Quiet soft spoken Robert grew up in California and had some stage experience with the Pasadena Playhouse before entering films in 1931. His movie career consisted of characters who were charming, good looking and bland as ever. In fact, his screen image was such that he usually never got the girl. Louis B. Mayer would say "He has no sex appeal", but he had a work ethic that prepared him for every role that he played. And he did play in as many as eleven films per year for a decade starting with 'The Black Camel' in 1931. He had some note as the spy in Hitchcock's 'Secret Agent' in 1936, but it would be in the forties before he would have some of his best roles. Some of them were 'Northwest Passage (1940)'; 'Western Union (1941)'; and 'H.M. Pulham, Esq. (1941)'. Good roles followed from the husband of Dorothy McGuire in 'Claudia (1943)' to the detective in 'Crossfire (1947), but the good roles were few.

"All those years at MGM I hid a black terror behind a cheerful face."

In 1949, Robert started a radio show called "Father Knows Best" where he played Jim Anderson, an average father with average situations - which was tailor made for him. Basically retiring from films, this program ran for five years on Radio before it went to Television in 1954. After a slight falter in the ratings and a switch from CBS to NBC, it would be a mainstay of television until it was cancelled in 1960. He would continue making guest appearances on various television shows and work in television movies. In 1969, he starred as Dr. Marcus Welby in the TV movie "Marcus Welby, M.D.". This show would become his new series and run from 1969 through 1976 and also feature James Brolin as his assistant, Dr. Steven Kiley - the doc with the bike. Originating his "Father Knows Best" role on radio, he was the only member of the radio cast to transfer his role to TV. After that, Robert, who by now was in his seventies, would finally lick the 30 year battle that he had with alcohol. He would occasionally appear in television movies through the eighties. In 1991, Robert Young, attempted suicide due to alcoholism and depression.

"All those years at MGM I hid a black terror behind a cheerful face."~Robert Young

Robert Young met his wife, Elizabeth Louise Henderson (1933-1994) when he was 17 and she was 14. They met in high school and had four daughters.

Lillian Roth 1910-1980

Tragic songstress Lillian Roth, born in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 13, 1910, was given her first name in honor of singer Lillian Russell. She was the daughter of daunting stage parents who groomed her and younger sister Anne for stardom at an early age. The girls did not disappoint. In 1916, Lillian moved with her family to New York City where the youngsters found work as extras in films. Lillian's precocious talent was picked up on quickly and at age six made her Broadway Debut in "The Inner Man." All the while the girls trained at the Professional Children's School. They became billed as Broadways "Youngest Stars" after putting together a successful vadeville tour billed as "The Roth Kids."In this act Lillian did serious dramatic impersonations of famous stars of the day with Anna delivering amusing satires of Lillian's readings. Lillian's vocal talents also impressed and she was cast in the show "Artists and Models" at age 15. Shy by nature, the ever-increasing thrust into the limelight caused Lillian to develop severe nervous disorders, but somehow she persevered.

Lillian and Anna

"My life was never my own. It was charted before I was born."~ Lillian Roth