Robert Blake (actor)
{{Short description|American actor (1933–2023)}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Robert Blake
| image = Robert Blake Baretta 1977.JPG
| caption = Blake in 1977
| birth_name = Michael James Gubitosi
| birth_date = {{birth date|1933|09|18}}
| birth_place = Nutley, New Jersey, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2023|03|09|1933|09|18}}
| death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.
| spouse = {{ubl|{{marriage|Sondra Kerr|1961|1983|end=divorced}}|{{marriage|Bonny Lee Bakley|2000|2001|end=died}}|{{marriage|Pamela Hudak|2017|2019|end=divorced}}}}
| children = 3
| other_names = {{ubl|Bobby Blake|Lyman P. Docker|Mickey Gubitosi}}
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1939–1997
}}
Robert Blake (born Michael James Gubitosi; September 18, 1933 – March 9, 2023), billed early in his career as Mickey Gubitosi and Bobby Blake, was an American actor. He was best known for starring in the 1967 film In Cold Blood, playing the title role in the late 1970s television series Baretta, and playing the Mystery Man in the 1997 film Lost Highway.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/04/movies/04bmovi.html|work=The New York Times|title=In Cold Blood|author=Scott, A. O.|date=November 4, 2005}}
Blake began his career in the 1930s performing as a child alongside his family in song and as a dancer but became famous as a child actor, with his lead role in the final years of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer-era of the Our Gang (Little Rascals) short film series from 1939 to 1944. He also appeared as a child actor in 22 entries of the Red Ryder film franchise. In the Red Ryder series and in many of his adult roles, the Italian-American actor was often cast as an American Indian or mestizo character. After a stint in the U.S. Army, Blake returned to acting in both television and movie roles. Blake continued acting until 1997's Lost Highway. Owing to Blake's becoming one of the first child actors to successfully transition to mature roles as an adult, author Michael Newton called his career "one of the longest in Hollywood history".{{cite book |last=Newton |first=Michael |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mlvt-xyC9eIC&pg=PA84 |title=Celebrities and crime |publisher=Infobase Publishing |year=2008 |isbn=9780791094020 |pages=84–90 |access-date=May 18, 2013}}
Blake was arrested in 2002 for the 2001 murder of his second wife, Bonny Lee Bakley. Blake was acquitted of the murder in criminal court in 2005,{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/05/national/05blake.html|work=The New York Times|title=Actor's Trial, Complete With Pulp Novel Characters, Draws to a Close|author=LeDuff, Charles|date=March 5, 2005|access-date=February 20, 2017|archive-date=April 6, 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050406080416/https://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/05/national/05blake.html|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/17/national/17blake.html|work=The New York Times|title='Baretta' Star Acquitted of Murder in Wife's Death|author=LeDuff, Charles|date=March 17, 2005|access-date=February 20, 2017|archive-date=April 8, 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050408190533/https://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/17/national/17blake.html|url-status=live}} though he was found liable in a civil court for her wrongful death.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/19/national/19blake.html?fta=y|work=The New York Times|title=Actor Is Ordered to Pay $30 Million in Killing|date=November 19, 2005|access-date=February 20, 2017|archive-date=April 2, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090402144523/https://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/19/national/19blake.html?fta=y|url-status=live}}
Early life
Blake was born Michael James Gubitosi in Nutley, New Jersey, on September 18, 1933.{{cite book |last=Blake |first=Robert |title=Tales of a Rascal: What I Did for Love |page=169 |year=2015|publisher=Black Rainbow Productions |isbn=978-0-61-559194-0}} His parents were Giacomo (James) Gubitosi (1906–1956) and his wife, Elizabeth Cafone (1910–1991).{{citation |author=Steven Chermak |page=89 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=li1ZCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA89 |title=Crimes of the Centuries: Notorious Crimes, Criminals, and Criminal Trials in American History |last2=Bailey |first2=Frankie Y. |date=2016-01-25 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-61069-594-7 |language=en |access-date=March 16, 2023 |archive-date=April 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408052857/https://books.google.com/books?id=li1ZCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA89 |url-status=live }} In 1930, James worked as a die setter for a can manufacturer. Eventually, Blake's parents began a song-and-dance act. In 1936, their three children began performing, billed as "The Three Little Hillbillies." They moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1938, where the children began working as movie extras.{{r|Chermak}}
Robert Blake’s parents were from the region of Campania in Italy. His father was from the town of Montella, which is located in the province of Avellino. Blake's mother was from the town of Polla, which is also located in the Campania region of Italy.
Blake had an unhappy childhood in which he was abused by his alcoholic father. When he entered public school at age 10, he was bullied and had fights with other students, which led to his expulsion. Blake later stated that he was physically and sexually abused by both of his parents while growing up and was frequently locked in a closet and forced to eat off the floor as punishment. At age 14, he ran away from home, leading to several more difficult years.{{cite web |first=Gary C. |last=King |title=Robert Blake and the Murder of Bonny Lee Bakley |url=http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/family/bakley/15.html |page=15 |publisher=Tru TV |access-date=May 5, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090502144657/http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/family/bakley/15.html |archive-date=May 2, 2009 |url-status=dead }} His father died by suicide in 1956. He refused to attend his father's funeral.{{Cite web|url=https://www.oxygen.com/crime-news/who-was-robert-blake-one-time-murder-suspect-dead|title='Baretta' Actor Robert Blake, Who Was Charged And Later Acquitted In Wife's Murder, Dies At 89|date=March 10, 2023|website=Oxygen Official Site}}
Child actor
File:Robert Blake, around 1944.jpg
File:Robert Blake as Little Beaver.jpg film serial chapter, ca. 1946]]
Then known as Mickey Gubitosi, Blake began his acting career as Toto in the MGM movie Bridal Suite (1939), starring Annabella and Robert Young. Blake then began appearing in MGM's Our Gang short subjects (a.k.a. The Little Rascals) under his real name, replacing Eugene "Porky" Lee. He appeared in 40 of the shorts between 1939 and 1944, eventually becoming the series' final lead character. Blake's parents also made appearances in the series as extras. In Our Gang, Blake's character, Mickey, was often called upon to cry, for which he was criticized for being unconvincing. He was also criticized for being obnoxious and whiny.{{cite book |last=Maltin |first=Leonard |author-link=Leonard Maltin |author2=Richard W. Bann |title=The Little Rascals: The Life & Times of Our Gang |orig-year=1977 |edition=Rev. |year=1992 |publisher=Crown Publishing/Three Rivers Press |isbn=0-517-58325-9}}
In 1942, he acquired the stage name Bobby Blake and scored his first starring role in a feature film, playing the title role in the MGM feature Mokey. Donna Reed also starred as Mokey's mother, and Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas, who co-starred in Our Gang alongside Blake, played Mokey's friend Brother Cumby.{{Cite web |title=Mokey |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/2585/mokey#articles-reviews?articleId=144349 |access-date=2024-08-31 |website=Turner Classic Movies |language=en}} After the changing of his stage name, Blake's character in Our Gang was renamed "Mickey Blake." Blake also appeared as "Tooky" Stedman in the 1942 film Andy Hardy's Double Life.
