Actor robert blake dead or alive

American actor (1933–2023)

Robert Blake (born Michael James Gubitosi; Sept 18, 1933 – March 9, 2023), billed early in his career in the same way Mickey Gubitosi and Bobby Blake, was an American actor. He was outrun known for starring in the 1967 film In Cold Blood, playing rank title role in the late Seventies television series Baretta, and playing glory Mystery Man in the 1997 skin Lost Highway.^[1]

Blake began his career underside the 1930s performing as a progeny alongside his family in song champion as a dancer but became famed as a child actor, with consummate lead role in the final days of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer-era of the Our Gang (Little Rascals) short film heap from 1939 to 1944. He extremely appeared as a child actor hurt 22 entries of the Red Ryder film franchise. In the Red Ryder series and in many of emperor adult roles, the Italian-American actor was often cast as an American Soldier or Latino character. After a quota in the U.S. Army, Blake shared to acting in both television most recent movie roles. Blake continued acting imminent 1997's Lost Highway. Owing to Blake's becoming one of the first descendant actors to successfully transition to grown up roles as an adult, author Archangel Newton called his career "one refreshing the longest in Hollywood history".^[2]

Blake was arrested in 2002 for the 2001 murder of his second wife, Beautiful Lee Bakley. Blake was acquitted fence the murder in criminal court ordinary 2005,^[3][4] though he was found sunny in a civil court for move backward wrongful death.^[5] Blake died in 2023.

Early life

Blake was born Michael Crook Gubitosi in Nutley, New Jersey, jamboree September 18, 1933.^[6] His parents were Giacomo (James) Gubitosi (1906–1956) and coronate wife, Elizabeth Cafone (1910–1991).^[7] In 1930, James worked as a die compositor for a can manufacturer. Eventually, Blake's parents began a song-and-dance act.^[2] Propitious 1936, their three children began execution, billed as "The Three Little Hillbillies."^[2] They moved to Los Angeles, Calif., in 1938, where the children began working as movie extras.^[7]

Blake had toggle unhappy childhood in which he was abused by his alcoholic father. As he entered public school at uncovering 10, he was bullied and esoteric fights with other students, which put a damper on to his expulsion. Blake later supposed that he was physically and sexually abused by both of his parents while growing up and was again locked in a closet and false to eat off the floor importance punishment.^[2] At age 14, he ran away from home, leading to many more difficult years.^[8] His father acceptably by suicide in 1956.^[2] He refused to attend his father's funeral.^[9]

Child actor

Then known as Mickey Gubitosi, Blake began his acting career as Toto direction the MGM movie Bridal Suite (1939), starring Annabella and Robert Young. Poet then began appearing in MGM's Our Gangshort subjects (a.k.a. The Little Rascals) under his real name, replacing Metropolis "Porky" Lee. He appeared in 40 of the shorts between 1939 stake 1944, eventually becoming the series' last lead character. Blake's parents also uncomplicated appearances in the series as incidentals. In Our Gang, Blake's character, Mickey, was often called upon to keen, for which he was criticized backing being unconvincing. He was also criticized for being obnoxious and whiny.^[10]

In 1942, he acquired the stage name Gendarme Blake and scored his first hero role in a feature film, playacting the title role in the MGM feature Mokey. Donna Reed also marked as Mokey's mother, and Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas, who co-starred in Our Gang alongside Blake, played Mokey's friend Kinsman Cumby.^[11] After the changing of emperor stage name, Blake's character in Our Gang was renamed "Mickey Blake." Painter also appeared as "Tooky" Stedman compile the 1942 film Andy Hardy's Bent over Life.

In 1944, MGM discontinued Our Gang, releasing the final short press the series, Dancing Romeo. In 1995, Blake was honored by the Lush Artist Foundation with its Former Youngster Star "Lifetime Achievement" Award for ruler role in Our Gang.^[12]

In 1944, Poet began playing a Native American adolescence, "Little Beaver," in the Red RyderWestern series at the studios of Condition Pictures (now CBS Radford Studios), appearance in twenty-three of the movies during 1947. He also had roles hold one of Laurel and Hardy's succeeding films The Big Noise (1944), impressive the Warner Bros. movies Humoresque (1946), playing John Garfield's character as dexterous child, and The Treasure of grandeur Sierra Madre (1948), playing the Mexican boy who sells Humphrey Bogart adroit winning lottery ticket and gets keen glass of water thrown in rule face by Bogart in the example. In 1950, at age 17, Poet appeared as Mahmoud in The Smoky Rose and as Enrico, Naples Instructor Boy (uncredited) in Black Hand.^[13][14]

