974
as Self
The Name of the Game
1968
as Herman Allison
The Partridge Family
1970
The Steve Allen Show
1956
as Self - Guest
Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law
1971
as Dr. Marcus Welby
This Is Your Life
1952
as Self
Donny & Marie
1976
as Self
ABC Stage 67
1966
as Self - Host
The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour
1969
as Self
Little Women
1978
as Mr. Laurence
Vanished
1971
as Sen. Earl Gannon
Window on Main Street
1961
Movies (113)
That's Entertainment!
1974
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
That's Entertainment! III
1994
as (archive footage)
Carolina
1934
as Will Connelly
Claudia and David
1946
as David Naughton
The Emperor's Candlesticks
1937
as Grand Duke Peter
Hell Below
1933
as Lieut. (JG) 'Brick' Walters
Lady Luck
1946
as Larry Scott
Twenty Years After
1944
as (archive footage)
The Wet Parade
1932
as Kip Tarleton
The Half-Breed
1952
as Dan Craig
That's Entertainment, Part II
1976
as (archive footage)
The Toy Wife
1938
as Andre Vallaire
Western Union
1941
as Richard Blake
Bride for Sale
1949
as Steve Adams
The House of Rothschild
1934
as Capt. Fitzroy
Secret Agent
1936
as Robert Marvin
My Darling Daughters' Anniversary
1973
as Judge Charles Raleigh
Crossfire
1947
as Finlay
Secret of the Incas
1954
as Stanley Moorehead
The Mortal Storm
1940
as Fritz Marberg
Sweet Rosie O'Grady
1943
as Samuel Magee
The Second Woman
1950
as Jeff Cohalan
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 50 Years of Magic
1990
as Self
Hollywood Goes to Town
1938
as Self
And Baby Makes Three
1949
as Vernon 'Vern' Walsh
They Won't Believe Me
1947
as Larry Ballentine
Slightly Dangerous
1943
as Bob Stuart
Hollywood’s Children
1982
as Self (archive footage)
Northwest Passage
1940
as Langdon Towne
Sitting Pretty
1948
as Harry King
Three Comrades
1938
as Gottfried Lenz
The Shining Hour
1938
as David Linden
Death on the Diamond
1934
as Larry Kelly
Goodbye, My Fancy
1951
as Doctor James Merrill
The Enchanted Cottage
1945
as Oliver Bradford
Marcus Welby, M.D.: A Matter of Humanities
1969
as Marcus Welby
Hollywood Party
1934
as Radio Announcer (uncredited)
West Point of the Air
1935
as Little Mike Stone
The Bride Walks Out
1936
as Hugh McKenzie
Calm Yourself
1935
as Preston Patton
The Sin of Madelon Claudet
1931
as Dr.Claudet
Relentless
1948
as Nick Buckley
Joe Smith, American
1942
as Joe Smith
The Right To Romance
1933
as Bobby Preble
Lady Be Good
1941
as Edward 'Eddie' Crane
The Romance of Celluloid
1937
as Self (archive footage)
Dr. Kildare's Crisis
1940
as Douglas Lamont
Hell Divers
1932
as Graham - Pilot Reporting Missing Airplanes (uncredited)
The Canterville Ghost
1944
as Cuffy Williams
Whom the Gods Destroy
1934
as Jack Forrester
A Conspiracy of Love
1987
as Joe Woldarski
The Bride Wore Red
1937
as Rudolph 'Rudi' Pal
New Morals for Old
1932
as Ralph Thomas
I Met Him in Paris
1937
as Gene Anders
Adventure in Baltimore
1949
as Dr. Andrew Sheldon
Men Must Fight
1933
as Geoffrey Aiken
Today We Live
1933
as Claude William Hope
Maisie
1939
as Charles 'Slim' Martin
Navy Blue and Gold
1937
as Roger 'Rog' Ash
The Black Camel
1931
as Jimmy Bradshaw
Rich Man, Poor Girl
1938
as Bill Harrison
H.M. Pulham, Esq.
1941
as Harry Moulton Pulham
A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound
1940
as Self
The Guilty Generation
1931
as Marco Ricca, also known as Marco Smith
Mercy or Murder?
1987
as Roswell Gilbert
The Longest Night
1936
as Charley Phelps
Paradise for Three
1938
as Fritz Hagedorn
Bridal Suite
1939
as Neil McGill
Tugboat Annie
1933
as Alec (Son)
Vagabond Lady
1935
as Tony Spear
The Big Moment
1954
as Narrator
Hollywood: Style Center of the World
1940
as Self
Florian
1940
as Anton Erban
Stowaway
1936
as Tommy Randall
Highball Highway
1963
as Himself
Hollywood Hobbies
1939
as Self (uncredited)
The Kid from Spain
1932
as Ricardo
Cairo
1942
as Homer Smith, aka Juniper Jones
That Forsyte Woman
1949
as Philip Bosinney
Miracles for Sale
1939
as Michael Morgan
Journey for Margaret
1942
as John Davis
Red Salute
1935
as Jeff
Lazy River
1934
as William 'Bill' Drexel
The Searching Wind
1946
as Alex Hazen
The Band Plays On
1934
as Tony Ferrera
Remember Last Night?
1935
as Tony Milburn
All My Darling Daughters
1972
as Judge Charles Raleigh
Dangerous Number
1937
as Hank
The Campus Vamp
1928
as Student at Dance / at Beach (uncredited)
Strange Interlude
1932
as Gordon Evans as a young man
Honolulu
1939
as Brooks Mason / George Smith
Saturday's Millions
1933
as Jim Fowler
Unashamed
1932
as Dick Ogden
Sporting Blood
1940
as Myles Vanders
Claudia
1943
as David Naughton
The Father Knows Best Reunion
1977
as James Anderson
The Three Wise Guys
1936
as Joe Hatcher
Married Before Breakfast
1937
as Tom Wakefield
It's Love Again
1936
as Peter Carlton
Those Endearing Young Charms
1945
as Lt. Hurley 'Hank' Travers
Married Bachelor
1941
as Randolph Haven
The Return of Marcus Welby, M.D.
1984
as Dr. Marcus Welby
Spitfire
1934
as John Stafford
Sworn Enemy
1936
as Henry 'Hank' Sherman
The Bride Comes Home
1935
as Jack Bristow
Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home To
1990
as (archive footage)
Paris Interlude
1934
as Pat
Josette
1938
as Pierre Brassard
Marcus Welby, M.D.: A Holiday Affair
1988
as Dr. Marcus Welby
Northward, Ho!
1940
as Himself
The Trial of Mary Dugan
1941
as Jimmy Blake
Calling Hubby's Bluff
1929
as Party Guest (uncredited)
Father Knows Best: Home for Christmas
1977
as Jim Anderson
About Robert Young
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, N… With 135 credits spanning from 1928 to 1994, Robert Young has appeared in 113 films and 22 TV shows.
Fans searching for Robert Young movies, Robert Young filmography, or the latest projects starring Robert Young can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Robert Young Movies
- That's Entertainment! (1974) — as (archive footage) (uncredited)
- That's Entertainment! III (1994) — as (archive footage)
- Carolina (1934) — as Will Connelly
- Claudia and David (1946) — as David Naughton
- The Emperor's Candlesticks (1937) — as Grand Duke Peter
Where to Watch Robert Young Films
Most Robert Young movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Robert Young, check our movies catalogue and browse page.