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Robert Middleton

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TV shows
  
Role
  
Film actor

Name
  
Robert Middleton

Years active
  
1951-1977


Robert Middleton 4bpblogspotcomGizCbA2ii2kU5oI5JAApWIAAAAAAA

Born
  
March 13, 1911 (
1911-03-13
)

Cause of death
  
Congestive heart failure

Alma mater
  
Cincinnati Conservatory of MusicCarnegie Institute of Technology

Died
  
June 14, 1977, Hollywood, California, United States

Spouse
  
Roberta Messer (m. 1951–1956)

Education
  
University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Conservatory of Music

Movies
  
Friendly Persuasion, Love Me Tender, Even Angels Eat Beans, The Law and Jake Wade, The Court Jester

Similar People
  
Robert D Webb, Richard Eyer, Phyllis Love, Peter Mark Richman, Dorothy McGuire

Occupation
  
Film, television actor

Actor robert middleton 1959


Robert Middleton, (born Samuel G. Messer, May 13, 1911 – June 14, 1977), was an American film and television actor known for his large size and beetle-like brow. With a deep, booming voice (for which he was known as "Big Bob Middleton", Middleton trained for a musical career at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and Carnegie Tech in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He worked steadily as a radio announcer and actor.

Contents

Robert Middleton Robert Middleton Wikipedia

One of his early works was as the narrator of the educational film "Duck and Cover". After appearing on the Broadway stage and live television, Middleton began appearing in films in 1954. He is also remembered on television as the boss Mr. Marshall on CBS's The Jackie Gleason Show and in film opposite Humphrey Bogart in The Desperate Hours (1955), Danny Kaye in The Court Jester (1955), Gary Cooper in Friendly Persuasion (1956), Richard Egan and Elvis Presley in Love Me Tender (1956), Dorothy Malone and Robert Stack in The Tarnished Angels (1958), Robert Taylor and Richard Widmark in The Law and Jake Wade (1958), and Dean Martin in Career (1959).

Robert Middleton Robert Middleton 1911 1977 Find A Grave Memorial

A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Middleton appeared in many television programs in the 1950s and 1960s, including the CBS anthology series Appointment with Adventure. He played a dishonest candidate for the United States House of Representatives in an episode of ABC's The Real McCoys, starring Walter Brennan and Richard Crenna. In the storyline, Middleton falsely claimed to have previously been a farmer in a bid for the farm vote. Middleton was cast as "The Tichborne Claimant" in the NBC anthology series The Joseph Cotten Show. He was cast as Arthur Sutro in the 1961 episode "The Road to Jericho" of the ABC western series, The Rebel, starring Nick Adams.

In 1958, Middleton was cast in the episode "Ambush in Laredo" as Frank Davis, who attempts in Laredo, Texas, to merge five outlaw gangs into one, in the ABC Walt Disney miniseries Texas John Slaughter, with Tom Tryon in the title role.

Middleton was cast in ten episodes of the ABC family western drama, The Monroes, with costars Michael Anderson, Jr., and Barbara Hershey. In 1963 he portrayed Josh Green in the episode "Incident of the Mountain Man" on CBS's Rawhide.

Among his several appearances in the long-running Alfred Hitchcock Presents, he portrayed a gangster in high places, Mr. Koster, in the 1956 episode "The Better Bargain". In 1958, he played the villain in the first episode of NBC's Bat Masterson western series, starring Gene Barry in the title role. He appeared in four episodes of The Untouchables, including the 2 part episode, "The Unhired Assassin", as Chicago mayor Anton Cermak. In 1961, he appeared in the episode "Accidental Tourist" on the James Whitmore ABC legal drama The Law and Mr. Jones. That same year, he portrayed the highly sympathetic but fiercely dedicated state executioner in an episode of Thriller (U.S. TV series) entitled "Guillotine". He also appeared in at least one episode of Bonanza (1964). Middleton appeared as defendant "Judge Daniel Redmond" in the 1963 Perry Mason episode, "The Case of the Witless Witness". In the early 1950s, Middleton appeared on Broadway in Ondine. Other significant film roles included The Court Jester (1955) as a grim and determined knight who jousts with Danny Kaye in the famous "pellet with the poison" sequence, and as Edwin M. Stanton in The Lincoln Conspiracy (1977). In between, he played an array of brutish mountain men, corrupt cigar-biting town bosses and lynch mob leaders. Occasionally he showed some levity, as in his recurring role as Jackie Gleason's boss on The Honeymooners (1955) sketches. Middleton guest-starred on Get Smart as the KAOS villain "The Whip", intent on hypnotizing Agent 86 in the 1970 series finale "I Am Curiously Yellow".

