Robert (Tex) Allen

Robert (Tex) Allen
Born	Irvine E. Theodore Baehr March 28, 1906(1906-03-28) Mount Vernon, New York U.S.
Died	October 9, 1998 (aged 92) Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York
Spouse(s)	Frances Cookman (1964-??) Evelyn Peirce (1934-1960) (her death, 2 children)

Robert "Tex" Allen (also credited as Bob Allen) was a leading actor in both feature films and B-movie westerns between 1935 and 1944.

Born as Irvine E. Theodore Baehr on March 28, 1906 in Mount Vernon, New York, Allen went on to graduate from the New York Military Academy in 1924, where he rode in the academy cavalry and from Dartmouth College in 1929 with a degree in English. He worked for a bank which soon failed in the Great Depression. He flew briefly as a commercial pilot before signing a standard acting contract with Paramount Pictures, in 1929. He appeared in the famous Marx Brothers movie Animal Crackers and several other small parts. Then, he signed with Columbia Pictures in 1935. He also later contracted with 20th Century Fox.

Allen's first notable role was the male lead in Love Me Forever (1935), for which he won a Box Office Award. He gained additional notice as the star of When You're in Love (1936), opposite Grace Moore. The same year, he was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in the title role in the film The Life of Lafayette.

After the departure of cowboy star Ken Maynard, Allen was plugged into producer Larry Darmour's formulaic Ranger pictures. Along with sidekick Wally Wales (played by Hal Taliaferro), he redefined the role, starring in six films for director Spencer Gordon Bennet in that year alone. These films became known as the Bob Allen Ranger series. However, the studio was looking for a singing cowboy to compete with Gene Autry and Allen was eventually replaced by Roy Rogers. He appeared in two dozen films after that, however.

He had acted on Broadway in the original productions of Show Boat and Kiss Them for Me. In 1956 he appeared in the original production of Auntie Mame, opposite Rosalind Russell, and later Greer Garson. He appeared in other Broadway plays, in touring productions, in soap operas, documentaries and commercials. He became a real estate broker in 1964.

Family

Allen was married twice; the first was to movie actress Evelyn Peirce until her death in 1960. They had two children. Their son, Ted Baehr (born 1946) is a prominent Christian minister and movie critic. They also had a daughter, Katherine Meyer.

Robert Allen died on October 9, 1998, aged 92, of complications from cancer in Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York. He was survived by his son and daughter, seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren (at the time of his death).

Partial filmography

• 1931 - The Reckless Hour
• 1933 - Saturday's Millions
• 1934 - Menace; Jealousy
• 1935 - The Black Room; Law Beyond the Range; Death Flies East; Guard That Girl; I'll Love You Always; Fighting Shadows; Air Hawks; The Revenge Rider; Crime and Punishment; White Lies; Party Wire; Love Me Forever; I'm a Father
• 1936 - The Life of Lafayette, Lady of Secrets; Craig's Wife; The Unknown Ranger; Pride of the Marines; When You're in Love
• 1937 - The Awful Truth; Law of the Ranger; Let's Get Married; The Big Broadcast of 1938; Reckless Ranger; The Rangers Step In; Rio Grande Ranger; Ranger Courage
• 1938 - Keep Smiling; Everybody's Baby; Up the River; Meet the Girls
• 1939 - Fighting Thoroughbreds; Winter Carnival; Winner Take All
• 1940 - City of Chance
• 1943 - Blazing Guns
• 1944 - Death Valley Rangers
• 1945 - She Gets Her Man
• 1947 - The Web
• 1964 - Terror in the City
• 1966 - Naked Evil
• 1967 - Hell's Angels on Wheels
• 1970 - Dirtymouth
• 1986 - Raiders of the Living Dead

External links

• Robert (Tex) Allen at the Internet Movie Database
• Bob Allen at Allmovie
• Columbia in Transition: Bob Allen and Jack Luden at The Old Corral