Robert Paige

Robert Paige (born John Arthur Page December 2, 1911 in Indianapolis, Indiana, died 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").

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 in many musicals and comedies. He also had a good singing voice, and the studio capitalized on that talent as well. 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.

Paige had several nominations for his films and won an Emmy in 1955 for "Best Male Personality" in the TV industry (a category that no longer exists). In the 1960s he became a TV newscaster in Los Angeles.

pouses

*Maxine Hoppe (1985 until his death)
*Joanne Ludden (1962 - divorced in 1977) 1 child - Colleen Paige
*Betty Henning (1940 - 1960) (divorced) no children

Children

His only child, born to him at the age of 55, is daughter Colleen Paige (by his second wife, actress JoAnne Ludden) who is an animal behaviorist, author, singer, artist, and the founder of National Dog Day, and the Animal Miracle Foundtion, She currently resides on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington with her husband and son, Paige's only grandchild, also named Robert.

Paige trivia

*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.

*In 1970 he became Deputy Supervisor of Los Angeles under Baxter Ward.

*Moving on to public relations, he retired in the late 1970s. He died suddenly of an aortic aneurism in 1987.

*Paige was a graduate of West Point and was related to Admiral David Beatty, hero of the World War I Battle of Jutland.

Filmography

*"Bye Bye Birdie" (1963)
*"The Barbara Stanwyck Show" (1 episode, 1961)
*"The Marriage-Go-Round" (1961)
*"The Millionaire" (1 episode, 1960)
*"It Happened to Jane" (1959)
*"The Big Payoff" (1957-1959)
*"Bride and Groom" (1951) TV Series (1957-58)
*"The Colgate Comedy Hour" (4 episodes, 1955)
*"The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse" (4 episodes, 1953-1954)
*"Four Star Playhouse" (1 episode, 1954)
*"Cavalcade of America" (1 episode, 1953)
*"Lux Video Theatre" (1 episode, 1953)
*"Abbott and Costello Go to Mars" (1953)
*"Split Second" (1953)
*"The Schaefer Century Theatre" (2 episodes, 1952)
*"The Unexpected" (1 episode, 1952)
*"Fireside Theatre" (1 episode, 1952)
*"Gruen Guild Playhouse" (1 episode, 1952)
*"Out There" (1 episode, 1951)
*"The Green Promise" (1949)
*"Blonde Ice" (1948)
*"The Flame" (1947)
*"The Red Stallion" (1947)
*"Tangier" (1946)
*"Shady Lady" (1945)
*"Can't Help Singing" (1944)
*"Her Primitive Man" (1944)
*"Golden Gloves" (1944)
*"Son of Dracula" (1943)
*"Crazy House" (1943) (uncredited)
*"Fired Wife" (1943)
*"Frontier Badmen" (1943)
*"Get Going" (1943)
*"Mister Big" (1943)
*"What We Are Fighting For" (1943)
*"Cowboy in Manhattan" (1943)
*"Keep 'Em Slugging" (1943) (uncredited)
*"Hi, Buddy" (1943)
*"Hi'ya, Chum" (1943)
*"How's About It" (1943)
*"Get Hep to Love" (1942)
*"Pardon My Sarong" (1942)
*"Almost Married" (1942)
*"You're Telling Me" (1942)
*"What's Cookin'?" (1942/I)
*"Jail House Blues" (1942)
*"Don't Get Personal" (1942)
*"Hellzapoppin'" (1941)
*"Melody Lane" (1941)
*"San Antonio Rose" (1941)
*"The Flame of New Orleans" (1941) (uncredited) Narrator
*"The Monster and the Girl" (1941)
*"Dancing on a Dime" (1940)
*"Golden Gloves" (1940)
*"Opened by Mistake" (1940)
*"Parole Fixer" (1940)
*"Women Without Names" (1940)
*"Emergency Squad" (1940)
*"First Love" (1939) (uncredited)
*"Death of a Champion" (1939)
*"Flying G-Men" (1939)
*"Homicide Bureau" (1939)
*"The Last Warning" (1938)
*"I Stand Accused" (1938)
*"The Lady Objects" (1938)
*"Highway Patrol" (1938)
*"The Main Event" (1938)
*"There's Always a Woman" (1938)
*"When G-Men Step In" (1938)
*"Who Killed Gail Preston?" (1938)
*"The Kid Comes Back" (1938) (as David Carlyle)
*"Talent Scout" (1937)
*"Meet the Boyfriend" (1937) (as David Carlyle)
*"Rhythm in the Clouds" (1937)
*"The Cherokee Strip" (1937) (as David Carlyle)
*"Melody for Two" (1937) (uncredited)
*"Once a Doctor" (1937) (as David Carlyle)
*"Smart Blonde" (1937) (as David Carlyle)
*"Cain and Mabel" (1936) (as David Carlyle)
*"Hearts in Bondage" (1936) (uncredited) (as David Carlyle)
*"Annapolis Farewell" (1935) (uncredited)
*"Crime of Helen Stanley" (1934) (uncredited)
*"You Can't Buy *Everything" (1934) (uncredited)

Exlternal links

*imdb name|0656745