Robert Young

Biography

Robert Young was an American actor who worked in film, radio, and television. Born in Chicago, he trained and acted at the Pasadena Playhouse before a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer talent scout signed him. His sound film debut came in the Charlie Chan film The Black Camel (1931). He appeared in more than 100 films from 1928 to 1952, often in short B pictures. In 1936 MGM loaned him to Britain for Alfred Hitchcock's Secret Agent (1936). After his MGM years he took tougher roles in The Enchanted Cottage (1945), They Won't Believe Me (1947), Crossfire (1947), and The Second Woman (1950), and critics applauded his unsympathetic characters. Secret of the Incas (1954) gave him a supporting part and proved his final feature. On television he starred in Father Knows Best, won several Emmy Awards, created and starred in Window on Main Street, and earned a 1970 Emmy as the title doctor of Marcus Welby, M.D.

91years old at death

Born February 22, 1907Chicago
Died July 21, 1998Westlake Village
Star sign: PiscesThe sign runs February 19 to March 20

Movie Career

Films: 22
Career span: 23 years1931 to 1954

Genres

Drama59%, 13 films
Romance45%, 10 films
Comedy23%, 5 films
Mystery18%, 4 films
Adventure14%, 3 films

First and latest

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Big break
A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer talent scout spotted Young while he was on tour with a stock company staging "The Ship", and the scout signed the new actor to a contract.
First role
For Fox Film Corporation, Young's first sound film was the 1931 Charlie Chan movie Black Camel, in which Warner Oland appeared.
Early training
After he graduated, Young took odd jobs and small roles in silent films while he trained and acted at the Pasadena Playhouse.
Behind the camera
Young was a creator and producer of the CBS comedy Window on Main Street, and he also starred in it alongside Ford Rainey and Constance Moore. The nostalgic series aired from 1961 to 1962.
A first
In the 1970 television year, Robert Young's series Marcus Welby, M.D. came in first among all U.S. television series. It was the first ABC show to end a season as the country's top-rated program.

Robert Young movies on Netflix

Secret of the Incas1954IMDb rating 6.0as Stanley Moorehead
The Second Woman1950IMDb rating 6.4as Jeffrey Cohalan
Adventure in Baltimore1949IMDb rating 6.1as Dr. Andrew Sheldon
Sitting Pretty1948IMDb rating 7.4as Harry King
Crossfire1947IMDb rating 7.2as Finlay
They Won't Believe Me1947IMDb rating 7.2as Larry Ballentine
The Enchanted Cottage1945IMDb rating 7.5as Oliver Bradford
Slightly Dangerous1943IMDb rating 6.7as Bob Stuart
Journey for Margaret1942IMDb rating 7.3as John Davis
Western Union1941IMDb rating 6.7as Richard Blake
Northwest Passage1940IMDb rating 7.0as Langdon Towne
The Mortal Storm1940IMDb rating 7.7as Fritz Marberg
Honolulu1939IMDb rating 6.5as Brooks Mason / George Smith
The Shining Hour1938IMDb rating 6.4as David Linden
Three Comrades1938IMDb rating 7.1as Gottfried Lenz
The Bride Wore Red1937IMDb rating 6.3as Rudolph 'Rudi' Pal
Secret Agent1936IMDb rating 6.4as Robert Marvin
Stowaway1936IMDb rating 7.1as Tommy Randall
The House of Rothschild1934IMDb rating 6.4as Capt. Fitzroy
Today We Live1933IMDb rating 5.9as Claude William Hope
The Black Camel1931IMDb rating 6.6as Jimmy Bradshaw
The Sin of Madelon Claudet1931IMDb rating 6.6as Dr.Claudet