Middleton died of congestive heart failure in Encino, California at the age of sixty-six.

Filmography

Actor
1977
The Lincoln Conspiracy as
Edwin M. Stanton
1977
Hunter (TV Series)
- Yesterday, Upon the Stair (1977)
1974
The Mark of Zorro (TV Movie) as
Don Luis Quintero
1974
Remember When (TV Movie) as
Kraus, the Butcher
1974
Kung Fu (TV Series) as
Marshal Ford
- The Passion of Chen Yi (1974) - Marshal Ford
1973
Columbo (TV Series) as
Vic Norris
- Double Exposure (1973) - Vic Norris
1973
The Harrad Experiment as
Sidney
1973
Even Angels Eat Beans as
Angelo
1973
McCloud (TV Series) as
Elliott Jason
- The Million Dollar Round Up (1973) - Elliott Jason
1973
Mannix (TV Series) as
Jake Coryell
- The Man Who Wasn't There (1973) - Jake Coryell
1972
Mission: Impossible (TV Series) as
Clavering
- Underground (1972) - Clavering
1971
Alias Smith and Jones (TV Series) as
Verle Wheelwright / Grayson
- Don't Get Mad, Get Even (1972) - Verle Wheelwright
- The Bounty Hunter (1971) - Grayson
1971
Fairplay as
Jova Purvis
1970
Company of Killers (TV Movie) as
Owen Brady
1970
Which Way to the Front? as
Colonico
1970
Run, Jack, Run (TV Movie) as
Smiley John Grazioni
1970
The Cheyenne Social Club as
Barkeep (Great Plains Saloon)
1970
Get Smart (TV Series) as
The Whip
- I Am Curiously Yellow (1970) - The Whip
1967
The Big Valley (TV Series) as
Sidney Glover / Judge Tyrone
- Rimfire (1968) - Sidney Glover
- Down Shadow Street (1967) - Judge Tyrone
1960
Bonanza (TV Series) as
C.J. Shasta / Grizzly Martingale / Sam Bryant
- The Greedy Ones (1967) - C.J. Shasta
- King of the Mountain (1964) - Grizzly Martingale
- Death at Dawn (1960) - Sam Bryant
1966
The Monroes (TV Series) as
Barney Wales
- Mark of Death (1967) - Barney Wales
- Range War (1966) - Barney Wales
- Silent Night, Deadly Night (1966) - Barney Wales
- Incident at the Hanging Tree (1966) - Barney Wales
1966
A Big Hand for the Little Lady as
Dennis Wilcox
1966
Daniel Boone (TV Series) as
Simon Brasher
- The Gun (1966) - Simon Brasher
1966
The Wild Wild West (TV Series) as
Emir El Emid
- The Night of the Grand Emir (1966) - Emir El Emid
1965
Burke's Law (TV Series) as
Jed Hawkes / Ragnar Windsor / Ezekiel Kindworth aka 'Rocky Mountain'
- Terror in a Tiny Town (1966) - Jed Hawkes
- Terror in a Tiny Town: Part 1 (1966) - Jed Hawkes
- Who Killed the Man on the White Horse? (1965) - Ragnar Windsor
- Who Killed the Strangler? (1965) - Ezekiel Kindworth aka 'Rocky Mountain'
1963
Rawhide (TV Series) as
Duke Aberdeen / Judge John Jefferson Hogan / Matt Harger / ...
- Brush War at Buford (1965) - Duke Aberdeen
- Incident at Deadhorse: Part I (1964) - Judge John Jefferson Hogan
- Incident of the Travellin' Man (1963) - Matt Harger
- Incident of the Mountain Man (1963) - Josh Green
1965
Vacation Playhouse (TV Series) as
Homer Ferguson
- Alec Tate (1965) - Homer Ferguson
1958
The Magical World of Disney (TV Series) as
Frank Davis / Dutch Mac
- The Adventures of Gallegher: Part 2 (1965) - Dutch Mac
- Texas John Slaughter: Ambush in Laredo (1958) - Frank Davis
- Texas John Slaughter (1958) - Frank Davis
1964
The Rogues (TV Series) as
Mayor Ed Bramlette
- The Project Man (1964) - Mayor Ed Bramlette
