Here is the biography of Robert "Bobby" Williams:
Born in 1897 in the vicinity of Morganton, North Carolina, Robert "Bobby" Williams was raised on a farm. He developed an early interest in acting and ran away from home at the age of 11 to join a tent show. Williams then spent years honing his craft, performing on Mississippi river boats and in stock companies touring the Midwest before making his Broadway debut in the early 1920s.
Williams' stage credits include "Eyes of Youth" opposite Marjorie Rambeau, "The Trial of Mary Dugan", "Milgrim's Progress", "Scarlet Pages", and "Love, Honor and Betray" with Alice Brady. His best-remembered Broadway role was that of Abie in the original production of "Abie's Irish Rose" (1922),an ethnic comedy that became the biggest success of its era, running for five years.
Williams was married twice, first to singer Marion Harris, with whom he had a daughter, and then to actress Alice Lake, who was previously linked to actress Viola Dana. His marriages were marked by tragedy, including the death of a 7-year-old boy he accidentally struck with his car in 1922.
In the 1930s, Williams began to make the transition to film, appearing in several movies, including "Rebound" (1930) and "Platinum Blonde" (1931),in which he stole the show as down-to-earth reporter Stew Smith. Tragically, his star-making performance was also his last, as he died of peritonitis at the age of 37, just four days after the release of "Platinum Blonde".
