Robert Lyden
Birth nameRobert Marinus Lyden
Birth dateMay 28, 1942
Birth placeLos Angeles, California, U.S.
Death dateJanuary 17, 1986 (aged 43)
OccupationActor
Years active1949–1957

Robert Marinus Lyden (May 28, 1942 – January 17, 1986) was a child actor in the 1950s.

Robert Lyden made his film debut in 1949 with Holiday Affair and also played with Doris Day in the musical film I'll See You in My Dreams (1951). The child actor is probably best-known for his role as the young space cadet "Bobby" on the 1954 science fiction television show Rocky Jones, Space Ranger. After Rocky Jones (which lasted only two seasons), he made a few more television appearances, and had roles in some feature films. He had a short role in The Searchers (1956), in which he played John Wayne's nephew Ben. Also notable was his performance as a young Creighton Chaney in Man of a Thousand Faces, the 1957 biopic about Lon Chaney starring James Cagney. This turned out to be Lyden's last role; he left show business and pursued a career in finance.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1949Holiday AffairBoyUncredited
1950Emergency WeddingRobert - Boy in Department Store
1951I'll See You in My DreamsDonald, at age 8
1956The SearchersBen EdwardsUncredited
Written on the WindKyle as a BoyVoice, Uncredited
1957Man of a Thousand FacesCreighton Chaney at 13(final film role)

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1950–1951Fireside Theatre2 episodes
1954Rocky Jones, Space RangerBobby31 episodes. Three of these were combined as the non-theatrical film 'Menace from Outer Space' (1956).
1955Captain MidnightBilly GriffithsEpisode: "The Human Bomb"
Screen Directors PlayhouseWillieEpisode: "Rookie of the Year"