1964
For Those Who Think Young as
Burford Sanford Cronin
1964
The Glass Cage as
Business Man (uncredited)
1964
East Side/West Side (TV Series) as
Frank D'Angelo
- The Beatnik and the Politician (1964) - Frank D'Angelo
1963
Cattle King as
Clay Mathews
1963
Perry Mason (TV Series) as
Judge Daniel Redmond
- The Case of the Witless Witness (1963) - Judge Daniel Redmond
1963
The Eleventh Hour (TV Series) as
Ed Franchi
- The Man Who Came Home Late (1963) - Ed Franchi
1955
Gunsmoke (TV Series) as
Dorf / Dutch George / Jake Worth
- The Hunger (1962) - Dorf
- Dutch George (1956) - Dutch George
- Word of Honor (1955) - Jake Worth
1962
Kraft Mystery Theater (TV Series) as
Duncan MacLain
- Change of Heart (1962) - Duncan MacLain
1961
Target: The Corruptors! (TV Series) as
Dolan / Frank Guido
- The Blind Goddess (1962) - Dolan
- The Corruptors (1961) - Frank Guido
1961
Witchcraft (TV Movie) as
Martin Plomb
1961
The New Breed (TV Series) as
Stanley Mannis
- I Remember Murder (1961) - Stanley Mannis
1960
Tales of Wells Fargo (TV Series) as
Bodie Seaton / Caleb Timmons / Jason Kreegar
- Man of Another Breed (1961) - Caleb Timmons
- The Diamond Dude (1961) - Bodie Seaton
- Leading Citizen (1960) - Bodie Seaton
- Threat of Death (1960) - Jason Kreegar
1961
The Investigators (TV Series) as
John DeLuca
- De Luca (1961) - John DeLuca
1961
Thriller (TV Series) as
Monsieur de Paris / Ohrback
- Guillotine (1961) - Monsieur de Paris
- The Fingers of Fear (1961) - Ohrback
1960
The Untouchables (TV Series) as
Mayor Anton J. Cermak / Barney Loomis / Mayer Wartel
- The King of Champagne (1961) - Barney Loomis
- The Masterpiece (1961) - Mayer Wartel
- The Unhired Assassin: Part 2 (1960) - Mayor Anton J. Cermak
- The Unhired Assassin: Part 1 (1960) - Mayor Anton J. Cermak
1961
The Americans (TV Series) as
Sen. Benjamin Wade
- The Inquisitors (1961) - Sen. Benjamin Wade
1961
Zane Grey Theatre (TV Series) as
Whitney 'Whit' Gaynor
- Storm Over Eden (1961) - Whitney 'Whit' Gaynor
1961
The Law and Mr. Jones (TV Series) as
Gus Kelso
- Accidental Tourist (1961) - Gus Kelso
1961
The Rebel (TV Series) as
Arthur Sutro
- The Road to Jericho (1961) - Arthur Sutro
1961
Gold of the Seven Saints as
Amos Gondora
1960
The Great Impostor as
R.C. Brown
1960
The Tall Man (TV Series) as
Paul Mason
- Garrett and the Kid (1960) - Paul Mason
1960
Wrangler (TV Series) as
Josiah Cunningham
- A Time for Hanging (1960) - Josiah Cunningham
1960
The Detectives (TV Series) as
'Big Jim'
- Time and Tide (1960) - 'Big Jim'
1960
Wagon Train (TV Series) as
Nat Burkett
- The Tom Tuckett Story (1960) - Nat Burkett
1960
Hell Bent for Leather as
Ambrose
1960
Wichita Town (TV Series) as
Sam Buhl
- Bought (1960) - Sam Buhl
1959
The Fat Man: The Thirty-Two Friends of Gina Lardelli (TV Movie) as
Lucius Crane
1959
Buick-Electra Playhouse (TV Series) as
Al
- The Killers (1959) - Al
1959
This Man Dawson (TV Series) as
Kalmine
- The End of Kalmine (1959) - Kalmine
1959
Adventures in Paradise (TV Series) as
Howard Bailey
- Paradise Lost (1959) - Howard Bailey
1959
The Real McCoys (TV Series) as
Jim Slade
- The Politician (1959) - Jim Slade
1959
Career as
Robert Kensington
