Lynne Roberts, also credited as Mary Hart, born Theda May Roberts (November 22, 1922 – April 1, 1978) was an American film actress during the

Golden Age of Hollywood Golden means made of, or relating to gold. Golden may also refer to: Places United Kingdom *Golden, in the parish of Probus, Cornwall *Golden Cap, Dorset *Golden Square, Soho, London *Golden Valley, a valley on the River Frome in Gloucestershir ...

. She appeared exclusively in what were referred to as

B-movie A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double featur ...

Early years

Born in El Paso, Texas, Roberts was the daughter of Hobart M. Roberts, a bookkeeper, and May Holland. The family moved to Los Angeles in the 1920s.

Career

Roberts began working as an actress in the 1930s, under contract to

Republic Pictures Republic Pictures Corporation (currently held under Melange Pictures, LLC) was an American motion picture production-distribution corporation in operation from 1935 to 1967, that was based in Los Angeles. It had studio facilities in Studio City an ...

. At the age of 14, in 1936, she played a role in ''Bulldog Edition''. In 1938, at age 16, she starred in the

cliffhanger A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode or a film of serialized fiction. A cliffhang ...

s: ''

The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in ...

'' and ''

Dick Tracy Returns ''Dick Tracy Returns'' (1938) is a Republic Movie serial based on the Dick Tracy comic strip. It was the eleventh of the sixty-six serials Republic produced and a sequel to the 1937 serial ''Dick Tracy'', with Ralph Byrd reprising his role as the ...

'', and played a role in ''

The Higgins Family ''The Higgins Family'' is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Gus Meins and written by Paul Gerard Smith and Jack Townley. The film stars James Gleason, Lucile Gleason, Russell Gleason, Lynne Roberts, Harry Davenport and William Bakewell. T ...

''. She was officially listed in studio records as having been born in 1919. In 1941 she starred with

Sonja Henie Sonja Henie (8 April 1912 – 12 October 1969) was a Norway, Norwegian figure skating, figure skater and film star. She was a three-time List of Olympic medalists in figure skating, Olympic champion (Figure skating at the 1928 Winter Olympics, ...

and John Payne in ''

Sun Valley Serenade ''Sun Valley Serenade'' is a 1941 musical film directed by H. Bruce Humberstone and starring Sonja Henie, John Payne, Glenn Miller, Milton Berle, and Lynn Bari. It features the Glenn Miller Orchestra as well as dancing by the Nicholas Brothers. ...

'', while under contract to

20th Century-Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Disn ...

. She returned to Republic Pictures in 1944, and stayed under contract there until 1948. She starred with

Gene Autry Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, musician, rodeo performer, and baseball owner who gained fame largely by singing in a crooning s ...

in ''Sioux City Sue'' in 1946, and appeared in two more films with Autry: '' Robin Hood of Texas'' and '' Saddle Pals'', as well as three films with

Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and television host. Following early work under his given name, first as co-founder of the Sons of the Pioneers and then acting, the rebra ...

, and one with Monte Hale. (Johnny D. Boggs, in his book, ''Billy the Kid on Film, 1911-2012'', wrote, "Lynne Roberts would co-star with oyRogers in eight Westerns, billed as Mary Hart in the first seven of those.") After leaving Republic Pictures for the second time, Roberts worked with Autry in outdoor adventures for

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

. She also worked with

Kirby Grant Kirby Grant (November 24, 1911 – October 30, 1985), born Kirby Grant Hoon Jr., was a long-time B movie and television actor, mostly remembered for having played the title role in the Western-themed adventure television series ''Sky King''. B ...

Monogram Pictures Monogram Pictures Corporation was an American film studio that produced mostly low-budget films between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram was among the smaller studios i ...

' mounted-police adventures, and with

Tim Holt Charles John "Tim" Holt III (February 5, 1919 – February 15, 1973) was an American actor. He was a popular Western star during the 1940s and early 1950s, appearing in forty-six B westerns released by RKO Pictures. In a career spanning mo ...