In 1944, MGM discontinued Our Gang, releasing the final short in the series, Dancing Romeo. In 1995, Blake was honored by the Young Artist Foundation with its Former Child Star "Lifetime Achievement" Award for his role in Our Gang.{{cite web|url=http://www.youngartistawards.org/pastnoms16.htm|title=16th Annual Youth in Film Awards|access-date=March 31, 2011|work=YoungArtistAwards.org|archive-date=August 20, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100820064811/http://www.youngartistawards.org/pastnoms16.htm|url-status=live}}
In 1944, Blake began playing a Native American boy, "Little Beaver," in the Red Ryder Western series at the studios of Republic Pictures (now CBS Radford Studios), appearing in twenty-three of the movies until 1947. He also had roles in one of Laurel and Hardy's later films The Big Noise (1944), and the Warner Bros. movies Humoresque (1946), playing John Garfield's character as a child, and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948), playing the Mexican boy who sells Humphrey Bogart a winning lottery ticket and gets a glass of water thrown in his face by Bogart in the process. In 1950, at age 17, Blake appeared as Mahmoud in The Black Rose and as Enrico, Naples Bus Boy (uncredited) in Black Hand.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042256/characters/nm0086706|title=The Black Rose (1950) - Robert Blake as Mahmoud|access-date=2024-05-01|website=IMDb|archive-date=May 1, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240501084713/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042256/characters/nm0086706|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041181/characters/nm0086706|title=Black Hand (1950) - Robert Blake as Enrico - Naples Bus Boy|access-date=2024-05-01|website=IMDB|archive-date=May 1, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240501084714/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041181/characters/nm0086706|url-status=live}}
Career as an adult
In 1950, Blake was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Upon leaving at the age of 21, he found himself without any job prospects and fell into a deep depression. This led to a two-year addiction to heroin and cocaine. He also sold drugs.The Robert Blake Interview Playboy Magazine (June 1977) Blake entered Jeff Corey's acting class and began working on improving his personal and professional life. He eventually became a seasoned Hollywood actor, playing notable dramatic roles in movies and on television. In 1956, he was billed as Robert Blake for the first time.{{cite news|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/baretta-actor-robert-blake-charged-192600945.html|title='Baretta' Actor Robert Blake, Who Was Charged And Later Acquitted In Wife's Murder, Dies At 89|first=Dorian|last=Geiger|publisher=Yahoo Sports|date=11 March 2023|accessdate=1 May 2024}}
File:Naked City 1961.JPG and Blake in Naked City (1961)]]
In 1959, Blake turned down the role of Little Joe Cartwright, a character ultimately portrayed by Michael Landon, in NBC's Western television series Bonanza.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} He did appear that year as Tobe Hackett in the episode "Trade Me Deadly" of the syndicated Western series 26 Men, which dramatized true stories of the Arizona Rangers. Blake also appeared twice as "Alfredo" in the syndicated Western The Cisco Kid and starred in "The White Hat" episode of Men of Annapolis, another syndicated series. He appeared in three distinctive guest lead roles in the CBS series Have Gun Will Travel, as well as one-time guest roles on John Payne's NBC Western The Restless Gun, Nick Adams's ABC Western The Rebel, and in season 3, episode 25 of Bat Masterson, the NBC Western series The Californians, the short-lived ABC adventure series Straightaway, and the NBC Western television series Laramie.
Blake performed in numerous motion pictures as an adult, including the starring role in The Purple Gang (1960), a gangster movie, and featured roles in Pork Chop Hill (1959) and, as one of four U.S. soldiers participating in a gang rape in occupied Germany, in Town Without Pity (1961). He appeared in the John F. Kennedy war biopic PT 109 as Charles "Bucky" Harris (1963). He was also in Ensign Pulver (1964), The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), and other films. Blake garnered further exposure as a member of the ensemble cast of the 1963 acclaimed but short-lived The Richard Boone Show, appearing in fifteen of the NBC series' 25 episodes.