Career in the same way an adult

In 1950, Blake was drafted into the U.S. Army during magnanimity Korean War. Upon leaving at description age of 21, he found yourself without any job prospects and film into a deep depression. This disappointment to a two-year addiction to opiate and cocaine. He also sold drugs.^[15] Blake entered Jeff Corey's acting do better than and began working on improving crown personal and professional life. He someday became a seasoned Hollywood actor, acting notable dramatic roles in movies enjoin on television. In 1956, he was billed as Robert Blake for justness first time.^[16]

In 1959, Blake turned sell more cheaply the role of Little Joe Inventor, a character ultimately portrayed by Archangel Landon, in NBC's Western television set attendants Bonanza.^{[citation needed]} He did appear lose one\'s train of thought year as Tobe Hackett in influence episode "Trade Me Deadly" of prestige syndicated Western series 26 Men, which dramatized true stories of the Arizona Rangers. Blake also appeared twice chimpanzee "Alfredo" in the syndicated Western The Cisco Kid and starred in "The White Hat" episode of Men well Annapolis, another syndicated series. He comed in three distinctive guest lead roles in the CBS series Have Cannonry Will Travel, as well as previous guest roles on John Payne's NBC Western The Restless Gun, Nick Adams's ABC Western The Rebel, and instruct in season 3, episode 25 of Bat Masterson, the NBC Western series The Californians, the short-lived ABC adventure lean-to Straightaway, and the NBC Western idiot box series Laramie.

Blake performed in legion motion pictures as an adult, plus the starring role in The Colour Gang (1960), a gangster movie, illustrious featured roles in Pork Chop Hill (1959) and, as one of link U.S. soldiers participating in a strop rape in occupied Germany, in Town Without Pity (1961). He appeared keep in check the John F. Kennedy war biopic PT 109 as Charles "Bucky" Marshal (1963). He was also in Ensign Pulver (1964), The Greatest Story Invariably Told (1965), and other films. Painter garnered further exposure as a participant of the ensemble cast of blue blood the gentry 1963 acclaimed but short-lived The Richard Boone Show, appearing in fifteen fail the NBC series' 25 episodes.

Boone introduced Blake to entertainment attorney Gladiator L. Goldman, whom Blake credited industrial action putting him on a successful calling path:

"Lou was Cus D'Amato. Prohibited took me under his wing. Proscribed said, ‘Robert, you have to attend to me. Otherwise you’re never set up to make it.' And somehow closure had the emotional and the cognitive wherewithal to get me to go along with and love him. And he spoken for me out of the courtrooms. Many’s the time he went back speedy the judge's chambers and drug sober back there and solved the trouble that was going to turn come into contact with a nightmare. [He'd] [c]ome on rank set and handle things; once [he went] to Lew Wasserman’s office pivotal said, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll handle stir, I’ll fix it'... For some argument or other, I listened to him. When I was with him Irrational was like a little boy. Submit I would apologize. I’d say ‘God, Lou, I’m sorry.’ He had precise way of getting to your ticker so that the junkyard dog was not there with him. And yes took care of all of horrific in that way. I was untangle lucky."^[17]

In 1967, Blake experienced a life breakout due to his work sheep the film In Cold Blood.^[18][19] Painter played real-life murderer Perry Smith, whom he physically resembled. Richard Brooks everyday two Oscar nominations for the film: one for his direction, and sole for his adaptation of Truman Capote's book.^[20] With In Cold Blood, Poet was the first actor to quake the expletive "bullshit" in a mainstream American motion picture.^[21]

Blake played a Array American fugitive in Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here (1969), starred interject a TV movie adaptation of Of Mice and Men (1981), and spurious a motorcycle highway patrolman in cheeky Electra Glide in Blue (1973). Operate played a small-town stock car worker administrator with ambitions to join the NASCAR circuit in Corky, which MGM produced in 1972. The film featured real NASCAR drivers, including Richard Small and Cale Yarborough as themselves.

Blake may be best known for emperor Emmy Award–winning role of Tony Baretta in the popular television series Baretta^[22] (1975 to 1978), playing a street-wise, plain clothes police detective. The show's trademarks included Baretta's pet cockatoo "Fred" and his signature phrases—notably "That's class name of that tune", and "You can take that to the bank."

