Matty Roubert
Matty Roubert | |
|---|---|
 Roubert at twelve years old | |
| Born | Matthew Roubert January 22, 1907 |
| Died | May 17, 1973 (aged 66) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Known for | The Universal Boy |
Matthew "Matty" Roubert (January 22, 1907 – May 17, 1973) was an American actor, who started out as a child actor working in silent films. As an adult, he mainly worked in B movie western films. Roubert made his film debut at the age of two in Uncle Tom's Cabin[1]
At the age of seven, The Universal Company hired Roubert to star in a series of short films as "The Universal Boy", who visited many prominent people and celebrities.[2] When he was twelve, Reelcraft Picture Company cast him in the Romances of Youth series, which were marketed to a wider audience. Roubert was inducted into the Young Hollywood Hall of Fame in 1913.[3]
Biography
[edit]Matty Roubert was born on January 22, 1907, in Manhattan, New York to William and Rachel Roubert.[4] His father was an actor and director, and his mother was a member of the Powers Motion Picture Company.[5] Roubert made his film debut at the age of two in Uncle Tom's Cabin[1] His father also established a production company, named after his son, Matty Roubert Productions, which produced Heritage.[6]
Career
[edit]Roubert first appeared in films for Vitagraph and Biograph before starring in comedies for Pat Powers. He was frequently featured alongside Baby Early. They were known as the "Powers Kids".[7] In 1914, the Universal company hired him to star in a series of short films, and he was known as the Universal Boy.[8][9] In 1920, Reelcraft Picture Company cast him in several short films known as the Romance of Youth series.[10] As an adult, he starred primarily in western films, sometimes working as a stunt double. Roubert has over 140 credits as an actor.[11]
In 1917, while directing Roubert in Parentage, Hobart Henley remarked that Roubert was "probably the greatest boy actor in the industry" at that time. Henley said he didn't bother with costumes or make-up for the actor, because he "wanted him just as he found him, just as he looked when he went to school each day".[12] Film historian Anthony Slide suggested that during the 1910s, there were more children on the screen than at any other period in film history, with Roubert being one of the most prominent.[13] When he turned 18, Roubert recalled working with Norma Talmadge and Mary Pickford before they became well known, and D. W. Griffith directed him in the first two-reeler he made. Roubert also starred in the first three-reeler made in the United States.[14]
Personal life
[edit]In 1924, he was dating Thelma Salter, who he had starred with in several productions when they were child actors. That same year, Roubert also told the Los Angeles Times, that when he was a boy, he once had lunch with Theodore Roosevelt, after he climbed on the running board of Roosevelt's car.[15] In 1934, he married Helen Gutierrez, while living in Hollywood. She appeared in several Community Playhouse productions.[16] In 1936, Roubert and his wife traveled to Tahiti, where they lived for six months.[17] By 1973, Roubert was living in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he died in May 1973.[4]
Filmography
[edit]
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Short films series
[edit]
Roubert was seven years old when he became the Universal Boy. During his stint in the series, Roubert would meet a well known celebrity in each short, among them: American actors King Baggot, William Shay, Frank Crane, DeWolf Hopper, American aviator Lincoln Beachey, New York Giants manager John McGraw, Australian swimmer Annette Kellerman, American lyricist Oscar Hammerstein, New York Giants pitcher Christy Mathewson, Secretary of War Lindley Garrison, the Columbia University rowing crew, Theodore Roosevelt, American race car driver Barney Oldfield, American businessman Nathan Straus, and German-American editorial cartoonist Hy Mayer.[81][82][83]
Roubert was twelve when he was cast in the Romance of Youth series. According to R.C. Cropper, president of Reelcraft Pictures, "this will be the biggest series of its kind ever attempted in the independent field. These will be feature productions in every sense of the word, from the preparation of the story right on through cast and production. The stories will concern adventures of boys and girls, in other words, the days of youth, but they will appeal to audiences of all ages."[10]
| Universal Boy Series | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Ref. |
| 1914 | The Universal Boy | [84] |
| The Universal Boy Joins the Boy Scouts | ||
| The Universal Boy Solves the Chinese Mystery | ||
| The Universal Boy in the Juvenile Reformer | ||
| The Universal Boy as the Newsboy's Friend | ||
| The Universal Boy in Rural Adventures | ||
| The Universal Boy in the Gates of Liberty | ||
| The Universal Boy in the Mystery of the New York Docks | ||
| The Universal Boy in Cupid and the Fishes | ||
| The Universal Boy in the Young Philanthropist | ||
| Romances of Youth series | ||
| 1920 | A Bold Bad Pirate | [85] |
| At The Old Swimming Hole | [86] | |
| Circus Days | [87] | |
| Everyone's Orphan | [88] | |
| Romance | [89] | |
| She's a Vamp | [90] | |
| Summer Days | [91] | |
| Sunshine | [85] | |
Gallery
[edit]Roubert meeting various individuals for the Universal Boy series.