Boone introduced Blake to entertainment attorney Louis L. Goldman, whom Blake credited with putting him on a successful career path:
"Lou was Cus D'Amato. He took me under his wing. He said, 'Robert, you have to listen to me. Otherwise you're never going to make it.' And somehow he had the emotional and the psychological wherewithal to get me to respect and love him. And he kept me out of the courtrooms. Many's the time he went back in the judge's chambers and drug me back there and solved the problem that was going to turn into a nightmare. [He'd] [c]ome on the set and handle things; once [he went] to Lew Wasserman's office and said, 'Don't worry, I'll handle it, I'll fix it'... For some reason or other, I listened to him. When I was with him I was like a little boy. And I would apologize. I'd say 'God, Lou, I'm sorry.' He had a way of getting to your heart so that the junkyard dog was not there with him. And he took care of all of us in that way. I was very lucky."{{cite web |title=Late Late Show With Tom Snyder, Robert Blake 2/26/99 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVFHzb6DWtM&t=1335s |website=www.youtube.com | date=December 26, 2023 |publisher=YouTube |access-date=31 January 2024 |archive-date=February 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240201042810/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVFHzb6DWtM&t=1335s |url-status=live }}
In 1967, Blake experienced a career breakout due to his work in the film In Cold Blood.{{Cite web|url=https://historicalpost.com/anthropology-and-history/crime-anthropology-and-history/17-years-after-wifes-murder-robert-blake-opened-up/9|title=17 Years After Being Accused Of His Wife's Murder, Actor Robert Blake Opened Up About The Crime|date=January 9, 2020}}{{Cite web|url=https://news3lv.com/archive/video-vault--las-vegas-connection-to-in-cold-blood|title=Video Vault | Las Vegas connection to 'In Cold Blood'|first=Sinclair Broadcast|last=Group|date=January 6, 2016|website=KSNV|access-date=September 14, 2020|archive-date=March 25, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230325130244/https://news3lv.com/archive/video-vault--las-vegas-connection-to-in-cold-blood|url-status=live}} Blake played real-life murderer Perry Smith, whom he physically resembled. Richard Brooks received two Oscar nominations for the film: one for his direction, and one for his adaptation of Truman Capote's book.{{cite news |title=The 40th Academy Awards (1968) Nominees and Winners |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1968 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402003842/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1968 |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |access-date=August 27, 2013 |publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences}} With In Cold Blood, Blake was the first actor to utter the expletive "bullshit" in a mainstream American motion picture.{{cite web|title= ImDB Trivia In Cold Blood| website=IMDb |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061809/trivia/?ref_=tt_trv_trv}}
File:Robert Blake Baretta and Fred 1976.JPG
Blake played a Native American fugitive in Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here (1969), starred in a TV movie adaptation of Of Mice and Men (1981), and played a motorcycle highway patrolman in iconoclastic Electra Glide in Blue (1973). He played a small-town stock car driver with ambitions to join the NASCAR circuit in Corky, which MGM produced in 1972. The film featured real NASCAR drivers, including Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough as themselves.
Blake may be best known for his Emmy Award–winning role of Tony Baretta in the popular television series Baretta{{cite web|publisher=Getty Images|date=1975|title=Robert Blake|url=http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/american-actor-robert-blake-smiles-with-a-cigarette-in-his-news-photo/2850188#american-actor-robert-blake-smiles-with-a-cigarette-in-his-mouth-his-picture-id2850188|access-date=July 12, 2017|archive-date=January 18, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180118010924/https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/american-actor-robert-blake-smiles-with-a-cigarette-in-his-news-photo/2850188#american-actor-robert-blake-smiles-with-a-cigarette-in-his-mouth-his-picture-id2850188|url-status=live}} (1975 to 1978), playing a street-wise, plain clothes police detective. The show's trademarks included Baretta's pet cockatoo "Fred" and his signature phrases—notably "That's the name of that tune", and "You can take that to the bank."
After Baretta ended, NBC offered to produce several pilot episodes of a proposed series titled Joe Dancer, in which Blake would play the role of a hard-boiled private detective.{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/famousmoviedetec0000pitt|url-access=registration|quote=joe dancer robert blake.|title=Famous Movie Detectives II|author=Pitts, Michael R.|publisher=Scarecrow Press, Inc.|date=1991|page=[https://archive.org/details/famousmoviedetec0000pitt/page/243 243]|isbn=9780810823457}} In addition to starring, Blake also was credited as the executive producer and creator. Three television films aired on NBC in 1981 and 1983, but a television series of "Joe Dancer" never materialized.
Blake had starring roles in a couple of films for Paramount Pictures, Coast to Coast (1980) and Second-Hand Hearts (1981). He continued to act through the 1980s and 1990s, mostly in television, in such roles as Jimmy Hoffa in the miniseries Blood Feud (1983) and as John List in the murder drama Judgment Day: The John List Story (1993), which earned him a third Emmy nomination. Blake starred in the 1985 television series Hell Town, playing a priest working in a tough neighborhood, and wrote the screenplay for the pilot as Lyman P. Docker.{{Cite book |last=Terrace |first=Vincent |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r8VkAAAAMAAJ&q=lyman+p.docker+robert+blake |title=Experimental Television, Test Films, Pilots, and Trial Series, 1925 Through 1995: Seven Decades of Small Screen Almosts |date=1997 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-0178-9 |language=en |access-date=March 16, 2023 |archive-date=April 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408052857/https://books.google.com/books?id=r8VkAAAAMAAJ&q=lyman+p.docker+robert+blake |url-status=live }} He also had character parts in the theatrical movies Money Train (1995) and played the Mystery Man in David Lynch's Lost Highway (1997), which turned out to be his last film role.