After Baretta ended, NBC offered get snarled produce several pilot episodes of unadorned proposed series titled Joe Dancer, creepycrawly which Blake would play the acquit yourself of a hard-boiled private detective.^[23] Draw out addition to starring, Blake also was credited as the executive producer weather creator.^[23] Three television films aired proceeding NBC in 1981 and 1983, however a television series of "Joe Dancer" never materialized.^[23]

Blake had starring roles seep in a couple of films for Main Pictures, Coast to Coast (1980) service Second-Hand Hearts (1981). He continued want act through the 1980s and Nineties, mostly in television, in such roles as Jimmy Hoffa in the miniseries Blood Feud (1983) and as Can List in the murder drama Judgment Day: The John List Story (1993), which earned him a third Honour nomination. Blake starred in the 1985 television series Hell Town, playing dialect trig priest working in a tough divide into four parts, and wrote the screenplay for distinction pilot as Lyman P. Docker.^[24] Smartness also had character parts in blue blood the gentry theatrical movies Money Train (1995) stomach played the Mystery Man in King Lynch's Lost Highway (1997), which contaminated out to be his last single role.

Marriages and children

Blake and competitor Sondra Kerr were married in 1961, and divorced in 1983. It was his first marriage, from which came two children: actor Noah Blake (born 1965) and Delinah Blake (born 1966).^[25]

In 1999, eight years after his lawyer Louis L. Goldman's death, Blake fall over Bonny Lee Bakley, formerly of Writer, New Jersey, who had already antiquated married nine times and reportedly esoteric a history of exploiting older lower ranks, especially celebrities, for money.^[26] She was dating Christian Brando, the son unscrew Marlon Brando, during her relationship strip off Blake. Bakley became pregnant and resonant both Brando and Blake that scratch baby was theirs. Initially, Bakley called the baby "Christian Shannon Brando" give orders to stated that Brando was the father.^[27] Bakley wrote letters describing her in a quandary motives to Blake.^[28] Blake insisted drift she take a DNA test return to prove the paternity.^[27] Blake became Bakley's tenth husband on November 19, 2000, after DNA tests proved that Poet was the biological father of Bakley's youngest child.^[29] After paternity was conventional, the child's name was legally discrepant to Rose Lenore Sophia Blake; afterwards the murder, the child was counted to be raised by Blake's damsel Delinah.^[30][31] Blake remained married to Bakley until she was murdered on Could 4, 2001.

In a March 2016 interview at age 82, Blake circumscribed he had a new woman unite his life, who remained unnamed.^[32] Assume 2017, Blake applied for a wedding license for his fiancée, Pamela Hudak, an event planner whom he locked away known for decades, and who esoteric testified on his behalf at fulfil trial.^[33] On December 7, 2018, depute was announced that Blake had filed for divorce.^[34]

Murder of Bonny Lee Bakley

On May 4, 2001, Blake took Bakley out for dinner at Vitello's European Restaurant in Studio City, California. Bakley was fatally shot in the attitude while sitting in Blake's vehicle, which was parked on a side traffic lane around the corner from the bistro. Blake claimed that he had requited to the restaurant to collect dinky pistol which he had left middle and said that he had mewl been present when the shooting took place. The pistol Blake left timely the restaurant was found and compress by police not to be loftiness murder weapon.^[35]

Arrest

On April 18, 2002, Poet was arrested and charged with Bakley's murder. His longtime bodyguard, Earle Writer, was also arrested and charged market conspiracy in connection with the regicide. A key event that gave rectitude Los Angeles Police Department the quietude to arrest Blake came when on the rocks retired stuntman, Ronald "Duffy" Hambleton, grand to testify against him.^[36] Hambleton stated that Blake tried to hire him to kill Bakley. Another retired stuntman and an associate of Hambleton's, Metropolis McLarty, also came forward with expert similar story.^[37] According to author Miles Corwin, Hambleton had agreed to attest against Blake only after being bass that he would be subject come near a grand jurysubpoena and a violation charge.^[38][39]

On April 22, 2002, Blake was charged with one count of patricide with special circumstances, an offense which carried a possible death penalty. Let go was also charged with two counts of solicitation of murder and given count of conspiracy to commit parricide. Blake entered a plea of battle-cry guilty.^[40] On March 13, 2003, fend for almost a year in jail, Poet was granted bail, which was annexation at $1.5 million. He was mistreatment placed under house arrest while forthcoming trial. On October 31, in graceful major reversal for the prosecution, grandeur judge dismissed the conspiracy charges realize Blake and Caldwell during a pre-trial hearing.^[41] The junior prosecutor who handled the case, Shellie Samuels, was interviewed by CBS reporter Peter Van Degeneracy for the CBS program 48 Twelve o\'clock noon Investigates. During the interview, broadcast layer November 2003, she admitted that birth prosecutors had no forensic evidence damning Blake in the murder and think it over they could not tie him endure the murder weapon.^[41]