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See also
[edit]
- List of American former child actors
- List of lost silent films (1910–1914)
- List of lost silent films (1915–1919)
- List of lost silent films (1920–1924)
References
[edit]- ^ a b The Moving Picture World 1915, p. 2368.
- ^ The Vicksburg Post 1914, p. 5.
- ^ Young Hollywood Hall of Fame 1913.
- ^ a b Honolulu Advertiser 1973, p. 28.
- ^ The Billboard 1913, p. 15.
- ^ Wids 1920, p. 250.
- ^ The Moving Picture News 1913, p. 15.
- ^ Massa 2013, p. 383.
- ^ The Morning Star 1914, p. 12.
- ^ a b The Moving Picture World 1920c, p. 1324.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p TV Guide 2025.
- ^ Henley 1917, p. 25.
- ^ King 2001, p. 4.
- ^ Hollywood Daily Citizen 1924, p. 9.
- ^ Los Angeles Times 1924, p. 1.
- ^ Pasadena Star-News 1934, p. 6.
- ^ Pasadena Star-News 1936, p. 6.
- ^ Braff 2002, p. 529.
- ^ Braff 2002, p. 172.
- ^ Braff 1999, p. 26.
- ^ Braff 1999, p. 93.
- ^ Braff 1999, p. 186.
- ^ Braff 1999, p. 400.
- ^ Braff 1999, p. 482.
- ^ Usai 2019, p. 20.
- ^ Braff 2002, p. 341.
- ^ Braff 1999, p. 545.
- ^ Decatur Daily 1914, p. 8.
- ^ Variety 1914, p. 17.
- ^ Braff 2002, p. 289.
- ^ Hoffman 1914, p. 20.
- ^ Braff 2002, p. 406.
- ^ Braff 1999, p. 531.
- ^ Braff 1999, p. 27.
- ^ The New York Clipper 1916, p. 35.
- ^ Braff 1999, p. 48.
- ^ Braff 1999, p. 426.
- ^ Daily 1917, p. 3.
- ^ Braff 1999, p. 368.
- ^ Andover 1921, p. 2.
- ^ Reading Times 1924, p. 9.
- ^ Braff 1999, p. 11.
- ^ China Press 1929, p. A5.
- ^ Hall 1931, p. 20.
- ^ Sunday Times Signal 1931, p. 9.
- ^ Seminole Producer 1932, p. 11.
- ^ Reid 2005, p. 120.
- ^ Mank 2010, p. 121.
- ^ Maltin 1972, p. 65.
- ^ Maltin 1972, p. 42.
- ^ Hale 1937, p. 67.
- ^ Martin 1998, p. 70.
- ^ Martin 1998, p. 180.
- ^ Martin 1998, p. 168.
- ^ Martin 1998, p. 239.
- ^ Martin 1998, p. 63.
- ^ Pitts 2009, p. 381.
- ^ Martin 1998, p. 136.
- ^ Adams 1978, p. 222.
- ^ Martin 1998, p. 208.
- ^ Pitts 2009, p. 380.
- ^ Pitts 2009, p. 298.
- ^ Pitts 2009, p. 382.
- ^ Martin 1998, p. 143.
- ^ Pitts 2009, p. 383.
- ^ Pitts 2009, p. 336.
