Robert Stack
Encyclopedia
Robert Stack was an American actor. In addition to acting in more than 40 films, he was the star of the 1959-1963 ABC television
series The Untouchables
and later served as the host of Unsolved Mysteries
.
, but spent his early childhood growing up in Europe
. He became fluent in French
and Italian
at an early age, but he did not learn English until returning to Los Angeles. Stack's parents divorced when he was a year old, and he was raised by his mother, Mary Elizabeth (née
Wood). His father, James Langford Stack, a wealthy advertising agency owner, died when Stack was nine. He always spoke of his mother with the greatest respect and love. When he wrote his autobiography, Straight Shooting, he included a picture of him and his mother. He captioned it, "Me and my best girl." His grandfather was an opera singer named Charles Wood, who went by the name "Modini".
By the time he was twenty, Stack had achieved minor fame as a sportsman. He was an avid polo player and shooter. He and his brother won the International Outboard Motor Championships, in Venice, Italy; and, at age 16, he became a member of the All-American Skeet
Team. He set two world records in skeet shooting and became National Champion. In 1971, he was inducted into the National Skeet Shooting Hall of Fame. Stack was a regular columnist for Gun World magazine.
. His deep voice and good looks attracted producers in Hollywood. When Stack visited the lot of Universal Studios
at age 20, producer Joe Pasternak
offered him an opportunity to enter the business. Recalled Stack, "He said, 'How'd you like to be in pictures? We'll make a test with Helen Parrish
, a little love scene.' Helen Parrish was a beautiful girl. 'Gee, that sounds keen,' I told him. I got the part." Stack's first film, which teamed him with Deanna Durbin
, was First Love
, in 1939; this film was considered controversial at the time. He was the first actor to give Durbin an on-screen kiss.
Stack won acclaim for his next role, The Mortal Storm
(1940). He played a young man who joins the Nazi
party. This film was among the first to speak out against Adolf Hitler
. As a youth, Stack admitted that he had a crush on Carole Lombard
and in 1942 he appeared with her in To Be or Not To Be
. He admitted he was terrified going into this role. He credits Lombard with giving him many tips on acting and with being his mentor. Lombard was killed in a plane crash shortly before the film was released.
During World War II
, Stack served as gunnery instructor in the United States Navy
. He continued his film career and appeared in such films as Fighter Squadron
(1948), A Date with Judy
(1948) and Bwana Devil
(considered the first color, American 3-D feature film), (1952). In 1954, Stack was given his most important movie role. He appeared opposite John Wayne in The High and the Mighty
. Stack played the pilot of an airliner which comes apart under stress after the airliner encounters engine trouble.
In 1957, Stack was nominated for an Academy Award
for Best Supporting Actor
for Written on the Wind
.
Stack depicted the crimefighting Eliot Ness
in the television drama The Untouchables
(1959–1963). The show portrayed the ongoing battle between gangsters and federal agents in a Prohibition
-era Chicago
. The show brought Stack a best actor Emmy Award
in 1960.
Stack also starred in three other drama series, rotating the lead with Tony Franciosa and Gene Barry
in the lavish The Name of the Game
(1968–1971), Most Wanted
, (1976) and Strike Force (1981). In The Name of the Game, he played a former federal agent turned true-crime journalist, evoking memories of his role as Ness. In both Most Wanted and Strike Force he played a tough, incorruptible police captain commanding an elite squad of special investigators, also evoking the Ness role. Eventually, he would reprise the role in a 1991 television movie
, The Return of Eliot Ness.
Known for his steadfast, humorless demeanor, he made fun of his own persona in comedies such as 1941
(1979), Airplane!
(1980), Caddyshack II
(1988), Beavis and Butthead Do America (1996) and BASEketball
(1998). He also provided the voice for the character Ultra Magnus
in The Transformers: The Movie
(1986).
Stack appeared in the television mini-series Hollywood Wives
in 1985, and appeared in several episodes of the primetime soap opera Falcon Crest
in 1986. Stack's series Strike Force was scheduled opposite Falcon Crest, where it quickly folded.
