Bobbie Quillan

Barbara Quillan was the firstborn daughter of John Quillan and Anita Thompson. Her only appearance in a major motion picture was as a toddler in the RKO Pictures film Swiss Family Robinson (1940) where she appeared as the youngest Robinson boy. As a female child playing a male character, she was given a gender-neutral stage name by the studio and credited as "Baby Bobbie". Although popular with audiences and studios, irreconcilable contractual differences between her family and the studio(s) resulted in her premature withdrawal from the film industry. After the 1930's her family withdrew almost entirely from the film industry with the exception of Eddie Quillan and Marie Quillan. Barbara spent the remainder of her life as a bookkeeper and business manager, raising a family and getting the occasional fan letter addressed to "Bobbie" into her 70's. She passed away in April, 2012.