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Wikipedia / Robert Webber

Robert Laman Webber (October 14, 1924 – May 19, 1989) was an American actor. He established himself as a reliable supporting player in a screen career that spanned nearly 50 years, with a “sleek appearance and clenched-jaw look which made him believable as the elegant businessman of sleazy character.” Notable roles include Juror No. 12 in 12 Angry Men (1957) and Brigadier General James Denton in The Dirty Dozen (1967).

Early life

Robert Laman (sometimes spelled Lamar) Webber was born in Santa Ana, California in 1924. His father, also named Robert Webber, was a merchant seaman. He graduated from Oakland Technical High School and Compton College.

Military service

Webber enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1943 during World War II, serving in the 1st Marine Amphibious Corps and later in the 6th Marine Division as a 776-Radio Operator (Low Speed) in Guam and Okinawa. He was discharged in 1945 as a private first class and was awarded the Navy Combat Action Ribbon, the Navy Presidential Unit Citation, the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.

Career

Theatre

After his military discharge, Webber hitchhiked to New York City to become an actor. He spent two seasons in summer stock before making his Broadway stage debut in Two Blind Mice, starring Melvyn Douglas. Webber subsequently appeared in Broadway productions like The Royal Family, Orpheus Descending, A Loss of Roses, and Period of Adjustment.

Film

Webber made his film debut as a gangster in the film noir Highway 301 (1950). On screen, Webber had a 40-year career as a character actor, during which he appeared as Juror No. 12 in 12 Angry Men (1957), as Dudley Moore's gay lyricist in 10 (1979), and the father of Cybill Shepherd's character in the hit series Moonlighting.

Other notable turns were in the movies The Nun and the Sergeant (1962), in which he played the lead; The Sandpiper (1965), in which he played a supporting role as Elizabeth Taylor's character's former lover; a killer in the Dean Martin spy spoof The Silencers (1966); a sadistic lowlife encountered by Paul Newman in the neo-noir Harper (1966); The Dirty Dozen (1967), where he played a general who disliked the character portrayed by Lee Marvin; and a hitman in Sam Peckinpah's Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974). Other notable movies include The Great White Hope (1970), Midway (1976), Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978), Private Benjamin (1980), S.O.B. (1981), and Wild Geese II (1985).

He was an frequent collaborator of director Blake Edwards.

Television

On television, Webber appeared in many of the popular dramas of the time, including Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Mannix, Kojak,The Outer Limits, The Virginian, The Fugitive, Ben Casey, Route 66, I Spy, The Rifleman, Mission: Impossible, S.W.A.T., and Ironside.

He appeared in four episodes of Cannon: the 1971 episode "The Nowhere Man" as McMillan, the 1972 episode "That Was No Lady" as Clay Spencer," the 1973 episode "Memo from a Dead Man" as Barney Shaw and the 1974 episode "A Voice from the Grave" as the Hitman.

Webber appeared in four episodes of The Rockford Files: the January 1975 episode "Aura Lee, Farewell" as Senator Evan Murdock, the October 1975 episode "The Deep Blue Sleep" as Bob Coleman, the 1976 episode "The Oracle Wore a Cashmere Suit" as Roman Clementi and the episode "Never Send a Boy King to Do a Man's Job" as Harold Jack Coombs.

Webber guest-starred on three episodes of Barnaby Jones: the October 1975 episode “The Price of Terror” as businessman Maxwell Strager and the 1978 two-part episode “Final Judgment” as Gene Gates.

Personal life

Webber married twice, once to actress Miranda Jones.

Death

Webber died from ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) on May 19, 1989, in Malibu, California; he was 64 years old.

Filmography

Film

Television and radio

  • Starlight Theatre (1950) as Mike Barry (Season 2, Episode 1: "Welcome Home")

  • Out There (1951–1952) as Captain Bill Hurley

  • Tales of Tomorrow (1952) (Season 1, Episode 23: "Bound Together")

  • Studio One (1952) as Skeets

  • Eye Witness (1953) (Season 1, Episode 2: "Apartment 4-D")

  • Suspense (1954) as James Forsythe

  • Three Steps to Heaven (1953) as Chip Morrison

Robert Montgomery Presents (1954)

  • (Season 5, Episode 21: "Machinal")

  • (Season 5, Episode 28: "The Paradise Cafe")

  • (Season 5, Episode 38: "Skyblock")

  • (Season 5, Episode 55: "Ten Minute Alibi")

