Jump to content

Robert Blake (actor)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Murder of Bonnie Lee Bakley)

Robert Blake
Blake in 1977
Born
Michael James Gubitosi

(1933-09-18)September 18, 1933
Nutley, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedMarch 9, 2023(2023-03-09) (aged 89)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other names
  • Bobby Blake
  • Lyman P. Docker
  • Mickey Gubitosi
OccupationActor
Years active1939–1997
Spouses
  • Sondra Kerr
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1961; div. 1983)​
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 2000; died 2001)​
  • Pamela Hudak
    ​
    ​
    (m. 2017; div. 2019)​
Children3

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.[1]

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 Latino 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".[2]

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,[3][4] though he was found liable in a civil court for her wrongful death.[5] Blake died in 2023.

Early life

[edit]

Blake was born Michael James Gubitosi in Nutley, New Jersey, on September 18, 1933.[6] His parents were Giacomo (James) Gubitosi and his wife, Elizabeth Cafone.[7] In 1930, James worked as a die setter for a can manufacturer. Eventually, Blake's parents began a song-and-dance act.[2] In 1936, their three children began performing, billed as "The Three Little Hillbillies."[2] They moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1938, where the children began working as movie extras.[7]

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.[2] At age 14, he ran away from home, leading to several more difficult years.[8] His father died by suicide in 1956.[2] He refused to attend his father's funeral.[9]

Child actor

[edit]
Blake in 1944
Blake as "Little Beaver" in a Red Ryder 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.[10]

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.[11] 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.[12]

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.[13][14]

Career as an adult

[edit]

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.[15] 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.[16]

Paul Burke 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] 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."[17]

In 1967, Blake experienced a career breakout due to his work in the film In Cold Blood.[18][19] 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.[20] With In Cold Blood, Blake was the first actor to utter the expletive "bullshit" in a mainstream American motion picture.[21]

As Baretta with Fred, 1976

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[22] (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.[23] In addition to starring, Blake also was credited as the executive producer and creator.[23] Three television films aired on NBC in 1981 and 1983, but a television series of "Joe Dancer" never materialized.[23]

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.[24] 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

[edit]

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).[25]

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.[26] 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.[27] Bakley wrote letters describing her dubious motives to Blake.[28] Blake insisted that she take a DNA test to prove the paternity.[27] 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.[29] 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.[30][31] 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.[32] 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.[33] On December 7, 2018, it was announced that Blake had filed for divorce.[34]

Murder of Bonny Lee Bakley

[edit]

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.[35]

Arrest

[edit]
Blake's 2002 mug shot

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 "Duffy" Hambleton, agreed to testify against him.[36] 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.[37] 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.[38][39]

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.[40] 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.[41] 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.[41]

Trial and acquittal

[edit]

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.[41] 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.[42]

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.[43][44] 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.[45] On the night of his acquittal several fans celebrated at Blake's favorite haunt – and the scene of the crime – Vitello's.[46]

Civil case

[edit]

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.[47]

On November 18, 2005, a jury found Blake liable for the wrongful death of his wife and ordered him to pay $30 million.[48] On February 3, 2006, Blake filed for bankruptcy.

Blake's attorney, M. Gerald Schwartzbach, appealed the court's decision on February 28, 2007.[49] On April 26, 2008, an appeals court upheld the civil case verdict, but cut Blake's penalty assessment to $15 million.[50]

Aftermath

[edit]

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.[51] On April 9, 2010, the state of California filed a tax lien against Blake for $1,110,878 in unpaid back taxes.[52]

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.[53]

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.[54][55][56]

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.[57]

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".[58]

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 can be ordered.[59]

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.[60]

Death

[edit]

Blake died from heart disease in Los Angeles, on March 9, 2023, aged 89.[61][62][63]

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."[64] Blake was not mentioned during the televised "In Memoriam" portion of the ceremony.[65] Blake's son, Noah criticised his father's name and career being left out.[66] Blake was also left out of the "In Memoriam" montage at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony.[67] Blake was featured in the 2023 'TCM Remembers' montage, an annual tribute to the film industry's dearly departed by Turner Classic Movies.[68]

