Want to know the best Robert Young movies? How about the worst Robert Young movies? Curious about Robert Young box office grosses or which Robert Young movie picked up the most Oscar® nominations? Need to know which Robert Young movie got the best reviews from critics and audiences and which got the worst reviews? Well you have come to the right place….because we have all of that information.
Robert Young (1907-1998) was an American actor who appeared in 80 movies before finding even greater fame on television. His IMDb page shows 106 acting credits from 1928-1998. This page will rank 82 Robert Young movies from Best to Worst in six different sortable columns of information. Television appearances, uncredited roles and 4 movies from the early 1930s were not included in the rankings.
Drivel page: Joel Hirschhorn‘s Rating The Movie Stars book ranked 410 stars. The very last rated star in that book was Robert Young (it is alphabetical order). Hirschhorn’s book is one of the biggest influences on this website. This marks the 195th star in his book that now has a UMR page.
Robert Young Movies Ranked In Chronological Order With Ultimate Movie Rankings Score (1 to 5 UMR Tickets) *Best combo of box office, reviews and awards.
Year
Movie (Year)
Rating
S
Year Movie (Year) Rating S
1940
Northwest Passage (1940)
1947
Crossfire (1947)
AA Best Picture Nom
1932
The Kid From Spain (1932)
1948
Sitting Pretty (1948)
1933
Tugboat Annie (1933)
1938
Three Comrades (1938)
1945
The Enchanted Cottage (1945)
1944
The Canterville Ghost (1944)
1943
Sweet Rosie O'Grady (1943)
1941
H.M. Pulham, Esq. (1941)
1934
The House of Rothschild (1934)
AA Best Picture Nom
1940
The Mortal Storm (1940)
1943
Claudia (1943)
1931
Hell Divers (1931)
1939
Honolulu (1939)
1936
Stowaway (1936)
1943
Slightly Dangerous (1943)
1937
I Met Him in Paris (1937)
1937
Navy Blue and Gold (1937)
1949
That Forsyte Woman (1949)
1946
Claudia and David (1946)
1941
Lady Be Good (1941)
1947
They Won't Believe Me (1947)
1938
The Shining Hour (1938)
1935
The Bride Comes Home (1935)
1938
Paradise For Three (1938)
1941
Western Union (1941)
1945
Those Endearing Young Charms (1945)
1937
The Bride Wore Red (1937)
1937
The Emperor's Candlesticks (1937)
1946
Lady Luck (1946)
1934
Carolina (1934)
1937
Married Before Breakfast (1937)
1949
Bride For Sale (1949)
1931
The Sin of Madelon Claudet (1931)
1941
The Trial of Mary Dugan (1941)
1938
The Toy Wife (1938)
1942
Journey for Margaret (1942)
1948
Relentless (1948)
1941
Married Bachelor (1941)
1937
Dangerous Number (1937)
1939
Maisie (1939)
1932
Unashamed (1932)
1935
West Point of The Air (1935)
1938
Josette (1938)
1946
The Searching Wind (1946)
1935
Remember Last Night? (1935)
1933
Hell Below (1933)
1954
Secret of the Incas (1954)
1942
Cairo (1942)
1932
Strange Interlude (1932)
1936
It's Love Again (1936)
1939
Bridal Suite (1939)
1949
Adventure in Baltimore (1949)
1940
Florian (1940)
1936
Secret Agent (1936)
1951
Goodbye, My Fancy (1951)
1932
The Wet Parade (1932)
1940
Sporting Blood (1940)
1942
Joe Smith, American (1942)
1939
Miracles For Sale (1939)
1931
The Black Camel (1931)
1934
Whom The Gods Destroy (1934)
1933
The Right To Romance (1933)
1934
Spitfire (1934)
1933
Today We Live (1933)
1940
Dr. Kildare's Crisis (1940)
1997
Fierce Creatures (1997)
Director
1933
Saturday's Millions (1933)
1936
Sworn Enemy (1936)
1950
The Second Woman (1950)
1934
Death on the Diamond (1934)
1935
Calm Yourself (1935)
1938
Rich Man, Poor Girl (1938)
1936
The Longest Night (1936)
1935
Vagabound Lady (1935)
1934
The Band Plays On (1934)
1949
And Baby Makes Three (1949)
1935
Red Salute (1935)
1933
Men Must Fight (1933)
1932
New Morals For Old (1932)
1936
The Bride Walks Out (1936)
1936
The 3 Wise Guys (1936)
1993
Splitting Heirs (1993)
1952
The Half-Breed (1952)
Robert Young Movies Can Be Ranked 6 Ways In This Table
The really cool thing about this table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies anyway you want.