  • (Season 6, Episode 20: "Deadline")

  • as George Lawrence (Season 8, Episode 8: "One Bright Day")

  • The Phil Silvers Show (1956) as Ego

Kraft Television Theatre (1955–1957)

The Defenders (1962–1963) as

  • Douglas (Season 1, Episode 19: "Reunion With Death")

  • Michael Hillyer (Season 2, Episode 20: "Ordeal")

  • Father Phelps (Season 3, Episode 9: "The Seal of Confession")

  • Naked City (1963) as Gordon Lanning

  • The Greatest Show on Earth (1963) as Rudy

  • The Nurses (1963) as Arthur Luskin

  • Arrest and Trial (1963) as George Morrison

  • Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (1963) as Stuart Landsman

  • Ben Casey (1963) as Slim

  • The Fugitive (1964) as Harlan Guthrie

  • Espionage (1964) as Jack Hanley

  • Brenner (1964) as Eddie Constantinos

  • Mr. Broadway (1964) as Hogan

  • The Outer Limits (1964) as Ikar (Season 2, Episode 12: "Keeper of the Purple Twilight")

Kraft Suspense Theatre (1964–1965) as

Cannon (1971–1974) as

  • McMillan (Season 1, Episode 13: "Nowhere Man")

  • Clay Spencer (Season 2, Episode 4: "That Was No Lady")

  • Barney Shaw (Season 3, Episode 3: "Memo from a Dead Man")

  • Jake McVea (Season 4, Episode 3: "Voice from the Grave")

  • The Manhunter (1974)

  • The Streets of San Francisco (1974) as Al Cooper

McCloud (1971–1975) as

  • Jack Faraday (Season 2, Episode 2: "Top of the World, Ma!")

  • Fritz August (Season 5, Episode 6: "The Man with the Golden Hat")

  • Death Stalk (1975) as Hugh Webster

  • Switch (1975) as Paul Sinclair

S.W.A.T. (1975) as

  • McVea (Season 1, Episode 7: "Death Score")

  • Mike Simon (Season 2, Episode 9: "Courthouse")

  • Police Woman (1975) as Julian Lord

  • McMillan & Wife (1977) as Charles Meridio

  • 79 Park Avenue (1977) as John Hackson DeWitt

Barnaby Jones (1975–1978) as

  • Maxwell Strager (Season 4, Episode 4: "The Price of Terror")

  • Gene Gates (Season 6, Episodes 18 & 19: "Final Judgment")

  • The Young Runaways (1978) as Fred Lockhart

  • Kaz (1978) (Season 1, Episode 7: "Which Side Are You On?")

The Rockford Files (1975–1979) as

  • Senator Evan Murdock (Season 1, Episode 14: "Aura Lee, Farewell")

  • Bob Coleman (Season 2, Episode 5: "The Deep Blue Sleep")

  • Roman Clementi (Season 3, Episode 2: "The Oracle Wore a Cashmere Suit")

  • Harold Jack Coombs (Season 5, Episode 19: "Never Send a Boy King to Do a Man's Job")

Quincy, M.E. (1977–1979) as

  • Dr. John Franklin (Season 2, Episode 12: "Valleyview")

  • Dr. Steven Chase (Season 4, Episode 23: "The Eye of the Needle")

  • The Streets of L.A. (1979) as Ralph Salkin

  • Tenspeed and Brown Shoe (1980) as LaCrosse

  • The Two Lives of Carol Letner (1981) as Ed Leemans

  • Darkroom (1981) as Greg Conway

  • Bret Maverick (1982) as Everest Sinclair

  • Not Just Another Affair (1982) as Professor Wally Dawson (TV movie)

  • Don't Go to Sleep (1982) as Dr. Cole (TV movie)

  • Starflight: The Plane That Couldn't Land (1983) as Felix Duncan (TV movie)

  • Shooting Stars (1983) as Woodrow Norton (TV movie)

  • Getting Physical (1984) as Hugh Gibley (TV movie)

  • No Man's Land (1984) as Will Blackfield (TV movie)

  • Cover Up (1984) as Mason Carter

  • Half Nelson (1985) as Arthur Harrison (TV movie)

  • In Like Flynn (1985) as Colonel Harper

  • Assassin (1986) as Calvin Lantz

  • The Ladies (1987) as Jerry

  • Moonlighting (1986–1988) as Alexander Hayes

  • Something Is Out There (1988) as Commissioner Estabrook

References