Filmography

[edit]

Film

[edit]
Year Film Role Notes Ref.
1939 Bridal Suite Toto Uncredited
1939 Joy Scouts Mickey Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi
1939 Auto Antics Mickey Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi
1939 Captain Spanky's Showboat Mickey Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi
1939 Dad for a Day Mickey Short film
1939 Time Out for Lessons Mickey Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi
1940 Alfalfa's Double Mickey Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi
1940 The Big Premiere Mickey Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi
1940 All About Hash Mickey Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi
1940 The New Pupil Mickey Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi
1940 Spots Before Your Eyes Kid Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi [69]
1940 Bubbling Troubles Mickey Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi
1940 I Love You Again Edward Littlejohn Jr. Uncredited [69]
1940 Good Bad Boys Mickey Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi
1940 Waldo's Last Stand Mickey Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi
1940 Goin' Fishin' Mickey Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi
1940 Kiddie Kure Mickey Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi
1941 Fightin' Fools Mickey Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi
1941 Baby Blues Mickey Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi
1941 Ye Olde Minstrels Mickey Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi
1941 1-2-3 Go Mickey Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi
1941 Robot Wrecks Mickey Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi
1941 Helping Hands Mickey Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi
1941 Come Back, Miss Pipps Mickey Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi
1941 Wedding Worries Mickey Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi
1941 Main Street on the March! Schulte Child Short film; uncredited
1942 Melodies Old and New Mickey Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi
1942 Going to Press Mickey Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi
1942 Mokey Daniel "Mokey" Delano Credited as Bobby Blake [69]
1942 Don't Lie Mickey Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi
1942 Kid Glove Killer Boy in Car Uncredited [69]
1942 Surprised Parties Mickey Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi
1942 Doin' Their Bit Mickey Short film; uncredited
1942 Rover's Big Chance Mickey Short film
1942 Mighty Lak a Goat Mickey Short film
1942 Unexpected Riches Mickey Short film
1942 Andy Hardy's Double Life "Tooky" Stedman [69]
1942 China Girl Chandu [69]
1943 Benjamin Franklin, Jr. Mickey Short film
1943 Family Troubles Mickey Short film
1943 Slightly Dangerous Boy on Porch Uncredited
1943 Calling All Kids Mickey Short film
1943 Farm Hands Mickey Short film
1943 Election Daze Mickey Short film
1943 Salute to the Marines Junior Carson Uncredited
1943 Little Miss Pinkerton Mickey Short film
