Robert Paige
Robert Paige (born John Arthur Page December 2, 1911 in Indianapolis, Indiana, died Dec 21,1987) was a TV star and Universal Pictures leading man who made 65 films in his lifetime and was the only actor ever allowed to sing on film with Deanna Durbin (in 1944's Can't Help Singing). He was a graduate of West Point and was related to Admiral David Beatty, hero of the World War I Battle of Jutland. Paige began his screen career in 1934. His handsome features and assured speaking voice earned him prominent roles in motion pictures, such as Cain and Mabel with Clark Gable and Marion Davies. In 1936, to avoid confusion with another rising leading man, John Payne, Paige briefly adopted the screen name "David Carlyle." He worked primarily for Warner Brothers and Republic Pictures during this period. In 1938 he signed a contract with Columbia Pictures, which changed his screen name to Robert Paige. Columbia cast him in "B" features and starred him in one serial, Flying G-Men. When the Columbia contract lapsed, Paige moved to Paramount Pictures and finally found a home in 1941 at Universal Pictures. Robert Paige quickly became one of Universal's reliable stars, playing romantic leads. He is prominent in many of Universal's comedies and musicals, including those of Abbott and Costello, Olsen and Johnson, Gloria Jean, and Hugh Herbert. He had a good singing voice and a flair for comedy, and the studio capitalized on these talents. Beginning in 1943 Universal gave Paige important roles in its biggest productions, but by then he was so established as a B-picture lead that he never quite graduated to mega-stardom. Paige, along with other contract players, left Universal after a corporate shakeup in 1946. He became an independent film producer in 1947 and entered the new field of television. He was the last permanent host of NBC's variety series The Colgate Comedy Hour, and won an Emmy in 1955 for "Best Male Personality" (a category that no longer exists). In the 1960s he became a TV newscaster in Los Angeles. Paige continued to work in occasional films through 1963; his last two films were The Marriage-Go-Round (1961) and Bye Bye Birdie (1963). From 1966 to 1970 Paige was a newscaster and political correspondent for ABC News in Los Angeles. He left the news desk to become Deputy Supervisor of Los Angeles under Baxter Ward, and then moved into the public relations field. He retired in the late 1970s. Robert Paige died suddenly of an aortic aneurysm in 1987.
Known For
Credits
- 2000 · The Many Faces of Dracula as Frank Stanley (archive footage)
- 1991 · Dracula: A Cinematic Scrapbook as Frank Stanley (archive footage)
- 1963 · Bye Bye Birdie as Bob Precht
- 1961 · The Marriage-Go-Round as Dr. Ross Barnett
- 1960 · The Barbara Stanwyck Show as Roger
- 1959 · It Happened to Jane as Robert Paige
- 1955 · The Millionaire as Whitney Ames
- 1953 · Split Second as Arthur Ashton
- 1953 · Abbott and Costello Go to Mars as Dr. Wilson
- 1952 · Cavalcade of America as
- 1952 · Four Star Playhouse as Paul Campbell
- 1951 · Schlitz Playhouse of Stars as Host
- 1950 · Lux Video Theatre as Bill Russell
- 1950 · The Colgate Comedy Hour as Self
- 1950 · The Colgate Comedy Hour as Self - Host
- 1949 · The Green Promise as David Barkley
- 1948 · Blonde Ice as Les Burns
- 1947 · The Flame as Barry MacAllister
- 1947 · The Red Stallion as Andy McBride
- 1946 · Tangier as Paul Kenyon
- 1945 · Shady Lady as Bob Wendell
- 1944 · Can't Help Singing as Johnny Lawlor
- 1944 · Her Primitive Man as Peter Mathews / Pangi
- 1943 · Son of Dracula as Frank Stanley
- 1943 · Crazy House as Robert Paige
- 1943 · Fired Wife as Hank Dunne
- 1943 · Frontier Badmen as Steve Logan
- 1943 · Get Going as Bob Carlton
- 1943 · Mister Big as Johnny Hanley
- 1943 · Cowboy in Manhattan as Bob Allen
- 1943 · Keep 'Em Slugging as Star of Movie House Film
- 1943 · Hi, Buddy as Johnny Blake
- 1943 · Hi'ya, Chum as Tommy Craig
- 1943 · How's About It as George Selby
- 1942 · Get Hep to Love as Stephen Winters
- 1942 · Pardon My Sarong as Tommy Layton
- 1942 · Almost Married as James Manning,lll
- 1942 · You're Telling Me as Dr. Burnside 'Burnsy' Walker
- 1942 · What's Cookin'? as Bob J. Riley
- 1942 · Jail House Blues as Cliff Bailey
- 1942 · Don't Get Personal as Paul Stevens
- 1941 · Hellzapoppin' as Jeff Hunter
- 1941 · Melody Lane as Gabe Morgan
- 1941 · San Antonio Rose as Con Conway
- 1941 · The Monster and the Girl as Larry Reed
- 1940 · Dancing on a Dime as Ted Brooks
- 1940 · Golden Gloves as Wally Matson
- 1940 · Opened by Mistake as Jimmie Daniels
- 1940 · Women Without Names as Fred MacNeil
- 1940 · Parole Fixer as Steve Eddson
- 1940 · Emergency Squad as Chester 'Chesty' Miller
- 1939 · First Love as Ball Guest
- 1939 · Death of a Champion as Alec Temple
- 1939 · Flying G-Men as Hal Andrews / The Black Falcon
- 1939 · Homicide Bureau as Thurston
- 1938 · The Last Warning as Tony Henderson (as Robert Page)
- 1938 · I Stand Accused as Joe Benson
- 1938 · The Lady Objects as Ken Harper
- 1938 · Highway Patrol as William Rolph
- 1938 · The Main Event as Mac Richards
- 1938 · There's Always a Woman as Jerry Marlowe
- 1938 · When G-Men Step In as G-Man Bruce Garth
- 1938 · Who Killed Gail Preston? as 'Swing' Traynor
- 1937 · Talent Scout as Bert Smith
- 1937 · Meet the Boy Friend as Tony Page
- 1937 · Rhythm in the Clouds as Phil Hale
- 1937 · The Cherokee Strip as Tom Valley
- 1937 · Melody for Two as Mr. Carlson
- 1937 · Once a Doctor as Dr. Burton
- 1937 · Smart Blonde as Lewis Friel
- 1936 · Rose Bowl as Football Player
- 1936 · Cain and Mabel as Ronny Cauldwell