Biography
This page uses content from the Robert Keith biography page on the English version of Wikipedia and is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. This list of authors can be seen in the page history. Rotten Tomatoes disclaims any and all warranties as to the accuracy or reliability of the content.
Robert Keith (February 10, 1896/8 – December 22, 1966) was an actor who appeared in several dozen films, mostly in the 1950s as a character actor. His birth name was Rolland Keith Richey. He may be best known for his work in the 1955 musical Guys and Dolls and the 1953 film The Wild One. He also had a Starring role in Douglas Sirk's Written on the Wind.
He had roles on television as well, including a role as Richard Kimble's father on The Fugitive and lead roles on episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents ("Ten O'Clock Tiger") and The Twilight Zone ("The Masks").
Keith was born in Fowler, Indiana. His first wife was Laura Corinne Richey (nee Jackson). MS Jackson was the daughter of a prominent Cedar Rapids, Iowa family. She had sponsored the artist Grant Wood and owned a dance studio. The acting troupe passing through Cedar Rapids was heading for Laura Corinne Jackson's dance studio because they had to learn the Hula for a play that was opening in Chicago. Laura Corrine Jackson had been to Hawaii and had studied the Hula. They courted, became engaged and married. Robert Keith had a daughter on July 4, 1919 with Laura Corinne Richey.
His second wife, stage actress was Helena Shipman with whom he had a son, actor Brian Keith. He remained married to his third wife, Dorothy Tierney until his death on December 22, 1966. This marriage produced no children.
He was also in the cast of the original Mr. Roberts on Broadway and was secretary of the Screen Actor's Guild under S.A.G President Ronald Reagan.
A persistent myth has Robert Keith married to Peg Entwhistle, the actress who jumped off of the H in the Hollywoodland sign in 1932. This is untrue. Mr. Keith was never married to Peg Entwhistle. They had dated briefly in New York two years before she committed suicide. She had come to the West Coast to pursue a film career while Robert Keith stayed in New York getting his original play he had written produced by the Shuberts on Broadway.
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