1943 Three Smart Guys Mickey Short film
1943 Lost Angel Jerry
1944 Radio Bugs Mickey Short film
1944 Tale of a Dog Mickey Short film
1944 Dancing Romeo Mickey Short film
1944 Tucson Raiders Little Beaver [69]
1944 Meet the People Jimmy Smith Uncredited
1944 Marshal of Reno Little Beaver
1944 The Seventh Cross Small Boy Uncredited [69]
1944 The San Antonio Kid Little Beaver [69]
1944 The Big Noise Egbert Hartley [69]
1944 Cheyenne Wildcat Little Beaver [69]
1944 The Woman in the Window Dickie Wanley Uncredited [69]
1944 Vigilantes of Dodge City Little Beaver
1944 Sheriff of Las Vegas Little Beaver
1945 Great Stagecoach Robbery Little Beaver [69]
1945 Pillow to Post Wilbur
1945 The Horn Blows at Midnight Junior Poplinski
1945 Lone Texas Ranger Little Beaver [69]
1945 Phantom of the Plains Little Beaver [69]
1945 Marshal of Laredo Little Beaver
1945 Colorado Pioneers Little Beaver
1945 Dakota Little Boy
1945 Wagon Wheels Westward Little Beaver [69]
1946 A Guy Could Change Alan Schroeder [69]
1946 California Gold Rush Little Beaver
1946 Sheriff of Redwood Valley Little Beaver
1946 Home on the Range Cub Garth
1946 Sun Valley Cyclone Little Beaver
1946 In Old Sacramento Newsboy
1946 Conquest of Cheyenne Little Beaver
1946 Santa Fe Uprising Little Beaver
1946 Out California Way Danny McCoy [69]
1946 Stagecoach to Denver Little Beaver
1946 Humoresque Paul Boray as a Child [69]
1947 Vigilantes of Boomtown Little Beaver [69]
1947 Homesteaders of Paradise Valley Little Beaver [69]
1947 Oregon Trail Scouts Little Beaver
1947 Rustlers of Devil's Canyon Little Beaver
1947 Marshal of Cripple Creek Little Beaver
1947 The Return of Rin Tin Tin Paul the Refugee Lad [69]
1947 The Last Round-up Mike Henry [69]
1948 The Treasure of the Sierra Madre Mexican Boy Selling Lottery Tickets Uncredited [69]
1950 Black Hand Enrico, Naples Bus Boy Uncredited
1950 The Black Rose Mahmoud [69]
1952 Apache War Smoke Luis Herrera
1953 Treasure of the Golden Condor Stable Boy Uncredited
1953 The Veils of Bagdad Beggar Boy
1956 Screaming Eagles Pvt. Hernandez
1956 The Rack Italian soldier Uncredited
1956 Rumble on the Docks Chuck [69]
1957 Three Violent People Rafael Ortega
1957 The Tijuana Story Enrique Acosta Mesa
1958 The Beast of Budapest Karolyi [69]
1958 Revolt in the Big House Rudy Hernandez [69]
1959 Pork Chop Hill Pvt. Velie [69]
1959 Battle Flame Cpl. Jake Pacheco [69]
1959 The Purple Gang William Joseph "Honeyboy" Willard [69]
1961 Town Without Pity Corporal Jim Larkin [69]
1963 PT 109 Charles "Bucky" Harris [69]
1965 The Greatest Story Ever Told Simon the Zealot [69]
1966 This Property Is Condemned Sidney [69]
1967 In Cold Blood Perry Smith [69]
1969 Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here Willie Boy [69]
1972 Ripped Off Teddy "Cherokee" Wilson
1972 Corky Corky [69]
1973 Electra Glide in Blue Officer John Wintergreen [69]
1974 Busting Farrell [69]
1980 Coast to Coast Charles Callahan [69]
1981 Second-Hand Hearts Loyal Muke [69]
1995 Money Train Donald Patterson [69]
1997 Lost Highway The Mystery Man Final film role [69]