Marriages and children
Blake and actress Sondra Kerr were married in 1961, and divorced in 1983. It was his first marriage, from which came two children: actor Noah Blake (born 1965) and Delinah Blake (born 1966).{{Cite book |last1=McDougal |first1=Dennis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BagQBgAAQBAJ |title=Blood Cold: Fame, Sex, and Murder in Hollywood |last2=Murphy |first2=Mary |date=2015-02-17 |publisher=Open Road Media |isbn=978-1-5040-0596-8 |pages=23 |language=en}}
In 1999, eight years after his attorney Louis L. Goldman's death, Blake met Bonny Lee Bakley, formerly of Wharton, New Jersey, who had already been married nine times and reportedly had a history of exploiting older men, especially celebrities, for money.{{cite news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/07/25/48hours/main516379.shtml |title=A Question Of Guilt: The Bakley Murder: Who Killed Bonny Lee Bakley? |publisher=CBS |date=August 5, 2002 |access-date=April 2, 2007 |archive-date=November 15, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131115024407/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/07/25/48hours/main516379.shtml |url-status=dead }} She was dating Christian Brando, the son of Marlon Brando, during her relationship with Blake. Bakley became pregnant and told both Brando and Blake that her baby was theirs. Initially, Bakley named the baby "Christian Shannon Brando" and stated that Brando was the father.{{cite web |first=Gary C. |last=King |title=Robert Blake and the Murder of Bonny Lee Bakley |publisher=Tru TV |page=5 |url=http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/family/bakley/5.html |access-date=May 5, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090502144717/http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/family/bakley/5.html |archive-date=May 2, 2009 |url-status=dead }} Bakley wrote letters describing her dubious motives to Blake.{{cite web |url=http://www.courttv.com/trials/blake/docs/letters.html?page=2 |title=Excerpts from letters written by victim found in defendant's home |access-date=April 2, 2007 |date=March 6, 2003 |work=Court TV Online |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929083421/http://www.courttv.com/trials/blake/docs/letters.html?page=2 |archive-date=September 29, 2007 }} Blake insisted that she take a DNA test to prove the paternity. Blake became Bakley's tenth husband on November 19, 2000, after DNA tests proved that Blake was the biological father of Bakley's youngest child.{{cite news |url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20136929,00.html |title=Cast as a Killer |first=Bill |last=Hewitt |work=People |date=May 6, 2002 |access-date=September 22, 2018 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304002003/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20136929,00.html |url-status=live }} After paternity was established, the child's name was legally changed to Rose Lenore Sophia Blake; after the murder, the child was designated to be raised by Blake's daughter Delinah.{{Cite web|url=https://2paragraphs.com/2019/01/20-20-actor-robert-blake-85-happy-to-get-rid-of-3-4-of-his-brain/?callback=in&code=MTAXYJBJOGUTOTE1YY0ZZTQ5LTHKMWETZWFIYJYWNMJJOTEW&state=92aea74f817743878abb4516de2dde3a|title=20/20: Actor Robert Blake, 85, Happy To Get Rid of 3/4 of His Brain|website=2paragraphs.com|access-date=March 8, 2024|archive-date=March 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240308235513/https://2paragraphs.com/2019/01/20-20-actor-robert-blake-85-happy-to-get-rid-of-3-4-of-his-brain/?callback=in&code=MTAXYJBJOGUTOTE1YY0ZZTQ5LTHKMWETZWFIYJYWNMJJOTEW&state=92aea74f817743878abb4516de2dde3a|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/01/26/blake/index.html|title=Lawyer calls Blake custody agreement 'abusive'|last=Sweetingham|first=Lisa|date=January 26, 2005|publisher=cnn.com|access-date=October 30, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717172541/http://articles.cnn.com/2005-01-26/justice/blake_1_blake-and-bakley-cary-goldstein-delinah?_s=PM%3ALAW|archive-date=July 17, 2012}} Blake remained married to Bakley until she was murdered on May 4, 2001.
In a March 2016 interview at age 82, Blake indicated he had a new woman in his life, who remained unnamed.{{cite news |url=http://radaronline.com/photos/robert-blake-girlfriend-revealed-video/ |title=Love At Any Age? 82-Year-Old Robert Blake Debuts New Mystery Lady |work=Radar Online |date=March 15, 2016 |author=Staff |access-date=November 20, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170223171145/http://radaronline.com/photos/robert-blake-girlfriend-revealed-video/ |archive-date=February 23, 2017 |url-status=live }} In 2017, Blake applied for a marriage license for his fiancée, Pamela Hudak, an event planner whom he had known for decades, and who had testified on his behalf at his trial.{{cite news |url=https://www.insideedition.com/headlines/22194-robert-blake-83-to-marry-wife-no-3-12-years-after-acquittal-in-death-of |title=Robert Blake 83 to Marry Wife number 3 |work=Inside Edition |date=March 14, 2017 |access-date=May 3, 2018}} On December 7, 2018, it was announced that Blake had filed for divorce.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tmz.com/2018/12/07/robert-blake-files-for-divorce-from-pamela-hudak-split/|title=Robert Blake Files For Divorce From Wife Pamela Hudak One Year After Getting Married|website=TMZ|date=December 7, 2018 |access-date=December 8, 2018|archive-date=December 8, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181208061115/https://www.tmz.com/2018/12/07/robert-blake-files-for-divorce-from-pamela-hudak-split/|url-status=live}}
Murder of Bonny Lee Bakley
On May 4, 2001, Blake took Bakley out for dinner at Vitello's Italian Restaurant in Studio City, California. Bakley was fatally shot in the head while sitting in Blake's vehicle, which was parked on a side street around the corner from the restaurant. Blake claimed that he had returned to the restaurant to collect a pistol which he had left inside and said that he had not been present when the shooting took place. The pistol Blake left in the restaurant was found and determined by police not to be the murder weapon.{{cite web|url=http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/family/bakley.htm/1l|publisher=truTV|title=Library}}{{Dead link|date=August 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
=Arrest=
On April 18, 2002, Blake was arrested and charged with Bakley's murder. His longtime bodyguard, Earle Caldwell, was also arrested and charged with conspiracy in connection with the murder. A key event that gave the Los Angeles Police Department the confidence to arrest Blake came when a retired stuntman, Ronald Hambleton, agreed to testify against him.{{cite web |url=http://www.courttv.com/archive/news/2002/0425/blake_ap.html |title=Stuntmen key witnesses vs. Blake |access-date=April 2, 2007 |date=April 25, 2002 |work=Court TV Online |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929140152/http://www.courttv.com/archive/news/2002/0425/blake_ap.html |archive-date=September 29, 2007 }} Hambleton alleged that Blake tried to hire him to kill Bakley. Another retired stuntman and an associate of Hambleton's, Gary McLarty, also came forward with a similar story.{{cite web|last=Sweetingham|first=Lisa|url=http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/02/08/blake/index.html?_s=PM:LAW|title=Stuntman: Actor Robert Blake offered me $10,000 to 'pop' his wife|work=CNN|date=February 8, 2005|access-date=November 5, 2021|archive-date=September 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924042125/http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/02/08/blake/index.html?_s=PM:LAW|url-status=live}} According to author Miles Corwin, Hambleton had agreed to testify against Blake only after being told that he would be subject to a grand jury subpoena and a misdemeanor charge.{{cite web |url=http://www.courttv.com/trials/blake/011905_ctv.html |title=Author: Police suspected Robert Blake hours after wife was slain |access-date=April 2, 2007 |last=Sweetingham |first=Lisa |date=January 20, 2005 |work=Court TV Online |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929134145/http://www.courttv.com/trials/blake/011905_ctv.html |archive-date=September 29, 2007 }}{{cite web |last=Sweetingham |first=Lisa |url=http://www.courttv.com/trials/blake/020105_ctv.html |title=Scene is set in Blake case; cue stuntmen |access-date=April 2, 2007 |date=February 1, 2005 |work=Court TV Online |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061101212508/http://www.courttv.com/trials/blake/020105_ctv.html |archive-date=November 1, 2006 }}
On April 22, 2002, Blake was charged with one count of murder with special circumstances, an offense which carried a possible death penalty. He was also charged with two counts of solicitation of murder and one count of conspiracy to commit murder. Blake entered a plea of not guilty.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/style/2003/03/28/blake-pleads-not-guilty/dcd202b6-6859-4fe7-b9c1-6aa1f1d3efba/|title=Blake Pleads Not Guilty - The Washington Post|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=2003-03-27|accessdate=2024-05-02}} On March 13, 2003, after almost a year in jail, Blake was granted bail, which was set at $1.5 million. He was then placed under house arrest while awaiting trial. On October 31, in a major reversal for the prosecution, the judge dismissed the conspiracy charges against Blake and Caldwell during a pre-trial hearing. The junior prosecutor who handled the case, Shellie Samuels, was interviewed by CBS reporter Peter Van Sant for the CBS program 48 Hours Investigates. During the interview, broadcast in November 2003, she admitted that the prosecutors had no forensic evidence implicating Blake in the murder and that they could not tie him to the murder weapon.
