Cliff Robertson

Cliff Robertson
Robertson in 1981
Born	Clifford Parker Robertson III (1923-09-09)September 9, 1923 San Diego, California, U.S.
Died	September 10, 2011(2011-09-10) (aged 88) Stony Brook, New York, U.S.
Resting place	Cedar Lawn Cemetery, East Hampton, New York, U.S.
Education	La Jolla High School
Alma mater	Antioch College
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1943–2007
Political party	Democratic
Spouses	Cynthia Stone ​ ​ (m. 1957; div. 1959)​ Dina Merrill ​ ​ (m. 1966; div. 1989)​
Children	2

Clifford Parker Robertson III (September 9, 1923 – September 10, 2011) was an American actor whose career in film and television spanned over six decades. Robertson portrayed a young John F. Kennedy in the 1963 film PT 109, and won the 1968 Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the film Charly.

On television, Robertson portrayed retired astronaut

Robertson was an accomplished aviator who served as the founding chairman of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA)'s Young Eagles Program at its inception in the early 1990s. It became the most successful aviation youth advocacy program in history.

Robertson was born in

Robertson's parents divorced when he was one, and his mother died of peritonitis a year later in El Paso, Texas, at the age of 21.^[1][3][6] He was raised by his maternal grandmother, Mary Eleanor "Eleanora" Willingham (née Sawyer, 1875–1957), in California, and rarely saw his father.^[1][3][7] He graduated in 1941 from La Jolla High School, where he was known as "The Walking Phoenix".^[8]

He served as a third mate in the U.S. Merchant Marine during World War II,^[1][9] before attending Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and dropping out to work for a short time as a journalist.^[10]

Robertson studied at the Actors Studio, becoming a life member.^[11] In the early 1950s he worked steadily in television, including a stint as the lead of Rod Brown of the Rocket Rangers (1953–1954). He appeared in Broadway in Late Love (1953–1954) and The Wisteria Trees (1955), the latter written by Joshua Logan.

Robertson made his film debut in Picnic (1955), directed by Logan. Robertson played the role of William Holden's best friend – a part originated on stage by Paul Newman. Newman was under contract to Warner Bros. when the film was being made and was then considered too big a star to reprise his stage performance. Logan's wife recommended Robertson after seeing him in a revival of The Wisteria Trees, and the director remembered him from a Chicago production of Mister Roberts.^[12]

The film was a box office success and Robertson was promoted to Joan Crawford's co-star in Autumn Leaves (1956), also at Columbia Pictures, playing her mentally unstable younger lover. This meant he had to pass up the chance to replace Ben Gazzara on Broadway in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.^[13] However he did return to Broadway to appear in Orpheus Descending by Tennessee Williams, which only had a short run.

Robertson went to RKO to make two films: The Naked and the Dead (1958), an adaptation of the famous novel, co-starring Aldo Ray; and The Girl Most Likely (1958), a musical – the last film made by RKO Studios. Robertson received superb reviews for Days of Wine and Roses on TV with Piper Laurie.

He was in Columbia's Gidget (1959), appearing opposite Sandra Dee as the Big Kahuna. It was popular and led to two sequels, neither of which Robertson appeared in. Less successful was a war film at Columbia, Battle of the Coral Sea (1959).

In 1961, he was the third lead in Paramount's All in a Night's Work, starred in Samuel Fuller's Underworld U.S.A. at Columbia, and supported Esther Williams in The Big Show. He had his first film hit since Gidget with Columbia's The Interns (1962). After supporting Debbie Reynolds in My Six Loves (1963), Robertson was President John F. Kennedy's personal choice to play him in 1963's PT 109.^[14] The film was not a success at the box office.

More popular was Sunday in New York (1963), where Robertson supported Rod Taylor and Jane Fonda, and The Best Man where he was a ruthless presidential candidate.

