Lyle Talbot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lyle Talbot
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Talbot in 1947
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| Born |
Lisle Henderson
February 8, 1902 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Died | March 2, 1996 (aged 94) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1927–1987 |
| Spouse(s) |
Elaine Melchior
(m. 1930; div. 1930)Marguerite Ethel Cramer
(m. 1937; div. 1940)Abigail Adams
(m. 1942; annulled 1942)Keven McClure
(m. 1946; div. 1947)Margaret Epple (aka Paula Deaven)
(m. 1948; died 1989) |
| Children | 4, including David Talbot Margaret Talbot Stephen Talbot |
Lyle Talbot (born Lisle Henderson; February 8, 1902 – March 2, 1996) was a famous American actor. He performed on stage, in movies, and on television. His film career lasted for three decades, from 1931 to 1960. He also appeared in many TV shows from the early 1950s to the late 1980s.
One of his most well-known TV roles was Joe Randolph. He played this character for ten years on the ABC TV show The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. Lyle Talbot was also a founding member of the Screen Actors Guild. This is a union for actors. In 1933, he was on its first board of directors. His long career is told in a book called The Entertainer. His youngest daughter, Margaret Talbot, wrote this book in 2012.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Lyle was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was the only child of Florence May and Joel Edward Henderson. Both of his parents were from Nebraska. In May 1902, just three months after Lyle was born, his mother Florence died. She passed away at her mother's home in Brainard, Nebraska.
Lyle was then raised by his grandmother, Mary Talbot. She legally changed his last name from Henderson to Talbot. She also added "Florenz" as his middle name to remember his mother. Later, as a teenager, Talbot moved with his grandmother to Omaha, Nebraska. He finished high school there. At age 17, he left home to work as a hypnotist's assistant. He also performed as a part-time magician and actor. He entertained people in traveling shows and theaters across the American Midwest.
Film Career Highlights
After many years of acting on stage, Talbot started his own theater company in 1929. It was called "The Talbot Players" and was in Memphis, Tennessee. He even hired his father and stepmother to perform in the company. In late 1931, Talbot decided to move to California. He wanted to find more acting jobs in movies. He had already acted a little in some short films.
Moving to Hollywood in 1932
Talbot arrived in California at the start of 1932. This was a perfect time because Hollywood was still new to "talkie" movies. Studios were looking for actors who could perform well and speak clearly. Lyle Talbot had these skills. His screen test at Warner Bros. went very well. A top director, "Wild Bill" William Wellman, wanted him for his movie Love Is a Racket.
Talbot quickly joined Warner Bros. as a contract actor. This meant he worked only for that studio. Other rising stars like Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart were also there. Before Love Is a Racket, Talbot played Dr. Jerome Preston in Unholy Love. Film magazines noticed his acting. Motion Picture Herald even said Warner Bros. was preparing him for "stellar roles," meaning lead roles.
Some other famous films Talbot made in his early years at Warner Bros. include:
- Three on a Match (1932)
- 20,000 Years in Sing Sing (1932) with Spencer Tracy
- College Coach (1933)
- Mary Stevens, M.D. (1933)
- Ladies They Talk About
- Mandalay (1934)
He often played co-starring roles. He acted opposite many famous actresses like Mae West, Bette Davis, Carole Lombard, Barbara Stanwyck, and Shirley Temple. He also shared the screen with Humphrey Bogart and Spencer Tracy. Throughout his career, Talbot acted in over 175 films.
The "42nd Street Special" Tour
Early in his career, Talbot took part in a huge publicity event in 1933. It was a five-week train trip across the United States. Many Hollywood stars like Bette Davis, Tom Mix, and Joe E. Brown were on board. The train was called "The 42nd Street Special." It was decorated with silver and gold.
The group stopped in many cities to promote Warner Bros.' new musical 42nd Street. They even attended the inauguration of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in Washington, D.C. News reports called Talbot the train's "Railway Romeo." Warner Bros. was very happy with his work. They gave him a long-term contract during this tour.
Screen Actors Guild and Later Films
After the 1933 tour, Talbot worked long hours in Hollywood. In July 1933, he joined the first board of directors of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). This group helps protect actors' rights. Some people believe his work with SAG affected his career. In 1936, Warner Bros. ended his contract. This made it harder for him to get lead roles.
However, Talbot continued to find steady work. He became a skilled character actor. He often played friendly neighbors, or clever villains. He also played cowboys, detectives, doctors, soldiers, and more. He once said, "I never turned down a job, not one...ever." This meant he acted in many movies, even some he called "real stinkers." He also worked with the Three Stooges and The Bowery Boys.
Talbot was also the first live-action actor to play two famous DC Comics characters:
- Commissioner Gordon in Batman and Robin
- Lex Luthor in Atom Man vs. Superman
He started a tradition for these roles that continues today. In 1960, Talbot returned to Warner Bros. for the film Sunrise at Campobello. This was one of his last movie appearances.
Return to the Stage
Lyle Talbot started his career in theater. He also acted on Broadway in 1940–1941 in a play called Separate Rooms. In the 1960s and 1970s, he returned to the stage. He starred in touring versions of famous plays like:
- The Matchmaker by Thornton Wilder
- The Best Man by Gore Vidal
- The Odd Couple and Barefoot in the Park by Neil Simon
He also appeared in a 1967 revival of South Pacific. In the 1970s, he acted in many dinner theater shows. These were popular plays performed while people ate dinner. In 1962, Talbot also directed and acted with Ozzie and Harriet Nelson in a play called Marriage Go Round.
Television Career, 1950s–1980s
Even though Talbot once starred in a film called Trapped by Television (1936), TV actually helped his acting career. He was on American television often from the 1950s to the 1970s. He also made some appearances in the 1980s.
From 1955 to 1966, he was a regular on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. He played Joe Randolph, the neighbor. He also played Paul Fonda on The Bob Cummings Show from 1955 to 1958.
Talbot acted in many early TV Westerns. He played Colonel Billings on The Adventures of Kit Carson. He was a judge on The Cisco Kid. He also guest-starred on The Range Rider, The Lone Ranger, and Colt .45.
He also appeared in many other TV shows, including:
- Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe (a sci-fi series)
- The Beverly Hillbillies
- Green Acres (where he once played a senator, making fun of actors who became politicians)
- Annie Oakley
- The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show
- Perry Mason
- The Lucy Show
- Charlie's Angels
- The Dukes of Hazzard
- Who's the Boss?
Talbot continued acting on TV into the 1980s. He also narrated two PBS biographies. His son, Stephen Talbot, produced and wrote these shows. Stephen was also a child actor on Leave It to Beaver, a show Lyle Talbot also appeared in.
Personal Life and Family
Lyle Talbot was married five times. His final marriage was in 1948 to Margaret Epple. She was a young actress and singer who used the stage name "Paula Deaven." They were married for over 40 years. They had four children and lived in Studio City, California. Lyle was even the honorary mayor of Studio City in the 1960s.
After his wife Paula passed away in 1989, Talbot moved to San Francisco. His two sons lived there. Lyle Talbot died on March 2, 1996, at age 94. He passed away at his home in San Francisco, California. His death was due to heart failure. He was survived by his four children. Three of them, Stephen Talbot, David Talbot, and Margaret Talbot, became successful in media, writing, or journalism. His elder daughter, Cynthia Talbot, became a doctor.
See also
In Spanish: Lyle Talbot para niños