Television

[edit]
Year Film Role Notes Ref.
1952 The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok Rain Cloud Episode: "The Professor's Daughter"
1953 Fireside Theatre Johnny Episode: "Night in the Warehouse"
1953 The Cisco Kid Davy / Alfredo 2 episodes
1956 The Roy Rogers Show Unknown character Episode: "Paleface Justice"
1956–1958 Broken Arrow Viklai / Machogee / Young Apache Warrior 3 episodes
1957 Official Detective Al Madsen Episode: "The Hostages"
1957 Men of Annapolis Ed Episode: "The White Hat"
1957 26 Men Tobe Hackett Episode: "Trade Me Deadly"
1957 Whirlybirds Jose Episode: "The Runaway"
1957 The Court of Last Resort Tomas Mendoza Episode: "The Tomas Mendoza Case"
1958 The Millionaire Clark Davis Episode: "The John Richards Story"
1958 The Restless Gun Lupe Sandoval Episode: "Thunder Valley"
1958 The Californians Cass Episode: "The Long Night"
1959 Black Saddle Wayne Robinson Episode: "Client: Robinson"
1959 Playhouse 90 Unknown character Episode: "A Trip to Paradise"
1959 Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre CSA Cpl. Michael Bers Episode: "Heritage"
1960 The Rebel Virgil Moss Episode: "He's Only a Boy"
1960 Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond Tom Episode: "Gyspy"
1960–1962 Have Gun - Will Travel Lauro / Jessie May Turnbow / Smollet 3 episodes
1961 Bat Masterson Bill-Bill MacWilliams Episode: "No Amnesty for Death"
1961 Wagon Train Johnny Kamen Episode: "The Joe Muharich Story"
1961 Naked City Knox Maquon 2 episodes
1961 Laramie Lame Wolf Episode: "Wolf Club"
1961–1962 Straightaway Chu Chu 2 episodes
1962 Ben Casey Jesse Verdugo Episode: "Imagine a Long Bright Corridor"
1962 Cain's Hundred Rick Carter Episode: "A Creature Lurks in Ambush"
1962 The New Breed Bobby Madero Episode: "My Brother's Keeper"
1963–1964 The Richard Boone Show Various 14 episodes
1965 Slattery's People Jerry Leon Episode: "Question: Does Nero Still at Ringside Sit?"
1965 The Trials of O'Brien Joe Rooney Episode: "Bargain Day on the Street of Regret"
1965 Rawhide Max Gufler / Hap Johnson 2 episodes
1965–1966 The F.B.I. Junior / Pete Cloud 2 episodes
1966 Twelve O'Clock High Lt. Johnny Eagle Episode: "A Distant Cry"
1966 Death Valley Days Billy the Kid Episode: "The Kid from Hell's Kitchen"
1975–1978 Baretta Detective Anthony Vincenzo "Tony" Baretta 82 episodes
1977 29th Primetime Emmy Awards Co-host With Angie Dickinson
1981 The Big Black Pill Joe Dancer Television film [69]
1981 The Monkey Mission Joe Dancer Television film [69]
1981 Of Mice and Men George Milton Television film [69]
1982 Saturday Night Live Host Episode: "Robert Blake/Kenny Loggins"
1983 Blood Feud Jimmy Hoffa Miniseries [69]
1983 Murder 1, Dancer 0 Joe Dancer Television film [69]
1985 Hell Town Noah "Hardstep" Rivers 13 episodes [69]
1985 Heart of a Champion: The Ray Mancini Story Lenny Mancini Television film [69]
1993 Judgment Day: The John List Story John List Television film [69]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Scott, A. O. (November 4, 2005). "In Cold Blood". The New York Times.
  2. ^ a b c d e Newton, Michael (2008). Celebrities and crime. Infobase Publishing. pp. 84–90. ISBN 9780791094020. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
  3. ^ LeDuff, Charles (March 5, 2005). "Actor's Trial, Complete With Pulp Novel Characters, Draws to a Close". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 6, 2005. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
  4. ^ LeDuff, Charles (March 17, 2005). "'Baretta' Star Acquitted of Murder in Wife's Death". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 8, 2005. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
  5. ^ "Actor Is Ordered to Pay $30 Million in Killing". The New York Times. November 19, 2005. Archived from the original on April 2, 2009. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
  6. ^ Blake, Robert (2015). Tales of a Rascal: What I Did for Love. Black Rainbow Productions. p. 169. ISBN 978-0-61-559194-0.
  7. ^ a b Steven Chermak; Bailey, Frankie Y. (January 25, 2016), Crimes of the Centuries: Notorious Crimes, Criminals, and Criminal Trials in American History, ABC-CLIO, p. 89, ISBN 978-1-61069-594-7, archived from the original on April 8, 2023, retrieved March 16, 2023
  8. ^ King, Gary C. "Robert Blake and the Murder of Bonny Lee Bakley". Tru TV. p. 15. Archived from the original on May 2, 2009. Retrieved May 5, 2009.
  9. ^ "'Baretta' Actor Robert Blake, Who Was Charged And Later Acquitted In Wife's Murder, Dies At 89". Oxygen Official Site. March 10, 2023.
  10. ^ Maltin, Leonard; Richard W. Bann (1992) [1977]. The Little Rascals: The Life & Times of Our Gang (Rev. ed.). Crown Publishing/Three Rivers Press. ISBN 0-517-58325-9.