=Trial and acquittal=
Blake's criminal trial for murder began on December 20, 2004, with opening statements by the prosecution and opening statements by the defense the following day.{{cite web |title=The State v. Robert Blake |url=http://www.bakleymurder.com/part8.html |access-date=May 18, 2012 |archive-date=May 20, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120520163739/http://www.bakleymurder.com/part8.html |url-status=dead }} The prosecution contended that Blake intentionally murdered Bakley to free himself from a loveless marriage, while the defense claimed that Blake was an innocent victim of circumstantial and fabricated evidence. McLarty and Hambleton each testified that Blake had asked them to murder Bakley. On cross-examination, the defense brought up McLarty's mental health problems and Hambleton's criminal history. The lack of gunshot residue on Blake's hands was a key part of the defense's case that Blake was not the shooter. Blake chose not to testify.{{cite web |title=The State v. Robert Blake |url=http://www.bakleymurder.com/part9.html |access-date=May 18, 2012 |archive-date=August 27, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110827045825/http://www.bakleymurder.com/part9.html |url-status=dead }}
On March 16, 2005, Blake was found not guilty of murder and not guilty of one of the two counts of solicitation of murder. The other count, for solicitation to commit murder, was dropped after it was revealed that the jury was deadlocked 11–1 in favor of an acquittal. Los Angeles County District Attorney Stephen Cooley, commenting on this ruling, called Blake "a miserable human being" and the jurors "incredibly stupid" to fall for the defense's claims.{{cite web |title=Blake jurors want apology from D.A. |url=https://www.today.com/news/blake-jurors-want-apology-d-wbna7284990 |access-date=July 9, 2009 |date=March 25, 2005 |agency=Associated Press}}{{cite web |title=Little motive, plenty doubt |url=http://www.newsday.com/topic/ny-liside0317,0,7463765.story |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081023153924/http://www.newsday.com/topic/ny-liside0317,0,7463765.story |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 23, 2008 |access-date=April 2, 2007 |last=Riley |first=John |date=March 17, 2005 |work=Newsday }} Public opinion regarding the verdict was mixed, with some feeling that Blake was guilty, though many felt that there was not enough evidence to convict him.{{cite web |title=Blake's Hollywood Ending: Legal Analyst Andrew Cohen Breaks Down Acquittals |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/blakes-hollywood-ending/ |access-date=April 2, 2007 |date=March 16, 2005 |publisher=CBS |archive-date=October 30, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131030022720/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/03/16/opinion/courtwatch/main681064.shtml |url-status=live }} On the night of his acquittal several fans celebrated at Blake's favorite haunt – and the scene of the crime – Vitello's.{{cite web |title=Fans Flock to Vitello's to Celebrate Verdict |work=Los Angeles Daily News |url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/FANS+FLOCK+TO+VITELLO%27S+TO+CELEBRATE+VERDICT.%28News%29-a0130499360 |access-date=January 16, 2009 |date=March 17, 2005 |archive-date=November 14, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114060549/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/FANS+FLOCK+TO+VITELLO%27S+TO+CELEBRATE+VERDICT.%28News%29-a0130499360 |url-status=dead }}
=Civil case=
Bakley's three children filed a civil suit against Blake, asserting that he was responsible for their mother's death. During the trial, the girlfriend of Blake's co-defendant Earle Caldwell said she believed Blake and Caldwell were involved in the crime.{{cite book |last=Dubin|first=Eric|date=October 1, 2007|title=The Star Chamber: How Celebrities Go Free and Their Lawyers Become Famous|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rINYE-JHdXIC&q=robert+black++wrongful+death+trial+perry+mason+moment&pg=PA179|location=Los Angeles|publisher=Phoenix Books|page=180|isbn=978-1597775533}} On November 18, 2005, a jury found Blake liable for the wrongful death of his wife and ordered him to pay $30 million.{{cite news | url=http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/11/18/blake.liable/index.html | work=CNN | title=CNN.com – Actor Blake liable in wife's death – Nov 18, 2005 | access-date=April 26, 2010 | archive-date=April 20, 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100420014059/http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/11/18/blake.liable/index.html | url-status=live }} On February 3, 2006, Blake filed for bankruptcy. Blake's attorney, M. Gerald Schwartzbach, appealed the court's decision on February 28, 2007.{{cite news |first=Linda |last=Deutsch |author-link=Linda Deutsch |title=Robert Blake appeals $30M civil verdict |url=http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/entertainment/16805298.htm |work=Monterey County Herald |date=February 28, 2007 |access-date=April 2, 2007 }}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} On April 26, 2008, an appeals court upheld the civil case verdict, but cut Blake's penalty assessment to $15 million.{{cite news |work=BBC News |date=April 27, 2008 |title=Actor Blake loses US court appeal |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7369978.stm |access-date=April 27, 2008 |archive-date=March 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230310023816/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7369978.stm |url-status=live }}
=Aftermath=
