Robert Ellis (September 24, 1933 – November 23, 1973) was an American film and television actor in the 1940s and 1950s, who was the last actor to play Henry Aldrich on the radio series ''

The Aldrich Family ''The Aldrich Family'', a popular radio teenage situation comedy (July 2, 1939 – April 19, 1953), was also presented in films, television and comic books. In the radio series' opening exchange, awkward teen Henry's mother called, "Hen-''reeeee ...

''.

Early life

Robert Ellis was born in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

to Fern Bloomfield. He was educated in professional children's schools in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

and Hollywood and later studied theater arts at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

Career

He made his acting debut at age 5 and appeared in some 50 movies and television shows, sometimes billed as "Bobby Ellis." In 1948, the

Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motion ...

awarded him a special certificate for his acting and dancing role as Buster Tyme in the movie '' April Showers'', which starred

Ann Sothern Ann Sothern (born Harriette Arlene Lake; January 22, 1909 – March 15, 2001) was an American actress who worked on stage, radio, film, and television, in a career that spanned nearly six decades. Sothern began her career in the late 1920 ...

and

Jack Carson John Elmer Carson (October 27, 1910 – January 2, 1963) was a Canadian-born American film actor. Carson often played the role of comedic friend in films of the 1940s and 1950s, including ''The Strawberry Blonde'' (1941) with James Cagney and ...

. He portrayed Ralph Grainger, a college friend of Ronnie Burns, on the final two seasons of ''

The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show ''The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show'', sometimes called ''The Burns and Allen Show'', was a half-hour television situation comedy broadcast from 1950 to 1958 on CBS. It starred George Burns and Gracie Allen, one of the most enduring acts in ...

''. He died of kidney failure at the age of 40 in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

. At the time of his death, he was a producer of educational films.

Filmography

*'' April Showers'' (1948) as Buster Tyme *''

The Babe Ruth Story ''The Babe Ruth Story'' is a 1948 biographical film of Babe Ruth, the famed New York Yankees slugger. It stars William Bendix (New York Yankee batboy in the 1920s) as the ballplayer and Claire Trevor as his wife Claire Merritt Hodgson. Critic ...

'' (1948) as George Herman Ruth as a Boy *''

Mexican Hayride ''Mexican Hayride'' is a 1948 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. The film is based on Cole Porter's Broadway musical '' Mexican Hayride'' starring Bobby Clark. No songs from the stage musical were used in the film. Plot Joe ...

'' (1948) as Mexican Boy (uncredited) *'' The Green Promise'' (1949) as Buzz Wexford *''

El Paso El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the seat of El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the 23rd-largest city in the U.S., the s ...

'' (1949) as Jack Elkins *'' Easy Living'' (1949) as Urchin *''

A Kiss for Corliss ''A Kiss for Corliss'' (retitled ''Almost a Bride'' before its release) is a 1949 American comedy film directed by Richard Wallace, written by Howard Dimsdale and starring David Niven and Shirley Temple. The film, which was the last for both Wall ...

'' (1949) as Raymond Pringle *''

Walk Softly, Stranger ''Walk Softly, Stranger'' is a 1950 American romantic drama film starring Joseph Cotten and Alida Valli and directed by Robert Stevenson. Also regarded by some as either or both a film noir and crime film, it tells the story of a small-time crook ...

'' (1950) as Skating Boy *'' Call Me Mister'' (1951) as Ack-Ack Ackerman *''The Guest'' (1951) film short *''

Retreat, Hell! ''Retreat, Hell!'' is a 1952 American war film about the 1st Marine Division in the Korean War, directed by Joseph H. Lewis. It stars Frank Lovejoy as a career Marine battalion commander who is recalled from work at an American embassy, Richard ...

'' (1952) as Shorty Devine *''

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythi ...

'' (1953) as Lost Boy (voice, uncredited) *'' Niagara'' (1953) as Young Man (uncredited) *''

Prisoner of War A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of w ...

'' (1954) as Alan H. Rolfe (uncredited) *''

The Long Gray Line ''The Long Gray Line'' is a 1955 American Cinemascope Technicolor biographical comedy-drama film in CinemaScope directed by John Ford based on the life of Marty Maher and his autobiography, Bringing Up the Brass'' co-written witNardi Reeder Cam ...

'' (1955) as Cadet Short (uncredited) *''

The McConnell Story ''The McConnell Story'' is a 1955 dramatization of the life and career of United States Air Force (USAF) pilot Joseph C. McConnell (1922–1954) directed by Gordon Douglas. McConnell served as a navigator in World War II before becoming the ...

'' (1955) as Bob Brown *'' Tea and Sympathy'' (1956) as Second Boy (uncredited) *''

Pillars of the Sky ''Pillars of the Sky'' is a 1956 American CinemaScope Western film directed by George Marshall and starring Jeff Chandler and Dorothy Malone. Plot Oregon Country 1868: Indians of many tribes trust Sgt. Emmett Bell, who rides into Dr. Joseph ...

'' (1956) as Albie *'' Space Master X-7'' (1958) as Pvt. Joe Rattigan *''

Gidget Gidget () is a fictional character created by author Frederick Kohner (based on his teenaged daughter, Kathy) in his 1957 novel, ''Gidget, the Little Girl with Big Ideas''. The novel follows the adventures of a teenaged girl and her surfing fri ...

'' (1959) as Hot Shot *'' Don't Give Up the Ship'' (1959) as Sailor (uncredited) *''

Wake Me When It's Over ''Wake Me When It's Over'' is the second album by Faster Pussycat, released in 1989. The band moved away from the glam metal of their first album to a more blues-influenced sound. Music videos were produced for "Poison Ivy" and "House of Pain". ...

'' (1960) as Corporal (uncredited)

Television roles

*The Aldrich Family (1952-1953) as Henry Aldrich *Meet Corliss Archer (1951 & 1954-1955) as Dexter Franklin *I Love Lucy (1952) as Tommy the Office Boy *Fireside Theatre (1951-1952) *Big Town (1952) *Where's Raymond? (1954) *Schlitz Playhouse (1954) *The Loretta Young Show (1954) as Tom *Public Defender (1954) as Johnny Wagner *The Lone Ranger (1955) as Jack 'Kid' Hall *Cavalcade of America (1955) *Meet Corliss Archer (1954-1955) as Dexter Franklin *The Bob Cummings Show (1956) as Joe Depew *Telephone Time (1956) *Lux Video Theatre (1956) *The Adventures of Jim Bowie (1956) as Pat Jordan *The Joseph Cotten Show: On Trial (1956) as George Barnett *The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1957) as Pvt. Crenshaw *Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre (1957) *Navy Log (1957) as Kupper *The Sheriff of Cochise (1957) as Jaekel *Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1957) as Reporter / Tommy Kopeck *Code 3 (1957) as Dewey Cushmnan / Fred Bacon *General Electric Theater (1957) *The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1956-1958) series regular *Flight (1958) *77 Sunset Strip (1958) as Harry Warren *Death Valley Days (1959) as Ben (in "Wheelbarrow Johnny") *The Real McCoys (1959) as Gas Station Customer *The Donna Reed Show (1959) as Young Man (in "The Punishment") *M Squad (1960)as Tom Herrick (in "Dead Parrots Don't Talk") *Tallahassee 7000 (1961) *The Jackie Gleason Special (1973)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ellis, Robert 1933 births 1973 deaths Male actors from Chicago American male child actors American male radio actors American male stage actors American male television actors American male film actors Columbia University School of the Arts alumni Deaths from kidney failure 20th-century American male actors