RKO Radio Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orphe ...

. Roberts appeared in 64 films in total. Of those, 21 were westerns, and two were serials.

Personal life

Roberts married four times. Her first marriage was to William Engelbert, Jr., an aircraft company official, with whom she had one son, Bill. The marriage ended in divorce in 1944. Her second marriage was to Louis John Gardella, which also ended in divorce. In court, Gardella's attorney argued that the couple's Arizona wedding was invalid because Roberts was not legally divorced from Engelbert, although Roberts claimed she had a Mexican divorce decree. In 1953, Roberts married brassiere manufacturer Hyman B. Samuels, with whom she had a daughter, Peri Margaret and a son, William Edward. The couple divorced November 14, 1961, in Los Angeles, California. Following that divorce, Roberts retired from acting and later married

pro wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...

and motion picture actor Don Sebastian in 1971. She died in

Sherman Oaks Sherman Oaks is a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California located in the San Fernando Valley, founded in 1927. The neighborhood includes a portion of the Santa Monica Mountains, which gives Sherman Oaks a lower population density than ...

in 1978 and is buried in

Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale Forest Lawn Memorial Park is a privately owned cemetery in Glendale, California. It is the original and current flagship location of Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks & Mortuaries, a chain of six cemeteries and four additional mortuaries in Southern Cal ...

Partial filmography

Lynne Roberts-Roy Rogers in Billy the Kid Returns

* '' Mama Runs Wild'' (1937) as Edith Summers * ''

Dangerous Holiday ''Dangerous Holiday'' is a 1937 American drama film written and directed by Nicholas T. Barrows. The film stars Ronald Sinclair, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, Hedda Hopper, Jack La Rue, Jed Prouty and Lynne Roberts. The film was released on June 7, 1 ...

'' (1937) as Jean Robbins * ''

'' (1938) as Marian Higgins * ''

Call the Mesquiteers ''Call the Mesquiteers'' (also released as ''Outlaws of the West'') is a 1938 American Western "Three Mesquiteers" B-movie directed by John English. Cast * Robert Livingston as Stony Brooke * Ray Corrigan as Tucson Smith * Max Terhune as Lu ...

'' (1938) as Madge Irving * ''

Hollywood Stadium Mystery ''Hollywood Stadium Mystery'' is a 1938 American film directed by David Howard. Plot A rivalry develops between a district attorney named Devons, who finds murder mysteries amusing but amateurish, and Pauline Ward, a crime novelist. They play ...

'' (1938) as Edna Mayberry * ''

'' (1938) as Joan Blanchard * '' Billy the Kid Returns'' (1938) (billed as Mary Hart) as Ellen Moore * ''

Come On, Rangers ''Come On, Rangers'' is a 1938 American Western musical film directed by Joseph Kane and starring Roy Rogers. Plot The Texas Rangers are disbanded, so Roy joins the Cavalry but deserts when the Cavalry can't stop the outlaws and his brother di ...

'' (1938) (as Mary Hart) as Janice Forbes * ''

Shine On, Harvest Moon "Shine On, Harvest Moon" is a popular early-1900s song credited to the married vaudeville team Nora Bayes and Jack Norworth. It was one of a series of moon-related Tin Pan Alley songs of the era. The song was debuted by Bayes and Norworth in the Z ...

'' (1938) (as Mary Hart) as Claire Brower * ''

The Mysterious Miss X ''The Mysterious Miss X'' is a 1939 film directed by Gus Meins and starring Michael Whalen (actor), Michael Whalen, Chick Chandler and Lynne Roberts, Mary Hart.Rough Riders' Round-up ''Rough Riders' Round-up'' is a 1939 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane and starring Roy Rogers. Set at the end of the Spanish–American War, Roy and several of his comrades in arms from the Rough Riders become US Border Patrolmen o ...

