---
name: "Robert Young"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/robert-young-14868"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "22 February 1907"
died: "21 July 1998"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_fi1m_score: 74
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 2
updated: "2026-09-20T01:36:46.711116+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Robert Young

Actor. Born 22 February 1907 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Died 21 July 1998.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 22 February 1907, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- **Died:** 21 July 1998
- **Active:** 1934–1947
- **Also known as:** Robert George Young
- **Golden Globes:** 1 Golden Globe (1 won)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 74, as actor, over 2 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1930s 70 (1), 1940s 77 (1)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Young_(actor), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q516390, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001870/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/14868

## Fi1m on Robert Young

> For fifteen years at MGM Robert Young was the pleasant man in the doorway who did not get the girl. Freed from the contract, he found something harder and better to play, briefly, before television gave him the decent authority he was made for.

Watch Captain Finlay in *Crossfire* (1947) and you see most of Robert Young's virtue and the whole of his problem. He is the detective in a film about a killing and the hatred behind it, and Robert Ryan does the frightening while Young does the listening. He listens well. He has a tired, patient face that takes things in without comment, and for most of the film's 86 minutes that is exactly what the part needs. Then the script hands him a speech about hatred and he delivers it as written, at length, and we were bored, we admit it, and started looking at the furniture. The writing did that, but he did nothing to fight it. He was a reliable actor, and reliability includes doing what you are told.

MGM signed him in 1931, out of the Pasadena Playhouse and a touring stock company, and kept him busy through more than a hundred films by 1952, most of them programmers. He was the good-looking man the studio could put beside anyone. In *The House of Rothschild* (1934) he is Captain Fitzroy, in love with Loretta Young's Julie and forbidden her, and the two of them are given nothing to do but look pained in doorways while George Arliss gets on with the film. That was the job for years: charming, decent, and somewhere behind the star's shoulder. Hitchcock borrowed him for *Secret Agent* (1936). Mostly he stayed put.

The contract ran out in the mid-1940s and he did the interesting thing at once. *The Enchanted Cottage* (1945) gave him a disfigured veteran, *They Won't Believe Me* (1947) a husband who lies, *Crossfire* a conscience with a badge. We have not reviewed the first two, but the pattern is plain: a face people trusted, turned to parts that trade on the trust. The darker work was noticed. Audiences, though, preferred the nice man, and said so by staying away.

So he went where the nice man was wanted. Radio from 1949, then *Father Knows Best* (1954–60) as Jim Anderson and *Marcus Welby, M.D.* (1969–76) as the doctor everyone wished they had, calm and kind and never at a loss. Television found the use for Young that the studio never quite did. The patience that had nothing to do beside Loretta Young in a doorway was, on a small screen in a living room, the entire point.

He said once, "I invented that man you saw on screen. The moment I put on makeup and costume I became a different person. But he was never me." It is a thing actors say. From him it is worth believing, because the man he invented was so even and so complete that nothing of the inventor shows through. For the films, start with *Crossfire*, and watch him in the quiet stretches before the speech. Then find *They Won't Believe Me* and see what he did when nobody was asking him to be kind.

## Biography

Robert Young (1907–1998) was an American film, television and radio actor. He played Capt. Fitzroy in *The House of Rothschild* (1934).

Young was born in Chicago and moved to Los Angeles as a child. He appeared on stage before signing with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1931. He appeared in over 100 films between 1931 and 1952, many of them B pictures made on short schedules, and co-starred with actresses including Katharine Hepburn, Joan Crawford and Hedy Lamarr.

Young later became known for his television roles as Jim Anderson in *Father Knows Best* (1954–1960) and as Dr Marcus Welby in *Marcus Welby, M.D.* (1969–1976).

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, britannica.com.*

## On Fi1m (2)

- *Crossfire* (1947), Fi1m 77, as Finlay — [page](https://film.one/film/crossfire.md)
- *The House of Rothschild* (1934), Fi1m 70, as Capt. Fitzroy — [page](https://film.one/film/the-house-of-rothschild.md)