- ^ Pitts 2009, p. 19.
- ^ Rainey 1990, p. 169.
- ^ Martin 1998, p. 244.
- ^ a b Pitts 2009, p. 105.
- ^ a b Rainey 1990, p. 172.
- ^ Adams 1978, p. 317.
- ^ Pitts 2009, p. 282.
- ^ Adams 1978, p. 324.
- ^ Dunkleberger 1999, p. 1348.
- ^ Reid 2005, p. 89.
- ^ Martin 1998, p. 251.
- ^ Pitts 2009, p. 109.
- ^ Pitts 2009, p. 112.
- ^ Pitts 2009, p. 113.
- ^ Slide 1978, pp. 19–20.
- ^ Todd 1916, p. 21.
- ^ The Moving Picture World 1914, p. 65.
- ^ Braff 1999, pp. 534–524.
- ^ a b The Moving Picture World 1920a, p. 1244.
- ^ The Moving Picture World 1920, p. 366.
- ^ Motion Picture News & October 1920, p. 2712.
- ^ The Moving Picture World 1920b.
- ^ The Moving Picture World 1920, p. 75.
- ^ Motion Picture News & September 1920, p. 1897.
- ^ The Moving Picture World 1920, p. 654.
Further reading
[edit]- "A Seven Year Old Man Of The World". Lancaster Intelligencer. September 2, 1914. p. 8.
- "Child Player Talks of His Work". Motography. Vol. 11, no. 4. February 21, 1914. pp. 113–114.
Sources
[edit]- Adams, Les (1978). Shoot-em-ups: The Complete Reference Guide to Westerns of the Sound Era. Arlington House Publishers. ISBN 978-0-87000-393-6.
- "At The Theaters". The Andover Townsman. March 11, 1921. p. 2.
- Braff, Richard E. (1999). The Universal Silents: A Filmography of the Universal Motion Picture Manufacturing Company, 1912–1929. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-0287-8.
- "Master Matty Roubert". The Billboard. Vol. 25, no. 1. January 4, 1913. p. 15.
- Braff, Richard (2002). The Braff Silent Short Film Working Papers: Over 25, 000 Films, 1903–1929, Alphabetized and Indexed. McFarland. ISBN 0786410310.
- "Buddy and Nancy Make Love, Sing and Dance in Close Harmony". The China Press. November 10, 1929. p. A5.
- "Today: The Waif". The Daily Republican. April 9, 1917. p. 3.
- Decatur Daily (October 11, 1914). "The Child Of The Movies". Decatur Daily Review. p. 8.
- Hale, Wanda (July 25, 1937). "Rackets Picture Reopens Gaiety". New York Daily News. p. 67.
- Hall, Mordaunt (May 16, 1931). "The Screen: The Wife Wins. A Costly Car. An Engaging Philanderer. Mr. Jones's Second Lesson. Miss Davies's New Comedy. Modern Marriage". The New York Times. p. 20.
- Dunkleberger, Amy; King Hanson, Patricia, eds. (1999). AFI Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States. University of California Press. p. 1348. ISBN 978-0-520-21521-4.
- "Early Film Star Returns To Field". Hollywood Daily Citizen. November 7, 1924. p. 9.
- Honolulu Advertiser (May 22, 1973). "Obiturary: Roubert, Matthew Matty of Honolulu". The Honolulu Advertiser. p. 28.
- Henley, Hobart (1917). "Hobart Henley Tells How He Obtained Results With Children In Parentage". Dramatic Mirror of the Stage and Motion Pictures. Vol. 77. p. 25.
- Hoffman, Esther (September 11, 1914). "Do You Know Matty, The Movie Boy?". The Pittsburgh Press.
- King, Rob (Fall 2001). "The Kid from The Kid: Jackie Coogan and the Consolidation of Child Consumerism". The Velvet Light Trap. 48: 4.
- "First Film Tots Sweethearts". Los Angeles Times. Vol. 43. October 29, 1924. p. 1.
- Maltin, Leonard (1972). The Great Movie Shorts. foreword by Pete Smith. New York: Crown Publishers. ISBN 978-0-517-50455-0.