- Sort Robert Young movies by co-stars of his movies.
- Sort Robert Young movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
- Sort Robert Young movies by yearly domestic box office rank
- Sort Robert Young movies how they were received by critics and audiences. 60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie.
- Sort by how many Oscar® nominations each Robert Young movie received and how many Oscar® wins each Robert Young movie won.
- Sort Robert Young movies by Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score. UMR Score puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.
| R | Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | Adj. B.O. Worldwide (mil) | Review | Oscar Nom / Win | UMR Score | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | Actual B.O. Domestic (mil) | Adj. B.O. Domestic (mil) | Adj. B.O. Worldwide (mil) | B.O. Rank by Year | Review | Oscar Nom / Win | UMR Score | S |
| 1 | Northwest Passage (1940) | Spencer Tracy | 6.20 | 238.6 | 346.50 | 9 | 85 | 01 / 00 | 98.4 | |
| 2 | Crossfire (1947) AA Best Picture Nom |
Robert Mitchum & Robert Ryan |
6.80 | 196.9 | 253.90 | 41 | 76 | 05 / 00 | 98.4 | |
| 3 | The Kid From Spain (1932) | Eddie Cantor | 7.50 | 366.9 | 366.90 | 2 | 78 | 00 / 00 | 97.0 | |
| 4 | Sitting Pretty (1948) | Clifton Webb & Maureen O'Hara |
9.50 | 255.3 | 255.30 | 9 | 77 | 01 / 00 | 96.9 | |
| 5 | Tugboat Annie (1933) | Wallace Beery & Marie Dressler |
5.50 | 256.7 | 344.40 | 6 | 76 | 00 / 00 | 96.5 | |
| 8 | Three Comrades (1938) | Robert Taylor | 4.80 | 190.5 | 326.30 | 31 | 77 | 01 / 00 | 96.2 | |
| 9 | The Enchanted Cottage (1945) | Dorothy McGuire | 5.40 | 170.2 | 248.80 | 65 | 79 | 01 / 00 | 95.2 | |
| 8 | The Canterville Ghost (1944) | Charles Laughton | 5.60 | 189.6 | 189.60 | 60 | 71 | 00 / 00 | 94.6 | |
| 7 | Sweet Rosie O'Grady (1943) | Betty Grable & Adolphe Menjou |
9.70 | 349.1 | 349.10 | 9 | 66 | 00 / 00 | 94.0 | |
| 12 | H.M. Pulham, Esq. (1941) | Van Heflin | 4.70 | 182.0 | 182.00 | 32 | 69 | 00 / 00 | 93.3 | |
| 11 | The House of Rothschild (1934) AA Best Picture Nom |
George Arliss | 3.00 | 139.4 | 139.40 | 21 | 75 | 01 / 00 | 93.2 | |
| 13 | The Mortal Storm (1940) | Jame Stewart & Margaret Sullavan |
3.30 | 127.5 | 127.50 | 44 | 83 | 00 / 00 | 92.5 | |
| 13 | Claudia (1943) | Dorothy McGuire | 6.40 | 231.0 | 231.00 | 38 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 92.4 | |
| 14 | Hell Divers (1931) | Clark Gable | 3.70 | 188.9 | 328.20 | 12 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 92.1 | |
| 15 | Honolulu (1939) | Eleanor Powell & George Burns |
5.40 | 208.1 | 208.10 | 26 | 55 | 00 / 00 | 90.8 | |
| 16 | Stowaway (1936) | Shirley Temple | 3.50 | 150.9 | 150.90 | 41 | 70 | 00 / 00 | 90.6 | |
| 17 | Slightly Dangerous (1943) | Lana Turner & Walter Brennan |
4.30 | 154.0 | 154.00 | 72 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 89.7 | |
| 18 | I Met Him in Paris (1937) | Claudette Colbert | 4.00 | 166.2 | 166.20 | 42 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 89.4 | |
| 19 | Navy Blue and Gold (1937) | James Stewart & Lionel Barrymore |
3.50 | 146.6 | 146.60 | 58 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 88.9 | |
| 20 | That Forsyte Woman (1949) | Errol Flynn | 5.20 | 129.2 | 258.40 | 55 | 68 | 01 / 00 | 87.8 | |