He began hosting Unsolved Mysteries
in 1987. He thought very highly of the interactive nature of the show, saying that it created a "symbiotic" relationship between viewer and program, and that the hotline was a great crime-solving tool. Unsolved Mysteries
aired from 1987 to 2002, first as specials in 1987 (Stack did not host all the specials), then as a regular series on NBC
(1988–1997), then on CBS
(1997–1999) and finally on Lifetime
(2001–2002). Stack served as the show's host during its entire original series run.
For a brief period between 2001–2002, Stack played the voice of Stoat Muldoon, a character featured on the computer-animated television series, Butt-Ugly Martians
on Nickelodeon. The show was cancelled due to poor ratings.
Stack was married to actress Rosemarie Bowe
from 1956 until his death.
Stack underwent radiation therapy for prostate cancer
in October 2002. He died of a heart attack on May 14, 2003.
He is interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
in Westwood, California
. He also is survived by his son, Charles Robert Stack, who is retired as well.
‡ Denotes he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
police story
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
series The Untouchables
The Untouchables (1959 TV series)
The Untouchables is an American crime drama that ran from 1959 to 1963 on ABC. Based on the memoir of the same name by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley, it fictionalized the experiences of Eliot Ness, a real-life Prohibition agent, as he fought crime in Chicago during the 1930s with the help of a...
and later served as the host of Unsolved Mysteries
Unsolved Mysteries
Unsolved Mysteries is an American television program, hosted by Robert Stack, from 1987 until 2002, and later by Dennis Farina, starting in 2008...
.
Early life
Robert Stack was born Robert Langford Modini Stack in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, but spent his early childhood growing up in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. He became fluent in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
at an early age, but he did not learn English until returning to Los Angeles. Stack's parents divorced when he was a year old, and he was raised by his mother, Mary Elizabeth (née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Wood). His father, James Langford Stack, a wealthy advertising agency owner, died when Stack was nine. He always spoke of his mother with the greatest respect and love. When he wrote his autobiography, Straight Shooting, he included a picture of him and his mother. He captioned it, "Me and my best girl." His grandfather was an opera singer named Charles Wood, who went by the name "Modini".
By the time he was twenty, Stack had achieved minor fame as a sportsman. He was an avid polo player and shooter. He and his brother won the International Outboard Motor Championships, in Venice, Italy; and, at age 16, he became a member of the All-American Skeet
Skeet shooting
Skeet shooting is one of the three major types of competitive shotgun target shooting sports . There are several types of skeet, including one with Olympic status , and many with only national recognition.- General principles :Skeet is a recreational and competitive activity where...
Team. He set two world records in skeet shooting and became National Champion. In 1971, he was inducted into the National Skeet Shooting Hall of Fame. Stack was a regular columnist for Gun World magazine.
Career
Stack took drama courses at Bridgewater State CollegeBridgewater State College
Bridgewater State University is a public liberal-arts college in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is the largest college in the Massachusetts state university system outside of the University of Massachusetts system. The school's mascot is the bear.-History:BSU was founded by...
. His deep voice and good looks attracted producers in Hollywood. When Stack visited the lot of Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
at age 20, producer Joe Pasternak
Joe Pasternak
thumb|right|250px|Pasterrnak receiving his star on [[Hollywood Boulevard]] from [[Johnny Grant |Johnny Grant]] with [[Gene Kelly]] on the left on July 29, 1991....
offered him an opportunity to enter the business. Recalled Stack, "He said, 'How'd you like to be in pictures? We'll make a test with Helen Parrish
Helen Parrish
Helen Parrish was an American movie actress, the daughter of stage and bit film actress Laura Parrish.-Career:...
, a little love scene.' Helen Parrish was a beautiful girl. 'Gee, that sounds keen,' I told him. I got the part." Stack's first film, which teamed him with Deanna Durbin
Deanna Durbin
Deanna Durbin is a Canadian-born, Southern California-raised retired singer and actress, who appeared in a number of musical films in the 1930s and 1940s singing standards as well as operatic arias....