Robertson appeared in a popular war film 633 Squadron (1964) then supported Lana Turner in a melodrama, Love Has Many Faces (1965). In 1965 he said his contract with Columbia was for one film a year.^[15]

In 1961 Robertson played the lead role in a United States Steel Hour television production titled "The Two Worlds of Charlie Gordon", based on the novel Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes.^[16] Frustrated at the progress of his career, Robertson optioned the rights to the teleplay and hired William Goldman to write a script. Before Goldman completed his work, Robertson arranged for Goldman to be hired to Americanize the dialogue for Masquerade (1965), a spy spoof which Robertson starred in, replacing Rex Harrison.

Robertson then made a war film, Up from the Beach (1965) for Fox and guest-starred on that studio's TV show, Batman (1966). He co-starred with Harrison in The Honey Pot (1967) for Joseph L. Mankiewicz then appeared in another war film, The Devil's Brigade (1968) with William Holden.

Robertson disliked Goldman's Algernon script and replaced the writer with Stirling Silliphant for what became Charly (1968). The film was another box office success and Robertson won the 1968 Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of a mentally-challenged man.

Charly was made by ABC Pictures, which insisted that Robert Aldrich use Robertson in Too Late the Hero (1970), a war film with Michael Caine that was a disappointment at the box office.

Robertson turned down roles in The Anderson Tapes, Straw Dogs (before Peckinpah was involved), and Dirty Harry.^[17] Instead Robertson co-wrote, starred in, and directed J. W. Coop (1972), another commercial disappointment despite excellent reviews.

Looking back on his career, Robertson said: "nobody made more mediocre movies than I did. Nobody ever did such a wide variety of mediocrity".^[17]

In 1969, immediately after winning the Academy Award for Charly, Robertson, a lifelong aviation enthusiast, attempted to produce and direct an aviation film, I Shot Down the Red Baron, I Think, featuring World War I aerial combat, using Lynn Garrison's Irish aviation facility. The comedic storyline portrayed the Red Baron as gay. The aircraft featured garish paint schemes. The film was never completed or released.

Robertson played

Robertson returned to supporting parts in Three Days of the Condor (1975), which was a big hit. He played the lead in Obsession (1976), a popular thriller from Brian De Palma and Paul Schrader, and in the Canadian drama Shoot (1976). He was also one of several stars in Midway (1976).

Robertson turned to television for

From the 1980s and 1990s onwards, Robertson was predominantly a character actor. He played villains in Class (1983) and Brainstorm (1983). He did have the lead in Shaker Run (1985) in New Zealand, and Dreams of Gold: The Mel Fisher Story (1986) on TV.

In addition, he served as the company spokesperson for AT&T from 1983 to 1992 and appeared in various commercials for their long-distance service and consumer telephones.^[19]

He was a villain in

Late in his life, Robertson's career had a resurgence. He appeared as Uncle Ben Parker in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man (2002), as well as in the sequels Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Spider-Man 3 (2007; his last acting role). He commented on his website: "Since Spider-Man 1 and 2, I seem to have a whole new generation of fans. That in itself is a fine residual."^[20] He also starred in and wrote 13th Child (2002) and appeared in Riding the Bullet (2004), both horror films.

In 1989, he was a member of the jury at the 39th Berlin International Film Festival.^[21]

Robertson's early television appearances included a starring role in the live space opera Rod Brown of the Rocket Rangers (1953–1954), as well as recurring roles on Hallmark Hall of Fame (1952), Alcoa Theatre (1959), and Playhouse 90 (1958, 1960), Outlaws (three episodes). Robertson also appeared as a special guest star on Wagon Train for one episode, portraying an Irish immigrant.

In 1958, Robertson portrayed Joe Clay in the first broadcast of Playhouse 90's

In 1976, he portrayed a retired Buzz Aldrin in an adaptation of Aldrin's autobiography Return to Earth. The next year, he portrayed a fictional Director of Central Intelligence (based on Richard Helms) in Washington: Behind Closed Doors, an adaptation of John Ehrlichman's roman à clef The Company, in turn based on the Watergate scandal. In 1987, he portrayed Henry Ford in Ford: The Man and The Machine. From 1983 to 1984, he played Dr. Michael Ranson in Falcon Crest.

