Robert Keith

Played Dorothy Malone's character's father twice on film: in Young at Heart (1954) and Written on the Wind (1956).

Twice played a policeman pitted against a bad boy played by Marlon Brando: in The Wild One (1953) and Guys and Dolls (1955).

In the late 1940s he returned to film work full-time and became a familiar and respected performer in films of the period. His son Brian, by his second wife, Helena Shipman, appeared with him in several silent films as a child, long before becoming a star in his own right.

Originated the role of "Doc" in the Broadway production of "Mr. Roberts." The film version featured William Powell in the role. Later starred in a remake of My Man Godfrey (1936), which was originally featured Powell as the title character.

He returned to Broadway as a playwright in 1932 and continued to act on the stage in a number of legendary theatre productions including "Yellow Jack", "The Children's Hour" and "Mr. Roberts" (as Doc).

Robert Keith was an American character actor who appeared in a number of prominent films and was the father of actor Brian Keith. A native of Indiana, Keith joined a stock company as a teenager and developed skills as a writer and actor. He appeared in dozens of plays around the country and on Broadway. He came to the attention of Hollywood as a writer after his play "The Tightwad" appeared in New York in 1927. He was contracted to write dialog for pictures and managed to act in several as well.