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Mark Roberts (actor)

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Mark Roberts
Roberts in an episode of One Step Beyond (1960)
Born
Robert Ellis Scott

(1921-06-09)June 9, 1921
Denver, Colorado, U.S.
DiedJanuary 5, 2006(2006-01-05) (aged 84)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other namesBob Scott
Robert E. Scott
Robert Scott
OccupationActor
Years active1938–1994
Spouses
Audrey von Clemm
​
​
(m. 1953; div. 1967)​
​
​
(m. 1969; div. 1974)​
Children3

Robert Ellis Scott (June 9, 1921 – January 5, 2006) was an American stage, film and television actor who appeared in over 100 films between 1938 and 1994. Sometimes he was credited as Mark Roberts, Bob Scott, Robert E. Scott, or Robert Scott.

Early years

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A native of Denver, Colorado, Roberts began acting when he was four, appearing in a play in kindergarten. "The smell of greasepaint got me", he said years later.[1] During his childhood, the family moved to Lakewood, Ohio, and later to Kansas City, Missouri. Roberts attended Southwest High School in Kansas City and the University of Arizona at Tucson, where he majored in English.[1]

Film

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Mark Roberts (far right) with Rita Hayworth in a trailer for Gilda (1946)

Soon after Roberts graduated from college, a screen test at Columbia Pictures led to a long-term contract for him.[1]

He made his film debut in Brother Rat, a 1938 film directed by William Keighley and starring Ronald Reagan. Roberts played an uncredited bit role as Tripod Andrews. After that, he was billed as Robert Scott in three films before obtaining his first and only leading role in the 1944 Columbia serial Black Arrow. He also served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Following discharge, he acted under the name of Mark Roberts.

Roberts appeared (uncredited) in It's a Wonderful Life, the 1946 classic Frank Capra film. He and Carl (Alfalfa) Switzer played Mickey and Freddie Othello, respectively, the two guys who unlock the gym floor at the high school dance, exposing the pool below, into which George Bailey (James Stewart) and Mary Hatch (Donna Reed) tumble.

Stage

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Roberts played the role of Dunbar in the Broadway production of Stalag 17 (1951).[2] Concurrently, he was a member of the cast of Miss Susan, a television serial. The dual responsibilities meant that Roberts usually left New York City via train at 8 a.m., going to Philadelphia for rehearsals and the program's live broadcast, then he would catch a 6:06 p.m. train back to New York to perform in the play.[3]

Television

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Roberts later became a familiar face in selected drama and action television series. He starred as reporter Hildy Johnson in the 1949-1950 syndicated television series The Front Page. In the 1960–1961 season, he joined Stephen Dunne (1918–1977) playing brothers who were private detectives in the syndicated television series, The Brothers Brannagan,[4] which aired 39 episodes. Roberts played Bob Brannagan; Dunne, Mike Brannagan. He made seven guest appearances on Perry Mason, including two 1962 roles as the murder victim: title character Otto Gervaert/Gabe Phillips in "The Case of the Absent Artist," and Tod Richards in "The Case of the Playboy Pugilist." He portrayed murderer Wayne Jameson in "The Case of the Nebulous Nephew". Mark Roberts appeared in Barnaby Jones portraying a character named Tony Bloom; episode titled, "Perchance to Kill"(03/11/1973).

Roberts made his last screen appearance in the short-lived 1994 sitcom Monty.

Personal life

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Roberts married Audrey Von Clemm in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1953.[1] The couple had three children—Col. Ward E. Scott II, Margot Silverman, and Jeffrey F. Scott—before divorcing in 1967.

Roberts married I Dream of Jeannie actress Emmaline Henry on November 1, 1969.[5] Scott and Henry divorced in 1974.[6]

Death

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Roberts died at the age of 84 in Los Angeles, California on January 5, 2006. He was survived by his three children and his wife, Jane Cole Scott (married 1981).[7]

Selected filmography

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Films

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Television

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Bother Brannigan Recalls: 'I Always Wanted to Act'". The Daily Herald. Utah, Provo. November 14, 1960. p. 21. Retrieved May 20, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  2. ^ "Stalag 17 - Cast". Playbill Vault. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
  3. ^ Toomey, Elizabeth (July 1, 1951). "Actor Plays One Role At Night, Another In Day". The High Point Enterprise. North Carolina, High Point. United Press. p. 17. Retrieved May 20, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  4. ^ Erickson, Hal (1989). Syndicated Television: The First Forty Years, 1947-1987. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 0-7864-1198-8. Pp. 107-108.
  5. ^ "Emmaline F Henry discovered in California, U.S., Marriage Index, 1960-1985". Ancestry.com. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  6. ^ "Emmaline Henry discovered in California, U.S., Divorce Index, 1966-1984". Ancestry.com. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  7. ^ "Obituary for Robert Ellis SCOTT (Aged 84)". The Los Angeles Times. January 7, 2006. p. 15. Retrieved January 13, 2021.

Demetria Fulton previewed Mark Roberts' appearance in Barnaby Jones portraying a character named Tony Bloom; episode titled, "Perchance to Kill"(03/11/1973).

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