Lynne Roberts
Encyclopedia
Lynne Roberts, born Theda May Roberts (November 22, 1922 – April 1, 1978) was an American film actress who appeared exclusively in B-movie
s.
. At the age of 14, in 1936, she played a role in Bulldog Edition. In 1938, at age 16, she starred in the cliffhanger
s The Lone Ranger
and Dick Tracy Returns
, and played a role in The Higgins Family. She was officially listed as having been born in 1919.
In 1941 she starred with Sonja Henie
and John Payne
in Sun Valley Serenade
while under contract to 20th Century-Fox. She returned to Republic Pictures in 1944, and stayed under contract until 1948. She starred with Gene Autry
in Sioux City Sue in 1946. Roberts appeared in two more films with Autry, Robin Hood of Texas and Saddle Pals
, as well as one film each with Roy Rogers
and Monte Hale
.
After leaving Republic Pictures for the second time, Roberts worked with Autry in outdoor adventures for Columbia Pictures
, She also worked with Kirby Grant
in Monogram Pictures
' mounted-police adventures, and with Tim Holt
at RKO Radio Pictures. Roberts appeared in 64 films. Of those, 21 were westerns and two are serials.
On December 16, 1977, Roberts fell in the bathroom of her home and struck her head. She lapsed into a coma
, and died on April 1, 1978.
B-movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
s.
Career
Roberts began working as an actress in the 1930s, under contract to Republic PicturesRepublic Pictures
Republic Pictures was an independent film production-distribution corporation with studio facilities, operating from 1934 through 1959, and was best known for specializing in westerns, movie serials and B films emphasizing mystery and action....
. At the age of 14, in 1936, she played a role in Bulldog Edition. In 1938, at age 16, she starred in the cliffhanger
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 of serialized fiction...
s The Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked Texas Ranger who, with his Native American companion Tonto, fights injustice in the American Old West. The character has become an enduring icon of American culture....
and Dick Tracy Returns
Dick Tracy Returns
Dick Tracy Returns 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 title character...
, and played a role in The Higgins Family. She was officially listed as having been born in 1919.
In 1941 she starred with Sonja Henie
Sonja Henie
Sonja Henie was a Norwegian figure skater and film star. She was a three-time Olympic Champion in Ladies Singles, a ten-time World Champion and a six-time European Champion . Henie won more Olympic and World titles than any other ladies figure skater...
and John Payne
John Payne (actor)
John Payne was an American film actor who is mainly remembered as a singer in 20th Century Fox musical films, and for his leading roles in Miracle on 34th Street and the NBC western television series The Restless Gun.-Background:Payne was born in Roanoke, Virginia...
in Sun Valley Serenade
Sun Valley Serenade
Sun Valley Serenade is a 1941 musical film 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 and Dorothy Dandridge, performing "Chattanooga Choo Choo", which was nominated for an Academy...
while under contract to 20th Century-Fox. She returned to Republic Pictures in 1944, and stayed under contract until 1948. She starred with Gene Autry
Gene Autry
Orvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
in Sioux City Sue in 1946. Roberts appeared in two more films with Autry, Robin Hood of Texas and Saddle Pals
Saddle Pals
Saddle Pals is an album by the Western swing band Riders in the Sky, released in 1987. It is directed toward a children's audience.-Track listing:# "Yippie-Yi-Yo and Away We Go" – 2:11# "The Old Chisholm Trail" – 2:34...
, as well as one film each with Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers, born Leonard Franklin Slye , was an American singer and cowboy actor, one of the most heavily marketed and merchandised stars of his era, as well as being the namesake of the Roy Rogers Restaurants franchised chain...
and Monte Hale
Monte Hale
Monte Hale was a Country singer and movie actor of B-Western films. Often reported to have been born in San Angelo, Texas, Hale was really born in Ada, Oklahoma, but a Texan location sounded better for the movies...
.
After leaving Republic Pictures for the second time, Roberts worked with Autry in outdoor adventures for Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
, She also worked with Kirby Grant
Kirby Grant
Kirby Grant, , was a long-time B movie and television actor. He is mostly remembered for playing the title role in the television series Sky King....
in Monogram Pictures
Monogram Pictures
Monogram Pictures Corporation is a Hollywood studio that produced and released films, most on low budgets, between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram is considered a leader among the smaller studios sometimes referred to...
' mounted-police adventures, and with Tim Holt
Tim Holt
Tim Holt was an American film actor perhaps best known for co-starring in the 1948 film The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.-Early life:...
at RKO Radio Pictures. Roberts appeared in 64 films. Of those, 21 were westerns and two are serials.
Personal life
Roberts married four times: first to William Englebert, Jr., with whom she had one son, Bill.; the marriage ended in divorce. Her second marriage was to Louis John Gardella, which also ended in divorce. She then married Hyman B. Samuels, with whom she had a daughter, Peri Margaret. Following the divorce from her third husband, Roberts married pro wrestler Don Sebastian.On December 16, 1977, Roberts fell in the bathroom of her home and struck her head. She lapsed into a coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
, and died on April 1, 1978.