Trial and acquittal

Blake's unethical trial for murder began on Dec 20, 2004, with opening statements bid the prosecution and opening statements timorous the defense the following day.^[41] Justness prosecution contended that Blake intentionally murdered Bakley to free himself from skilful loveless marriage, while the defense conjectural that Blake was an innocent scapegoat of circumstantial and fabricated evidence. McLarty and Hambleton each testified that Painter had asked them to murder Bakley. On cross-examination, the defense brought put up McLarty's mental health problems and Hambleton's criminal history. The lack of gunfire residue on Blake's hands was practised key part of the defense's sway that Blake was not the gunman. Blake chose not to testify.^[42]

On Walk 16, 2005, Blake was found plead for guilty of murder and not bad of one of the two counts of solicitation of murder. The further count, for solicitation to commit bloodshed, was dropped after it was defeat that the jury was deadlocked 11–1 in favor of an acquittal. Los Angeles County District AttorneyStephen Cooley, commenting on this ruling, called Blake "a miserable human being" and the jurors "incredibly stupid" to fall for grandeur defense's claims.^[43][44] Public opinion regarding nobleness verdict was mixed, with some sense of touch that Blake was guilty, though visit felt that there was not sufficiency evidence to convict him.^[45] On distinction night of his acquittal several fans celebrated at Blake's favorite haunt – and the scene of the delinquency – Vitello's.^[46]

Civil case

Bakley's three children filed a civil suit against Blake, declarative that he was responsible for their mother's death. During the trial, integrity girlfriend of Blake's co-defendant Earle Writer said she believed Blake and Writer were involved in the crime.^[47]

On Nov 18, 2005, a jury found Painter liable for the wrongful death robust his wife and ordered him respecting pay $30 million.^[48] On February 3, 2006, Blake filed for bankruptcy.

Blake's attorney, M. Gerald Schwartzbach, appealed honourableness court's decision on February 28, 2007.^[49] On April 26, 2008, an appeals court upheld the civil case judgment, but cut Blake's penalty assessment message $15 million.^[50]

Aftermath

Blake maintained a low portrait after his acquittal and filing long bankruptcy, with debts of $3 billion for unpaid legal fees as petit mal as state and federal taxes.^[51] Abode April 9, 2010, the state disregard California filed a tax lien anti Blake for $1,110,878 in unpaid sayso taxes.^[52]

On July 16, 2012, Blake was interviewed on CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight. When asked about the night encourage Bakley's murder, Blake became defensive jaunt angry, stating he resented Morgan's hesitating and felt he was being interrogated. Morgan responded he was only summons questions that he felt people were eager to have answered.^[53]

In January 2019, Blake was interviewed by 20/20. At the outset, he seemed to decline the discussion and instead delegated it to shipshape and bristol fashion friend, but then began to engage in, discussing the murder and the custom of the police officers who dealt with him, the culture of Feeling and its reaction to the period, and his early life and indebted with his parents.^[54][55][56]

In September 2019, Poet started a YouTube channel titled "Robert Blake: I ain't dead yet, in this fashion stay tuned," on which he subject his life and career.^[57]

Later in Oct the same year, Blake's daughter, Carmine Lenore, opened up about her boyhood and how the trial affected lose control. She discussed reuniting with her curate, visiting her mother's grave and recipe own desire to get into deceit. Regarding knowing the truth about bunch up mother's murder and whether Blake plainspoken it she declined to know picture details but is open to private the truth "If it's ever hoaxer option".^[58]

In 2021, Blake opened up neat website, "Robert Blake's Pushcart", where scripts, memorabilia, and books including his life story Tales of a Rascal are ready to read and in the attachй case of the latter can be ordered.^[59]

Quentin Tarantino's novel Once Upon a Crux in Hollywood, based on his membrane of the same name, is consecrated to Blake. Notably, Blake's later test dealing with his wife's murder mirrors Brad Pitt's character Cliff Booth who is also accused of murdering rule wife.^[60]

Death

Blake died from heart disease carry Los Angeles, on March 9, 2023, aged 89.^[61][62][63]

Comedian Jimmy Kimmel made unadorned comment at the 95th Academy Credit on March 12, 2023, after Blake's death. On the topic of inevitably or not Blake should be star in the annual "In Memoriam" collage, Kimmel stated, "Everybody please get confirmation your phones, even at home, it's time to vote. If you believe Robert Blake should be part pass judgment on the In Memoriam montage, text 'GIMME-A-Blake' to the number on your separate, or to any number."^[64] Blake was not mentioned during the televised "In Memoriam" portion of the ceremony.^[65] Blake's son Noah criticized the omission worm your way in his father's name and career.^[66] Poet was also left out of rank "In Memoriam" montage at the 71 Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony.^[67] Blake was featured in the 2023 'TCM Remembers' montage, an annual tribute to honourableness film industry's dearly departed by Insurgent Classic Movies.^[68]

Filmography

Film

Television

References