| 21 | Claudia and David (1946) | Dorothy McGuire | 4.50 | 137.4 | 137.40 | 72 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 86.9 | |
| 23 | Lady Be Good (1941) | Red Skelton | 3.40 | 130.3 | 211.00 | 70 | 62 | 01 / 01 | 86.0 | |
| 22 | They Won't Believe Me (1947) | Susan Hayward | 3.60 | 103.9 | 159.10 | 95 | 72 | 00 / 00 | 85.8 | |
| 24 | The Shining Hour (1938) | Joan Crawford & Margaret Sullavan |
3.80 | 150.4 | 218.30 | 45 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 85.6 | |
| 25 | The Bride Comes Home (1935) | Claudette Colbert & Fred MacMurray |
2.80 | 125.1 | 125.10 | 37 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 85.3 | |
| 27 | Paradise For Three (1938) | Frank Morgan & Mary Astor |
3.00 | 120.7 | 120.70 | 69 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 83.7 | |
| 26 | Western Union (1941) | Randolph Scott & Virginia Gilmore |
2.60 | 98.8 | 98.80 | 95 | 68 | 00 / 00 | 83.5 | |
| 30 | Those Endearing Young Charms (1945) | Laraine Day | 5.00 | 159.0 | 193.80 | 71 | 49 | 00 / 00 | 83.2 | |
| 28 | The Bride Wore Red (1937) | Joan Crawford & Franchot Tone |
2.60 | 107.8 | 199.00 | 94 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 82.8 | |
| 29 | The Emperor's Candlesticks (1937) | William Powell | 2.90 | 121.6 | 221.10 | 75 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 82.8 | |
| 32 | Lady Luck (1946) | Barbara Hale | 4.10 | 126.8 | 126.80 | 80 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 82.3 | |
| 32 | Carolina (1934) | Janet Gaynor & Lionel Barrymore |
2.40 | 112.5 | 112.50 | 38 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 81.3 | |
| 34 | Married Before Breakfast (1937) | Florence Rice | 2.80 | 115.9 | 115.90 | 89 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 81.0 | |
| 36 | Bride For Sale (1949) | Claudette Colbert | 4.00 | 99.2 | 128.80 | 92 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 80.5 | |
| 36 | The Sin of Madelon Claudet (1931) | Helen Hayes | 1.90 | 98.8 | 98.80 | 55 | 61 | 01 / 01 | 80.4 | |
| 35 | The Trial of Mary Dugan (1941) | Laraine Day | 2.30 | 88.9 | 88.90 | 104 | 66 | 00 / 00 | 80.3 | |
| 37 | The Toy Wife (1938) | Luise Rainier & Melvyn Douglas |
3.20 | 128.9 | 128.90 | 60 | 53 | 00 / 00 | 80.1 | |
| 37 | Journey for Margaret (1942) | Laraine Day | 2.20 | 82.7 | 162.90 | 119 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 80.1 | |
| 39 | Relentless (1948) | Marguerite Chapman | 4.00 | 108.7 | 108.70 | 88 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 79.8 | |
| 41 | Married Bachelor (1941) | Ruth Hussey | 2.90 | 111.5 | 111.50 | 87 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 79.7 | |
| 43 | Dangerous Number (1937) | Ann Southern | 2.90 | 118.5 | 118.50 | 83 | 53 | 00 / 00 | 78.0 | |
| 43 | Maisie (1939) | Ruth Hussey | 2.20 | 85.8 | 117.50 | 107 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 77.6 | |
| 45 | Unashamed (1932) | Helen Twelvetrees | 2.30 | 111.4 | 111.40 | 27 | 54 | 00 / 00 | 77.0 | |
| 44 | West Point of The Air (1935) | Robert Taylor & Maureen O'Sullivan |
1.90 | 86.9 | 169.00 | 69 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 76.6 | |
| 46 | Josette (1938) | Don Ameche | 2.40 | 95.0 | 95.00 | 97 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 76.3 | |
| 47 | The Searching Wind (1946) | Sylvia Sidney | 3.10 | 94.9 | 94.90 | 101 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 75.3 | |
