Roy Roberts
(1906 - 1975)One of the entertainment business’ busiest actors was Roy Roberts who was reported to have appeared in over 900 productions during a 40 year career. As I was watching the film classic “Chinatown” with Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, the other day, there was Ol’ Roy Roberts, in what had to be one of his last films, shining in a small role as he always did. He most often played fastidious, authority figures including military officers, clerics, police officers and the like. Then I remembered I had not yet included him on my List of Great Character Actors, and surely he fit all the criteria and requirements. This situation is now rectified. Roy Roberts was a tall, hefty man who looked like your average bank president or corporation head. He had a square face, brownish-silvery wavy hair a wide mouth and sparkling eyes. His voice was a booming but gentle one with a very soft rasp to it. He showed up everywhere on TV and in films. Unfortunately, like too many other great character actors and bit players, very little is recorded of his biography. He was born Roy Barnes Jones on March 19, 1906 in Tampa, Florida, the youngest of six children. Just when he aspired towards entertainment and acting is unknown. He did appear on Broadway so it would seem he started, as most character actors do, on stage probably locally initially and in repertory companies. Most of us remember Roy from movies and TV. Under contract to 20th Century Fox in 1943, his film debut came in “Guadalcanal Diary” (1943) as Capt. James Cross. His other film credits included: “Wilson” (1944) in an uncredited role as White House Chief Usher Ike Hoover; “Tampico” (1944) as Crawford; the film classic “The Sullivans” (1944) as Father Francis; “Roger Touhy, Gangster” (1944) as Frank Williams; “Circumstantial Evidence” (1945) as Marty Harmon; “Within These Walls” (1945) as Martin Deutsch; “The Caribbean Mystery” (1945) as Capt. Van den Bark; “A Bell for Adano” (1945) as Col. W.W. Middleton; “Behind Green Lights” (1946) as Max Calvert; John Ford’s “My Darling Clementine” (1946) with Henry Fonda & Victor Marture, as Mayor; “Smoky” (1946) as Jeff; “It Shouldn’t Happen to a Dog” (1946) as ‘Mitch’ Mitchell; “The Foxes of Harrow” (1947) as Tom Warren; “Nightmare Alley” (1947) in an uncredited role as McGraw; “Gentleman’s Agreement” (1947) uncredited as Mr. Calkins, the hotel manager; “Captain from Castile” (1947) as Capt. Alvarado; “The Shocking Miss Pilgrim” (1947) as Mr. Foster; “The Brasher Doubloon” (1947) as Lt. Breeze; “Joan of Arc” (1948) as Wandamme, a Burgundian Captain; “Force of Evil” (1948) as Ben Tucker; “He Walked by Night” (1948) as Police Captain Breen; “Fury at Furnace Creek” (1948) as Al Shanks; “Chicken Every Sunday” (1948) as Harry Bowers; “Chicago Deadline” (1949) as Jerry Cavanaugh; “Bodyhold” (1949) as Charlie Webster; “Falming Fury” (1949) as Capt. Taplinger; “Calamity Jane and Sam Bass” (1949) as Marshal Peak; “Chain Lightning” (1950) as Gen. Hewitt; “Palomino” (1950) as Ben Lane; “Stage to Tucson” (1950) as Jim Maroon; “Sierra” (1950) as Sheriff Knudsen; “The Killer That Stalked New York” (1950) as Mayor; “Fighting Coast Guard” (1951) as Capt. Gibbs; “My Favorite Spy” (1951) with Bob Hope, uncredited as Johnson; “Santa Fe” (1951) as Cole Sanders; “The Enforcer” (1951) as Capt. Frank Nelson; “The Big Trees” (1952) as Judge Crenshaw; “The Stars and Stripes Forever” (1952) as Maj. Houston; “The Hoodlum Empire” (1952) as Chief Tayls; “House of Wax” (1953) with Vincent Price, as Matthew Burke; “The Glory Brigade” (1953) as Sgt. Chuck Anderson; “Lone Hand” (1953) as Mr. Skaggs; “Outlaw Stallion” (1954) as Hagen; “They Rode West” (1954) as Sgt. Creever; “The Last Command” (1955) as Dr. Summerfield; “I Cover the Underworld” (1955) as District Attorney; “Big House, U.S.A.” (1955) as Chief Ranger Will Erickson; “The King and Four Queens” (1956) as Sheriff Larrabee; “The Boss” (1956) as Tim Brady; “Backlash” (1956) as Maj. Carson; “Kid Galahad” (1962) with Elvis Presley, as Jerry the Promoter; “The Chapman Report” (1962) as Alan Roby; “The Underwater City” (1962) as Tim Graham; “It’s a Mad. Mad, Mad, Mad World” (1963) in a bit part as a Policeman outside garage; “Those Calloways” (1965) as E.J. Fletcher; “I’ll Take Sweden” (1965) as Captain; “Hotel” (1967) as Bailey; “Tammy and the Millionaire” (1967) as Gov. Alden; “The Outfit” (1974) as Bob Caswell; the film classic “Chinatown” (1974) as Mayor Bagby and “The Strongest Man in the World” (1975) as Mr. Roberts, his last film. On TV he was a regular in the series: “The Gale Storm Show” aka “Oh! Susanna” (1956-60) as Captain Huxley; “McHale’s Navy” (1962-66) as Adm. Bruce Rogers; “Gunsmoke” (1955-75) as Mr. Bodkin, the Banker (1963-70); “Petticoat Junction” (1963-70) as Norman Curtis (1963-64); “The Beverly Hillbillies” (1962-71) as John Cushing (1964-67); “The Lucy Show” aka “The Lucille Ball Show” (1962-68) as Harrison Cheever (1965-68) and “Bewitched” (1964-72) as Frank Stephens, Darrin’s Father. He guest starred on TV series too numerous to mention but including: “My Little Margie”; “The Lone Ranger”; “The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin”; “Perry Mason”; “The Andy Griffith Show”; “Twilight Zone”; “The Dick Van Dyke Show”; “The Munsters”; “The Addams Family”; “Laredo”; “Family Affair” and “Here’s Lucy.” He worked often with Lucille Ball and Gale Storm. He was married to actress Lillian Moore and lived in Los Angeles. He died of a heart attack on May 28, 1975 in Los Angeles at the age of 69. He is buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Fort Worth, Texas.
From Great Character Actors, Page 8.
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