Matty Roubert

Matty Roubert
Roubert at twelve years old
Born	Matthew Roubert (1907-01-22)January 22, 1907 Manhattan, New York
Died	May 17, 1973(1973-05-17) (aged 66) Honolulu, Hawaii
Occupation	Actor
Known for	The Universal Boy

Matthew "Matty" Roubert (January 22, 1907 – May 17, 1973) was an American actor, who started out as a child actor working in silent films. As an adult, he mainly worked in B movie western films. Roubert made his film debut at the age of two in Uncle Tom's Cabin¹

At the age of seven, The Universal Company hired Roubert to star in a series of short films as "The Universal Boy", who visited many prominent people and celebrities.² When he was twelve, Reelcraft Picture Company cast him in the Romances of Youth series, which were marketed to a wider audience. Roubert was inducted into the Young Hollywood Hall of Fame in 1913.³

Matty Roubert was born on January 22, 1907, in Manhattan, New York to William and Rachel Roubert.⁴ His father was an actor and director, and his mother was a member of the Powers Motion Picture Company.⁵ Roubert made his film debut at the age of two in Uncle Tom's Cabin¹ His father also established a production company, named after his son, Matty Roubert Productions, which produced Heritage.⁶

Roubert first appeared in films for Vitagraph and Biograph before starring in comedies for Pat Powers. He was frequently featured alongside Baby Early. They were known as the "Powers Kids".⁷ In 1914, the Universal company hired him to star in a series of short films, and he was known as the Universal Boy.⁸⁹ In 1920, Reelcraft Picture Company cast him in several short films known as the Romance of Youth series.¹⁰ As an adult, he starred primarily in western films, sometimes working as a stunt double. Roubert has over 140 credits as an actor.¹¹

In 1917, while directing Roubert in Parentage, Hobart Henley remarked that Roubert was "probably the greatest boy actor in the industry" at that time. Henley said he didn't bother with costumes or make-up for the actor, because he "wanted him just as he found him, just as he looked when he went to school each day".¹² Film historian Anthony Slide suggested that during the 1910s, there were more children on the screen than at any other period in film history, with Roubert being one of the most prominent.¹³ When he turned 18, Roubert recalled working with Norma Talmadge and Mary Pickford before they became well known, and D. W. Griffith directed him in the first two-reeler he made. Roubert also starred in the first three-reeler made in the United States.¹⁴

In 1924, he was dating Thelma Salter, who he had starred with in several productions when they were child actors. That same year, Roubert also told the Los Angeles Times, that when he was a boy, he once had lunch with Theodore Roosevelt, after he climbed on the running board of Roosevelt's car.¹⁵ In 1934, he married Helen Gutierrez, while living in Hollywood. She appeared in several Community Playhouse productions.¹⁶ In 1936, Roubert and his wife traveled to Tahiti, where they lived for six months.¹⁷ By 1973, Roubert was living in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he died in May 1973.⁴

Roubert was seven years old when he became the Universal Boy. During his stint in the series, Roubert would meet a well known celebrity in each short, among them: American actors King Baggot, William Shay, Frank Crane, DeWolf Hopper, American aviator Lincoln Beachey, New York Giants manager John McGraw, Australian swimmer Annette Kellerman, American lyricist Oscar Hammerstein, New York Giants pitcher Christy Mathewson, Secretary of War Lindley Garrison, the Columbia University rowing crew, Theodore Roosevelt, American race car driver Barney Oldfield, American businessman Nathan Straus, and German-American editorial cartoonist Hy Mayer.⁸³⁸⁴⁸⁵

Roubert was twelve when he was cast in the Romance of Youth series. According to R.C. Cropper, president of Reelcraft Pictures, "this will be the biggest series of its kind ever attempted in the independent field. These will be feature productions in every sense of the word, from the preparation of the story right on through cast and production. The stories will concern adventures of boys and girls, in other words, the days of youth, but they will appeal to audiences of all ages."¹⁰

Roubert meeting various individuals for the Universal Boy series.