Arthur Roberts

Birth : 1890-07-17, Mullin, Texas, USA

Death : 1961-02-05

History

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Arthur Roberts July 17, 1890 – February 5, 1961), also known as Arthur E. Roberts, was an American film editor who edited over 100 films during his almost 30 year career. He began ending towards the end of the silent era of the film industry, his first film being 1927's The College Hero, directed by Walter Lang. His last film was Republic's Lay That Rifle Down in 1955, after which he spent a brief period as the editor for the television series, Lassie, before retiring in 1956. During his career he would work with many famous directors, including Frank Capra (on several films, including The Donovan Affair), Lowell Sherman (on The Royal Bed), William Seiter (on several films, including Way Back Home), Edward Cline (on Cracked Nuts), George Cukor (A Bill of Divorcement), Dorothy Arzner (the first female member of the DGA, on Christopher Strong), Anthony Mann (Strangers in the Night), George Archainbaud (Girls of the Big House), Fritz Lang (House by the River),

Movies

Lay That Rifle Down
Editor
Director Charles Lamont's 1955 comedy, about a girl from the sticks doing drudge work at a hotel and dreaming of a better life, stars Judy Canova, Robert Lowery, Jacqueline de Wit, Richard Deacon, Robert Burton, James Bell, Marjorie Bennett, Leon Tyler, William Fawcett and Mimi Gibson.
Invaders from Mars
Editor
In the early hours of the night, young David Maclean sees a flying saucer land and disappear into the sand dunes just beyond his house. Slowly, all of the adults, including his once loving parents, begin to act strangely.
Lady Possessed
Editor
A pianist takes his ailing wife out of a London hospital at the same time that another female patient there has suffered a miscarriage. Afterwards, the second woman feels empty and withdrawn, and, thinking that getting her away from London will help, her husband takes her to live at a country estate, which turns out to be the former residence of the pianist who left after his wife died. The woman begins to get visions of the wife and her final days; is she becoming possessed by the dead wife of the pianist?
California Passage
Editor
A series of reversals bring two desperate people together. When a saloon owner is framed by his partner for a stagecoach robbery, he fights to secure an acquittal.
Hills of Oklahoma
Editor
In this remake of Gene Autry's 1942 "Call of the Canyon", Rex Allen, the newly-elected head of the cattleman's association, is driving the combined herds of the ranchers to the nearest railhead when he runs into trouble. Singing cowboy Rex Allen stars as a newly appointed leader of a cattleman's association who finds himself battling a greedy meat-packer (Robert Karnes) and his father (Robert Emmett Keane) for fair passage through the hills of Oklahoma.
Rock Island Trail
Editor
A greedy businessman tries to block the building of a new railroad in his area.
Harbor of Missing Men
Editor
A smuggler hides from hit men with a Greek fisherman and his daughter.
Brimstone
Editor
A U.S. Marshal goes undercover to stop a cattle smuggling gang, but when his cover is blown, the hunter becomes the hunted.
The Last Bandit
Editor
About to marry Jim Plummer, Kate Foley runs off to Nevada when Ed Bagley convinces her a quick fortune can be made robbing gold shipments that are being transported by the railroad. In Bannock City she meets reformed-bandit Frank Plummer, posing as Frank Norris, brother of Jim Plummer, who has being going straight and working as an express shipment guard. Jim also shows up and plans a robbery by stealing a train and hiding it in an abandoned tunnel. The two brothers are on opposite sides of the law with the now-reformed Kate caught in the middle.
The Plunderers
Editor
Hero Rod Cameron kills Sheriff Sam Borden (George Cleveland) at point-blank range and in front of several witnesses in the opening of this Republic Pictures Western, released in the company's patented Trucolor system. The "killing," however, is merely a ruse set up to allow army agent Johnny Drum (Cameron) to infiltrate a gang of highway robbers.
Angel in Exile
Editor
An ex-convict on his way to make his fortune in a gold mine in Arizona has his trip interrupted when the residents of a small Mexican village believe him to be a sacred religious figure.
