Robert Young (actor)
American actor known for fatherly and doctor roles on television.
He is best remembered for his lead roles in the television series "Father Knows Best" and "Marcus Welby, M.D."[1] The actor Robert Young, whose father Thomas E. Young was an Irish immigrant and whose mother Margaret Fyfe was American, first came into the world in Chicago.[2] On July 21, 1998, at his residence in Westlake Village, California, Young passed away due to respiratory failure.[3][1]
Quick Facts
- Birth name
- Robert George Young
- Born
- 22 February 1907
- Birthplace
- Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
- Died
- 21 July 1998
- Place of death
- Westlake Village, California, U.S.
- Occupation
- Actor
- Years active
- 1927–1988
- Political party
- Republican
Facts from the source article.
Life and work
Young achieved stardom that same year in "The Sin Of Madelon Claudet"[1] Young suffered from depression and alcoholism, culminating in a suicide attempt in January 1991.[4][1] Once his schooling was finished, Young took classes and acted at the Pasadena Playhouse, supporting himself with various jobs and securing small roles in silent movies.[2] A talent scout from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer spotted Young while he was on the road with a stock company performing "The Ship," and subsequently signed him to a contract.[2]
For Fox Film Corporation, Young made his initial appearance in a sound film as part of the 1931 Charlie Chan movie "Black Camel."[2] The role for which Young is best known is that of a friendly insurance agent on the sitcom "Father Knows Best"; both he and his fellow actor Jane Wyatt received multiple Emmy Awards for their work.[5] Young appeared in a large number of TV ads for Sanka coffee, a campaign that continued until 1982.[6] The Hollywood Walk of Fame honors Young with three separate stars, one each for his contributions to film, television, and radio.[7]
What the cited sources add
The CNN obituary notes that Young's favorite role was always that of a family man.[1] The same source states that Young exuded a calm optimism in his TV roles and movies that won viewers' hearts.[1] Young once said the secret to his success was that the audience liked to see him in the role of the good guy.[1] Because of Young's efforts to help pass the 708 Illinois Tax Referendum—which created a property tax funding mental health programs—a facility was named after him: the Robert Young Community Mental Health Center.[8]
This mental health center originally opened in Rock Island, Illinois, and currently operates locations in both Illinois and Iowa.[8]
References
- "'Marcus Welby' actor Robert Young dies", cnn.com, July 22, 1998. facts only, no text reused. cnn.com
- Wikipedia, "Robert Young (actor)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Jackson, "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives", Simon and Schuster, 1998, p. 645 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Robert Young (actor)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "'Marcus Welby' actor Robert Young dies", cnn.com, July 22, 1998 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Robert Young (actor)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Kazmin, "Robert Young, 83, Attempted Suicide, Authorities Reveal", Los Angeles Times, January 20, 1991 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Robert Young (actor)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Newcomb, "Encyclopedia of Television", CRC Press, 2004, p. 856 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Robert Young (actor)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Pace, "Advertising; Last Cup of Sanka for Dr. Welby", The New York Times, August 26, 1982 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Robert Young (actor)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Robert Young; Los Angeles Times Hollywood Star Walk Retrieved July 20, 2017. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Robert Young (actor)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "A Safety Net in Peril: The State of Public Mental Health in the Quad-Cities", January 13, 2018 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Robert Young (actor) (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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