  11. ^ "Mokey". prod.tcm.com. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  12. ^ "16th Annual Youth in Film Awards". YoungArtistAwards.org. Archived from the original on August 20, 2010. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
  13. ^ "The Black Rose (1950) - Robert Blake as Mahmoud". IMDb. Archived from the original on May 1, 2024. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  14. ^ "Black Hand (1950) - Robert Blake as Enrico - Naples Bus Boy". IMDB. Archived from the original on May 1, 2024. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  15. ^ The Robert Blake Interview Playboy Magazine (June 1977)
  16. ^ Geiger, Dorian (March 11, 2023). "'Baretta' Actor Robert Blake, Who Was Charged And Later Acquitted In Wife's Murder, Dies At 89". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  17. ^ "Late Late Show With Tom Snyder, Robert Blake 2/26/99". www.youtube.com. YouTube. December 26, 2023. Archived from the original on February 1, 2024. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  18. ^ "17 Years After Being Accused Of His Wife's Murder, Actor Robert Blake Opened Up About The Crime". January 9, 2020.
  19. ^ Group, Sinclair Broadcast (January 6, 2016). "Video Vault | Las Vegas connection to 'In Cold Blood'". KSNV. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2020. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  20. ^ "The 40th Academy Awards (1968) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
  21. ^ "ImDB Trivia In Cold Blood". IMDb.
  22. ^ "Robert Blake". Getty Images. 1975. Archived from the original on January 18, 2018. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  23. ^ a b c Pitts, Michael R. (1991). Famous Movie Detectives II. Scarecrow Press, Inc. p. 243. ISBN 9780810823457. joe dancer robert blake.
  24. ^ Terrace, Vincent (1997). Experimental Television, Test Films, Pilots, and Trial Series, 1925 Through 1995: Seven Decades of Small Screen Almosts. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-0178-9. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
  25. ^ McDougal, Dennis; Murphy, Mary (February 17, 2015). Blood Cold: Fame, Sex, and Murder in Hollywood. Open Road Media. p. 23. ISBN 978-1-5040-0596-8.
  26. ^ "A Question Of Guilt: The Bakley Murder: Who Killed Bonny Lee Bakley?". CBS. August 5, 2002. Archived from the original on November 15, 2013. Retrieved April 2, 2007.
  27. ^ a b King, Gary C. "Robert Blake and the Murder of Bonny Lee Bakley". Tru TV. p. 5. Archived from the original on May 2, 2009. Retrieved May 5, 2009.
  28. ^ "Excerpts from letters written by victim found in defendant's home". Court TV Online. March 6, 2003. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved April 2, 2007.
  29. ^ Hewitt, Bill (May 6, 2002). "Cast as a Killer". People. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
  30. ^ "20/20: Actor Robert Blake, 85, Happy To Get Rid of 3/4 of His Brain". 2paragraphs.com. Archived from the original on March 8, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  31. ^ Sweetingham, Lisa (January 26, 2005). "Lawyer calls Blake custody agreement 'abusive'". cnn.com. Archived from the original on July 17, 2012. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
  32. ^ Staff (March 15, 2016). "Love At Any Age? 82-Year-Old Robert Blake Debuts New Mystery Lady". Radar Online. Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  33. ^ "Robert Blake 83 to Marry Wife number 3". Inside Edition. March 14, 2017. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  34. ^ "Robert Blake Files For Divorce From Wife Pamela Hudak One Year After Getting Married". TMZ. December 7, 2018. Archived from the original on December 8, 2018. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  35. ^ "Library". truTV.[permanent dead link]
  36. ^ "Stuntmen key witnesses vs. Blake". Court TV Online. April 25, 2002. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved April 2, 2007.
  37. ^ Sweetingham, Lisa (February 8, 2005). "Stuntman: Actor Robert Blake offered me $10,000 to 'pop' his wife". CNN. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  38. ^ Sweetingham, Lisa (January 20, 2005). "Author: Police suspected Robert Blake hours after wife was slain". Court TV Online. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved April 2, 2007.
  39. ^ Sweetingham, Lisa (February 1, 2005). "Scene is set in Blake case; cue stuntmen". Court TV Online. Archived from the original on November 1, 2006. Retrieved April 2, 2007.
  40. ^ "Blake Pleads Not Guilty - The Washington Post". The Washington Post. March 27, 2003. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  41. ^ a b c "The State v. Robert Blake". Archived from the original on May 20, 2012. Retrieved May 18, 2012.
