Person Biography:
Roger Pryor was born on August 27, 1901, in New York City, Manhattan, to Arthur Pryor, a composer and band leader, and Maude Russell. He made his stage debut at 18 in a New Jersey stock play called "Adam and Eva" and later worked with the Myskle-Harder Stock Company in Connecticut. After years of touring in repertory companies, he hit the Broadway lights in 1925 with a production of "The Back Slapper" and went on to appear in several plays, including "Paid" (1926),"Saturday's Children" (1927),and "See Naples and Die" (1929).
Roger's film career began in 1932 with the play "Blessed Event" and he made his movie debut in the musical "Moonlight and Pretzels" (1933) opposite Mary Brian. He went on to star in several films, including "I Like It That Way" (1934),"I'll Tell the World" (1934),"Romance in the Rain" (1934),and "Belle of the Nineties" (1934).
He continued to appear in "B" level romantic films throughout the 1930s, often paired with actresses such as Gloria Stuart, Heather Angel, and Mary Astor. In the 1940s, he began to decline into second leads and support roles, and turned to radio hosting and dance band leading. He was married three times, including to actress Ann Sothern, and had one child with his first wife, Priscilla Mitchell.
Roger's film career continued throughout World War II, with secondary roles in films such as "I Live on Danger" (1942),"A Man's World" (1942),and "Submarine Alert" (1943). He made his last appearance on film with the Roy Rogers/Dale Evans oater "Man from Oklahoma" (1945).