Secret Service Investigator
Editor
Lloyd Bridges plays a flying ace war hero who gets sucked into a counterfeiting scheme by opposing gangs of crooks.
The Bold Frontiersman
Editor
Rocky Lane and his horse Black Jack must protect the gold which drought bedeviled ranchers have raised to build a dam from bad guy Smiling Jim.
The Inside Story
Editor
A collection agent arrives in a small town with $1000 for a local farmer. Whilst waiting for the farmer to arrive the money is put in a safe at a hotel for safe keeping. However, it is removed by mistake and solves a number of financial problems before it is returned.
Campus Honeymoon
Editor
Bob Watson and Ricky Adams, and the Hughes twins, Skipper and Patricia, cannot register at Opalocka University until they find lodgings in the school's overcrowded quarters. They pretend they are married to get the last two units in the married veteran's housing project, with the girls in one unit and the boys in the other. A noisy kid, Junior Ormsbee, the nephew of the landlords, voices his suspicions and nearly gets them evicted. And a U.S. Senator, investigating veteran's projects, adds new complications.
Driftwood
Editor
An orphan helps a doctor fight an epidemic in a small western town, in one of Allan Dwan’s closely observed studies in Americana.
Wyoming
Editor
Small ranchers battle against a land baron trying to take their spreads.
The Trespasser
Editor
Stevie Carson, a newspaper reporter, and Danny Butler, the "morgue" manager on the same newspaper, set out to track down the killer of a colleague, a book-reviewer who was involved with a group of rare book forgers and whose sister has been convinced her editor-fiance, Bill Monroe, killed him.
Rendezvous with Annie
Editor
A homesick American soldier stationed in England during World War II makes an unauthorized trip to see his wife and returns to England with only two people knowing he was home for a few hours. When she learns that she is pregnant, she does not disclose that her husband had paid her a visit as to not get him into trouble. The townspeople are unanimous in their condemnation of her. But, after his discharge, he enlists the aid of a nightclub singer, the only other person who knew he came home.
Murder in the Music Hall
Editor
An orchestra leader turns sleuth to clear his ice-skating girlfriend for murder.
Mexicana
Editor
A Mexican crooner tries to put off fans by faking marriage to his American co-star.
Girls of the Big House
Editor
A women's prison provides the setting for this drama that centers around a naive small-town woman framed by a man whom she met in a nightclub in the big city. She is not welcomed by the inmates and immediately the prisoners are divided.
Tell It to a Star
Editor
Carol (Ruth Terry), the cigarette girl at a swank Palm Springs hotel, dreams of singing in the establishment's nightclub. She gets a chance when her well-to-do uncle, "Colonel" Morgan (Alan Mowbray), and a pal blow into town ... until their visit turns out to be a con job. Carol's voice impresses the bandleader (Robert Livingston), but the hotel manager (Franklin Pangborn), still smarting from Morgan's chicanery, isn't ready to give her a chance.
Bells of Rosarita
Editor
Sue Farnum inherits a circus, but her dead father's partner is trying to take it away from her. Roy and Bob Nolan are filming a movie on location at the circus. They and a number of other western movie stars come to Sue's aid, putting on a show and catching the bad guys.
The Phantom Speaks
Editor
A reporter learns that an executed killer has taken over a scientist's mind.
End of the Road
Editor
A crime writer believes that a man imprisoned for committing the notorious "Flower Shop Murder" is innocent of the crime. He believes he knows who the actual culprit is, and sets out to befriend the man and get enough evidence to prove that he is the real killer.
Storm Over Lisbon
Editor
A nightclub star helps trap an enemy agent on the trail of an American newsman.
Strangers in the Night
Editor
In this Gothic tale, a returning WW2 vet goes looking for a small-town girl whom he knows only from letters. Its the pretext for an off-beat treatment of sexual frustration morphing into a dangerous delusion, and eventually murder.
The Girl Who Dared
Editor
A group of people are invited to a party at a creepy mansion where legend has it a ghost appears once a year.
The Lady and the Monster
Editor
A millionaire's brain is preserved after his death by a scientist and his two assistants, only to create a telepathic monster.
