Stan Paregien, Editor
Cliff Robertson
Cliff Robertson was born Clifford Parker Robertson III on Sept. 9, 1925 in LaJolla, CA.
"I started as a reporter on a daily newspaper," he says, "then I fell in with a bad crowd, went to Broadway and fell into this line of work."
Robertson was more serious than joking with that line. He has a loathing of Hollywood that is deep and well founded, and it's something he makes no effort to conceal. "I don't live in the Land of La," he spits out. "I come in, do my work, take the money and run like hell. I live way out in the boonies, the far end of Long Island."
When he was working as a newspaper reporter in the Midwest back in the 1940s, he "was accused of being able to put one word in front of another and was told I should write for the theatre instead of a daily."
Cliff Robertson took up drama in high school simply because it was the only "legal" way to cut classes. Then he served in the military during World War II.
He says he started work "as a journalist. I never intended to be an actor, but you can see what happens when you fall in with bad companions. I went to Antioch College in Ohio and wrote for the Springfield Daily News. They accused me of being able to write, but it was suggested that I consider writing for the theater instead of a deadline. I ventured into New York exploring the possibility of writing for the theater, although I didn't know a damn thing about it.
"I took a job with some regional companies to learn the craft. I drove a truck. I learned how to build flats. And I acted because everybody in the company had to act. I was a cocky WASP from La Jolla and I was in an environment that was hardly La Jolla.
"The actors took themselves and the theater very seriously and I didn't. I didn't care much at all or try very hard, and now I look back on my attitude in that period as shameful. Nevertheless, I was lucky to get good reviews and got some jobs in off-Broadway and finally Broadway. Then I was accepted in the Actors Studio so I got my training and began to learn how little I knew.
"Eventually I did my first film in Hollywood. I came out West, said the lines, picked up the check and went home. And I still do it that way. I never really lived in Lala Land, never embraced the lifestyle."
His first extensive stage work consisted of two years with the touring company of Mister Roberts. He made it to Broadway in 1952 in a play directed by Joshua Logan, and in 1955 made his film debut in the Logan-directed movie version of Picnic. As Joan Crawford's schizophrenic boyfriend in Autumn Leaves (1955), Robertson achieved the critical acceptance that would enable him to seek out choice film roles.
That led to a series of character roles that culminated in 1963, with the dubious honor of being handpicked by John Kennedy to play the U.S. President in PT 109, the story of J.F.K.'s wartime exploits in the South Pacific.
The high point of his career came in 1968, with his Oscar-winning performance in the title role of Charly, about a retarded man who has an operation that temporarily gives him a genius level IQ.
Through the years, Robertson kept turning in memorable performances -- Cole Younger in The Great Northfield, Minnesota, Raid; the cynical CIA director in Three Days Of The Condor; the washed up rodeo cowboy in J. W. Coop.
Coloring all of his film work, though, was the David Begelman affair of the late 1970s. Begelman was the high-rolling head of Columbia Pictures -- and he was getting away with financial murder, writing cheques to actors, forging the performers' signatures and collecting the money himself. Robertson blew the whistle when, doing his tax returns for 1977, he discovered a $10,000 fee he had been "paid" -- for work he hadn't done. Begelman got a slap on the wrist and a job at another studio. Robertson didn't work for three years. Begelman's convoluted business dealings finally unravelled in the 1990s and he committed suicide. Robertson still gets furious when he thinks of how Begelman was forgiven and he was ostracized.
Now, he says, when he teaches, "I do my best to discourage students from going to Hollywood. I say, 'Take a round-trip ticket, babe. And remember who you are. The unwritten commandment in Hollywood for 80 years has been: 'Thou shalt not confront a major mogul on corruption, or thou shalt not work.' "
Cliff Robertson was born in La Jolla, Calif,. and saw his first airplane at age five. By age 13, he was a dedicated hangar rat and his reward for washing and waxing was a little unofficial stick time. Years later, in the suburbs of London, the urge to fly surfaced again and hasn't gone away since.
Cliff is far more than a casual flier. He holds single-engine land and sea, multiengine, commercial, instrument, balloon and glider ratings. He keeps a P58 Baron near his home on Long Island, N.Y., a Stampe SV4 aerobatic biplane at Santa Paula, Calif., for fun around L.A., and a Grob Astir glider in the Sierras.
He "reached out and touched us" for several years in ads for AT&T. He created and played a Shane parody called "Shame" on the "Batman" TV series. Fans of "Outer Limits" know that Cliff starred in the very first episode, "The Galaxy Being." "Gidget" fans know that Cliff was the original "Big Kahuna."
Cliff Robertson's first of more than 60 movies was "Picnic" in 1955. His Western films included "J.W. Coop" (1971; not only did he star in it, he wrote the screenplay, directed and produced it) and "The Great Northfield, Minnesota Raid" (1972). He also appeared in such TV Western series as "Outlaws" and "Wagon Train".
CLICK HERE to see the complete filmography of Cliff Robertson.
Dale Robertson
Dale Robertson was born in Harrah, Okla., in 1923. After graduating from high school, he fought in several professional boxing matches. That would have prohibited him from participating in sports in any college that belonged to the NCAA., so he went to Claremore Military Academy in Claremore, OK. Dale earned 32 athletic awards in football, baseball, boxing, tennis, polo and swimming. And he was named all-around outstanding athlete.
I got to visit with Mr. Robertson at the 1998 National Cowboy Symposium in Lubbock, Texas. I asked him how he got into the acting field. He said that after World War II broke out, he had joined the U.S. Army and was stationed at San Luis Obispo, Calif. Indications were that his unit would soon be shipped to the Pacific battlefield. So, with Christmas just ahead, he decided to have a studio photo made and send it to his mother.
