Lysle Henderson, better known as Lyle Talbot, was a talented actor born on February 8, 1902, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He grew up in a small town in Nebraska after the early death of his mother, and was raised by his maternal grandmother, Mary Hollywood Talbot, whose name he later adopted professionally.
Talbot's extensive career in show business began immediately after high school when he joined a traveling tent show as a magician-hypnotist's assistant. He eventually became a magician and then a stock theater actor, learning his craft with various companies throughout the Midwest. He even formed his own short-lived theater company, "The Talbot Players," in Memphis, Tennessee, which included his actor father and stepmother, Ed and Anna Henderson.
By 1931, Talbot had arrived in Hollywood, where he was signed by Warner Bros.-First National after impressing director William "Wild Bill" Wellman in a screen test. He quickly became a leading man, starring in films such as "Love Is a Racket" (1932),"Three on a Match" (1932),"20,000 Years in Sing Sing" (1932),and "One Night of Love" (1934).
Talbot was a vocal advocate for better working conditions for actors, and was one of the founders of the Screen Actors Guild. He was also one of the first employees of the Brothers Warners to join the union, which caused tension with the studio.
As a matinee idol during the Depression, Talbot co-starred with leading actresses such as Ginger Rogers, Mary Astor, Bette Davis, Barbara Stanwyck, Glenda Farrell, Kay Francis, Mae West, Ann Dvorak, Loretta Young, Carole Lombard, and Shirley Temple.
Later in his career, Talbot appeared as Commissioner Gordon in the 1949 serial "Batman and Robin" and as Lex Luthor in "Atom Man vs. Superman" (1950). He also took on a wide range of roles in films such as "Glen or Glenda" (1953) and "Plan 9 from Outer Space" (1957),which were directed by Edward D. Wood Jr.
Talbot's acting career thrived on television, where he appeared in a wide range of shows, including "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet," "The Bob Cummings Show," "Leave It to Beaver," "The Lone Ranger," and "Perry Mason." He also made guest appearances on numerous TV series throughout the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.
In addition to his work on stage and screen, Talbot was a talented musician and singer. He co-starred in the Broadway production of "Separate Rooms" in the early 1940s and starred in national touring companies of Neil Simon's "The Odd Couple" and summer stock tours of Gore Vidal's "The Best Man" and Thornton Wilder's "The Matchmaker."
Talbot passed away on March 3, 1996, at the age of 94, in his home in San Francisco, California, leaving behind a legacy of over 150 films and countless television appearances.