Blake maintained a low profile after his acquittal and filing for bankruptcy, with debts of $3 million for unpaid legal fees as well as state and federal taxes.{{Cite web |url= http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/taxingdetroitblog/index.php?blogid=295 |title=DETNEWS {{!}} Weblogs {{!}} Tax Watchdog |access-date= August 17, 2010 |archive-url= https://archive.today/20100724092144/http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/taxingdetroitblog/index.php?blogid=295 |archive-date= July 24, 2010 |url-status=dead }} On April 9, 2010, the state of California filed a tax lien against Blake for $1,110,878 in unpaid back taxes.{{cite web |url=http://www.webcpa.com/news/Robert-Blake-Tax-Lien-54728-1.html |title=Actor Robert Blake Hit with $1.1 Million Tax Lien |publisher=Webcpa.com |date=June 23, 2010 |access-date=October 20, 2010 |archive-date=March 2, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120302192112/http://www.webcpa.com/news/Robert-Blake-Tax-Lien-54728-1.html |url-status=live }}
On July 16, 2012, Blake was interviewed on CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight. When asked about the night of Bakley's murder, Blake became defensive and angry, stating he resented Morgan's questioning and felt he was being interrogated. Morgan responded he was only asking questions that he felt people were eager to have answered.{{cite web|url=http://piersmorgan.blogs.cnn.com/2012/07/11/robert-blake-on-his-murdered-wife-bonnie-lee-bakley-i-think-she-was-a-con-artist/?hpt=pm_mid|title=Robert Blake on his murdered wife Bonnie Lee Bakley|publisher=CNN|access-date=July 11, 2012|archive-date=May 17, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517115338/http://piersmorgan.blogs.cnn.com/2012/07/11/robert-blake-on-his-murdered-wife-bonnie-lee-bakley-i-think-she-was-a-con-artist/?hpt=pm_mid|url-status=dead}}
In January 2019, Blake was interviewed by 20/20. Initially, he seemed to decline the interview and instead delegated it to a friend, but then began to participate, discussing the murder and the behavior of the police officers who dealt with him, the culture of Hollywood and its reaction to the event, and his early life and difficulties with his parents.{{cite web|url=https://2paragraphs.com/2019/01/20-20-actor-robert-blake-85-happy-to-get-rid-of-3-4-of-his-brain/|title=20/20: Actor Robert Blake, 85, Happy To Get Rid of 3/4 of His Brain=2.paragraphs.com|access-date=January 11, 2019|archive-date=February 11, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190211040339/https://2paragraphs.com/2019/01/20-20-actor-robert-blake-85-happy-to-get-rid-of-3-4-of-his-brain/|url-status=live}}.{{cite web|url=https://vimeo.com/392958325/b5b33b4155|title=20/20: Robert Blake (01/11/2019)|access-date=January 11, 2019|archive-date=August 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210816195555/https://vimeo.com/392958325/b5b33b4155|url-status=live}}.{{cite web|url=https://vimeo.com/392958325/b5b33b4155|title=20/20: Robert Blake (01/11/2019)|access-date=August 23, 2021|archive-date=August 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210816203019/https://vimeo.com/392958325/b5b33b4155|url-status=live}}.
In September 2019, Blake started a YouTube channel titled "Robert Blake: I ain't dead yet, so stay tuned," on which he discussed his life and career.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEbCZ72W3NpVNApKNz-3zoA|title=Robert Blake I Ain't Dead Yet |website=YouTube|access-date=September 1, 2019}}.
Later in October the same year, Blake's daughter, Rose Lenore, opened up about her childhood and how the trial affected her. She discussed reuniting with her father, visiting her mother's grave and her own desire to get into acting. Regarding knowing the truth about her mother's murder and whether Blake did it she declined to know the details but is open to knowing the truth "If it's ever an option".{{cite web|url=https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/daughter-actor-robert-blake-opens-decades-mothers-death-66336397|title=Daughter of actor Robert Blake opens up 2 decades after her mother's death|website=Good Morning America|access-date=October 17, 2019|archive-date=October 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191018082451/https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/daughter-actor-robert-blake-opens-decades-mothers-death-66336397|url-status=live}}
In 2021, Blake opened up a website, "Robert Blake's Pushcart", where scripts, memorabilia, and books including his autobiography Tales of a Rascal are available to read and in the case of the latter could be ordered.{{cite web |title=Robert Blake's Pushcart.com |url=https://www.robertblakespushcart.com/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716233419/https://www.robertblakespushcart.com/ |archive-date=July 16, 2021 |access-date= |website=Robert Blake's Pushcart}}
Quentin Tarantino's novel Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, based on his film of the same name, is dedicated to Blake. Notably, Blake's later life dealing with his wife's murder mirrors Brad Pitt's character Cliff Booth who is also accused of murdering his wife.{{cite web|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood-book-review/|title=Quentin Tarantino's 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' Novel is a Fascinating, Frustrating Display of the Filmmaker's Strengths and Weaknesses=Slashfilm.com|date=July 6, 2021|access-date=July 6, 2021|archive-date=July 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210706144426/https://www.slashfilm.com/once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood-book-review/|url-status=live}}
Death
