Robert V. Barron
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{short description|American actor and director (1932–2000)}}
{{more citations needed|date=May 2016}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Robert V. Barron
| image = Robert_V._Barron_in_Mannix_1968.jpg
| caption = Robert V. Barron in Mannix 1968
| occupation = Actor, screenwriter, producer, director
| yearsactive = 1954–1995
| birth_name = Robert V. Barron
| birth_date = {{birth date|1932|12|26}}
| birth_place = Charleston, West Virginia, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2000|12|1|1932|12|26}}
| death_place = Salinas, California, U.S.
}}
Robert V. Barron (December 26, 1932 – December 1, 2000) was an American TV and film director, producer, screenwriter and actor.{{Cite news |date=2000-12-20 |title=Obituary for Robert V. Barron (Aged 67) |pages=18 |work=The Californian |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/75749843/obituary-for-robert-v-barron-aged-67/ |access-date=2023-01-22}} He was best known for his role as the voice of Admiral Donald Hayes in 1980s animated TV series Robotech, of which he also served as the producer. He is also well known for playing Abraham Lincoln in the 1989 comedy film Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure.
Career
Barron attended Morris Harvey College in Charleston, West Virginia, and UCLA. He subsequently trained at American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City, and at Max Reinhardt Workshop in Los Angeles.
He got his entertainment start in radio, co-producing a two-hour Saturday morning radio program, the "Bop Shop," which aired for two years on radio station WGKV-AM (later WHMS and WXIT, now WSWW (AM)) in his hometown of Charleston, West Virginia.
Before permanently moving to California and beginning his Hollywood work, he spent several years in regional theater across the U.S. He built an impressive resumé of glowing reviews of his performances in such roles as Cyrano de Bergerac, Abe Lincoln In Illinois, Sir Thomas More in A Man for All Seasons, Henry Drummond in Inherit the Wind, Richard III, but was never offered major roles in films or television.
In Hollywood, he made acting appearances in television shows such as Quantum Leap, Get a Life, Father Dowling Mysteries, and movies such as The Spring and A Dangerous Place. He also wrote episodes of the NBC television western series Bonanza and the CBS-TV western/spy series Wild, Wild West. Perhaps his best-remembered television script was his first, a lighthearted comedy episode of Bonanza, "Hoss and the Leprechauns".
As a writer, Barron drifted into adapting English dubbing scripts of foreign films. American producers began buying successful Japanese animated series and dubbing them in English, and Barron was a pioneer in that industry, which grew rapidly and enormously. He became executive director and story editor for Saban Productions, which in five years became one of the world's largest producers of children's programming, with such shows as X-Men (1992) and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (1993).
He also made appearances on TV series such as Bonanza, Mannix, Love American Style and Night Court, and played a pool player in an episode of CBS-TV's The Dukes of Hazzard.{{cite web|url=http://www.bemorehealthy.com/BobBarronPage/BobBarronPageLilley.htm|title=Bob Lilley's contributions to the Robert V Barron site|work=bemorehealthy.com|accessdate=August 2, 2015}}
Death
Barron died in December 1, 2000 at age 67 in Salinas, California, and was interred in Salinas's Garden of Memories Memorial Park.{{Cite web |last=admin |date=2000-12-19 |title=Robert Barron Obituary - Death Notice and Service Information |url=https://www.legacy.com/link.asp?i=ls000000034230 |access-date=2023-01-22 |website=Legacy.com |language=en}}
Filmography
=Anime=
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Year !Title !Role !Notes |
| 1980
|Don de la mancha |Doctor / Dream Quixote / Villager 1 |2 episodes; uncredited |
| 1980
|Tomb of Dracula |Al / Narrator / Stud / Tomo / Walla |Uncredited |
| 1981
|Bear / Coach / Frank |Episode: "Arale-chan Tanjou/Ossu! Otomodachi"; uncredited |
| 1981
|Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds |Treville | |
| 1984
