Image of Robert Paige

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.


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Born:
Dec 2, 1910
Movie/TV Credits:
62
First Appeared:
In the movie Cain and Mabel 1936-09-26
Latest Project:
Movie Dracula: A Cinematic Scrapbook 1991-01-01
Known For
Poster of Split Second
Poster of San Antonio Rose
Poster of Parole Fixer
Poster of Once a Doctor
Filmography
Movie Dracula: A Cinematic Scrapbook Frank Stanley (archive footage) 1991-01-01
Movie The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island Harlem Globetrotter 1981-05-15
Movie Bye Bye Birdie Bob Precht 1963-04-04
Movie The Marriage-Go-Round Dr. Ross Barnett 1961-01-06
Movie It Happened to Jane Robert Paige 1959-05-24
Series The Millionaire Unknown 1955-01-19
Movie Abbott and Costello Go to Mars Dr. Wilson 1953-04-06
Movie Split Second Arthur Ashton 1953-05-02
Series Cavalcade of America Unknown 1952-10-01
Series The Colgate Comedy Hour Unknown 1950-09-10
Series Lux Video Theatre Unknown 1950-10-02
Movie The Green Promise David Barkley 1949-03-22
Movie Blonde Ice Les Burns 1948-07-24
Movie The Red Stallion Andy McBride 1947-08-16
Movie The Flame Barry MacAllister 1947-11-24
Movie Tangier Paul Kenyon 1946-06-06
Movie Shady Lady Bob Wendell 1945-09-07
Movie Her Primitive Man Peter Mathews / Pangi 1944-05-29
Movie Can't Help Singing Johnny Lawlor 1944-12-25
Movie Cowboy in Manhattan Bob Allen 1943-05-21
Movie Keep 'Em Slugging Star of Movie House Film 1943-03-01
Movie How's About It George Selby 1943-01-01
Movie Mister Big Johnny Hanley 1943-05-28
Movie Hi, Buddy Johnny Blake 1943-02-26
Movie Get Going Bob Carlton 1943-06-21
Movie Frontier Badmen Steve Logan 1943-08-05
Movie Crazy House Robert Paige 1943-10-08
Movie Son of Dracula Frank Stanley 1943-11-05
Movie Fired Wife Hank Dunne 1943-09-04
Movie Jail House Blues Cliff Bailey 1942-02-01
Movie Don't Get Personal Paul Stevens 1942-01-02
Movie What's Cookin'? Bob J. Riley 1942-02-20
Movie Pardon My Sarong Tommy Layton 1942-08-07
Movie Almost Married James Manning,lll 1942-05-22
Movie Get Hep to Love Stephen Winters 1942-10-02
Movie The Monster and the Girl Larry Reed 1941-02-28
Movie San Antonio Rose Con Conway 1941-06-20
Movie Melody Lane Gabe Morgan 1941-12-09
Movie Hellzapoppin' Jeff Hunter 1941-12-25
Movie Parole Fixer Steve Eddson 1940-02-02
Movie Emergency Squad Chester 'Chesty' Miller 1940-01-05
Movie Women Without Names Fred MacNeil 1940-03-14
Movie Opened by Mistake Jimmie Daniels 1940-05-10
Movie Golden Gloves Wally Matson 1940-08-02
Movie Dancing on a Dime Ted Brooks 1940-11-01
Movie Homicide Bureau Thurston 1939-01-05
Movie First Love Ball Guest 1939-11-10
Movie When G-Men Step In G-Man Bruce Garth 1938-03-16
Movie Who Killed Gail Preston? 'Swing' Traynor 1938-02-24
Movie There's Always a Woman Jerry Marlowe 1938-04-20
Movie The Last Warning Tony Henderson (as Robert Page) 1938-12-07
Movie The Main Event Mac Richards 1938-06-22
Movie The Lady Objects Ken Harper 1938-10-12
Movie Melody for Two Mr. Carlson 1937-05-01
Movie Smart Blonde Lewis Friel 1937-01-02
Movie Once a Doctor Dr. Burton 1937-01-23
Movie The Cherokee Strip Tom Valley 1937-05-15
Movie Rhythm in the Clouds Phil Hale 1937-06-21
Movie Talent Scout Bert Smith 1937-07-24
Movie Meet the Boy Friend Tony Page 1937-07-12
Movie Cain and Mabel Ronny Cauldwell 1936-09-26
Movie Rose Bowl Football Player 1936-11-30