1955
The Joseph Cotten Show: On Trial (TV Series) as
Sheriff Ed Mullen / Tichborne / Armstrong
- The Town That Slept with the Lights On (1959) - Sheriff Ed Mullen
- The Tichborne Claimant (1957) - Tichborne
- On Trial (1955) - Armstrong
1959
Don't Give Up the Ship as
Vice Adm. Philo Tecumseh Bludde
1958
Pursuit (TV Series)
- Eagle in a Cage (1958)
1958
U.S. Marshal (TV Series) as
Constable Matt Charles
- Ambush - Constable Matt Charles
1957
Schlitz Playhouse (TV Series) as
Sheriff Ed Mullen
- The Hasty Hanging (1958)
- The Town That Slept with the Lights On (1958) - Sheriff Ed Mullen
- The Dead Are Silent (1957)
1958
Bat Masterson (TV Series) as
Big Keel Roberts
- Double Showdown (1958) - Big Keel Roberts
1958
No Place to Land as
Buck LaVonne
1958
Bitter Heritage (TV Movie) as
Luke Crocker
1957
Playhouse 90 (TV Series) as
Luke Crocker / Perea
- Bitter Heritage (1958) - Luke Crocker
- The Death of Manolete (1957) - Perea
1958
The Law and Jake Wade as
Ortero
1958
Day of the Bad Man as
Charlie Hayes
1956
Kraft Theatre (TV Series) as
Primo
- Code of the Corner (1958) - Primo
- The Girls Who Saw Too Much (1956)
1953
The Big Story (TV Series) as
The Cat
- The Cat (1957) - The Cat
- The Cat (1953) - The Cat
1957
Suspicion (TV Series) as
Jim Adams
- Doomsday (1957) - Jim Adams
1957
The Walter Winchell File (TV Series) as
Aaron Benjamin
- The Law and Aaron Benjamin (1957) - Aaron Benjamin
1957
The Tarnished Angels as
Matt Ord
1957
So Lovely... So Deadly as
Eddie Rocco (as Bob Middleton)
1957
The Lonely Man as
Ben Ryerson
1956
Alfred Hitchcock Presents (TV Series) as
Cato Stone / Louis Koster / Sam Klinker
- The Indestructible Mr. Weems (1957) - Cato Stone
- The Better Bargain (1956) - Louis Koster
- Crack of Doom (1956) - Sam Klinker
1956
Studio 57 (TV Series) as
Maggio / Doyle
- Big Joe's Coming Home (1957) - Maggio
- Challenge (1956) - Doyle
1955
General Electric Theater (TV Series) as
Innkeeper / Lt. Toler
- A Child Is Born (1956) - Innkeeper
- A Child Is Born (1955) - Innkeeper
- The Blond Dog (1955) - Lt. Toler
1956
Love Me Tender as
Mr. Siringo
1956
Friendly Persuasion as
Sam Jordan
1956
Lux Video Theatre (TV Series) as
Titus Semple
- Flamingo Road (1956) - Titus Semple
1956
Telephone Time (TV Series) as
Heinrich Schliemann
- The Man Who Believed in Fairy Tales (1956) - Heinrich Schliemann
1956
The Proud Ones as
Honest John Barrett
1956
Red Sundown as
Rufus Henshaw
1956
Front Row Center (TV Series)
- The Morals Squad (1956)
1955
Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre (TV Series) as
Maggio
- Big Joe's Comin' Home (1955) - Maggio
1955
The Court Jester as
Sir Griswold
1955
Matinee Theatre (TV Series)
- Santa Is No Saint (1955)
1955
Star Stage (TV Series)
- The U.S. vs Alexander Holmes (1955)
- On Trial (1955)
1955
Trial as
A.A. 'Fats' Sanders
1955
The Desperate Hours as
Sam Kobish
1955
Climax! (TV Series) as
Sheriff
- The Dance (1955) - Sheriff
1955
Appointment with Adventure (TV Series) as
Detective
- The Secret of Juan Valdez (1955)
- Priceless Cargo (1955) - Detective
1955
The Big Combo as
Police Capt. Peterson
1952
The Adventures of Ellery Queen (TV Series) as
Tim Hadden
- Buck Fever (1954) - Tim Hadden