, was First Love
First Love (1939 film)
First Love is a 1939 Oscar nominated Universal musical film directed by Henry Koster. The film is a rewriting of the fairy tale Cinderella. It was released on both VHS and DVD .-Plot:...
, in 1939; this film was considered controversial at the time. He was the first actor to give Durbin an on-screen kiss.
Stack won acclaim for his next role, The Mortal Storm
The Mortal Storm
The Mortal Storm is a drama film from MGM starring Margaret Sullavan and James Stewart, and directed by Frank Borzage.-Production background:...
(1940). He played a young man who joins the Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
party. This film was among the first to speak out against Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
. As a youth, Stack admitted that he had a crush on Carole Lombard
Carole Lombard
Carole Lombard was an American actress. She was particularly noted for her comedic roles in the screwball comedies of the 1930s...
and in 1942 he appeared with her in To Be or Not To Be
To Be or Not to Be (1942 film)
To Be or Not to Be is a 1942 American comedy directed by Ernst Lubitsch, about a troupe of actors in Nazi-occupied Warsaw who use their abilities at disguise and acting to fool the occupying troops. It was adapted by Lubitsch and Edwin Justus Mayer from the story by Melchior Lengyel...
. He admitted he was terrified going into this role. He credits Lombard with giving him many tips on acting and with being his mentor. Lombard was killed in a plane crash shortly before the film was released.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Stack served as gunnery instructor in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. He continued his film career and appeared in such films as Fighter Squadron
Fighter Squadron
Fighter Squadron is a 1948 Technicolor war film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Edmond O'Brien as a maverick World War II fighter pilot.-Plot:...
(1948), A Date with Judy
A Date with Judy
A Date with Judy was a comedy radio series aimed at a teenage audience which had a long run from 1941 to 1950.The show began as a summer replacement for Bob Hope's show, sponsored by Pepsodent and airing on NBC from June 24 to September 16, 1941, with 14-year-old Ann Gillis in the title role...
(1948) and Bwana Devil
Bwana Devil
Bwana Devil is a 1952 drama based on the true story of the Tsavo maneaters. It was written, directed, and produced by Arch Oboler, and is considered the first color, American 3-D feature. It started the 3-D boom in the U.S. film making industry from 1952 to 1954...
(considered the first color, American 3-D feature film), (1952). In 1954, Stack was given his most important movie role. He appeared opposite John Wayne in The High and the Mighty
The High and the Mighty (film)
The High and the Mighty is a 1954 American "disaster" film directed by William A. Wellman and written by Ernest K. Gann who also wrote the novel on which his screenplay was based. The film's cast was headlined by John Wayne, who was also the project's co-producer...
. Stack played the pilot of an airliner which comes apart under stress after the airliner encounters engine trouble.
In 1957, Stack was nominated for an Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
for Best Supporting Actor
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
for Written on the Wind
Written on the Wind
Written on the Wind is a 1956 American drama film directed by Douglas Sirk. It stars Rock Hudson, Lauren Bacall, Robert Stack and Dorothy Malone....
.
Stack depicted the crimefighting Eliot Ness
Eliot Ness
Eliot Ness was an American Prohibition agent, famous for his efforts to enforce Prohibition in Chicago, Illinois, and the leader of a legendary team of law enforcement agents nicknamed The Untouchables.- Early life :...
in the television drama The Untouchables
The Untouchables (1959 TV series)
The Untouchables is an American crime drama that ran from 1959 to 1963 on ABC. Based on the memoir of the same name by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley, it fictionalized the experiences of Eliot Ness, a real-life Prohibition agent, as he fought crime in Chicago during the 1930s with the help of a...
(1959–1963). The show portrayed the ongoing battle between gangsters and federal agents in a Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
-era Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. The show brought Stack a best actor Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
in 1960.