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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Crossfire1947 Crime, Mystery, Thrilleras Finlay
IMDb rating 7.211K votes
Secret Agent1936 Mystery, Thrilleras Robert Marvin
IMDb rating 6.49.8K votes
The Mortal Storm1940as Fritz Marberg
IMDb rating 7.77.0K votes
Western Union1941as Richard Blake
IMDb rating 6.73.7K votes
They Won't Believe Me1947as Larry Ballentine
IMDb rating 7.23.6K votes
Northwest Passage1940as Langdon Towne
IMDb rating 7.04.4K votes
Sitting Pretty1948as Harry King
IMDb rating 7.43.1K votes
The Enchanted Cottage1945as Oliver Bradford
IMDb rating 7.54.0K votes

Most often with

Frank Borzage directed three of these films. Six actors appear in three of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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George Chandler

Joan Crawford

Russell Hicks

Franchot Tone

Murray Kinnell

Margaret SullavanFrank BorzageDirector, 3 films

Films together

George Chandler3 films together, 1938 to 1941
George Chandler's page
- Western Union1941IMDb rating 6.7Young as Richard BlakeChandler as Herb
- The Shining Hour1938IMDb rating 6.4Young as David LindenChandler as Press Agent
- Three Comrades1938IMDb rating 7.1Young as Gottfried LenzChandler as First comic with singer
Joan Crawford3 films together, 1933 to 1938
Joan Crawford's page
- The Shining Hour1938IMDb rating 6.4Young as David LindenCrawford as Olivia Riley Linden
- The Bride Wore Red1937IMDb rating 6.3Young as Rudolph 'Rudi' PalCrawford as Anni Pavlovitch
- Today We Live1933IMDb rating 5.9Young as Claude William HopeCrawford as Diana 'Ann' Boyce-Smith
Russell Hicks3 films together, 1939 to 1941
Russell Hicks's page
- Western Union1941IMDb rating 6.7Young as Richard BlakeHicks as Provisional Governor
- The Mortal Storm1940IMDb rating 7.7Young as Fritz MarbergHicks as Rector
- Honolulu1939IMDb rating 6.5Young as Brooks Mason / George SmithHicks as Mr. Clifford Jones
Franchot Tone3 films together, 1933 to 1938
Franchot Tone's page
- Three Comrades1938IMDb rating 7.1Young as Gottfried LenzTone as Otto Koster
- The Bride Wore Red1937IMDb rating 6.3Young as Rudolph 'Rudi' PalTone as Giulio
- Today We Live1933IMDb rating 5.9Young as Claude William HopeTone as Ronnie Boyce-Smith
Murray Kinnell3 films together, 1931 to 1934
Murray Kinnell's page
- The House of Rothschild1934IMDb rating 6.4Young as Capt. FitzroyKinnell as James Rothschild
- Today We Live1933IMDb rating 5.9Young as Claude William HopeKinnell as Padre
- The Black Camel1931IMDb rating 6.6Young as Jimmy BradshawKinnell as Archie Smith
Margaret Sullavan3 films together, 1938 to 1940
Margaret Sullavan's page
- The Mortal Storm1940IMDb rating 7.7Young as Fritz MarbergSullavan as Freya Roth
- The Shining Hour1938IMDb rating 6.4Young as David LindenSullavan as Judy Linden
- Three Comrades1938IMDb rating 7.1Young as Gottfried LenzSullavan as Patricia Hollmann
Frank BorzageDirector, 3 films, 1938 to 1940
All films by Frank Borzage
- The Mortal Storm1940IMDb rating 7.7Young as Fritz Marberg
- The Shining Hour1938IMDb rating 6.4Young as David Linden
- Three Comrades1938IMDb rating 7.1Young as Gottfried Lenz

Awards

Four awards and honors from 1957 to 1972, three of them major.

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Robert Young's awards and nominations, grouped by award
Year	Award	Film	Result
Golden Globes
1972	Best Actor – Television Series Drama	Marcus Welby, M.D.	Won
Emmy Awards
1970	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series	Marcus Welby, M.D.	Won
1957	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series	Father Knows Best	Won
Other honors
	Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame		Honored

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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