- Death in the Sorority House (1952) - Tim Hadden
1954
The Silver Chalice as
Idbash
1954
Cavalcade of America (TV Series) as
William Harper
- The Great Gamble (1954) - William Harper
1954
The Loretta Young Show (TV Series) as
Henry Tremaine
- Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (1954) - Henry Tremaine
1954
The Man Behind the Badge (TV Series) as
Deputy Warden Lorenz C. Schmuhl
- The Case of the Reluctant Flop Artist (1954)
- The Indiana State Prison Story (1954) - Deputy Warden Lorenz C. Schmuhl
1954
Man Against Crime (TV Series) as
Joseph Merko
- Target with Two T's (1954) - Joseph Merko
1953
You Are There (TV Series) as
Francesco Niccolini
- The Resolve of Patrick Henry (March 23, 1775) (1954)
- The Ordeal of Galileo (1953) - Francesco Niccolini
1953
The Jackie Gleason Show (TV Series) as
John J. Marshall / Police Chief Brady / J.J. Marshall
- The Honeymooners: New Year's Eve Party (1953) - John J. Marshall (uncredited)
- Finger Man (1953) - Police Chief Brady
- The Honeymooners: Letter to the Boss (1953) - J.J. Marshall
1953
Robert Montgomery Presents (TV Series)
- No Visible Means (1953)
1953
Studio One (TV Series) as
The Manager
- Confessions of a Nervous Man (1953) - The Manager
1953
Treasury Men in Action (TV Series)
- The Case of the Adding Machine (1953)
1951
Rocky King, Detective (TV Series)
- The Silencer (1953)
- Swing Low, Sweet Life (1951)
1953
Campbell Summer Soundstage (TV Series) as
Sloane
- Something for an Empty Briefcase (1953) - Sloane
1953
Jimmy Hughes, Rookie Cop (TV Series)
- Episode #1.6 (1953)
1953
Dark of Night (TV Series)
- Episode #1.17 (1953)
1953
Suspense (TV Series) as
Bill West
- The Quarry (1953) - Bill West
1952
Tales of Tomorrow (TV Series) as
Dr. John Borrow
- Another Chance (1953) - Dr. John Borrow
- Thanks (1952)
1953
The Plainclothesman (TV Series)
- Hard-Hearted Frieda (1953)
1952
Duck and Cover (Short) as
Narrator (voice, uncredited)
1951
Shadow of the Cloak (TV Series)
- Without Arms (1951)
1951
Fireside Theatre (TV Series)
- Make Believe (1951)
1951
Hands of Mystery (TV Series)
- The Strange Journey (1951)
Self
2015
A Word on Westerns (TV Series documentary)
- Mariette Hartley: 'I Slept With Little Joe, Hoss and Pa on "Bonanza"!' (2015)
1966
The Pat Boone Show (TV Series) as
Self - actor
- Robert Middleton, Joan Rivers (1966) - Self - actor
1962
Here's Hollywood (TV Series) as
Self
- Episode #2.118 (1962) - Self
1958
Playhouse 90 (TV Series) as
Self - Narrator
- Nightmare at Ground Zero (1958) - Self - Narrator
1953
The Jackie Gleason Show (TV Series) as
Self - Police Detective / Self - Police Captain
- Santa and the Bookies (1953) - Self - Police Detective
- Anniversary Gift (1953) - Self - Police Captain (uncredited)
Archive Footage
2005
James Dean: Forever Young (Documentary) as
Self
1960
The Gun of Zangara (TV Movie) as
Mayor Anton J. Cermak
1955
MGM Parade (TV Series documentary) as
Sheriff A.A. 'Fats' Sanders / Fats Sanders in 'Trial'
- Episode #1.4 (1955) - Sheriff A.A. 'Fats' Sanders
- Episode #1.3 (1955) - Fats Sanders in 'Trial'

References

Robert Middleton Wikipedia


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