'' (1939) as Dorothy Blair * ''

Southward Ho ''Southward Ho'' is a 1939 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane and starring Roy Rogers. Plot Towards the end of the War Between the States, Roy and Gabby are two Confederate cavalrymen who lure away a Union Army cavalry patrol in orde ...

'' (1939) as Ellen Denbigh * ''

Frontier Pony Express '' Frontier Pony Express '' is a 1939 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane and starring Roy Rogers, Lynne Roberts (as Mary Hart) and Noble Johnson as the lead villain. Plot At the start of the American Civil War in 1861 the Pony Expr ...

'' (1939) as Ann Langhorne * ''

My Wife's Relatives ''My Wife's Relatives'' is a 1939 American comedy film directed by Gus Meins and written by Jack Townley. The film stars James Gleason, Lucile Gleason, Russell Gleason, Harry Davenport, Lynne Roberts and Tommy Ryan. The film was released on May ...

'' (1939) as Jean Higgins * ''

In Old Caliente ''In Old Caliente'' is a 1939 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane and starring Roy Rogers. Plot Set after California's Statehood but before the American Civil War, Roy Rogers is working for a wealthy Spanish family. One of their men ...

'' (1939) as Jean Higgins * '' Should Husbands Work?'' (1939) as Jean Higgins * ''

Everything's on Ice ''Everything's on Ice'' is a 1939 American musical film produced by Sol Lesser for RKO Pictures, directed by Erle C. Kenton and stars six year old Irene Dare, Edgar Kennedy and Lynne Roberts. The film was released on October 6, 1939 and is also kn ...

'' (1939) as Jane Barton * ''

High School A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

'' (1940) as Carol Roberts * '' Star Dust'' (1940) as College girl * ''

Street of Memories ''Street of Memories'' is a 1940 American drama film directed by Shepard Traube, written by Robert Lees and Frederic I. Rinaldo, and starring Lynne Roberts, Guy Kibbee, John McGuire, Edward Gargan, Hobart Cavanaugh and Jerome Cowan. It was rele ...

'' (1940) as Catherine 'Kitty' Foster * ''

Hi-Yo Silver ''Hi-Yo Silver'' is a 1940 American Western (genre), Western film, directed by William Witney and John English (director), John English. It stars Lee Powell (actor), Lee Powell, Hi-Yo Silver, and Chief Thundercloud and was released on April 10 ...

'' (1940) as Joan Blanchard * ''

The Bride Wore Crutches ''The Bride Wore Crutches'' is a 1941 American comedy film directed by Shepard Traube and written by Edward Verdier. The film stars Lynne Roberts, Ted North, Edgar Kennedy, Robert Armstrong, Lionel Stander and Richard Lane. The film was release ...

'' (1941) as Midge Lambert * '' Romance of the Rio Grande'' (1941) as Maria Cordova * ''

Riders of the Purple Sage ''Riders of the Purple Sage'' is a Western novel by Zane Grey, first published by Harper & Brothers in 1912. Considered by scholars to have played a significant role in shaping the formula of the popular Western genre, the novel has been called ...

'' (1941) as Bess * '' Moon Over Miami'' (1941) as Jennie May * '' Last of the Duanes'' (1941) as Nancy Bowdrey * '' Young America'' (1942) as Elizabeth Barnes * ''

The Man in the Trunk ''The Man in the Trunk'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Malcolm St. Clair and written by John Larkin. The film stars Lynne Roberts, George Holmes, Raymond Walburn, J. Carrol Naish, Dorothy Peterson and Eily Malyon. The film was re ...

'' (1942) as Peggy LaRue * ''

Dr. Renault's Secret ''Dr. Renault's Secret'' is a 1942 American horror mystery film. The story was written by William Bruckner and Robert Metzler. It is loosely based on the 1911 novel ''Balaoo'' by Gaston Leroux. The production was directed by Harry Lachman and is ...

'' (1942) as Madeline Renault * ''

Quiet Please, Murder ''Quiet Please, Murder'' is a 1942 drama film directed by John Larkin and starring George Sanders, Gail Patrick and Richard Denning. Based on the short story ''Death Walks in Marble Halls'' by Lawrence G. Blochman that appeared in the September ...

