Alice Roberts

Alice Roberts

Actor

Active: 1929

About Alice Roberts

Alice Roberts was an American actress who briefly appeared during the pivotal transition period from silent films to talkies in the late 1920s. Her career was notably short-lived, spanning only the year 1929, which coincided with the dramatic transformation of Hollywood as sound technology revolutionized the film industry. She appeared in the 1929 film 'An Ideal Woman,' which was produced during this transitional era when many actors struggled to adapt to the new demands of sound cinema. Like many performers of her generation, Roberts' brief screen career may have been cut short by the technical challenges and changing requirements that came with the advent of talking pictures. The limited documentation of her work suggests she was likely one of the many aspiring actresses who attempted to establish themselves during this tumultuous period but ultimately did not achieve lasting fame in the evolving film industry.

The Craft

Milestones

  • Appeared in 'An Ideal Woman' (1929) during the transition from silent to sound films

Best Known For

Must-See Films

  • An Ideal Woman (1929)

Why They Matter

Impact on Culture

Alice Roberts represents the countless aspiring actors who attempted to break into Hollywood during the chaotic transition from silent films to talkies. Her brief career in 1929 places her among the many performers whose dreams of stardom were either cut short or never fully realized during this transformative period in cinema history. While she did not achieve lasting fame, she is part of the broader narrative of early Hollywood and the thousands of actors who contributed to the evolution of film during its most revolutionary decade.

Lasting Legacy

Alice Roberts' legacy is primarily as a representative example of the transient nature of early Hollywood careers during the sound revolution. Her single documented film appearance serves as a reminder of the many forgotten performers who populated the margins of Golden Age cinema, contributing to the rich tapestry of film history even if their names were not preserved in the mainstream record. She stands as a testament to the thousands of aspiring actors whose brief appearances in early films have been largely lost to time.

Who They Inspired

Due to the brevity of her career and limited documentation of her work, Alice Roberts did not have a documented influence on subsequent generations of actors or filmmakers. Her story, however, serves as an important reminder of the challenges faced by performers during the transition to sound cinema and the many careers that were lost to this technological revolution.

Off Screen

Very little is documented about Alice Roberts' personal life, which is typical for many bit players and supporting actors from the early sound era who did not achieve lasting fame.

Did You Know?

  • Her entire known film career spanned only one year - 1929
  • She appeared during the exact year when Hollywood was transitioning from silent films to talkies
  • 1929 was the year of the first Academy Awards ceremony, though she was not involved
  • Many actors with similar brief careers from this period are now largely undocumented
  • The film 'An Ideal Woman' (1929) is likely lost, as many early sound films from this period have not survived

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Alice Roberts?

Alice Roberts was an American actress active in 1929 who appeared in the film 'An Ideal Woman.' Her career was brief, spanning only this single year during the transition from silent films to talkies.

What films is Alice Roberts best known for?

Alice Roberts is known only for her appearance in 'An Ideal Woman' (1929), which appears to be her sole documented film credit.

When was Alice Roberts born and when did she die?

Specific birth and death dates for Alice Roberts are not documented in available historical records, which is common for many bit players from early Hollywood.

What awards did Alice Roberts win?

There are no documented awards or nominations for Alice Roberts, which is typical for actors with very brief careers during the early sound era.

What was Alice Roberts' acting style?

Due to the limited documentation of her work and the apparent loss of her only known film, Alice Roberts' specific acting style cannot be determined from available sources.

Why was Alice Roberts' career so short?

Alice Roberts' brief career in 1929 coincided with the difficult transition from silent to sound films, when many actors struggled to adapt to new technical requirements or were unable to secure lasting contracts.

Is 'An Ideal Woman' (1929) a lost film?

While not definitively confirmed, many films from 1929 are considered lost, and the lack of documentation about Alice Roberts suggests her only known film may not have survived.

How common were brief careers like Alice Roberts' in early Hollywood?

Brief careers spanning only one film or one year were extremely common during the late 1920s, as the transition to sound created both opportunities and challenges for aspiring actors.

Films

1 film