John Arthur Paige, better known as Robert Paige, was a Hollywood leading man with the quintessential tall, dark, and handsome features, as well as an exceptional singing voice. Born on December 21, 1910, in Indiana to English parents, he attended West Point before leaving the Academy to pursue a career in entertainment in Los Angeles.
Initially, Paige worked as an usher for Fox West Coast Theatres, using the moniker David Carlyle while singing on a Long Beach radio station and later announcing at radio station KMTR in Hollywood. He entered short films in 1931 and quickly progressed to feature status.
Paige was put under contract by Columbia after a studio scout discovered him, and he went on to work as a studio player for Warner Bros., Paramount, and Universal. His first prime second-lead role was in Cain and Mabel (1936),where he crooned to Marion Davies. He also starred in Smart Blonde (1936),which introduced the "Torchy Blane" series, and Meet the Boy Friend (1937) opposite Carol Hughes.
In 1938, Paige returned to his given last name and began billing himself as Robert Paige. He went on to star in a string of standard programmers, including Highway Patrol (1938),The Main Event (1938),and Flying G-Men (1939).
Paige continued to work consistently, albeit without much fanfare, in films such as Emergency Squad (1940),Women Without Names (1940),Golden Gloves (1940),and The Monster and the Girl (1941). He earned his first singing lead with the mini-musical Dancing on a Dime (1940),which introduced the songs of Burton Lane and Frank Loesser.
Paige had his big chance at stardom at Universal in Can't Help Singing (1944),where he sang "Californ-i-ay" in a duet with Deanna Durbin. He went on to star in other Universal musicals, including Hellzapoppin' (1941),Pardon My Sarong (1942),What's Cookin' (1942),and How's About It? (1943).
However, Paige's listless romantic roles were often overshadowed by the zany antics of the comic headliners, the swinging harmonies and steps of The Andrews Sisters, guest musical artists, or the sheer magnetism of his lady co-star. He fared better in rugged adventures, sprightly comedies, crime yarns, and horror opuses, including Son of Dracula (1943) with Lon Chaney Jr. and Fired Wife (1943) with frequent co-star Louise Allbritton.
From 1946 on, Paige freelanced, producing and starring in The Green Promise (1949). He eventually abandoned films for the most part and sought out TV roles, using his well-modulated voice for hosting and emcee duties. His last two roles on films were minor bits in The Marriage-Go-Round (1961) and Bye Bye Birdie (1963).
Paige returned to his radio roots as an ABC newscaster in Los Angeles from 1966 to 1970 and later moved into public relations. He was married three times and died in 1987.
