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.
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.
Early life and education
Robertson was born in La Jolla, California,[1][2] the son of Clifford Parker Robertson Jr. (1902–1968) and his first wife, Audrey Olga Robertson (née Willingham; 1903–1925).[a][4] His Texas-born father was described as "the idle heir to a tidy sum of ranching money".[5] Robertson once said, "[My father] was a very romantic figure – tall, handsome. He married four or five times, and between marriages he'd pop in to see me. He was a great raconteur, and he was always surrounded by sycophants who let him pick up the tab. During the Great Depression, he tapped the trust for $500,000, and six months later he was back for more."[3]
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]
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.
Columbia
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]
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).
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]
Charly
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 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.
Stardom
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 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 Washington: Behind Closed Doors (1977), then had the lead in a thriller, Dominique (1978). He returned to directing for The Pilot (1980), also playing the title role, an alcoholic flyer. Robertson played Hugh Hefner in Star 80 (1983). He attempted to make Charly II in 1980 but it did not happen.[18]
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]
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.
Robertson's early television appearances included a starring role in the live space operaRod 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 Days of Wine and Roses. In 1960, he was cast as Martinus Van Der Brig, a con man, in the episode "End of a Dream" of Riverboat.
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, Columbia blacklisted him and would not 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.
Robertson was a Democrat and supported Arizona congressman Morris K. Udall during the 1976 Democratic presidential primaries.[26]
Aviation
A certified private pilot, one of Robertson's main hobbies was flying and, among other aircraft, he owned several de Havilland Tiger Moths, a Messerschmitt Bf 108, and a genuine World War II–era Mk. IX Supermarine Spitfire (MK923).[27][28] His first plane flight was in a Lockheed Model 9 Orion. As a 13-year-old, he cleaned hangars for airplane rides. He met Paul Mantz, Art Scholl, and Charles Lindbergh while flying at local California airports.[29] His piloting skills helped him get the part as the squadron leader in the British war film 633 Squadron. He entered balloon races, including one in 1964 from the mainland to Catalina Island that ended with him being rescued from the Pacific Ocean. He was also a glider pilot and owned a Grob Astir.[30]
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]
Young Eagles
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]
^Several obituaries have stated that Robertson was adopted by his parents. However, the California Birth Index of 1905–1995 states that Clifford P. Robertson was born to a mother whose maiden name was Willingham, in Los Angeles County, California, on September 9, 1923. He was adopted by his maternal grandmother upon his mother's death.[3]
Чу Си Гён Дата рождения 22 декабря 1876(1876-12-22) Дата смерти 27 июля 1914(1914-07-27) (37 лет) Страна Корея Род деятельности лингвист Медиафайлы на Викискладе Чу Си Гён (22 декабря 1876 — 27 июля 1914) — корейский учёный. Один из основателей корейской лингвистики. Вместе с ученикам
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