| 47 | Remember Last Night? (1935) | Edward Arnold | 0.60 | 28.7 | 28.70 | 177 | 78 | 00 / 00 | 74.8 | |
| 48 | Hell Below (1933) | Robert Montgomery | 1.80 | 84.9 | 186.00 | 44 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 74.3 | |
| 49 | Secret of the Incas (1954) | Charlton Heston | 4.00 | 93.7 | 93.70 | 83 | 55 | 00 / 00 | 73.0 | |
| 50 | Cairo (1942) | Jeanette MacDonald | 1.80 | 65.4 | 126.20 | 136 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 70.3 | |
| 52 | Strange Interlude (1932) | Clark Gable & Norma Shearer |
2.70 | 134.0 | 173.20 | 19 | 39 | 00 / 00 | 69.3 | |
| 52 | It's Love Again (1936) | Jessie Matthews | 1.60 | 70.3 | 70.30 | 114 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 69.2 | |
| 55 | Bridal Suite (1939) | Annabella | 2.70 | 104.1 | 104.10 | 89 | 48 | 00 / 00 | 68.8 | |
| 54 | Adventure in Baltimore (1949) | Shirley Temple | 2.40 | 60.9 | 71.40 | 127 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 67.7 | |
| 54 | Florian (1940) | Charles Coburn | 0.90 | 34.7 | 34.70 | 173 | 69 | 00 / 00 | 67.5 | |
| 56 | Secret Agent (1936) | Peter Lorre & Directed by Alfred Hitchcock |
1.00 | 43.4 | 43.40 | 144 | 66 | 00 / 00 | 67.0 | |
| 57 | Goodbye, My Fancy (1951) | Joan Crawford | 3.70 | 80.1 | 94.10 | 94 | 54 | 00 / 00 | 66.5 | |
| 58 | The Wet Parade (1932) | Myrna Loy | 1.30 | 65.3 | 65.30 | 80 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 65.7 | |
| 59 | Sporting Blood (1940) | Maureen O'Sullivan | 2.00 | 75.4 | 75.40 | 100 | 55 | 00 / 00 | 65.4 | |
| 59 | Joe Smith, American (1942) | Marsha Hunt | 1.40 | 51.7 | 75.20 | 156 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 63.8 | |
| 61 | Miracles For Sale (1939) | Florence Rice | 1.70 | 63.8 | 63.80 | 139 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 63.8 | |
| 62 | The Black Camel (1931) | Bela Lugosi | 1.00 | 50.2 | 50.20 | 152 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 62.5 | |
| 65 | Whom The Gods Destroy (1934) | Walter Connolly | 0.90 | 42.1 | 42.10 | 121 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 60.1 | |
| 64 | The Right To Romance (1933) | Ann Harding | 1.10 | 52.4 | 52.40 | 86 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 59.7 | |
| 67 | Spitfire (1934) | Katharine Hepburn | 1.80 | 84.2 | 103.20 | 65 | 47 | 00 / 00 | 58.1 | |
| 68 | Today We Live (1933) | Joan Crawford & Gary Cooper |
1.70 | 79.0 | 138.60 | 53 | 49 | 00 / 00 | 57.7 | |
| 66 | Dr. Kildare's Crisis (1940) | Lionel Barrymore | 1.40 | 52.1 | 52.10 | 145 | 56 | 00 / 00 | 56.1 | |
| 68 | Fierce Creatures (1997) Director |
John Cleese & Jamie Lee Curtis |
9.40 | 22.0 | 22.00 | 117 | 65 | 00 / 00 | 55.5 | |
| 69 | Saturday's Millions (1933) | Andy Devine | 0.80 | 35.2 | 35.20 | 140 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 54.6 | |
| 69 | Sworn Enemy (1936) | Florence Rice | 1.00 | 41.2 | 41.20 | 151 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 52.3 | |
| 70 | The Second Woman (1950) | Betsy Drake | 1.50 | 33.7 | 33.70 | 164 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 51.8 | |
| 71 | Death on the Diamond (1934) | Madge Evans | 0.80 | 35.5 | 35.50 | 139 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 50.8 | |
