Meg Randall

Meg Randall (born Genevieve Roberts; August 1, 1926 – July 20, 2018) was an American film actress. She was active in motion pictures, radio, and television between 1946 and 1961, changing her name from Gene Roberts to Meg Randall in mid-1948.

Randall was known for her portrayal of Babs Riley in the 1949 film version of the popular radio comedy The Life of Riley, as well as her recurring role as Kim Parker Kettle in the Ma & Pa Kettle comedy series from 1949 to 1951. Randall's first recognizable role was in the supporting cast for the 1949 film noir classic Criss Cross. In 1952, she returned to the film noir genre in the suspense story Without Warning. Randall died in July 2018 at the age of 91.

Early life Randall was born August 1, 1926, in Clinton, Custer and Washita County, Oklahoma. She was known informally as Gene, which was derived from her birth name, Genevieve. Randall's father, Charles Patrick Roberts (1892-1980), originated from Texas and by 1900, his family moved into Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory, to farm while Charles was young. The family moved to Seminole, Seminole County, Oklahoma by 1930 where he worked as a garage mechanic then to Shawnee, Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, where he worked as a construction laborer. The family lived in Shawnee until the start of World War II.

Randall's mother, Winnie McMillin (1899-1952), By the age of 20, Winnie was a school teacher in Harris Township, OK.

Randall was the third of five children. Her two older siblings were Juanita and Juarez and her younger siblings were Lahoma and Bobby Lea. Although her family is of primarily Welsh descent, her father favored names of alternate ethnicity Gene's older brother, Juarez Roberts, He found his niche in Hollywood by writing for several television shows during the 1950s until the early 1960s.

After one year of college, Randall moved to Los Angeles with the goal of becoming a movie actress. Once in Los Angeles, Randall moved in with a college friend of her mother's. And now months later, Clarence believed that perhaps the role of Orry Baxter might be suited for Gene. This experience earned her a $250 a week, long-term MGM contract which she signed as herself, Gene Roberts. Next, she was cast in the low-budget Comet Productions film Stork Bites Man where she co-starred with Jackie Cooper, who had resumed his acting career after returning from the war. With production completed in early February 1947 and MGM showing no serious interest in her by that spring, Gene asked for and was granted release from her contract. However, this name was short-lived. Another young newcomer had already changed her name to M'Liss McClure and attracted gossip column interest with her protests about the competing last name. Overall, it was reported that the publicity over the name change drew six thousand letters into the studio offering name suggestions. Before filming ended on the movie, a new name was chosen and Gene would forever be publicly recognized by her screen name, Meg Randall.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1947 Undercover Maisie Manny Alternative title: Kick! Stork Bites Man Peg Brown 1949 Ma and Pa Kettle Kim Parker Alternative title: The Further Adventures of Ma and Pa Kettle The Life of Riley Barbara "Babs" Riley Criss Cross Helen Abandoned Dottie Jensen Alternative titles: Abandoned Women and Not Wanted 1950 Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town Kim Parker Kettle 1951 Ma and Pa Kettle Back on the Farm Kim Parker Kettle 1952 Without Warning! Jane Saunders 1957 Chain of Evidence Polly Gunther Last of the Badmen Lila