Stack also starred in three other drama series, rotating the lead with Tony Franciosa and Gene Barry
Gene Barry
Gene Barry was an American stage, screen, and television actor. Barry is best remembered for his leading roles in the films The Atomic City and The War of The Worlds and for his portrayal of the title character in the TV series Bat Masterson, among many roles.-Personal life:Barry was born...
in the lavish The Name of the Game
The Name of the Game (TV series)
The Name of the Game is an American television series starring Tony Franciosa, Gene Barry, and Robert Stack that ran from 1968 to 1971 on NBC, totaling 76 episodes of 90 minutes. It was a pioneering wheel series, setting the stage for the likes of The Bold Ones and the NBC Mystery Movie in the 1970s...
(1968–1971), Most Wanted
Most Wanted (TV series)
Most Wanted is an American crime drama series shown on ABC from October 16, 1976 until August 20, 1977. It starred Robert Stack, Jo Ann Harris, Shelly Novack, and Hari Rhodes...
, (1976) and Strike Force (1981). In The Name of the Game, he played a former federal agent turned true-crime journalist, evoking memories of his role as Ness. In both Most Wanted and Strike Force he played a tough, incorruptible police captain commanding an elite squad of special investigators, also evoking the Ness role. Eventually, he would reprise the role in a 1991 television movie
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
, The Return of Eliot Ness.
1941 (film)
1941 is a 1979 period comedy film directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, and featuring an ensemble cast including John Belushi, Ned Beatty, John Candy, Toshiro Mifune, Christopher Lee and Dan Aykroyd...
(1979), Airplane!
Airplane!
Airplane! is a 1980 American satirical comedy film directed and written by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker and released by Paramount Pictures...
(1980), Caddyshack II
Caddyshack II
Caddyshack II is the 1988 sequel to the 1980 golf comedy film Caddyshack. The film stars Jackie Mason, Dan Aykroyd, Robert Stack, Dyan Cannon, Chevy Chase, Jonathan Silverman, and Jessica Lundy.-Plot:...
(1988), Beavis and Butthead Do America (1996) and BASEketball
BASEketball
BASEketball is a 1998 American David Zucker comedy starring South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, along with Dian Bachar, Robert Vaughn, Ernest Borgnine, Yasmine Bleeth, and Jenny McCarthy...
(1998). He also provided the voice for the character Ultra Magnus
Ultra Magnus
Ultra Magnus is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers storylines.-Transformers: Generation 1:The greatest Transformer of them all. A commander could want no finer a soldier than Ultra Magnus...
in The Transformers: The Movie
The Transformers: The Movie
The Transformers: The Movie is a 1986 animated feature film based on the animated series of the same name. It was released in North America on August 8, 1986 and in the UK on December 5, 1986....
(1986).
Stack appeared in the television mini-series Hollywood Wives
Hollywood Wives (TV miniseries)
Jackie Collins' Hollywood Wives is a 1985 television mini-series based on the 1983 novel by Jackie Collins.Hollywood Wives tells the stories of several women in Hollywood, from long-time talent agents and screenwriters to vivacious screen vixens and young, innocent newcomers...
in 1985, and appeared in several episodes of the primetime soap opera Falcon Crest
Falcon Crest
Falcon Crest is an American primetime television soap opera which aired on the CBS network for nine seasons, from December 4, 1981 to May 17, 1990. A total of 227 episodes were produced....
in 1986. Stack's series Strike Force was scheduled opposite Falcon Crest, where it quickly folded.
He began hosting Unsolved Mysteries
Unsolved Mysteries
Unsolved Mysteries is an American television program, hosted by Robert Stack, from 1987 until 2002, and later by Dennis Farina, starting in 2008...
in 1987. He thought very highly of the interactive nature of the show, saying that it created a "symbiotic" relationship between viewer and program, and that the hotline was a great crime-solving tool. Unsolved Mysteries
Unsolved Mysteries
Unsolved Mysteries is an American television program, hosted by Robert Stack, from 1987 until 2002, and later by Dennis Farina, starting in 2008...
aired from 1987 to 2002, first as specials in 1987 (Stack did not host all the specials), then as a regular series on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
(1988–1997), then on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
(1997–1999) and finally on Lifetime
Lifetime Television
Lifetime Television, often referred to as Lifetime TV, or most commonly, Lifetime, is an American cable television specialty channel devoted to movies, sitcoms and dramas, all of which are either geared toward women or feature women in lead roles. The cable network is owned by A&E Television Networks...