Blake died from heart disease in Los Angeles, on March 9, 2023, at 89 years of age.{{cite news |last1=Haring |first1=Bruce |title=Robert Blake Dies: Actor In 'Baretta' And 'In Cold Blood' Was 89, Beat Real-Life Murder Rap |url=https://deadline.com/2023/03/robert-blake-dead-actor-in-baretta-in-cold-blood-was-89-beat-real-life-murder-rap-1235284339/ |access-date=March 10, 2023 |publisher=Deadline |date=March 9, 2023 |archive-date=March 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230310000809/https://deadline.com/2023/03/robert-blake-dead-actor-in-baretta-in-cold-blood-was-89-beat-real-life-murder-rap-1235284339/ |url-status=live }}{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64911189|title=Robert Blake, actor who was once tried for murder, dies at 89|date=March 10, 2023|publisher=BBC News|access-date=March 10, 2023|archive-date=March 10, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230310013858/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64911189|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2023/03/10/robert-blake-dead-at-89/8201678455224|title='Baretta' actor Robert Blake dead at 89|publisher=United Press International}}
Comedian Jimmy Kimmel made a comment at the 95th Academy Awards on March 12, 2023, after Blake's death. On the topic of whether or not Blake should be included in the annual "In Memoriam" montage, Kimmel stated, "Everybody please get out your phones, even at home, it's time to vote. If you think Robert Blake should be part of the In Memoriam montage, text 'GIMME-A-Blake' to the number on your screen, or to any number."{{cite web|url=https://people.com/movies/oscars-2023-jimmy-kimmel-jokes-about-robert-blake-in-memoriam/|title=Jimmy Kimmel Makes Joke About Robert Blake Being Included in In Memoriam Segment at Oscars 2023|work=People|date=March 12, 2023|access-date=April 8, 2023|archive-date=April 8, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408155916/https://people.com/movies/oscars-2023-jimmy-kimmel-jokes-about-robert-blake-in-memoriam/|url-status=live}} Blake was not mentioned during the televised "In Memoriam" portion of the ceremony, nor was he included on the Academy's official newsletter.{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2023-03-12/oscars-2023-the-oscars-in-memoriam|title=Oscars' In Memoriam segment missed some big names - Los Angeles Times|work=Los Angeles Times|date=March 12, 2023|access-date=April 13, 2023|archive-date=March 14, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230314040511/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2023-03-12/oscars-2023-the-oscars-in-memoriam|url-status=live}} Blake's son Noah criticized the omission of his father's name and career.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tmz.com/2023/03/14/robert-blake-son-noah-blake-dad-left-out-in-memoriam-oscars/|title=Robert Blake's Son Says Oscars Disrespectful for 'Memoriam' Omission|date=March 14, 2023|website=TMZ|access-date=April 26, 2024|archive-date=April 26, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240426205950/https://www.tmz.com/2023/03/14/robert-blake-son-noah-blake-dad-left-out-in-memoriam-oscars/|url-status=live}} Blake was also left out of the "In Memoriam" montage at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, but was included in the full list of the names featured on the Television Academy's website.{{cite web |year=2024|title=Television Academy In Memoriam 2023|url=https://www.televisionacademy.com/video/television-academy-memoriam-2023|language=en}} Blake was featured in the 2023 'TCM Remembers' montage, an annual tribute to the film industry's deceased by Turner Classic Movies.{{cite web |date=2024|title= Remembrance done right: How TCM has perfected the 'in memoriam' montage|url=https://www.npr.org/2024/01/06/1223080158/tcm-remembers-in-memoriam-montage|website=npr.org |language=en}}
Filmography
=Film=
class="wikitable sortable" |
style="text-align:center;"
! Year ! Film ! Role ! Notes !{{Reference column heading}} |
1939
| Toto | Uncredited | |
1939
| Mickey | Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi | |
1939
| Mickey | Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi | |
1939
| Mickey | Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi | |
1939
| Mickey | Short film | |
1939
| Mickey | Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi | |
1940
| Mickey | Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi | |
1940
| Mickey | Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi | |
1940
| Mickey | Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi | |
1940
| Mickey | Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi | |
1940
|Spots Before Your Eyes | Kid | Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi |
1940
| Mickey | Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi | |
1940
| Edward Littlejohn Jr. | Uncredited |
1940
| Mickey | Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi | |
1940
| Mickey | Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi | |
1940
| Mickey | Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi | |
1940
| Mickey | Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi | |
1941
| Mickey | Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi | |
1941
| Mickey | Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi | |
1941
| Mickey | Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi | |
1941
| Mickey | Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi | |
1941
| Mickey | Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi | |
1941
| Mickey | Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi | |
1941
| Mickey | Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi | |
1941
| Mickey | Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi | |
1941
| Schulte Child | Short film; uncredited | |
1942
| Mickey | Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi | |
1942
| Mickey | Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi | |
1942
| Daniel "Mokey" Delano | Credited as Bobby Blake |
1942
| Mickey | Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi | |
1942
| Boy in Car | Uncredited |
1942
| Mickey | Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi | |
1942
| Mickey | Short film; uncredited | |
1942
| Mickey | Short film | |
1942
| Mickey | Short film | |
1942
| Mickey | Short film | |
1942
| "Tooky" Stedman | |
1942
| Chandu | |
1943