## Complete filmography (114)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *That's Entertainment! III* (1994), as (archive footage) (uncredited)
- *Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home To* (1990), as (archive footage)
- *Marcus Welby, M.D.: A Holiday Affair* (1988), as Dr. Marcus Welby
- *A Conspiracy of Love* (1987), as Joe Woldarski
- *Mercy or Murder?* (1987), as Roswell Gilbert
- *The Return of Marcus Welby, M.D.* (1984), as Dr. Marcus Welby
- *Little Women* (1978), series, as Mr. Laurence
- *Father Knows Best: Home for Christmas* (1977), as Jim Anderson
- *The Father Knows Best Reunion* (1977), as James Anderson
- *That's Entertainment, Part II* (1976), as (archive footage)
- *That's Entertainment!* (1974), as (archive footage) (uncredited)
- *My Darling Daughters' Anniversary* (1973), as Judge Charles Raleigh
- *All My Darling Daughters* (1972), as Judge Charles Raleigh
- *Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law* (1971), series, as Dr. Marcus Welby
- *Vanished* (1971), series, as Sen. Earl Gannon
- *The Partridge Family* (1970), series, Actor
- *Marcus Welby, M.D.* (1969), series, as Dr. Marcus Welby
- *Marcus Welby, M.D.: A Matter of Humanities* (1969), as Marcus Welby
- *The Name of the Game* (1968), series, as Herman Allison
- *Window on Main Street* (1961), series, Actor
- *Dr. Kildare* (1961), series, as Dr. Gilbert Winfield
- *Climax!* (1954), series, as Lieutenant Commander Knowles
- *Father Knows Best* (1954), series, as Jim Anderson
- *Secret of the Incas* (1954), as Stanley Moorehead
- *The Big Moment* (1954), as Narrator
- *The Half-Breed* (1952), as Dan Craig
- *Goodbye, My Fancy* (1951), as Doctor James Merrill
- *The Second Woman* (1950), as Jeff Cohalan
- *And Baby Makes Three* (1949), as Vernon 'Vern' Walsh
- *Bride for Sale* (1949), as Steve Adams
- *That Forsyte Woman* (1949), as Philip Bosinney
- *Adventure in Baltimore* (1949), as Dr. Andrew Sheldon
- *Relentless* (1948), as Nick Buckley
- *Sitting Pretty* (1948), as Harry King
- *Crossfire* (1947), as Finlay — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/crossfire.md)
- *They Won't Believe Me* (1947), as Larry Ballentine
- *Lady Luck* (1946), as Larry Scott
- *The Searching Wind* (1946), as Alex Hazen
- *Claudia and David* (1946), as David Naughton
- *Those Endearing Young Charms* (1945), as Lt. Hurley 'Hank' Travers
- *The Enchanted Cottage* (1945), as Oliver Bradford
- *The Canterville Ghost* (1944), as Cuffy Williams
- *Twenty Years After* (1944), as (archive footage)
- *Claudia* (1943), as David Naughton
- *Sweet Rosie O'Grady* (1943), as Samuel Magee
- *Slightly Dangerous* (1943), as Bob Stuart
- *Journey for Margaret* (1942), as John Davis
- *Cairo* (1942), as Homer Smith, aka Juniper Jones
- *Joe Smith, American* (1942), as Joe Smith
- *H.M. Pulham, Esq.* (1941), as Harry Moulton Pulham
- *Married Bachelor* (1941), as Randolph Haven
- *Lady Be Good* (1941), as Edward 'Eddie' Crane
- *Western Union* (1941), as Richard Blake
- *The Trial of Mary Dugan* (1941), as Jimmy Blake
- *Dr. Kildare's Crisis* (1940), as Douglas Lamont
- *Sporting Blood* (1940), as Myles Vanders
- *The Mortal Storm* (1940), as Fritz Marberg
- *Florian* (1940), as Anton Erban
- *Northwest Passage* (1940), as Langdon Towne
- *Miracles for Sale* (1939), as Michael Morgan
- *Maisie* (1939), as Charles 'Slim' Martin
- *Bridal Suite* (1939), as Neil McGill
- *Honolulu* (1939), as Brooks Mason / George Smith
- *The Shining Hour* (1938), as David Linden
- *Rich Man, Poor Girl* (1938), as Bill Harrison
- *The Toy Wife* (1938), as Andre Vallaire
- *Paradise for Three* (1938), as Fritz Hagedorn
- *Josette* (1938), as Pierre Brassard
- *Three Comrades* (1938), as Gottfried Lenz
- *Navy Blue and Gold* (1937), as Roger 'Rog' Ash
- *The Bride Wore Red* (1937), as Rudolph 'Rudi' Pal
- *The Emperor's Candlesticks* (1937), as Grand Duke Peter
- *Married Before Breakfast* (1937), as Tom Wakefield
- *I Met Him in Paris* (1937), as Gene Anders
- *Dangerous Number* (1937), as Hank
- *Stowaway* (1936), as Tommy Randall
- *The Longest Night* (1936), as Charley Phelps
- *Sworn Enemy* (1936), as Henry 'Hank' Sherman
- *The Bride Walks Out* (1936), as Hugh McKenzie
- *The Three Wise Guys* (1936), as Joe Hatcher
- *Secret Agent* (1936), as Robert Marvin
- *It's Love Again* (1936), as Peter Carlton
- *The Bride Comes Home* (1935), as Jack Bristow
- *Remember Last Night?* (1935), as Tony Milburn
- *Red Salute* (1935), as Jeff
- *Calm Yourself* (1935), as Preston Patton
- *Vagabond Lady* (1935), as Tony Spear
- *West Point of the Air* (1935), as Little Mike Stone
- *The Band Plays On* (1934), as Tony Ferrera
- *Death on the Diamond* (1934), as Larry Kelly
- *Paris Interlude* (1934), as Pat
- *Whom the Gods Destroy* (1934), as Jack Forrester
- *Hollywood Party* (1934), as Radio Announcer (uncredited)
- *The House of Rothschild* (1934), as Capt. Fitzroy — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/the-house-of-rothschild.md)
- *Lazy River* (1934), as William 'Bill' Drexel
- *Spitfire* (1934), as John Stafford
- *Carolina* (1934), as Will Connelly
- *The Right To Romance* (1933), as Bobby Preble
- *Saturday's Millions* (1933), as Jim Fowler
- *Tugboat Annie* (1933), as Alec (Son)
- *Hell Below* (1933), as Lieut. (JG) 'Brick' Walters
- *Today We Live* (1933), as Claude William Hope
- *Men Must Fight* (1933), as Geoffrey Aiken
- *Strange Interlude* (1932), as Gordon Evans as a young man
- *The Kid from Spain* (1932), as Ricardo
- *Unashamed* (1932), as Dick Ogden
- *New Morals for Old* (1932), as Ralph Thomas
- *The Wet Parade* (1932), as Kip Tarleton
- *Hell Divers* (1932), as Graham - Pilot Reporting Missing Airplanes (uncredited)
- *The Guilty Generation* (1931), as Marco Ricca, also known as Marco Smith
- *The Sin of Madelon Claudet* (1931), as Dr.Claudet
- *The Black Camel* (1931), as Jimmy Bradshaw
- *Calling Hubby's Bluff* (1929), as Party Guest (uncredited)
- *The Campus Vamp* (1928), as Student at Dance / at Beach (uncredited)

