I recently watched the Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame film In A Lonely Place for the umpteenth time and noticed something that turned out to have an Alabama connection. Early in the 1950 movie Bogart is leaving a Los Angeles police station just after dawn. He passes a florist shop where a young black man is hosing down the sidewalk before the store opens. Bogart has an exchange with him, and this time I thought the young actor looked familiar.
So I looked the film up on the Internet Movie Database and there he was, "Flower Shop Employee" played by Davis Roberts in an uncredited role. I looked him up on Wikipedia and found--wait for it--he was born in Mobile, Alabama. His name at birth was Robert Alphonse Davis and the date was March 7, 1917.
Davis was given the same name as his father; see below for more information on the elder Robert. The family appears in Mobile in the 1920 U.S. Census. Father Robert is 23 years old, a year older than his wife Clara May. Children listed were Robert Jr, age 2, Margret 1, and baby Clarice. By the 1930 census the family had moved to Chattanooga. Father Robert was not listed but more children were included: Robert (13), Marguerite (11), Clarice (10), Charles (7) and Warner (4). That last child was the only Tennessee native listed, so I presume the family moved from Mobile about 1926.
Sometime after 1930 the family moved again, this time to Chicago. The 1940 census only has Robert Jr., Charles, Marguerite and Clarice listed in the household. The mother and Warner are not included. According to one source, Davis graduated from Phillips High School in Chicago, where he edited the newspaper. Then he attended the University of Chicago and began performing with local theater groups.
After serving in World War II and reaching the rank of first lieutenant, Davis made his way to Hollywood. He studied at the Actors' Lab Workshop there and in 1947 had his first film appearance, credited as Robert A. Davis, in The Long Night. Until the mid-1950's he made various uncredited appearances and some as Robert or Robert A. Davis. His name change must have occurred at that point.
From 1947 until 1993 Roberts compiled a total of 134 acting credits, 50 of them in films. He also made two appearances in small roles on Broadway. That's why he seemed familiar in the Bogart movie; I've no doubt seen Roberts in some of those many roles.
Some of his films include Knock on Any Door (another Bogart), The Great White Hope, Sweet Bird of Youth, Westworld, and The Chase. He played "Farm Hand with Hoe" in God's Little Acre, "Maitre D" in The Killers, Dr. Elmo Adams in Hotel (a significant role I definitely remember). and Warner in The Demon Seed.
Roberts had a similar variety of roles on television, beginning with an appearance in The Amos 'n Andy Show in 1951. Some of the shows included Peter Gunn, The Untouchables, The Fugitive, Gunsmoke, Mission Impossible, Kolchak, All in the Family, Dallas, and St. Elsewhere. One well-remembered role was Doc Carter in three episodes of Sanford and Son. Roberts specialized in bringing dignity to whatever part he played. You can see the full film and television list at the Internet Movie Database.
Another aspect of Roberts' career involved work with various organizations and efforts often related to blacks in film and television. On August 13, 1967, he and a few other members of the NAACP Beverly Hills-Hollywood branch presented the first annual Image Awards to recognize significant work by blacks in film, television, music, literature, etc. A national broadcast of the awards ceremony began in 1994, and the 51st presentation took place on February 22, 2020.
Roberts also served several terms on the Western Advisory Board of the Actors' Equity Association, which represented theatrical performers. He co-chaired the committee that secured a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for controversial singer and actor Paul Robeson.
