Robert Youngson (November 27, 1917 – April 8, 1974) was a film producer, director, and screenwriter, specializing in reviving antique silent films. Robert George Youngson, born in Brooklyn, New York, graduated from Harvard University with a master's degree in business administration. He entered the film business in 1941, writing newsreel scripts. In 1948 Warner Bros. hired him to produce a series of short subjects about sports. Most of these were straight roundups of current sporting events, but in some of them Youngson indulged his fascination with antique newsreels of the 1920s, and included vintage sports footage in the new productions. This led to Youngson writing and producing a long series of historical short subjects for Warners, two of which won him Academy Awards. Most of these films took an affectionate look back at the fads and lifestyles of the 1920s. Youngson's narration was nostalgic in tone, unlike the facetious commentaries that usually accompanied silent-film revivals like Gaslight Follies (1945) and Warners' compilations of Mack Sennett comedies. Youngson also produced a feature-length documentary for Warners, Fifty Years Before Your Eyes (1950). Warners discontinued live-action short subjects in 1956 and released Youngson, forcing him to work as an independent producer. He assembled a full-length feature of silent-comedy highlights, The Golden Age of Comedy (1958). This was a triumphant success, earning rave reviews from national columnists and receiving network exposure on TV talk shows. He followed this with When Comedy Was King (1960) and six more vintage-comedy anthologies, the last being released in 1970.
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Biography from TMDB.
- November 27, 1917
- April 8, 1974 (aged 56)
- Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
- Director, writer and producer
- 3 on MovieCove · 23 credits in all
What are Robert Youngson's films like?
Across a limited sample of 3 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Society and Ideas.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 3
Light 3 · Serious 0 · Dark 0
Grounded 3 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 0
Gentle 2 · Charged 1 · Intense 0
Steady 3 · Shifting 0 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 0 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 3
A split, not a type: Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 1 · Relentless 0
Casual 3 · Engaged 0 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 3 · Affecting 0 · Heavy 0
Resolved 3 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Robert Youngson's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 1 of their 3 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.
Subscription and free streaming for Robert Youngson's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
23 credits, 3 with a MovieCove page.
4 Clowns (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)
The Further Perils of Laurel and Hardy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)
Laurel and Hardy's Laughing 20's (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)
The Big Parade of Comedy(1964)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
30 Years of Fun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
When Comedy Was King(1960)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
The Golden Age of Comedy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)
I Never Forget a Face (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)
Crashing the Water Barrier (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)
Gadgets Galore (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)
When the Talkies Were Young (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)
This Mechanical Age (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)
When Sports Were King (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)
They Were Champions (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)
Magic Movie Moments (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)
Look at Life: Lighter than Air (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)
World of Kids (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)
Blaze Busters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)
Cavalcade of Girls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)
Fifty Years Before Your Eyes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)
Spills and Chills (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)
Roaring Wheels (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)
Career shape
A full career of 23 titles from 1948 to 1970.
How do Robert Youngson's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 72nd percentile, the median of all 3; across a limited sample of 3 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 66th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up1
- 50th to 74th1
- 25th to 49th1
Shape of the crowd
2 of their 3 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Crowd Pleaser2
- Mixed1
Reviewers score the atmosphere 57/100 and the pacing 45/100 in their films, across 3 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Who does Robert Youngson work with?
People who share at least 2 of Robert Youngson's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Oliver Hardy shares the most, 3.
Actors
- Oliver HardyShared titles: The Big Parade of Comedy (1964), Days of Thrills and Laughter (1961), When Comedy Was King (1960)See all 3 shared titles with Oliver Hardy
- Stan LaurelShared titles: The Big Parade of Comedy (1964), Days of Thrills and Laughter (1961), When Comedy Was King (1960)See all 3 shared titles with Stan Laurel
- Charles ChaplinShared titles: Days of Thrills and Laughter (1961), When Comedy Was King (1960)See all 2 shared titles with Charles Chaplin
- Harry LangdonShared titles: Days of Thrills and Laughter (1961), When Comedy Was King (1960)See all 2 shared titles with Harry Langdon
Composers
- Ted RoyalShared titles: Days of Thrills and Laughter (1961), When Comedy Was King (1960)See all 2 shared titles with Ted Royal
Producers
- Alfred DahlemShared titles: Days of Thrills and Laughter (1961), When Comedy Was King (1960)See all 2 shared titles with Alfred Dahlem
- Herbert GelbspanShared titles: Days of Thrills and Laughter (1961), When Comedy Was King (1960)See all 2 shared titles with Herbert Gelbspan