  42. ^ "The State v. Robert Blake". Archived from the original on August 27, 2011. Retrieved May 18, 2012.
  43. ^ "Blake jurors want apology from D.A." Associated Press. March 25, 2005. Retrieved July 9, 2009.
  44. ^ Riley, John (March 17, 2005). "Little motive, plenty doubt". Newsday. Archived from the original on October 23, 2008. Retrieved April 2, 2007.
  45. ^ "Blake's Hollywood Ending: Legal Analyst Andrew Cohen Breaks Down Acquittals". CBS. March 16, 2005. Archived from the original on October 30, 2013. Retrieved April 2, 2007.
  46. ^ "Fans Flock to Vitello's to Celebrate Verdict". Los Angeles Daily News. March 17, 2005. Archived from the original on November 14, 2012. Retrieved January 16, 2009.
  47. ^ Dubin, Eric (October 1, 2007). The Star Chamber: How Celebrities Go Free and Their Lawyers Become Famous. Los Angeles: Phoenix Books. p. 180. ISBN 978-1597775533.
  48. ^ "CNN.com – Actor Blake liable in wife's death – Nov 18, 2005". CNN. Archived from the original on April 20, 2010. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
  49. ^ Deutsch, Linda (February 28, 2007). "Robert Blake appeals $30M civil verdict". Monterey County Herald. Retrieved April 2, 2007.[permanent dead link]
  50. ^ "Actor Blake loses US court appeal". BBC News. April 27, 2008. Archived from the original on March 10, 2023. Retrieved April 27, 2008.
  51. ^ "DETNEWS | Weblogs | Tax Watchdog". Archived from the original on July 24, 2010. Retrieved August 17, 2010.
  52. ^ "Actor Robert Blake Hit with $1.1 Million Tax Lien". Webcpa.com. June 23, 2010. Archived from the original on March 2, 2012. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
  53. ^ "Robert Blake on his murdered wife Bonnie Lee Bakley". CNN. Archived from the original on May 17, 2014. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  54. ^ "20/20: Actor Robert Blake, 85, Happy To Get Rid of 3/4 of His Brain=2.paragraphs.com". Archived from the original on February 11, 2019. Retrieved January 11, 2019..
  55. ^ "20/20: Robert Blake (01/11/2019)". Archived from the original on August 16, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2019..
  56. ^ "20/20: Robert Blake (01/11/2019)". Archived from the original on August 16, 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2021..
  57. ^ "Robert Blake I Ain't Dead Yet". YouTube. Retrieved September 1, 2019..
  58. ^ "Daughter of actor Robert Blake opens up 2 decades after her mother's death". Good Morning America. Archived from the original on October 18, 2019. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
  59. ^ "Robert Blake's Pushcart.com". Robert Blake’s Pushcart. Archived from the original on July 16, 2021.
  60. ^ "Quentin Tarantino's 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' Novel is a Fascinating, Frustrating Display of the Filmmaker's Strengths and Weaknesses=Slashfilm.com". July 6, 2021. Archived from the original on July 6, 2021. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
  61. ^ Haring, Bruce (March 9, 2023). "Robert Blake Dies: Actor In 'Baretta' And 'In Cold Blood' Was 89, Beat Real-Life Murder Rap". Deadline. Archived from the original on March 10, 2023. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  62. ^ "Robert Blake, actor who was once tried for murder, dies at 89". BBC News. March 10, 2023. Archived from the original on March 10, 2023. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  63. ^ "'Baretta' actor Robert Blake dead at 89". United Press International.
  64. ^ "Jimmy Kimmel Makes Joke About Robert Blake Being Included in In Memoriam Segment at Oscars 2023". People. March 12, 2023. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  65. ^ "Oscars' In Memoriam segment missed some big names - Los Angeles Times". Los Angeles Times. March 12, 2023. Archived from the original on March 14, 2023. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  66. ^ "Robert Blake's Son Says Oscars Disrespectful for 'Memoriam' Omission". TMZ. March 14, 2023. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  67. ^ "In Memoriam: 75th Emmy Awards". emmys.com. 2024.
  68. ^ "Remembrance done right: How TCM has perfected the 'in memoriam' montage". npr.org. 2024.
  69. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az "Robert Blake". BFI. Archived from the original on May 22, 2017. Retrieved March 10, 2023.

Further reading

[edit]
  • 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.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Robert Blake (actor).
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_Blake_(actor)&oldid=1256274392#Murder_of_Bonny_Lee_Bakley"