In 1977, Robertson discovered that his signature had been forged on a $10,000 check payable to him, although it was for work he had not performed. He also learned that the forgery had been carried out by then-Columbia Pictures head David Begelman, and on reporting it he inadvertently triggered one of the biggest Hollywood scandals of the 1970s.^[22] Begelman was charged with embezzlement, convicted, and later fired from Columbia. Despite pressure to remain quiet, Robertson and his wife Dina Merrill spoke to the press. As a result of coming forward with the scandal, the studio blacklisted him and refused to make another film with him in it until 2002's Spider-Man.^[23]

He finally returned to studio film five years later, starring in Brainstorm (1983).^[10][24] The story of the scandal is told in David McClintick's 1982 bestseller, Indecent Exposure.

In 1957, Robertson married actress

In 1969, during the civil war conflict in Nigeria, Robertson helped organize an effort to fly food and medical supplies into the area. He also organized flights of supplies to the ravaged country of Ethiopia when it experienced famine in 1978.^[27]

Robertson was flying a private Beechcraft Baron over New York City on the morning of September 11, 2001, two days after his 78th birthday. He was directly above the World Trade Center, climbing through 7,500 feet when the first Boeing 767 struck. He was instructed by air traffic control to land immediately at the nearest airport after a nationwide order to ground all civilian and commercial aircraft following the attacks.^[31]

He was a longtime member of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), working his way through the ranks in prominence and eventually co-founding the Young Eagles Program with EAA president Tom Poberezny. Robertson chaired the program from its 1992 inception to 1994 (succeeded by former test pilot Chuck Yeager). Along with educating youth about aviation, the initial goal of the Young Eagles was to fly one million children (many of them never having flown before) prior to the 100th Anniversary of Flight celebration on December 17, 2003. That goal was achieved on November 13, 2003. On July 28, 2016, the two millionth Young Eagle was flown by actor Harrison Ford.^[32] Within the EAA, he also founded the Cliff Robertson Work Experience in 1993, which offers youths the chance to work for flight and ground school instruction.^[33]

On September 10, 2011, one day after his 88th birthday, Robertson died of natural causes in Stony Brook, New York.^[34][35] His body was cremated, and a private funeral was held at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in East Hampton, New York and was interred at the Cedar Lawn Cemetery.