|Airshow Announcement | |
| 1985
| |TV movie; credited as Merle Pearson |
| 1985
|Admiral / Detroit Mayor / MC |85 episodes |
| 1985
|Qing bao long hu men |Kramer |Credited as Robert Barron |
| 1985
|Captain Harlock and the Queen of a Thousand Years |Bully / Devlin / General / Major / Walla |65 episodes; uncredited |
| 1986
|Prof. Embry |Credited as Merle Pearson |
| 1986
|Narrator / Geraldan / Computer |Uncredited |
| 1987
|President (USA dub) | |
| 1987
|Elder |Credited as Robert Barron |
=Film=
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Year !Title !Role !Notes |
| 1966
|Donald |Credited as Christian Anderson |
| 1967
|Cousin Elwood |Credited as Christian Anderson |
| 1968
|Luke Reedy |Credited as Christian Anderson |
| 1977
|MacArthur |POW |Uncredited |
| 1980
|Gas Station Attendant | |
| 1982
|Butler at Swingers Party | |
| 1982
|Rocket to Stardom |Farmer |Short Film |
| 1982
|Undertaker | |
| 1983
|A Minor Miracle |Drunk #1 |Credited as Robert Barron |
| 1986
|Old Vet |Credited as Robert Barron |
| 1987
|Funeral Home Director | |
| 1988
|Axelrod | |
| 1989
|Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure | |
| 1989
|The Horror Show |Death-a-Thon Announcer | |
| 1989
|The Spring |Old Indian | |
| 1989
|Goliath / Narrator (voice) | |
| 1994
|A Dangerous Place |Homeless Man |Final Film Role |
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Year !Title !Role !Notes |
| 1964
|Chuck |Episode: "The Girl from Yesterday"; credited as Christian Anderson |
| 1964
|Angry Patron / Club Member |2 episodes |
| 1965–1969
|Servant #2 / Mark Dawson |2 episodes; credited as Christian Anderson |
| 1966–1969
|Cavalry Trooper / Stagecoach Driver / Hunter |3 episodes; credited as Christian Anderson |
| 1967
|Minor Role |Episode: "Where There's Smoke, There's a Dragon" |
| 1967
|Harold |Episode: "Robin Hood and the Sheriff"; credited as Christian Anderson |
| 1967
|George Flowers |Episode: "Firebrand"; credited as Christian Anderson |
| 1968
|Car Rental Manager |Episode: "A View of Nowhere"; uncredited |
| 1972
|Episode: "Love and the Ghost" |
| 1978
|Peter Combs |Episode: "The Haunted Inn" |
| 1979
|Burt |Episode: "The Bank Job" |
| 1980
|Undertaker |2 episodes |
| 1982
|Chickasaw Thins |Episode: "A Little Game of Pool" |
| 1983
|Ace Diamond Private Eye |The Organist |TV movie |
| 1985
|Cook |Episode: "Well Known Secret" |
| 1985
|Curator |Episode: "Alamo Jobe" |
| 1985
|Ray Muntz |Season 3, episode 10 "The Wheels of Justice (Part 2)" |
| 1987
|Jeff Prescott / The Red Ranger |Season 5, episode 7 "Who Was That Mashed Man?" |
| 1987
|Mortician |Episode: "Bride of Boogedy" |
| 1987
|Hippie |Episode: "Hunter's Moon" |
| 1987–1989
|Leonard / Wino |2 episodes |
| 1989
|Abraham Lincoln |Episode: "Honest Evie" |
| 1989
|Celinite Priest |Episode: "Fountain of Youth" |
| 1990
|Tony |Episode: "The Medical Mystery" |
| 1990
|Thanksgiving Day |Father Joe |TV movie |
| 1991
|Abe Lincoln |Episode: "Psychic 2000" |
| 1991
|Frankenstein: The College Years |Prof. Lippzieg |TV movie |
| 1991
|Old Convict |Episode: "Unchained - November 2, 1956" |
| 1993–1994
|Additional Voices |39 episodes |
=Video games=
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Year !Title !Role !Notes |
| 1992
|Brother Stephen |Credited as Robert Barron |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0057715|Robert V. Barron}}
- {{anime News Network|people|7231|Robert V. Barron}}
- [http://www.bemorehealthy.com/BobBarronPage/BobBarronPageLilley.htm Robert V. Barron - a personal appreciation from a friend]
- [http://www.billandted.org/castbarron.htm Robert Barron] tribute page at Bill and Ted website
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barron, Robert V.}}
Category:American male film actors
Category:American male television actors
Category:American male voice actors
Category:Robotech cast and crew
Category:20th-century American male actors
Category:American television writers
Category:American male screenwriters
Category:American television directors
Category:American television producers
Category:Film producers from West Virginia
Category:American voice directors
Category:Screenwriters from West Virginia
Category:American male television writers
Category:Morris Harvey College alumni
Category:Film directors from West Virginia