Lou Forbes, as he was later known, was the son of Joseph and Tauba (Tillie) Farbstein, Russian immigrants to St. Louis, Missouri. The name had variations such as Forbstein and Farbstein, and two sons in the family Lou and Sam changed it to Forbes. Joseph Farbstein, the father, worked as a tailor to support his family.
Lou's birth record was actually found in the decrepit original pages of the Registry of Birth for the city of St. Louis. He was born the same day he thought, Aug 12, 1902. His record was found on page 126.
Louis's brother was Leo F. Forbstein. Lou and Leo both worked in Hollywood in the early days, Lou at RKO among other places, and Leo at one time as music director at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, and later at Warner Bros. Leo worked on most if not all of the great old movies until his early death.
Leo Forbstein's birth was found to be a couple of weeks off from what he thought, though the same year. But his name looked like it was originally Louis on the record, even though there was a later Louis in the family. (See Leo's memorial on this site for more info on him.)
Another brother Samuel Forbstein (Sam L. Forbes) at age 20 managed the Royal Theatre in St. Joseph, Mo., when the Farbsteins/Forbsteins lived in Kansas City. Sam Forbstein, later Forbes, eventually made his way to LA as well, before 1930.
There was a younger sister named Bertha or Bertie who was 4 years younger than Louis. Bertie lived in California for a while, married there, then moved to Houston.
Their older sister Mary was born in Sweden in 1886, apparently while the parents were on their way to America from Russia. It's possible that the mother Tauba may have been born in Sweden to Russian immigrants there, as there was a community of Russians in Scandinavia (some of them with a similar last name, Tande, as Tauba's maiden name which was Tand or Taunt).
Joseph Farbstein went on ahead to St. Louis because he needed to prepare a home and find work before he could send for his wife Tauba and little Mary who remained in Sweden for several years, until 1889. The rest of the children in the family, including Louis, were born in Missouri.
Mary Farbstein, the oldest child who was born in Sweden, married Isaac or Isadore Peckman and they remained in St. Louis, though the rest of the family moved on, first to Kansas City, then on to California.
Ref: St. Louis Registry of Births; US census data; SSDI.
Lou's birth record was actually found in the decrepit original pages of the Registry of Birth for the city of St. Louis. He was born the same day he thought, Aug 12, 1902. His record was found on page 126.
Louis's brother was Leo F. Forbstein. Lou and Leo both worked in Hollywood in the early days, Lou at RKO among other places, and Leo at one time as music director at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, and later at Warner Bros. Leo worked on most if not all of the great old movies until his early death.
Leo Forbstein's birth was found to be a couple of weeks off from what he thought, though the same year. But his name looked like it was originally Louis on the record, even though there was a later Louis in the family. (See Leo's memorial on this site for more info on him.)
Another brother Samuel Forbstein (Sam L. Forbes) at age 20 managed the Royal Theatre in St. Joseph, Mo., when the Farbsteins/Forbsteins lived in Kansas City. Sam Forbstein, later Forbes, eventually made his way to LA as well, before 1930.
There was a younger sister named Bertha or Bertie who was 4 years younger than Louis. Bertie lived in California for a while, married there, then moved to Houston.
Their older sister Mary was born in Sweden in 1886, apparently while the parents were on their way to America from Russia. It's possible that the mother Tauba may have been born in Sweden to Russian immigrants there, as there was a community of Russians in Scandinavia (some of them with a similar last name, Tande, as Tauba's maiden name which was Tand or Taunt).
Joseph Farbstein went on ahead to St. Louis because he needed to prepare a home and find work before he could send for his wife Tauba and little Mary who remained in Sweden for several years, until 1889. The rest of the children in the family, including Louis, were born in Missouri.
Mary Farbstein, the oldest child who was born in Sweden, married Isaac or Isadore Peckman and they remained in St. Louis, though the rest of the family moved on, first to Kansas City, then on to California.
Ref: St. Louis Registry of Births; US census data; SSDI.
