Robert James Anderson (March 6, 1933 – June 6, 2008) was an American child actor and television producer, whose roles included young George Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life.
Early life Robert James Anderson was born on March 6, 1933, in Hollywood, California, to a show business family. He was the son of Eugene Randolph Anderson, an assistant director and production manager, and Marie Augusta Fleischer, and his brothers and cousins were editors and production managers in their own right. He was also the nephew, by marriage, of directors William Beaudine and James Flood, both of whom were married to Anderson's mother's sisters.
Career Anderson's film career as an actor was brief. One of his earliest roles was in The Grapes of Wrath (1940) as a hungry boy. Anderson is perhaps best-known for his featured role as young George Bailey in the early scenes of the film classic It's a Wonderful Life (1946). He also had a credited role in another holiday movie, The Bishop's Wife (1947), starring Loretta Young, Cary Grant and David Niven. His film career slowed when he entered adulthood. He appeared in a number of TV shows including Spin and Marty and he made his last film in 1956.
Anderson enlisted in the Navy during the Korean War, serving as a photographer on aircraft carriers. After his time in the Navy, he went on to work behind the scenes in assistant directing, then later production with Disney, Warner Bros, Universal, HBO, United Artists, Columbia, and 20th Century Fox on such films and TV shows as The Apartment, Hawaii, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, Code Red, Police Story, and Ripley's Believe It or Not!.
He also worked as a line producer and production consultant for films such as Passenger 57, Demolition Man and Heat.
Death Anderson died of cancer on June 6, 2008, at age 75 at his home in Palm Springs, California.
Partial filmography Year Title Role Notes 1940 The Grapes of Wrath Hungry Boy Film debut Maryland Lee Danfield - Age 7 Young People Jerry Dakin Youth Will Be Served Boy Uncredited 1941 The Officer and the Lady Jimmy 1943 Mystery of the 13th Guest Harold as a Child Tender Comrade Boy 1945 A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Augie The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry Child Colorado Pioneers Parish Boy 1946 Gentleman Joe Palooka Young Boy It's a Wonderful Life Little George 1947 The Fabulous Texan Boy Uncredited The Bishop's Wife Defense Captain 1948 Ruthless Horace Vendig as Child Silver River Boy Uncredited 1949 Kidnapped Ransome - Cabin Boy Samson and Delilah Boy Uncredited 1951 A Place in the Sun Eagle Scout 1953 Born to the Saddle Ricky Summers
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