Robertson was inducted into the

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} Keepnews, Peter (September 11, 2011). "Cliff Robertson, Oscar-Winning Rebel, Dies at 88". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 11, 2011. Retrieved September 11, 2011.
2. ^ California Births, 1905–1995 Archived November 15, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Familytreelegends.com
3. ^ ^{a b c d} Green, Michelle (December 5, 1983). "Cliff Robertson profile at". People. Archived from the original on March 11, 2012. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
4. ^ Mother's birth and death information per records accessed on ancestry.com on September 12, 2011
5. ^ Father's birthplace accessed on ancestry.com on September 12, 2011
6. ^ Mother's death information per records accessed on ancestry.com on September 12, 2011
7. ^ Grandmother's name and dates accessed on ancestry.com on September 12, 2011
8. ^ "Cliff Robertson/Hollywood Walk of Fame". Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Archived from the original on December 1, 2011. Retrieved September 11, 2011.
9. ^ The National Museum of the Pacific War: Center for Pacific War Studies - Interview with Mr. Cliff Robertson. December 7, 2001. Archived April 17, 2021, at the Wayback Machine National Museum of the Pacific War. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
10. ^ ^{a b} Cliff Robertson biodata Archived May 22, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, yahoo.com; accessed April 26, 2015.
11. ISBN 0-02-542650-8
    .
12. ISBN 9780440062585
    .
13. ^ Schallert, E. (August 18, 1955). "Cliff Robertson wins plum Crawford lead; Lance Fuller starred". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 166816412.
14. ^ Hoberman, J. (August 26, 2003). "Lights, Camera, Exploitation". Village Voice. Archived from the original on June 30, 2008. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
15. ^ Hopper, H. (August 8, 1965). "Cliff Robertson: Career that's flying high". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 155264948.
16. ^ "U.S. Steel Hour: "The Two Worlds of Charlie Gordon" (2/22/1961)". YouTube. 18 April 2018. Archived from the original on January 16, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
17. ^ ^{a b} A. H. (July 16, 1972). "Cliff Robertson flies the 'coop' to glory". The New York Times. ProQuest 119540258.
18. ^ Bruce McCabe, G. S. (September 8, 1980). "Cliff Robertson Bringing Charly Back to South Boston". The Boston Globe. ProQuest 293973554.
19. ^ Horovitz, Bruce (April 19, 1993). "AT&T Appears Eager to Call Up a New Image". The Los Angeles Times. p. 56.
20. ^ "Cliff Robertson's Career Achievements" Archived October 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 14, 2007.
21. ^ "Berlinale: 1989 Juries". berlinale.de. Archived from the original on February 15, 2016. Retrieved March 9, 2011.
22. ^ "Cliff Robertson". The Telegraph. London. September 11, 2011. Archived from the original on May 26, 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
23. ^ Lee, G. (March 28, 1980). "The Lonely Ordeal of Cliff Robertson". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 162762482.
24. ^ McClintick, David. Indecent Exposure: A True Story of Hollywood and Wall Street, William Morrow and Company, 1982.
25. ^ "Career Achievements". Official Website of Cliff Robertson. Archived from the original on October 6, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2011.
26. ^ "Cliff Robertson obituary: Oscar-winning actor". Los Angeles Times. September 10, 2011. Archived from the original on May 22, 2017. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
27. ^ ^{a b} Hall, Bob. Southeastern Antiquing and Collecting Magazine. Cliff Robertson Collects Vintage AircraftArticle on Robertson's private aviation collection Archived December 10, 2004, at the Wayback Machine. 2004.
28. ^ First Cross-Country Soaring or (You Ain't John Wayne – Robertson) Archived November 16, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
29. ^ Gene Smith (December 1987). "Real Airport Kids Never Grow Up". Air Progress.
30. ^ "National Aviation Hall of Fame article on Cliff Robertson". Archived from the original on June 18, 2007. Retrieved September 26, 2006.
31. ^ Official Cliff Robertson site Archived October 2, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
32. ^ "Harrison Ford Flies 2 Millionth Young Eagle". Archived from the original on August 20, 2016. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
33. ^ "Cliff Robertson Work Experience". Archived from the original on March 12, 2017. Retrieved March 9, 2017.
34. ^ "Cliff Robertson, who played JFK in 'PT-109', dies". Yahoo! News. September 11, 2011. Archived from the original on December 17, 2011. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
35. ^ "US film actor Cliff Robertson dies aged 88". BBC. September 11, 2011. Archived from the original on September 11, 2011. Retrieved September 11, 2011.
36. ^ "Award Winners". August 28, 2010. Archived from the original on August 28, 2010. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
37. ISBN 978-1-57864-397-4
    .
38. ^ Bergqvist, Pia (2011-09-13). "Legendary Actor and Aviator Cliff Robertson Dies at 88". FLYING Magazine. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
39. ^ "Cliff Robertson's La Jolla roots went deep". San Diego Union-Tribune. 2011-09-15. Retrieved 2025-01-14.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cliff Robertson.

• Cliff Robertson at
  IMDb
• Cliff Robertson at the Internet Broadway Database
• Cliff Robertson at the TCM Movie Database
• Interview in the Archive of American Television
• Warbird Registry entry on MK923
• "Cliff Robertson, 1923–2011: Actor, Writer, Producer and Director", a
  Special English presentation of Voice of America
• Biography in the National Aviation Hall of Fame