Lou Forbes, as he was later known, was the son of Joseph and Tauba (Tillie) Farbstein, Russian immigrants to St. Louis, Missouri. The name had variations such as Forbstein and Farbstein, and two sons in the family Lou and Sam changed it to Forbes. Joseph Farbstein, the father, worked as a tailor to support his family.
Lou's birth record was actually found in the decrepit original pages of the Registry of Birth for the city of St. Louis. He was born the same day he thought, Aug 12, 1902. His record was found on page 126.
Louis's brother was Leo F. Forbstein. Lou and Leo both worked in Hollywood in the early days, Lou at RKO among other places, and Leo at one time as music director at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, and later at Warner Bros. Leo worked on most if not all of the great old movies until his early death.
Leo Forbstein's birth was found to be a couple of weeks off from what he thought, though the same year. But his name looked like it was originally Louis on the record, even though there was a later Louis in the family. (See Leo's memorial on this site for more info on him.)
Another brother Samuel Forbstein (Sam L. Forbes) at age 20 managed the Royal Theatre in St. Joseph, Mo., when the Farbsteins/Forbsteins lived in Kansas City. Sam Forbstein, later Forbes, eventually made his way to LA as well, before 1930.
There was a younger sister named Bertha or Bertie who was 4 years younger than Louis. Bertie lived in California for a while, married there, then moved to Houston.
Their older sister Mary was born in Sweden in 1886, apparently while the parents were on their way to America from Russia. It's possible that the mother Tauba may have been born in Sweden to Russian immigrants there, as there was a community of Russians in Scandinavia (some of them with a similar last name, Tande, as Tauba's maiden name which was Tand or Taunt).
Joseph Farbstein went on ahead to St. Louis because he needed to prepare a home and find work before he could send for his wife Tauba and little Mary who remained in Sweden for several years, until 1889. The rest of the children in the family, including Louis, were born in Missouri.
Mary Farbstein, the oldest child who was born in Sweden, married Isaac or Isadore Peckman and they remained in St. Louis, though the rest of the family moved on, first to Kansas City, then on to California.
Ref: St. Louis Registry of Births; US census data; SSDI.
Lou's birth record was actually found in the decrepit original pages of the Registry of Birth for the city of St. Louis. He was born the same day he thought, Aug 12, 1902. His record was found on page 126.
Louis's brother was Leo F. Forbstein. Lou and Leo both worked in Hollywood in the early days, Lou at RKO among other places, and Leo at one time as music director at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, and later at Warner Bros. Leo worked on most if not all of the great old movies until his early death.
Leo Forbstein's birth was found to be a couple of weeks off from what he thought, though the same year. But his name looked like it was originally Louis on the record, even though there was a later Louis in the family. (See Leo's memorial on this site for more info on him.)
Another brother Samuel Forbstein (Sam L. Forbes) at age 20 managed the Royal Theatre in St. Joseph, Mo., when the Farbsteins/Forbsteins lived in Kansas City. Sam Forbstein, later Forbes, eventually made his way to LA as well, before 1930.
There was a younger sister named Bertha or Bertie who was 4 years younger than Louis. Bertie lived in California for a while, married there, then moved to Houston.
Their older sister Mary was born in Sweden in 1886, apparently while the parents were on their way to America from Russia. It's possible that the mother Tauba may have been born in Sweden to Russian immigrants there, as there was a community of Russians in Scandinavia (some of them with a similar last name, Tande, as Tauba's maiden name which was Tand or Taunt).
Joseph Farbstein went on ahead to St. Louis because he needed to prepare a home and find work before he could send for his wife Tauba and little Mary who remained in Sweden for several years, until 1889. The rest of the children in the family, including Louis, were born in Missouri.
Mary Farbstein, the oldest child who was born in Sweden, married Isaac or Isadore Peckman and they remained in St. Louis, though the rest of the family moved on, first to Kansas City, then on to California.
Ref: St. Louis Registry of Births; US census data; SSDI.
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