
Robert Paige
Acting
1911-12-02 - Present
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.
Credits

Bye Bye BirdieasBob Precht

Son of DraculaasFrank Stanley

It Happened to JaneasRobert Paige

The Many Faces of DraculaasFrank Stanley (archive footage)

Hellzapoppin'asJeff Hunter

Crazy HouseasRobert Paige

San Antonio RoseasCon Conway

Cain and MabelasRonny Cauldwell

Smart BlondeasLewis Friel

The Green PromiseasDavid Barkley

Fired WifeasHank Dunne

Abbott and Costello Go to MarsasDr. Wilson

There's Always a WomanasJerry Marlowe

Can't Help SingingasJohnny Lawlor

The Lady ObjectsasKen Harper

The FlameasBarry MacAllister

Blonde IceasLes Burns

First LoveasBall Guest

Women Without NamesasFred MacNeil

Emergency SquadasChester 'Chesty' Miller

What's Cookin'?asBob J. Riley

Pardon My SarongasTommy Layton

The Cherokee StripasTom Valley

Shady LadyasBob Wendell

The Red StallionasAndy McBride

Split SecondasArthur Ashton

Rhythm in the CloudsasPhil Hale

TangierasPaul Kenyon

Homicide BureauasThurston

Talent ScoutasBert Smith

Keep 'Em SluggingasStar of Movie House Film

The Main EventasMac Richards

I Stand AccusedasJoe Benson

The Monster and the GirlasLarry Reed

Don't Get PersonalasPaul Stevens

Golden GlovesasWally Matson

Dancing on a DimeasTed Brooks

Meet the Boy FriendasTony Page

Cowboy in ManhattanasBob Allen

Rose BowlasFootball Player

Get Hep to LoveasStephen Winters

Parole FixerasSteve Eddson

Once a DoctorasDr. Burton

Melody for TwoasMr. Carlson

Dracula: A Cinematic ScrapbookasFrank Stanley (archive footage)

The Marriage-Go-RoundasDr. Ross Barnett

Get GoingasBob Carlton

Her Primitive ManasPeter Mathews / Pangi

Death of a ChampionasAlec Temple

Melody LaneasGabe Morgan

Jail House BluesasCliff Bailey

Mister BigasJohnny Hanley

Hi, BuddyasJohnny Blake

You're Telling MeasDr. Burnside 'Burnsy' Walker

How's About ItasGeorge Selby

Hi'ya, ChumasTommy Craig

Opened by MistakeasJimmie Daniels

Who Killed Gail Preston?as'Swing' Traynor

Almost MarriedasJames Manning,lll

When G-Men Step InasG-Man Bruce Garth

Flying G-MenasHal Andrews / The Black Falcon

The Last WarningasTony Henderson (as Robert Page)

Frontier BadmenasSteve Logan
Highway PatrolasWilliam Rolph
What We Are Fighting ForasKarl Baxter