Mystery Broadcast
Editor
A radio-show mystery writer and her rival solve real murders.
A Scream in the Dark
Editor
A detective tries to prove that a woman is killing her spouses with a spiked umbrella.
The Mantrap
Editor
Henry Stephenson stars as a retired Scotland Yard detective. He is regarded as an icon because he has written volumes of books on the art of detection. While Stephenson is being honoured for his past successes, he senses modern detectives, particularly the current District Attorney, look at him and his methods as outdated. This spurs the old man out of retirement to prove himself to the know-it-all modern detectives.
Uncle Joe
Editor
A pretty Chicago teenager (Gale Storm), who's being courted by an older man, is sent by her worried parents to live with her uncle on his Iowa farm.
The Son of Monte Cristo
Editor
Rightful owner of the kingdom, the Duchess of Zona, is engaged in a power struggle with the evil General Gurko. Edmond, the son of Monte Cristo, dons many disguises to come to the aid of the Duchess.
Sea Devils
Editor
Doris lives with her rough Coast Guardsman father. He has plans for her to marry an up and coming officer, but there is competition when a new, brash, Guardsman enters the picture. Dad hates the new guy, mostly because he is like himself.
We Who Are About to Die
Editor
John Thompson is kidnapped by mobsters after quitting his job. Then he is arrested, tried, and sentenced to death for murders they committed. A suspicious detective thinks he is innocent and works to save his life.
The Bride Walks Out
Editor
Carolyn Martin is a fashion model who hastily marries her boyfriend, engineer Michael Martin. But part of the marriage arrangement requires that Carolyn quit her $50-per-week modeling job to be a full-time housewife; the couple will instead live on Michael’s $35-per-week job.
The Ex-Mrs. Bradford
Editor
A doctor is driven into an investigation of sinister goings-on at a race track by his mystery writer ex-wife.
Star of Midnight
Editor
When a dancer disappears from a theater, Clay Dalzell is asked to investigate, leading him on a trail of murder and deception.
Lightning Strikes Twice
Editor
An actress goes up to a dude ranch for relaxation, when she falls in love with a ranch owner recently acquitted of his wife's murder.
Down to Their Last Yacht
Editor
Left only with their yacht after going broke in the Great Depression, a high-society family sets sail for the South Seas. Screwball comedy, with songs.
Two Alone
Editor
Mazie, a poor orphan girl, is mistreated by cruel farmer Slag and his wife for whom she works. Mazie, who is growing into a woman, does not like they way Slag has been looking at her lately.
If I Were Free
Editor
A recently divorced interior decorator falls in love with a married barrister.
Christopher Strong
Editor
A romance develops between a happily married middle-aged British politician and an adventurous young aviatrix.
The Cheyenne Kid
Editor
Chasing a gambler that stole money, Tom Larkin gets his horse shot out from under him. Meeting an outlaw with a horse, after a fight Tom rides away on that horse. Arriving in town he is mistaken for the outlaw and offered a job of killing a man. But the man is the father of the girl that Tom's money was to go to but was stolen by the gambler.
A Bill of Divorcement
Editor
Hilary Fairfield returns home after fifteen years in an asylum with his sanity restored. But he is disturbed to find that everything has changed: his daughter grown and about to marry; his wife divorced and also about to marry.
Hold 'Em Jail
Editor
Two yokels are framed and sent to prison, but wind up playing football on the warden's championship team.
Girl of the Rio
Editor
Girl of the Rio finds the gorgeous Dolores del Rio as a cabaret dancer in the employment of slick gambler, Leo Carrillo, who has his eye on the beauty. When she falls for Norman Foster, Carrillo has him locked away. Del Rio must use her smarts to ensure her man is safely freed.
Way Back Home
Editor
A rural Maine farmer fights for custody of the boy who he's raised as his own.
The Gay Diplomat
Editor
Captain Orloff is sent to Bucharest to capture a Mata Hari type of spy, but many different women fit the bill and are attractive enough to make one question one's allegiance.
Transgression
Editor
When British mining engineer Robert Maury is sent to India on an extended business trip, his wife Elsie finds romance with a Spanish playboy.
