Actress Beverly Roberts, 95, Dies

Beverly Roberts, who played rugged dames in Warner Bros. potboilers of the 1930s, died July 12 in her sleep of natural causes in Laguna Niguel, Calif. She was 95.

Roberts was spotted singing in a New York nightclub by a Warners talent scout. She went on to appear opposite Al Jolson in "The Singing Kid" (1936), with Humphrey Bogart in "Two Against the World" (1936) and with Pat O'Brien in "China Clipper" (1936).

Perhaps the most prestigious of her 20 films was "God's Country and the Woman" (1937), which was filmed at Mount St. Helens in the Pacific Northwest and marked Warners' first Technicolor production.

The Brooklyn-born Roberts took to the stage as a singer and actress in the early 1940s and worked with Big Band acts including the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra. She turned to radio and TV appearances through the 1950s.

In 1954, Roberts was appointed administrator of the Theatre Authority and served the nonprofit organization for 24 years. The TA exercises jurisdiction over the appearance of performers at charity events and telethons; for example, it investigates whether charities are legitimate and protects artists from unfair demands on their time.

– Nielsen Business Media