- Roosevelt was originally cast as The Cisco Kid in In Old Arizona (1928), but he broke his leg shortly before shooting was to start. He was replaced by Warner Baxter, who went on to win an Academy Award. A few years later Roosevelt was approached by producer Paul Malvern about starring in a series of low-budget westerns for Monogram. Apparently, however, Roosevelt's wife went behind his back and demanded more money than Malvern was willing to pay. Angered, Malvern turned instead to a young actor named John Wayne, who snapped up the offer. That string of Monogram "B" westerns started Wayne on the road to superstardom. Roosevelt continued grinding out low-rent westerns with steadily decreasing budgets, and finished up his career doing unbilled bit parts and stuntwork.
- Roosevelt served in the US Navy during World War I, and was aboard the USS Norfolk when it sunk.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content