- Mank, Gregory William (June 21, 2010). Hollywood Cauldron: Thirteen Horror Films from the Genre's Golden Age. McFarland. p. 121. ISBN 978-0-7864-6255-1.
- Martin, Len D. (1998). The Republic Pictures Checklist: Features, Serials, Cartoons, Short Subjects and Training Films of Republic Pictures Corporation, 1935–1959. McFarland. ISBN 978-1-4766-0960-7.
- Massa, Steve (2013). "Hal Roach Presents His Silent Rascals". Lame Brains and Lunatics. foreword by Eileen Bowser. Duncan, Oklahoma: BearManor Media. p. 383. ISBN 978-1-59393-268-8.
- "Master Matty Roubert to be Starred in New 'Universal Boy' Film Series". The Morning Star. Vol. 94, no. 110. July 19, 1914. p. 12.
- "Matty Rouberts Series Selling Fast". Motion Picture News: 1897. September 4, 1920.
- "Reelcraft Pictures Corp. Royal Comedies". Motion Picture News: 2712. October 2, 1920.
- "An Ideal Studio At Hollywood For The Powers Photo Plays". The Moving Picture News. Vol. 7, no. 1. January 4, 1913. p. 15.
- "Reelcraft Reports Practically All Territory Sold on Matty Roubert's Romances Of Youth". The Moving Picture World. September 4, 1920. p. 75.
- The Moving Picture World (1915). "Matty Roubert, Boy Star Of The Waif". The Moving Picture World. p. 2368.
- "Matty Roubert Starts Work on Third Picture of His Series For Reelcraft". The Moving Picture World: 1168. August 28, 1920.
- "The Newsboy's Friend". The Moving Picture World: 65. 1914.
- "Six New Productions Are Completed For Reelcraft". The Moving Picture World: 1244. October 30, 1920.
- "Reelcraft Producing a Series of Two-Reel Boyhood Stories With Matty Roubert as Star". The Moving Picture World: 1324. June 5, 1920.
- "The Big Sister". The New York Clipper. Vol. 64, no. 33. September 23, 1916. p. 35.
- "Marriage Is Told". Pasadena Star-News. December 14, 1934.
- "Bon Voyage Party is Given in Honor of Mrs. M. Roubert". Pasadena Star-News. February 8, 1936. p. 6.
- Pitts, Michael R. (2009). Western Film Series of the Sound Era. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-3529-6.
- Rainey, Buck (1990). The Shoot-em-ups Ride Again: A Supplement To Shoot-em-ups. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-2132-3.
- Reid, John Howard (2005). Hollywood B Movies: A Treasury of Spills, Chills & Thrills. ISBN 978-1-4116-5065-7.
- "Boys Organize Exalted Order Of Kingfishes". Seminole Producer. p. 11.
- "Up Pops The Devil". Sunday Times Signal. June 14, 1931. p. 9.
- Slide, Anthony (1978). "Child Stars Of The 'Teens". Aspects of American Film History Prior to 1920. Scarecrow Press. pp. 19–20. ISBN 0-8108-1130-8.
- Todd, Stanley W. (1916). "The Boys Of The Screen". Motion Picture Classic. Vol. 2. p. 21.
- "For You My Boy, Sensation of year". Reading Times. March 15, 1924. p. 1.
- "Matty Roubert List of Movies". TV Guide. 2025. Archived from the original on May 14, 2025.
- Usai, Paolo Cherchi (July 25, 2019). The Griffith Project, Volume 12: Essays on D.W. Griffith. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 20. ISBN 978-1-83902-003-2.
- "John Barleycorn". Variety. Vol. 35, no. 7. July 17, 1914. p. 17.
- "Youth Seven Screen Success". The Vicksburg Post. July 24, 1914. p. 5. story continued
- Wids (1920). "Matty Roubert: Current Release Heritage". Wids Year Book. p. 250.
- "Silent Film Artists 1908–1919". Young Hollywood Hall of Fame.
External links
[edit]
- Matty Roubert at American Film Institute catalog
- Matty Roubert at IMDb
- Matty Roubert at B-Westerns