Full list by date of death

Robert Blake

Actor

Born - 18 September 1933, Nutley, New Jersey, USA
Died - 9 March 2023

Diminutive, chunky, wisecracking, dark-haired, chubby-faced New Jersey boy, who started his screen career at six as a member of Our Gang in their comedy shorts, then moved on (as Bobby Blake) to a series of westerns with 'Wild Bill' Elliott. Born Michael Gubitosi of Italian descent, his adult career struggled until his killer in In Cold Blood (1967) brought him unlikely Hollywood stardom and a hit TV series in Baretta. Bedogged by drug problems and arraigned, but acquitted, on the murder of his second (of three) wife, he later wrote an autobiography entitled Tales of a Rascal. Scores of credits include Bridal Suite (1939), I Love You Again (1940), Come Back, Miss Pipps (1941), title role in Mokey (1942), Lost Angel (1943), Tucson Riders (1944), The Seventh Cross (1944), Dakota (1945), Humoresque (1946), The Return of Rin Tin Tin (1947), The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948), The Black Rose (1950), Black Hand (1950), Apache War Smoke (1952), Treasure of the Golden Condor (1953), Three Violent People (1956), The Rack (1956), The Tijuana Story (1957), Revolt in the Big House (1958), The Purple Gang (1959), Pork Chop Hill (1959), Town Without Pity (1961), PT 109 (1962), The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), This Property is Condemned (1966), Tell Them Willie Boy is Here (1969), Corky (1971), Electra Glide in Blue (1973), Busting (1974), Second Hand Hearts (1978), Coast to Coast (1980), then many TV movies until the films Money Train (1995) and Lost Highway (1996), his last. He died from heart disease.