Bob Stebbins

born: 12 January 1929 Loyal, Oklahoma, United States of America

American child actor. His birthdate is wrongly listed as 15 June 1928 elsewhere. ".....80-100,000 children were emigrated from the United Kingdom to Canada to be used as indentured farm workers and domestic servants. Believed by Canadians to be orphans, only two percent truly were." (http://www.britishhomechildrenregistry.com/ ). Bob Stebbins' Mom, Harriet Deeks, was one of these "orphans" age 14 in 1902. She married Henry Stebbins, a successful dairy farm supervisor and registered dairycow raiser, in Tulsa, OK in 1918. In 1920 she sailed to England for a month to visit her Mom and family and secure her birth records. Most "Home Children" were not so lucky! Son, Robert, was born in 1929 but was not listed with his parents in the 1930 Tulsa, OK Census. By 1935, Harriet and Robert were living in CA and Dad, Henry Stebbins remained in Ok until he died in 1970. Harriet died in CA in 1972. In the summer of 1939, "Bobby Stebbins" performed at the San Francisco Golden Gate Exposition and was a major prize winner and described as "a talented 9 year-old singer from San Carlos". By April 1, 1940, Bobby and Mom were in LA where she worked as a live-in maid for $600 per year plus an unknown outside income, probably from her separation and support from husband Henry in Oklahoma. In September 1940, she enrolled 10 year-old Bobby in the Mar-Ken Professional Childrens' (acting) School where he demonstrated his likeability and leadership skills for 5 years. In January of 1942 he signed a contract with MGM to play with Robert Blake in "Mokey", in light of his "hit" performance in the musical "Syncopation". His January 1947 WWII Draft Card states he was a student at "Hollywood Hi B-12" and names a non-relative as next of kin, even though both parents were still living and he was living with his Mom. His final listed film role was in 1952. He and his Mom are at the same address in the 1954 voters' roll for LA. Evidence favors that he is still living in Los Angeles.

Real name: Robert Ray Stebbins Height: 5'8½"

Films listed on this page: 1 film with Laurel & Hardy.

0

▼ NON-HAL ROACH FILMS

1944

Nothing But Trouble Chuck

Acknowledgements: https://search.ancestry.com (1901 England Census: Harriet Deeks bc 1888 Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk Co., England) https://search.ancestry.com (1902 Oct 6 : Harriet A Deeks arr Portland ME in transit to Canada from Liverpool Eng: bc 1888) http://www.britishhomechildrenregistry.com/ (Harriet Deeks) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L937-V437?cc=1709399 (1918 Aug 05 Tulsa OK: "Hattie A.." Deeks (28) res Cleveland, OH married Henry C. Stebbins (36) of Tulsa) https://www.ancestry.com (1920 Jun 10 Tulsa: "Mrs Henry Stebbins": passport application: leaves 28 Aug for England: confirms birth information) https://www.newspapers.com/image/747996533/?terms=%22henry%20stebbins%22&match=1 (1930 Jan 09 p7 "Kingfisher OK Free Press" lists births for 1929 from Loyal, OK: "boy to Henry Stebbins") https://www.ancestry.com (1930 Census Tulsa Co., OK: Henry C & "Hattie" Stebbins: married: NO CHILDREN Present: She born England: He born MO) https://www.newspapers.com/image/696354530/?terms=stebbins&match=1 ("Robert Roy (sic) (Bobby) Stebbins" "9 yr old talented San Carlos singer": won prize at SFO Expo 1939) https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/73652936:2442?tid=&pid=&_phsrc=EYP79&_phstart=successSource (1940 Census LA: Robert Stebbins bc 1930: live-in "maid's son") https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VBVY-W8J (1940 Census Muskogee, OK: Henry C Stebbins: bc 1883 MO: married: renter living alone) http://www.mar-ken.org/alumni/alumni-s/stebbins-robert-bob/ (1940-45 Mar-Ken Childrens' Professional School bio of Robert Stebbins) https://fultonhistory.com (1942 Jan 16 p.4A "Knickerbocker (NY) News": signs contract w/ MGM: was "hit" in "Syncopation") https://www.ancestry.com (1944 voter LA r.7157 Sunset Blvd: "Mrs. Harriet Stebbins": no Robert (under age)) https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/214543-the-poinsettia-1946?viewer=1&offset=0#page=1&viewer=picture&o=&n=0&q= (1946 HS Year Bk: photo in School Play) https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/17784470:2238?tid=&pid=&_phsrc=EYP68&_phstart=successSource (1947 Draft Card: "Robert Ray Stebbins" r.7157 Sunset Blv: b 1929 Jan 12: Tulsa) https://www.ancestry.com (1948 LA City Directory: "Mrs Harriet Stebbins" r. 7159 1/2 Sunset Blv.: No Robert Stebbins) https://www.ancestry.com (1950 voter LA r.7553 W Norton Av: "Mrs Harriet A. Stebbins" & Robert R Stebbins at same address: voting age is 21) https://www.ancestry.com (1954 voter LA r.7553 W Norton Av; "Mrs Harriet A. Stebbins" & Robert R Stebbins at same address) https://rescarta.lapl.org (1963 LA City Directory p.63: Harriet Stebbins r. 7553 Norton Av) https://forgottenactors.blogspot.com/2015/02/bob-stebbins.html (Ian Tiso) https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=BT19460314.1.5&srpos=9&e=-------en--20--1-byDA-txt-txIN-%22BOB+STEBBINS%22-------1 (1946 Mar 14 "Blade Tribune": Photo w/ Jane Withers in "Faces in the Fog") https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=LAECN19460517.1.6&srpos=25&e=-------en--20--21-byDA-txt-txIN-%22ROBERT+STEBBINS%22-------1 (1946 May 17 photo as lead in HS operetta "Sweethearts") https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=LAECN19470618.1.2&srpos=27&e=-------en--20--21-byDA-txt-txIN-%22ROBERT+STEBBINS%22-------1 (1947 June 18 sings solo in Hollywood Bowl for HS graduation) https://www.ancestry.com (1972 Jul 31 CADI Harriet Stebbins death LA: born 1888 Feb 3) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JY5W-T48 (1970 Nov SSDI Henry Stebbins in Rogers, OK: born 1882 Dec 20) https://www.familytreenow.com/search/people/results?first=robert&middle=ray&last=Stebbins&citystatezip=Tulsa%2C%20OK&dobyyyy=1929&rid=asla&smck=JTTaL8L6UPcCgjrKgPI7TA (2021 age 92) Jim Jarvis (extenseive research and bio notes) This page was last updated on: 03 January 2022