Robert Strange

Robert George Strange (November 26, 1881 – February 22, 1952) was an American actor during the first half of the 20th century, performing in theater and film. His Broadway career spanned 20 years, from 1913 through 1933, and included appearances in over 30 plays. He then appeared in film throughout the 1930s and 40s, in such roles as Waxey Armitage in Special Agent, Dr. Hubert Foote in The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939), Art in High Sierra (1941) and John Malcolm in Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941).

Early life and career Strange was born in New York City, the elder of two sons born to William Crawford Strange and Mary Young. He also set a bicycle-racing record at age seventeen and spent eight seasons as goaltender for the New York Athletic Club hockey team, helping the squad win two championships. He became a member of Washington Square Players, while remaining employed as supervisor of a diamond-cutting factory, before appearing in a string of Broadway plays An outgrowth of this development was their little theatre troupe, the Strange Show Shop. One notable alumnus of both the school and the troupe emerged the following summer, when 16-year-old Farley Granger delivered his "monologue satire" as part of an event staged to benefit the Van Nuys contingent of the Women's Ambulance and Defense Corps. As of October 1942, Granger was still being described as a "pupil of Mr. and Mrs. Strange."

Personal life and death Strange was married at least three times, the first two marriages ending in divorce. All three spouses were fellow performers. The first, Florence Edith Stockwell (1905–1915), was an accomplished contralto soloist who would fall victim to a fatal car crash just two years after their divorce. The second, from 1920 until 1929, was fellow thespian Diantha Pattison, with whom Strange collaborated extensively in 1922, when they joined Detroit's Woodward Players, performing a new play each week for seven months. In 1929, the couple's widely publicized divorce on grounds of adultery was uncontested and promptly granted to Pattison following "15 minutes of spicy testimony." Strange's final and most successful marriage, from October 1938 until his death, was to actress Ruth Dean Rickaby.

On February 22, 1952, Strange died at the Motion Picture Country Hospital in Los Angeles, California. Survived by his wife, his cremated remains were interred at the Oakwood Memorial Park Cemetery.

Stage credits Plays Year Play Role Theater Notes 1913 Children of Tomorrow Harris Theatre December 1, 1913 – December 19131915 The Attick Rev. Jonas Boutwell Bandbox Theatre October 4, 1915 – May 20, 1916 The Age of Reason Bandbox Theatre October 4, 1915 – May 20, 19161916 The Seagull Dr. Dorn Bandbox Theatre May 20, 1916 – May 31, 1916 Literature Comedy Theatre August 30, 1916 – ?1917 The Scrap of Paper Criterion Theatre September 17, 1917 – November 1917 In the Zone Comedy Theatre October 31, 1917 – Apr 27, 19181918 Youth Comedy Theatre February 3, 1966 – March 13, 1966 Mrs Warren's Profession Sir George Crofts Comedy Theatre March 11, 1918 – November 11, 1918 Nothing But Lies Longacre Theatre October 8, 1918 – February 19191919 I Love You Booth Theatre, 48th Street Theatre April 22, 1919 – ?, June 2, 1919 – ? First Is Last Harvey Maxine Elliott's Theatre September 11, 1919 – November 1919 The Famous Mrs. Fair E. Dudley Gillette Henry Miller's Theatre December 22, 1919 – October 17, 19201921 Nobody's Money Carl Russell Longacre Theatre August 17, 1921 – September 1921 Wait Til We're Married James Twells Playhouse Theatre September 26, 1921 – ? The Straw Fred Nicholls Greenwich Village Theatre November 10, 1921 – November 1921 1922 Scandal Sutherland York Majestic Theatre January 15, 1922 – January 20, 1922 Common Clay W. P. Yates Majestic Theatre January 30, 1922 – February 3, 1922 It Pays to Advertise Ellery Clark Majestic Theatre March 26, 1922 – March 31, 1922 Under Cover Steven Denby Majestic Theatre June 11, 1922 – June 15, 1922 Kick In Whip Fogarty Majestic Theatre July 9, 1922 – July 14, 1922 Banco George Dalou Ritz Theatre September 20, 1922 – November 1922 1923 Mike Angelo Ivan Smirnoff Morosco Theatre January 8, 1923 – February 1923 The Dice of the Gods Buchanan Lawrence National Theatre April 5, 1923 – April 1923 In Love With Love Frank Oakes Ritz Theatre August 6, 1923 – November 1923 1924 The Dust Heap Pat O'Day Vanderbilt Theatre April 24, 1924 – May 19241925 A Good Bad Woman Dr. Carlyle Lawler Comedy Theatre February 9, 1925 – February 1925 The Gorilla Arthur Marsden Comedy Theatre April 28, 1925 – May 1925 1926 Sandalwood George Gaiety Theatre September 22, 1926 – October 19261928 Heavy Traffic Wilbur Richardson Empire Theatre September 5, 1928 – October 1928 A Most Immoral Lady Arthur Marsden Cort Theatre November 26, 1928 – April 1929 Both Your Houses Plunkett Royale Theatre March 6, 1933 – May 6, 1933 1934 We Die Exquisitely Red Barn Theatre (Locust Valley, New York) July 2, 1934 – July 8, 1934. "Melodrama set [aboard] luxury air liner," co-starring Lee Patrick and James Stewart. 1938 On Borrowed Time Dr. Evans Lobero Theater Geary TheaterBiltmore Theater July 4, 1938 – July 10, 1938, July 11, 1938 –? August 8, 1938 – August 20, 1938 1940 Margin for Error Dr. Jennings El Capitan Theater March 23, 1940 – April 6, 1940 Back to Eden Wilshire Ebell Theatre September 10, 1940 – September 15, 1940 1947 State of the Union Senator Lauterback (replacement) Hudson Theatre May 19, 1947 – May 31, 1947

Selected filmography

The Smiling Lieutenant (1931) The Cheat (1931) Misleading Lady (1932) These 30 Years (1933) Frisco Kid (1935) Beware of Ladies (1936) The Walking Dead (1936) Trapped by Television (1936) Roaming Lady (1936) Sky Giant (1938) The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939) You Can't Get Away with Murder (1939) They Made Me a Criminal (1939) King of the Royal Mounted (1940) Gambling on the High Seas (1940) High Sierra (1941) Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941)