Robert Webber
Webber in The Silencers trailer (1966)
Born
Robert Laman Webber[1]

(1924-10-14)October 14, 1924
Santa Ana, California
DiedMay 19, 1989(1989-05-19) (aged 64)
Malibu, California
OccupationActor
Years active1950–1989

Robert Laman Webber (October 14, 1924 – May 19, 1989) was an American actor. He appeared in dozens of films and television series, roles that included Juror No. 12 in the 1957 film 12 Angry Men.

Early life

Webber was the son of Robert Webber, who was a merchant seaman.[2] He graduated from Oakland Technical High School. 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)[3] in Guam and Okinawa.[2][4] Webber 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.[3]

Career

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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 Sandpiper, in which he played a supporting role as Elizabeth Taylor's character's former lover; The Nun and the Sergeant, in which he played the lead; The Dirty Dozen, where he played a general who disliked the character portrayed by Lee Marvin; a sadistic lowlife encountered by Paul Newman in the anti-hero detective drama Harper; a hitman in Sam Peckinpah's Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia; and a killer in the Dean Martin spy spoof The Silencers. 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). Several of the movies were directed by Blake Edwards.

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"[5] as Senator Evan Murdock, the October 1975 episode "The Deep Blue Sleep"[6] as Bob Coleman, the 1976 episode "The Oracle Wore a Cashmere Suit"[7] as Roman Clementi and the episode "Never Send a Boy King to Do a Man's Job"[8] as Harold Jack Coombs.

Webber also guest-starred on Barnaby Jones in the 1978 two-part episode “Final Judgment” as Gene Gates.

Death

Webber died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease) at age 64 in Malibu, California.[9]

Filmography

Film

Television and radio

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References

  1. ^ Wilson, Scott (August 19, 2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons (3rd ed.). McFarland. p. 795. ISBN 978-1476625997.
  2. ^ a b Robert Webber, Actor, Dies at 64. Bourdain, C.S. The New York Times via Internet Archive. Published 20 May 1989.
  3. ^ a b Webber, Robert L, PFC. togetherweserved.com. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  4. ^ "Oakland's Tech High is a Rags to Riches Saga". Oakland Tribune. School Historical Archive. Archived from the original on 7 April 2016. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  5. ^ The Rockford Files : Aura Lee Farewell (1975) - Jackie Cooper | Cast and Crew | AllMovie, retrieved 2023-02-14
  6. ^ The Rockford Files : The Deep Blue Sleep (1975) - William Wiard | Cast and Crew | AllMovie, retrieved 2023-02-14
  7. ^ The Rockford Files : The Oracle Wore a Cashmere Suit (1976) - Russ Mayberry | Cast and Crew | AllMovie, retrieved 2023-02-14
  8. ^ The Rockford Files : Never Send a Boy King to Do a Man's Job (1979) - William Wiard | Cast and Crew | AllMovie, retrieved 2023-02-14
  9. ^ Hubbard, Linda S.; Steen, Sara; O'Donnell, Owen (September 15, 1989). Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television. Gale. ISBN 978-0810320703.

External links

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