"I asked around to see if anyone else wanted to go, and fourteen of us made the trip all the way down to Hollywood to find a photographer," Dale said. "We just drove down the street and picked one at random and had our photos taken. Then we drove back to the base and, sure enough, we were shipped out not too long after that.
"Then the strangest thing happened. I started getting letters from agents wanting to represent me in Hollywood. It turned out that the photographer liked my photo so much that he had blown it up real big and put it in his front window as an advertisement for his work. And it wound up eventually putting me to work."
After the war, stayed in California and got an agent and started getting small parts. His first movie was, "The Boy With the Green Hair," about a boy whose hair turned green whenever he would tell a lie. In 1947 he had his first major role in Flamingo Road starring Joan Crawford.
Several years later, Hollywood columnist Louella Parsons, asked Dale's agent whether Dale could appear on her program. The agent said yes, but forgot to tell Dale about the deal. Dale and Ms. Parsons met each other a couple of days later and she said, "I'm happy you're going to be on my show next week."
Dale was a bit perplexed and answered, "Oh that's okay. But, by the way, what are you going to pay me?"
You'd think he had hit her between the eyes with a two-by-four. "Pay?" Mrs. Parsons exclaimed. Her nationally syndicated program was one that most actors would have paid her to get to be on it.
Dale put it to her plainly: "Look, you don't do the show for free. So why should I? When I first came out here, I was willing to do things for free to show off my talent; but now I get good money from my talent. So why shouldn't you pay?"
Miss Parsons was a powerful person in the Hollywood community, not a good person to have as an enemy. She turned to walk away and growled, "You're going to be out of this business in a year."
A few days later Dale was sitting in the swanky office of Columbia Pictures executive Harry Cohn. The phone rang and it was Louella Parsons. She was absolutely irate. She told Mr. Cohn not to employ an arrogant young actor by the name of Dale Robertson. "He is not only arrogant, but I believe he is also anti-Semitic."
Unbeknown to Miss Parsons, Harry Cohn was letting Dale's listen in on the conversation. After she hung up, Mr. Cohn looked at the handsome young actor and asked, "Are you anti-Semitic?"
Dale thought a minute and said, "What does 'anti-Semitic' mean?"
Mr. Cohn explained, "That means you don't like Jews."
"Oh, I see, " Dale said. "And are you Jewish, Mr. Cohn?"
The movie studio executive said, "I certainly am."
Dale smiled that wonderful smile and said, "Well, I sure don't like you!" Cohn laughed so hard he nearly fell out of his chair. Their mutal friendship continued until Mr. Cohn died many years later.
Dale Robertson & Stan Paregien
Lubbock, Texas -- 1998Dale Robertson made 63 motion pictures. His favorite film was, The Gambler from Natchez . He also made 430 hours of television, including The Tales of Wells Fargo .
One thing that Dale was never very fond of was the press. And they reciprocated by "awarding" him their "Sour Apple Celebrity Award" for three years in a row.
Dale Robertson and his wife, Susan, have lived on their horse ranch in Yukon, Okla., for many years. He travels widely, appearing at Western festivals and making other public appearances.
CLICK HERE to see the complete filmography of Dale Robertson.
CLICK HERE to read a touching poem written by Dale Robertson as a struggling actor.
Frank C. Robertson
(Deceased)
Frank C. Robertson, who grew up on a ranch raising cattle and sheep, began his writing career in the 1920's. He sold countless short stories and about 150 hardcover Western novels. His books were translated into a dozen foreign languages. He also wrote a newspaper column, "The Chopping Block," which ranged far and wide on human affairs.
His novels included The Clean-Up On Deadman, The Boss of the Tumbling H, Fall of Buffalo Horn, The Man Branders, Silver Cow, Brand of the Open Hand, Far Horizon, Foreman of the Flying M, Boss of the Flying M, Wild Horse Henderson, Boss of the Double E, Riders of the Sunset Trail, On the Trail of Chief Joseph, Clawhammer Ranch, Hidden Cabin, Bandit of Bayhorse Basin, Mormon Trail, Deadman's Grove, Range Defender, We Want That Range, Red Rustlers, Fight for River Range, Outlaw Trail, Trouble Grabber, Prairie Princess, Shoot Up, Cowboy Courage, Larruping Leather, Freewater Range, Back to the West, Outlaw Ranch, Thunder in the West, Wild Riding Runt, Range Justice, Wild Blood, Trail Boss and many, many others (See the Jan., 1970 issue of The Roundup for a list of his books to then.)
Frank C. Robertson's nonfiction books included A Ram in the Thicket (1950), Gathering to Zion, Soapy Smith: King of the Frontier Con Men (1961), and Boom Towns of the Great Basin (1962). Robertson was one of the charter members of WWA, and served as president of the organization in 1959-60. He died of a heart attack on July 29, 1969 (his photo and bio appear in the Oct., 1969 issue of The Roundup). S. Omar Barker penned this poem in Robertson's memory:
The range that he rode was a wide one.
His friendships were many and deep,
So now that his saddle is empty,
God rest him at ease in his sleep.
Roy L. Robertson
Roy L. Robertson and Pauline Robertson wrote Panhandle Pilgramage: Illustrated Tales Tracing History in the Texas Panhandle (2nd ed., 1976).
This listing is far from complete and may contain errors.
Therefore, all Western entertainers and/or their agents
are requested to submit recommended changes by
contacting Stan Paregien through his e-mail address.
Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let the sea resound, and all that is in it;
let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them.
Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy;
they will sing before the Lord, for he comes,
he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples in his truth.
--- Bible: Psalm 96:11-13
© 2003 by Stan Paregien, Sr.
