Bobby Anderson was a child actor who played young George Bailey in the classic film It’s a Wonderful Life. He died of cancer at his home in Palm Springs, California, on June 6, 2008, at the age of 75. His death marked the end of a long and varied career in the movie industry, both in front of and behind the camera.
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A Hollywood Family
Bobby Anderson was born in Hollywood, 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. [according to Wikipedia]
Anderson’s introduction to films began when he was literally snatched from his crib by relatives to appear in a movie scene that called for a baby, his wife Victoria said. He was 7 when he appeared in the 1940 Shirley Temple film Young People and went on to appear in other movies such as 1945’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.
A Wonderful Life
But he was best known for his role as the young Bailey in Frank Capra’s 1946 It’s a Wonderful Life. In one scene, the story called for him to spot a potentially fatal error made by a drunken druggist, played by H.B. Warner. Warner took the role seriously and on the day of shooting had been drinking and was “pretty ripe,” Victoria Anderson said. The scene called for Warner’s character to slap the boy. Anderson told the Los Angeles Times in 1996 that the scene and its rehearsals were painful.
“He actually bloodied my ear,” Anderson told the paper. “My ear was beat up and my face was red and I was in tears.”
“At the end when it was all over, he (Warner) was very lovable. He grabbed me and hugged me, and he meant it,” Anderson said. [according to TODAY]
The film became a Christmas staple and a beloved classic, but it did not bring much fame or fortune to Anderson. He made his last film in 1956, after appearing in more than 20 movies.
Anderson enlisted in the Navy during the Korean War, serving as a photographer on aircraft carriers, his wife said. 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. [according to Wikipedia]
He retired from the industry in 1996, but remained active in his community. He was involved in several charities and organizations, such as the Palm Springs International Film Festival and the Palm Springs Air Museum.
A Loving Husband and Father
In addition to his wife Victoria, whom he married in 1953, Anderson is survived by sons John of Lake Arrowhead; Bob Jr. of Long Beach and Joe of San Bernardino; daughters Kathleen Inman of Nyack, New York, Deborah Gutierrez of Boise, Idaho, and Heidi Anderson-Robinson of Ventura; and 11 grandchildren. [according to TODAY]
His wife described him as a “wonderful husband” who loved his family dearly. She said he never complained about his illness or his pain.
“He was always upbeat,” she said. “He had a wonderful life.”