'' (1942) as Kay Ryan * ''

The Big Bonanza ''The Big Bonanza'' is a 1944 American Western film starring Jane Frazee, Richard Arlen, Gabby Hayes, Robert Livingston and Lynne Roberts. Plot Escaping from jail after being falsely accused of cowardice, Army captain Jed Kilton ends up at ...

'' (1944) as Judy Parker * '' My Buddy'' (1944) as Lucy Manners * '' The Ghost That Walks Alone'' (1944) as Sue McGuire Grant * ''

The Port of 40 Thieves ''The Port of 40 Thieves'' is a 1944 American crime film directed by John English, written by Dane Lussier, and starring Stephanie Bachelor, Tom Keene, Lynne Roberts, Olive Blakeney, Russell Hicks and George Meeker. The film was released on A ...

'' (1944) as Nancy Hubbard Chaney * ''

The Phantom Speaks ''The Phantom Speaks'' is a 1945 American supernatural film noir directed by John English and written by John K. Butler. The film stars Richard Arlen, Stanley Ridges, Lynne Roberts, Tom Powers, Charlotte Wynters and Jonathan Hale. The film ...

'' (1945) as Joan Renwick * ''

The Chicago Kid ''The Chicago Kid'' is a 1945 American crime film directed by Frank McDonald and written by Jack Townley and Albert Beich. The film stars Don "Red" Barry, Otto Kruger, Tom Powers, Lynne Roberts, Henry H. Daniels Jr. and Chick Chandler. The film w ...

'' (1945) as Chris Mitchell * ''

Behind City Lights ''Behind City Lights'' is a 1945 American crime film directed by John English (director), John English and written by Richard Weil and Gertrude Walker. The film stars Lynne Roberts, Peter Cookson, Jerome Cowan, Esther Dale, William Terry and Vi ...

'' (1945) as Jean Lowell * ''

Girls of the Big House ''Girls of the Big House'' is a 1945 American drama film directed by George Archainbaud and starring Lynne Roberts, Virginia Christine and Marion Martin.LoBrutto p.449 The film's sets were designed by the art director Gano Chittenden. Plot A c ...

'' (1945) as Jeanne Crail * ''

Winter Wonderland "Winter Wonderland" is a song written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and lyricist Richard Bernhard Smith. Due to its seasonal theme, it is often regarded as a Christmas song in the Northern Hemisphere. Since its original recording by Richard Himber, ...

'' (1946) as Nancy Wheeler * ''

The Magnificent Rogue ''The Magnificent Rogue'' is a 1946 American comedy film directed by Albert S. Rogell and written by Dane Lussier and Sherman L. Lowe. The film stars Lynne Roberts, Warren Douglas, Gerald Mohr, Stephanie Bachelor, Adele Mara and Grady Sutton. T ...

'' (1946) as Pat Brown Morgan * ''

Sioux City Sue "Sioux City Sue" is a 1945 song and a 1946 movie. Lyricist Ray Freedman and composer Dick Thomas wrote the song. Thomas recorded the song in February 1945 for National Records and it was a number one Country charts hit for him. The song was Thom ...

'' (1946) as Sue Warner * ''

The Pilgrim Lady ''The Pilgrim Lady'' is a 1947 American comedy crime film directed by Lesley Selander and starring Lynne Roberts, Warren Douglas and Alan Mowbray Alan Mowbray (born Alfred Ernest Allen; 18 August 1896 – 25 March 1969) was an English stag ...

'' (1947) as Henrietta Rankin * '' That's My Gal'' (1947) as Natalie Adams * '' Saddle Pals'' (1947) as Shelly Brooks * '' Robin Hood of Texas'' (1947) as Virginia * ''

Madonna of the Desert ''Madonna of the Desert'' is a 1948 American crime film directed by George Blair (director), George Blair and written by Albert DeMond. The film stars Lynne Roberts, Don "Red" Barry, Don Castle, Sheldon Leonard, Paul Hurst (actor), Paul Hurst and ...