## Gallery

- ![Robert Young](https://film.one/media/person/1227353/gallery-9e2c4d3c0db3.jpg) Robert Young — NBC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/Robert_Young_1957.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Lobby card for the American film The Bride Wore Red (1937).](https://film.one/media/person/1227353/gallery-c9354711ced7.jpg) Lobby card for the American film The Bride Wore Red (1937). — MGM, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Bride_Wore_Red_lobby_card.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Photo of Elinor Donahue, Robert Young and Lauren Chapin from the television series Father Knows Best. (1958)](https://film.one/media/person/1227353/gallery-753945d797f6.jpg) Photo of Elinor Donahue, Robert Young and Lauren Chapin from the television series Father Knows Best. (1958) — Rogers and Cowan (publicity agency) Beverly Hills, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Elinor_Donahue_Robert_Young_Lauren_Chapin_Father_Knows_Best_1958.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Publicity photo of the cast of the television special Father Knows Best Reunion. Standing, from left: Elinor Donahue, Robert Young, Jane Wyatt. Seated, Lauren C](https://film.one/media/person/1227353/gallery-d0a278b5570b.jpg) Publicity photo of the cast of the television special Father Knows Best Reunion. Standing, from left: Elinor Donahue, Robert Young, Jane Wyatt. Seated, Lauren C — NBC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Father_Knows_Best_Reunion_1977.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Robert Young](https://film.one/media/person/1227353/gallery-a9737b0b3a3a.jpg) Robert Young — Image via TMDB
- ![Robert Young](https://film.one/media/person/1227353/gallery-ef40ef61bfcb.jpg) Robert Young — Image via TMDB
- ![Robert Young](https://film.one/media/person/1227353/gallery-3a0e17ea74aa.jpg) Robert Young — Image via TMDB
- ![Photo of the Andersons at Thanksgiving from the television program Father Knows Best. Fro left-Lauren Chapin, Billy Gray, Robert Young, Jane Wyatt and Elinor Do (1954)](https://film.one/media/person/1227353/gallery-d4537f7ea806.jpg) Photo of the Andersons at Thanksgiving from the television program Father Knows Best. Fro left-Lauren Chapin, Billy Gray, Robert Young, Jane Wyatt and Elinor Do (1954) — Bureau of Industrial Service.  The Bureau was a division of ad agency Young & Rubicam and was widely used by those in the television industry for distribution of publicity material., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/Father_Knows_Best_Thanksgiving_1954.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Cast photo of the Anderson Family from the television program Father Knows Best. Back, from left: Billy Gray, Jane Wyatt, Robert Young, Elinor Donahue. At front (1954)](https://film.one/media/person/1227353/gallery-d06c81e30108.jpg) Cast photo of the Anderson Family from the television program Father Knows Best. Back, from left: Billy Gray, Jane Wyatt, Robert Young, Elinor Donahue. At front (1954) — Bureau of Industrial Service.  This division of ad agency Young & Rubicam distributed publicity material for many in the television industry., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Father_Knows_Best_cast_1954.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)

## Awards

### Golden Globes — 1 won

- 1972: Best Actor – Television Series Drama (won), for *Marcus Welby, M.D.*

### Primetime Emmy Awards — 2 won

- 1970: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (won), for *Marcus Welby, M.D.*
- 1957: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (won), for *Father Knows Best*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/robert-young-14868