| 73 | Calm Yourself (1935) | Madge Evans | 1.50 | 65.8 | 65.80 | 88 | 48 | 00 / 00 | 49.2 | |
| 73 | Rich Man, Poor Girl (1938) | Lana Turner | 0.50 | 21.2 | 21.20 | 190 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 47.8 | |
| 75 | The Longest Night (1936) | Florence Rice | 0.80 | 34.7 | 34.70 | 164 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 45.9 | |
| 75 | Vagabound Lady (1935) | Evelyn Venable | 0.80 | 36.9 | 62.00 | 157 | 55 | 00 / 00 | 43.8 | |
| 75 | The Band Plays On (1934) | Stuart Erwin | 0.80 | 38.3 | 38.30 | 131 | 52 | 00 / 00 | 38.0 | |
| 78 | And Baby Makes Three (1949) | Barbara Hale | 1.70 | 41.4 | 41.40 | 155 | 49 | 00 / 00 | 33.2 | |
| 78 | Red Salute (1935) | Barbara Stanwyck | 0.60 | 27.7 | 27.70 | 179 | 53 | 00 / 00 | 32.4 | |
| 80 | Men Must Fight (1933) | Diana Wynyard | 0.70 | 30.7 | 58.10 | 151 | 52 | 00 / 00 | 32.4 | |
| 81 | New Morals For Old (1932) | Myrna Loy | 0.70 | 36.5 | 46.90 | 144 | 49 | 00 / 00 | 31.2 | |
| 82 | The Bride Walks Out (1936) | Barbara Stanwyck | 1.70 | 72.2 | 96.30 | 111 | 38 | 00 / 00 | 30.3 | |
| 83 | The 3 Wise Guys (1936) | Bruce Cabot | 0.50 | 20.8 | 20.80 | 196 | 52 | 00 / 00 | 26.3 | |
| 83 | Splitting Heirs (1993) | Eric Idle & Rick Moranis |
3.20 | 8.5 | 8.50 | 155 | 55 | 00 / 00 | 24.8 | |
| 85 | The Half-Breed (1952) | Janis Carter | 0.90 | 17.7 | 17.70 | 205 | 47 | 00 / 00 | 16.9 |
Stats and Possibly Interesting Things From The Above Robert Young Table
- Twenty-eight Robert Young movies crossed the magical $100 million domestic gross mark. That is a percentage of 34.15% of his movies listed. The Kid From Spain (1932) was his biggest box office hit when looking at adjusted domestic box office gross.
- An average Robert Young movie grosses $88.90 million in adjusted box office gross.
- Using RottenTomatoes.com’s 60% fresh meter. 45 Robert Young movies are rated as good movies…or 54.87% of his movies. Northwest Passage (1940) is his highest rated movie while The Bride Walks Out (1936) was his lowest rated movie.
- Eight Robert Young movies received at least one Oscar® nomination in any category…..or 9.75% of his movies.
- Two Robert Young movies won at least one Oscar® in any category…..or 2.43% of his movies.
- An average Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score is 40.00. 44 Robert Young movies scored higher than that average….or 53.65% of his movies. Northwest Passage (1940) got the the highest UMR Score while The Half-Breed (1952) got the lowest UMR Score.
Ten Possibly Interesting Facts About Robert Young
1. Robert George Young was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1907.
2. Robert Young first started acting at Chicago’s Pasadena Playhouse in the late 1920s. A MGM talent agents spotted him in a 1931 touring stage production of “The Ship” and signed him up.
3. Between 1931 and 1949, Robert Young made an incredible 82 motion pictures. That is almost 4 and a half movies for 19 straight years.
4. According to the buzz of 1941…..Robert Young was one of the leading contenders for a Best Actor Oscar® nomination. His performance in 1941’s H.M. Pulham failed to get him a nomination.
5. Robert Young starred in two very popular television shows. From 1954 to 1960 he starred in Father Knows Best and from 1969 to 1976 in Marcus Welby, M.D. He would never appear in another motion picture after 1954’s Secret of the Incas.
