Robert J. Anderson

Short Biography

Robert James "Bobby" Anderson (March 6, 1933 – June 6, 2008; sometimes spelled Bobbie) was an American actor and television producer, most famous for his role as the young George Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life.Life and careerBobby Anderson was born in Hollywood, to a showbiz 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. Anderson's film career as an actor was brief. He appeared in the TV show 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.He died of cancer at age 75 at his home in Palm Springs, California. He is survived by his wife Victoria; sons John, Robert, and Joseph; daughters Kathleen, Debora, and Heidi; and 11 grandchildren.