'' (1948) as Monica Dale * ''

Lightnin' in the Forest ''Lightnin' in the Forest'' is a 1948 American comedy film directed by George Blair and written by John K. Butler. The film stars Lynne Roberts, Don "Red" Barry, Warren Douglas, Lorna Gray, Lucien Littlefield and Claire Du Brey. The film was r ...

'' (1948) as Jerri Vail * ''

Secret Service Investigator ''Secret Service Investigator'' is a 1948 American crime film directed by R. G. Springsteen and written by John K. Butler. The film stars Lynne Roberts, Lloyd Bridges, George Zucco, June Storey, Trevor Bardette and John Kellogg. The film was ...

'' (1948) as Susan Lane * ''

The Timber Trail ''The Timber Trail'' is a 1948 American Western film directed by Philip Ford, written by Robert Creighton Williams, and starring Monte Hale, Lynne Roberts, James Burke, Roy Barcroft, Francis Ford, and Robert Emmett Keane. It was released o ...

'' (1948) as Alice Baker * '' Eyes of Texas'' (1948) as Nurse Penny Thatcher * ''

Sons of Adventure ''Sons of Adventure'' is a 1948 American Western film directed by Yakima Canutt, written by Franklin Adreon and Sol Shor, and starring Lynne Roberts, Russell Hayden, Gordon Jones, Grant Withers, George Chandler and Roy Barcroft. It was rel ...

'' (1948) as Jean * ''

Trouble Preferred ''Trouble Preferred'' is a 1948 American thriller film directed by James Tinling, written by Arnold Belgard, and starring Peggy Knudsen, Lynne Roberts, Charles Russell, Paul Langton, Marcia Mae Jones and Mary Bear. It was released on December 3 ...

'' (1948) as Madge Walker * '' The Great Plane Robbery'' (1950) as Mary * '' The Blazing Sun'' (1950) as Helen Ellis * ''

Call of the Klondike ''Call of the Klondike'' is a 1950 American Northern film directed by Frank McDonald and starring Kirby Grant, Anne Gwynne, and Lynne Roberts. The film was the fourth in the series of ten films featuring Kirby Grant as a Canadian Mountie.Dre ...

'' (1950) as Emily Mallory * ''

Hunt the Man Down ''Hunt the Man Down'' is a 1951 American crime film directed by George Archainbaud and starring Gig Young. Plot Public defender Paul Bennett dedicates himself to defending a destitute man accused of murder. Piano player Richard Kincaid was broug ...

'' (1950) as Sally Clark * ''

Dynamite Pass ''Dynamite Pass'' is a black and white 1950 Western film. It was described by the ''Los Angeles Times'' as being "very good of its type" and was released on a double bill with ''The Secret Fury''. Plot Near the Old West town of Clifton, New Mex ...

'' (1950) as Mrs. Mary Madden * '' Because of You'' (1952) as Rosemary Balder * ''

The Blazing Forest ''The Blazing Forest'' is a 1952 American lumberjack adventure film directed by Edward Ludwig and written by Lewis R. Foster and Winston Miller. The film stars John Payne, William Demarest, Agnes Moorehead, Richard Arlen, Susan Morrow, Roscoe At ...

'' (1952) as Grace Hanson * ''

Port Sinister ''Port Sinister'' (a.k.a. ''Beast of Paradise Isle'' in the UK) is a 1953 American independently made black-and-white adventure science fiction film, produced by Jack Pollexfen and Albert Zugsmith, and directed by Harold Daniels. The film was w ...

'' (1953) as Joan Hunter

References

External links

* *
B-Western Heroines, Lynne Roberts
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roberts, Lynne People from El Paso, Texas Actresses from Texas Accidental deaths from falls Accidental deaths in California American film actresses 1922 births 1978 deaths Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) 20th Century Studios contract players 20th-century American actresses