Meg Randall

Meg Randall
Randall in 1950.
Born	Genevieve Roberts (1926-08-01) August 1, 1926 (age 90) Clinton, Oklahoma, US
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1946-1961

Meg Randall (born Genevieve Roberts; August 1, 1926 in Clinton, Oklahoma) was an American film actress who also attended the University of Oklahoma as an undergraduate, completing only her freshman year. She was active in motion pictures, radio and television between 1946 and 1961, changing her name from Gene Roberts to Meg Randall in mid-1948.

Randall is known for her portrayal of Babs Riley in the 1949 film version of the popular radio comedy The Life of Riley with William Bendix and Rosemary DeCamp, as well as her recurring role as Kim Parker Kettle in the Ma & Pa Kettle comedy series from 1949 to 1951. Randall's first recognizable role was in the supporting cast for the 1949 film noir classic Criss Cross, which starred Burt Lancaster and Yvonne De Carlo. In 1952, she returned to the film noir genre where she headlined with Adam Williams in the intriguing suspense story Without Warning.

Meg Randall was the professional identity used by the actress Gene Roberts during the successful part of her career. She was born August 1, 1926 in Clinton, Custer and Washita County, Oklahoma and known informally as Gene, which was derived from her birth name, Genevieve. Her father, Charles Patrick Roberts (1892-1980), originated from Texas and by 1900 his family moved into Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory of Oklahoma, to farm while Charles was still very young. He generally worked as an auto mechanic and then a construction laborer Her mother, Winnie McMillin (1899-1952), was born in Tennessee and grew up in an Oklahoma farming community as well. By the age of 20, she was a school teacher in Harris Township, OK. After World War II, both of Gene's parents were employed as attendants at the local Veterans' Administration Hospital in Muskogee, OK. Gene was the third of five children. Her two older siblings were Juanita and Juarez with the younger set named Cleo and Bobbie. Although her family is of primarily Welsh descent, it was noted that her father favored names of alternate ethnicity. So he selected a few for his children rather than naming them all strictly Welsh names, therefore breaking away from family tradition. Gene's older brother, Juarez Roberts (1923-2009), was a World War II paratrooper who graduated from the University of Oklahoma after the war. He found his niche in Hollywood by writing for several television shows during the 1950s until the early 1960s.