6. Robert Young was married 1 time and had 4 children. He was married to Elizabeth Louise Henderson from 1933 to her death in 1994. Not thinking too many Hollywood marriages last over 60 years. Congrats to them.
7. Robert Young did extra work in Keystone Cops movies of the 1920s.
8. Robert Young’s movies from 1930 to 1939 earned $3.94 billion in adjusted domestic gross. That puts him in 3rd place when looking at all the stars of that decade. 1930’s Top Box Office Stars.
9. Robert Young’s movies from 1940 to 1949 earned $3.16 billion in adjusted domestic gross. That puts him in 20th place when looking at all the stars of that decade. 1940’s Top Box Office Stars.
10. Check out Robert Young’s career compared to current and classic actors. Most 100 Million Dollar Movies of All-Time.
Check out Steve’s Robert Young You Tube Page
Want more stats? How about Robert Young Adjusted Worldwide Grosses?
- Bride For Sale (1949) $92.80 million in adjusted worldwide gross
- Cairo (1942) $98.20 million in adjusted worldwide gross
- Crossfire (1947) $204.00 million in adjusted worldwide gross
- Goodbye My Fancy (1951) $75.30 million in adjusted worldwide gross
- Hell Below (1933) $145.40 million in adjusted worldwide gross
- Hell Divers (1931) $256.70 million in adjusted worldwide gross
- Joe Smith American (1942) $54.70 million in adjusted worldwide gross
- Journey for Margaret (1942) $112.80 million in adjusted worldwide gross
- Lady Be Good (1941) $164.90 million in adjusted worldwide gross
- Maisie (1939) $93.80 million in adjusted worldwide gross
- Men Must Fight (1933) $46.60 million in adjusted worldwide gross
- Navy Blue and Gold (1937) $134.80 million in adjusted worldwide gross
- New Morals For Old (1932) $36.60 million in adjusted worldwide gross
- Northwest Passage (1940) $270.60 million in adjusted worldwide gross
- Spitfire (1934) $64.90 million in adjusted worldwide gross
- Strange Interlude (1932) $134.80 million in adjusted worldwide gross
- That Forsyte Woman (1949) $180.00 million in adjusted worldwide gross
- The Bride Walks Out (1936) $75.40 million in adjusted worldwide gross
- The Bride Wore Red (1937) $156.30 million in adjusted worldwide gross
- The Emperor’s Candlesticks (1937) $173.10 million in adjusted worldwide gross
- The Enchanted Cottage (1945) $195.10 million in adjusted worldwide gross
- The Shining Hour (1938) $170.60 million in adjusted worldwide gross
- Those Endearing Young Charms (1945) $151.30 million in adjusted worldwide gross
- Three Comrades (1938) $255.00 million in adjusted worldwide gross
- Today We Live (1933) $107.80 million in adjusted worldwide gross
- Tugboat Annie (1933) $268.70 million in adjusted worldwide gross
- West Point of The Air (1935) $131.90 million in adjusted worldwide gross
Academy Award® and Oscar® are the registered trademarks of the Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences.
Added Steve’s Robert Young You Tube video to this page. Our thoughts found below.
Good video. Good to see Dr. Marcus the Father Who Knows Best getting some Top 10 Charts light. I have not seen many of his movies but a few on memorable. I just saw his final movie a few weeks ago….The Secret of the Incas. He has a supporting role in that one. #2 Crossfire…my favorite movie that year and you get not one, not two but three Bobs in that one. #4 Northwest Passage….one of my dad’s all time favorites and #12 Stowaway which is a movie I remember watching with my grandmother. Overall I have seen 6 of his movies.
Hi Bruce, your comment was lurking in the ‘held for review’ box again, no idea why. You’ve seen more than I have, I’ve only seen 4 Robert Young films. Flora has seen 51 of his films, 23 from the video chart, wow. Thanks for the vote, share and comment, it is appreciated.
Browsing through a number of Cogerson pages for some light reading I noticed that on this page Barbara Stanwyck is incorrectly listed as the leading lady in Western Union. However Virginia Gilmore is actually the love interest in that movie and it was in De Mille’s 1939 Union Pacific that Babs appeared co-starring with Joel McCrea.