Cracked Nuts
Editor
To impress his fiancee's aunt, a young man tries to become king in a small kingdom, but the people there have already crowned one, who has won this honor by gambling. So he plans a coup d'etat. He tries to achieve this with a bomb, but then something goes wrong...
The Royal Bed
Editor
The hapless king of a small European nation must put up with a domineering queen, a daughter who wants to elope with her boyfriend, a peasant revolt and a scheming general.
Half Shot at Sunrise
Editor
Two soldiers go absent without leave in Paris during World War I.
Conspiracy
Editor
Margaret Holt and her brother Victor set out to smash a narcotics ring responsible for their father's death. Young reporter John Howell and eccentric mystery writer Winthrop Clavering help unravel the truth about the murder.
Girl of the Port
Editor
Josie, a New York showgirl with a mind of her own and a heart of gold, finds herself stranded on the island of Fiji. While seeking a way home she is befriended by a local man who gets her a job working as a barmaid at The Bamboo Bar. There she meets an alcoholic World War I veteran who is haunted by his wartime experiences and has an irrational fear of fire. Under her concerned care, he begins to recover and they fall in love. But then her jealous self-appointed boyfriend forces the veteran to participate in a traditional Fijian fire-walking ritual. To overcome his terror he must walk across 20 feet of burning coals and fight his rival to reach Josie's loving arms.
The Power of the Press
Editor
The naive newspaper cub Clem lands a scoop when he's sent out to cover a murder. In his enthusiasm he writes that the main suspect is Jane. When she confronts Clem, she convinces him to help her prove her innocence.
Stool Pigeon
Editor
An underworld story about a boy (Charles Delaney) suspected of being a stool pigeon but in reality, he is only stealing to give his mother a better life. His devoted girlfriend Goldie (Olive Borden) tries to help him turn his life around.
Submarine
Editor
Two sailors who are always competing against each other set their sights on the same girl. When she chooses one over the other, their friendship ends acrimoniously. However, things change when one the men is in a submarine trapped beneath the ocean and the other, a diver, is sent down on a rescue mission.
Broadway Daddies
Editor
Eve, a beautiful young nightclub dancer, turns down a string of wealthy and powerful suitors for Robert, a poor but ambitious young man. What Eve doesn't know is that Robert is the son of a wealthy businessman and is just pretending to be poor to see if she really loves him. However, an item in the society pages gives away Robert's true identity. Complications ensue.
The Desert Bride
Editor
Captain Maurice de Florimont, a French Army intelligence officer, is captured by Arab nationalists while on an espionage mission. His sweetheart Diane Duval is also taken prisoner. Both are tortured by Kassim Ben Ali, leader of the Arab nationalists, but they refuse to divulge any information. They are finally rescued by French troops who storm the fortress and kill Kassim.
The Matinee Idol
Editor
The famous matinee idol and blackface comedian, Don Wilson, heads out of town to escape adulation. There, calling himself Harry Mann, he accidentally joins a traveling acting troupe, and falls in love with Ginger Bolivar, who runs the troupe and stars in their Civil War melodrama. Don's producer sees the play, and thinks it's a comic masterpiece, and just what Don's Broadway show needs. But when Ginger finds out she's been played for a fool, will she forgive Don?
So This Is Love
Editor
So This is Love? was another early Frank Capra production for fledgling Columbia Pictures. The hero, dress designer Jerry McGuire (William Collier Jr.), is tired of being considered a wimp. After business hours, Jerry secretly takes boxing lessons, enabling him to knock the stuffings out of his burly rival Spike Mullins (Johnnie Walker). Jerry's newfound pugilistic skills wins him the affections of store clerk Hilda Jensen (Shirley Mason), who's just car-razy about "cave men." Filmed in a fast three weeks, So This is Love? was completed before Frank Capra's Matinee Idol but released afterward. Leading lady Shirley Mason was the sister of Viola Dana, who starred in Capra's initial Columbia effort, That Certain Thing.
That Certain Thing
Editor
Gold-digger Molly marries the heir to a fortune, but things go badly when he is disinherited and starts working as a ditch digger.