| Mickey | Short film | |
1943
| Mickey | Short film | |
1943
| Boy on Porch | Uncredited | |
1943
| Mickey | Short film | |
1943
| Mickey | Short film | |
1943
| Mickey | Short film | |
1943
| Junior Carson | Uncredited | |
1943
| Mickey | Short film | |
1943
| Mickey | Short film | |
1943
| Jerry | | |
1944
| Mickey | Short film | |
1944
| Mickey | Short film | |
1944
| Mickey | Short film | |
1944
| Little Beaver | |
1944
| Jimmy Smith | Uncredited | |
1944
| Little Beaver | | |
1944
| Small Boy | Uncredited |
1944
| Little Beaver | |
1944
| Egbert Hartley | |
1944
| Little Beaver | |
1944
| Dickie Wanley | Uncredited |
1944
| Little Beaver | | |
1944
| Little Beaver | | |
1945
| Little Beaver | |
1945
| Wilbur | | |
1945
| Junior Poplinski | | |
1945
| Little Beaver | |
1945
| Little Beaver | |
1945
| Little Beaver | | |
1945
| Little Beaver | | |
1945
| Little Boy | | |
1945
| Little Beaver | |
1946
| Alan Schroeder | |
1946
| Little Beaver | | |
1946
| Little Beaver | | |
1946
| Cub Garth | | |
1946
| Little Beaver | | |
1946
| Newsboy | | |
1946
| Little Beaver | | |
1946
| Little Beaver | | |
1946
| Danny McCoy | |
1946
| Little Beaver | | |
1946
| Paul Boray as a Child | |
1947
| Little Beaver | |
1947
|Homesteaders of Paradise Valley | Little Beaver | |
1947
| Little Beaver | | |
1947
| Little Beaver | | |
1947
| Little Beaver | | |
1947
| Paul the Refugee Lad | |
1947
| Mike Henry | |
1948
|The Treasure of the Sierra Madre | Mexican Boy Selling Lottery Tickets | Uncredited |
1950
| Enrico, Naples Bus Boy | Uncredited | |
1950
| Mahmoud | |
1952
| Luis Herrera | | |
1953
|Treasure of the Golden Condor | Stable Boy | Uncredited | |
1953
| Beggar Boy | | |
1956
| Pvt. Hernandez | | |
1956
| Italian soldier | Uncredited | |
1956
| Chuck | |
1957
| Rafael Ortega | | |
1957
| Enrique Acosta Mesa | | |
1958
| Karolyi | |
1958
| Rudy Hernandez | |
1959
| Pvt. Velie | |
1959
| Cpl. Jake Pacheco | |
1959
| William Joseph "Honeyboy" Willard | |
1961
| Corporal Jim Larkin | |
1963
| Charles "Bucky" Harris | |
1965
| |
1966
| Sidney | |
1967
| Perry Smith | |
1969
| Willie Boy | |
1972
| Teddy "Cherokee" Wilson | | |
1972
| Corky | |
1973
| Officer John Wintergreen | |
1974
| Farrell | |
1980
| Charles Callahan | |
1981
| Loyal Muke | |
1995
| Donald Patterson | |
1997
| The Mystery Man | Final film role |
=Television=
class="wikitable sortable" |
style="text-align:center;"
! Year ! Film ! Role ! Notes !{{Reference column heading}} |
1952
|The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok | Rain Cloud | Episode: "The Professor's Daughter" | |
1953
| Johnny | Episode: "Night in the Warehouse" | |
1953
| Davy / Alfredo | 2 episodes | |
1956
| Unknown character | Episode: "Paleface Justice" | |
1956–1958
| Viklai / Machogee / Young Apache Warrior | 3 episodes | |
1957
| Al Madsen | Episode: "The Hostages" | |
1957
| Ed | Episode: "The White Hat" | |
1957
| Tobe Hackett | Episode: "Trade Me Deadly" | |
1957
| Jose | Episode: "The Runaway" | |
1957
| Tomas Mendoza | Episode: "The Tomas Mendoza Case" | |
1958
| Clark Davis | Episode: "The John Richards Story" | |
1958
| Lupe Sandoval | Episode: "Thunder Valley" | |
1958
| Cass | Episode: "The Long Night" | |
1959
| Wayne Robinson | Episode: "Client: Robinson" | |
1959
| Unknown character | Episode: "A Trip to Paradise" | |
1959
|Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre | CSA Cpl. Michael Bers | Episode: "Heritage" | |
1960
| Virgil Moss | Episode: "He's Only a Boy" | |
1960
|Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond | Tom | Episode: "Gyspy" | |
1960–1962
| Lauro / Jessie May Turnbow / Smollet | 3 episodes | |
1961
| Bill-Bill MacWilliams | Episode: "No Amnesty for Death" | |
1961
| Johnny Kamen | Episode: "The Joe Muharich Story" | |
1961
| Knox Maquon | 2 episodes | |
1961
| Lame Wolf | Episode: "Wolf Club" | |
1961–1962
| Chu Chu | 2 episodes | |
1962
| Jesse Verdugo | Episode: "Imagine a Long Bright Corridor" | |
1962
| Rick Carter | Episode: "A Creature Lurks in Ambush" | |
1962
| Bobby Madero | Episode: "My Brother's Keeper" | |
1963–1964
| Various | 14 episodes | |
1965
| Jerry Leon | Episode: "Question: Does Nero Still at Ringside Sit?" | |
1965
| Joe Rooney | Episode: "Bargain Day on the Street of Regret" | |
1965
| Max Gufler / Hap Johnson | 2 episodes | |
1965–1966
| Junior / Pete Cloud | 2 episodes | |
1966
| Lt. Johnny Eagle | Episode: "A Distant Cry" | |
1966
| Episode: "The Kid from Hell's Kitchen" | |
1975–1978
| Detective Anthony Vincenzo "Tony" Baretta | 82 episodes | |
1977
| Co-host | With Angie Dickinson | |
1981
| Joe Dancer | Television film |
1981
| Television film |
1981
| George Milton | Television film |
1982
| Host | Episode: "Robert Blake/Kenny Loggins" | |
1983
| Miniseries |
1983
| Joe Dancer | Television film |
1985
| Noah "Hardstep" Rivers | 13 episodes |
1985
|Heart of a Champion: The Ray Mancini Story | Lenny Mancini | Television film |
1993
|Judgment Day: The John List Story | Television film |
References
{{Reflist}}
Further reading
- Holmstrom, John. The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995, Norwich, Michael Russell, 1996, pp. 185–186.
- Dye, David. Child and Youth Actors: Filmography of Their Entire Careers, 1914–1985. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 1988, p. 20–22.
External links
{{Commons category|Robert Blake (actor)}}
- {{official website|https://web.archive.org/web/20240309203137/https://www.robertbobbyblake.com/}}
- {{IMDb name|86706|Robert Blake}}
- {{iobdb name|27530|Robert Blake}}
- {{discogs artist|Robert Blake (4)}}
{{Navboxes
| title = Awards for Robert Blake
| list =
{{EmmyAward DramaLeadActor 1950-1975}}
{{GoldenGlobeBestActorTVDrama 1969-1989}}
{{Hasty Pudding Man of the Year}}
}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blake, Robert}}
Category:20th-century American male actors
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