It is easy to confuse the two but the distinction is always clear in my own mind because (1) it greatly surprised me that Randolph Scott was billed 2nd to Robert Young AND played the bad guy in Western Union and I have always remembered THAT.
(2) 30 years ago on the evening of 20 Oct 1990 I watched a TV rerun of Union Pacific and when the movie was over I switched to the news channel just in time to learn that Joel McCrea had died that evening aged 84. No McCrea-fan movie buff like me is likely to forget that great coincidence!
Speaking of Randy Scott and A guy named Joel when I was discussing movies the other night with my physiotherapist he shocked me by revealing that he didn’t know who Randy was; and I thought “What next? – a viewer on this site never having heard of Joel Hirschhorn!” The site would probably crash in protest!
The Western Union error has been fixed…thanks for the catch.
Sherry Hall, Edward Hearn and James Conaty each appeared in 10 films with Mr. Young.
Hey Dan. Thanks for the information on the trio of actors that have been in 10 movies with Robert Young. Good stuff.
Cogerson
1–Robert Young had a low-key but extremely durable and long-lasting career. He became a star in his first year in movies (1931) at 24 and was still headlining made-for-TV movies in the 1980’s when he was in his own eighties.
2–I wouldn’t have guessed he was as prolific at the box office as your stats show. #3 in the 1930’s and #20 in the 1940’s. Prolific is the right word, as much of this is due I think to his making so many movies.
3–Young co-starred with many top actresses. I recall a comment from a critic that he was the perfect leading man for diva actresses–always competent, but unexciting enough that he never deflected the spotlight off his leading lady.
4–Along with Cary Grant, aged better than almost any male star.. He might have been a more handsome man in his fifties than he was in his twenties. Maturity also gave him a certain presence he didn’t have in his youth.
5–As you pointed out, had two top hit TV shows which probably made him better known and more popular than his okay but not outstanding movie career had. In a 1970 article in Variety based on polling research combining recognition and popularity, he was in the top three along with Lucille Ball and John Wayne, Marcus Welby was the #1 American TV show at the time. I wonder how many realize he attained such a stature. (aside-this also indicates how TV in those days of only a few networks could make a performer very well known)
6–w/o looking it up, while I think he was passed over for even an Oscar nomination, he won two Emmy’s for Father Knows Best, and one for Marcus Welby. Speaking of Father Knows Best, I remember it on radio before it moved to TV.
7–while his 1940’s movies probably are best remembered, The Wet Parade from 1932 deserves a mention. This is the only film I am aware of which actually examined Prohibition as a social experiment, and took a stand for repeal. It played fair by showing the devastation that alcoholism had on two families, but also showing the harm arising from the law. And yes, Myrna Loy had only a supporting role. The lead actress was Dorothy Jordan who is best known today for being John Wayne’s lost love in The Searchers. Robert Young played an Elliott Ness character who ends up doubting the law, with Jimmy Durante (!) as his Lee Hobson.
Hey John
1. Great comment on Mr. Young…..I enjoyed reading it.
2. I was very surprised by Young’s strong box office showings in the 1930s and 1940s, but like you wrote his incredible output in those two decades has a lot to do with that.
3. His average gross per movie is decent but far from being in the Top 20.
4. Cary Grant and Robert Young….interesting comparison….I can see it a little bit.
5. Top 3 with Ball and Wayne… I can see that….growing up I was well aware of Young because of his two tv shows.
6. I will have to check out Wet Parade.
Thanks for the awesome feedback
Hi
I always got Robert Young mixed up with Robert Montgomery. But I always liked The North West Passage and Three Comrades. I’m not familiar with his T.V. work but he definitely had a very long and successful career.
Really when you think of it, T.V. was a God send to many of the stars from the 30’s and 40’s, it became an ideal watering hole for has-beens of the movie world.
Hey Chris.
1. I have only seen two Young movies…but Northwest Passage was a movie I saw a lot as a child…as my dad loved that movie.
2. I have not seen Three Comrades….but it sounds interesting.
3. Young made his last movie (for theaters) in 1954…..and was on a hit tv show in 1956.
4. His tv career was almost 20 years of hit television…not sure many can match that dual threat.
5. I see how you get Montgomery and Young mixed up.
Thanks for stopping by.