Dale Robertson
Born: 1923-07-14 in Harrah, Oklahoma USA
Died: 2013-02-27
Known For: Acting
Biography
Dayle Lymoine Robertson was an American actor best known for his starring roles on television. He played the roving investigator Jim Hardie in the long-running NBC/ABC hit television series Tales of Wells Fargo, and Ben Calhoun, the owner of an incomplete railroad line in ABC's The Iron Horse. He was often presented as a deceptively thoughtful but modest Western hero. From 1968 to 1970, Robertson was the fourth and final host of the syndicated Death Valley Days anthology series. For most of his career, Robertson played in western films and television shows—well over sixty titles in all. His best-remembered series, Tales of Wells Fargo aired on NBC from 1957 to 1961, when it moved to ABC and expanded to an hour-long program for its final season in 1961-1962. The show was originally produced by Nat Holt whom Robertson felt he owed his career to for giving him his first leading roles.[10] Robertson also did the narration for Tales of Wells Fargo through which he often presented his own commentary on matters of law, morality, and common sense. He was unique among his television contemporaries, stating that he hated the gun he was forced to carry, but saw it as a necessary evil, a "tool of the trade", and kept practicing.[citation needed] In its March 30, 1959, cover story on television westerns, Time reported Robertson was 6 feet tall, weighed 180 pounds, and measured 42-34-34. He sometimes made use of his physique in "beefcake" scenes, such as one in 1952's Return of the Texan where he is seen bare-chested and sweaty, repairing a fence. In 1960, Robertson guest-starred as himself in NBC's The Ford Show, starring Tennessee Ernie Ford.[12] In 1962, he similarly appeared on a short-lived western comedy and variety series, ABC's The Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Show. In 1963, after Tales of Wells Fargo ended its five-year run, he played the lead role in the first of A.C. Lyles' second feature westerns, Law of the Lawless.
Filmography
1993
1992
- Legends of the West as Maj. Robert Parrish in 'Sitting Bull'
1987
- J.J. Starbuck as J.J. Starbuck
1984
- Murder, She Wrote as Colonel Lee Goddard (uncredited)
1981
- Dynasty as Walter Lankershim
1979
- The Last Ride of the Dalton Gang as Judge Isaac Parker
1978
- Dallas as Frank Crutcher
1977
- The Love Boat as Mason Fleers
1975
- Melvin Purvis G-Man as Melvin Purvis
- The Kansas City Massacre as Melvin Purvis
1970
- The Walking Major as Major Clark J. Allen
1969
- The Johnny Cash Show as Self
1966
- Scalplock as Benjamin Calhoun
- The One Eyed Soldiers as Richard Owen
- The Iron Horse as Ben Calhoun
1965
- The Man from Button Willow as Justin Eagle (voice)
- Coast of Skeletons as A.J. Magnus
1964
- The Hollywood Palace as Self
- Blood on the Arrow as Wade Cooper
- Law of the Lawless as Judge Clem Rogers
1962
1961
- The Mike Douglas Show as Self - Co-Host
- Gunfight at Black Horses Canyon as Jim Hardie
1958
- Fast and Sexy as Raffaele
1957
- Tales of Wells Fargo as Jim Hardie
- Hell Canyon Outlaws as Sheriff Caleb Wells
1956
- The Steve Allen Show as Self - Tales of Wells Fargo
- The Dinah Shore Chevy Show as Self
- Dakota Incident as John Banner
- The High Terrace as Bill Lang
- A Day of Fury as Jagade
1955
- The 20th Century Fox Hour as Lt. Clay Tucker
- Son of Sinbad as Sinbad
- Top of the World as Lee Gannon
1954
- Climax!
- Sitting Bull as Bob Parrish
- Studio 57
- The Gambler from Natchez as Vance Colby
1953
- The Farmer Takes a Wife as Dan Harrow
- Devil's Canyon as Billy Reynolds
- The Silver Whip as Race Crim
- City of Bad Men as Brett Stanton
1952
- This Is Your Life as Self
- The Ford Television Theatre as Donny Weaver
- O. Henry's Full House as Barney Woods (segment "The Clarion Call")
- Return of the Texan as Sam Crockett
- Lydia Bailey as Albion Hamlin
- The Outcasts of Poker Flat as John Oakhurst
- Death Valley Days as Self - Host
1951
- The Red Skelton Show as Robinson Crusoe
- The Secret of Convict Lake as Narrator (Voice) (uncredited)
- Golden Girl as Tom Richmond
- Call Me Mister as Capt. Johnny Comstock
- Take Care of My Little Girl as Joe Blake
- Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1950
- Two Flags West as Lem
- The Cariboo Trail as Will Gray
1949
- Flamingo Road as Tunis Simms (uncredited)
- Fighting Man of the Plains as Jesse James
1948
- The Boy with Green Hair as Policeman (uncredited)