(2001–2002). Stack served as the show's host during its entire original series run.
For a brief period between 2001–2002, Stack played the voice of Stoat Muldoon, a character featured on the computer-animated television series, Butt-Ugly Martians
Butt-Ugly Martians
Butt-Ugly Martians is a computer-animated television series, which aired on the Nickelodeon cable channel between 2002 and 2003. It is also a computer game for several platforms...
on Nickelodeon. The show was cancelled due to poor ratings.
Death
Rosemarie Bowe
Rosemarie Bowe is an American film and television actress.Her father was a building contractor and her mother was a dress designer. The family moved to Tacoma, Washington when Bowe was a child. She graduated from Stadium High School in Tacoma just before moving to Los Angeles, California.-Beauty...
from 1956 until his death.
Stack underwent radiation therapy for prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
in October 2002. He died of a heart attack on May 14, 2003.
He is interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
The Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery is a cemetery in the Westwood Village area of Los Angeles, California. It is located at 1218 Glendon Avenue in Westwood....
in Westwood, California
Westwood, Los Angeles, California
Westwood is a neighborhood on the Westside of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the home of the University of California, Los Angeles .-History:...
. He also is survived by his son, Charles Robert Stack, who is retired as well.
Films
- First LoveFirst Love (1939 film)First Love is a 1939 Oscar nominated Universal musical film directed by Henry Koster. The film is a rewriting of the fairy tale Cinderella. It was released on both VHS and DVD .-Plot:...
(1939) - The Mortal StormThe Mortal StormThe Mortal Storm is a drama film from MGM starring Margaret Sullavan and James Stewart, and directed by Frank Borzage.-Production background:...
(1940) - A Little Bit of Heaven (1940)
- Nice Girl? (1941)
- Badlands of Dakota (1941)
- To Be or Not to BeTo Be or Not to Be (1942 film)To Be or Not to Be is a 1942 American comedy directed by Ernst Lubitsch, about a troupe of actors in Nazi-occupied Warsaw who use their abilities at disguise and acting to fool the occupying troops. It was adapted by Lubitsch and Edwin Justus Mayer from the story by Melchior Lengyel...
(1942) - Eagle Squadron (1942)
- Men of Texas (1942)
- Keeping Fit (1942)
- Screen Snapshots: Hollywood in Uniform (1943)
- A Date with JudyA Date with JudyA Date with Judy was a comedy radio series aimed at a teenage audience which had a long run from 1941 to 1950.The show began as a summer replacement for Bob Hope's show, sponsored by Pepsodent and airing on NBC from June 24 to September 16, 1941, with 14-year-old Ann Gillis in the title role...
(1948) - Miss Tatlock's MillionsMiss Tatlock's MillionsMiss Tatlock's Millions is an American screwball comedy directed by Richard Haydn in 1948.- Cast :* John Lund : Tim Burke, impersonator of Schuyler Tatlock* Wanda Hendrix : Nan Tatlock* Barry Fitzgerald : Denno Noonan* Monty Woolley : Miles Tatlock...
(1948) - Fighter SquadronFighter SquadronFighter Squadron is a 1948 Technicolor war film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Edmond O'Brien as a maverick World War II fighter pilot.-Plot:...
(1948) - Mr. Music (1950)
- The Bullfighter and the LadyThe Bullfighter and the LadyBullfighter and the Lady is a 1951 drama film directed and written by Budd Boetticher. Filmed on location in Mexico, the film focused on the realities of the dangerous sport of bullfighting. During production, one stunt man died...
(1951) - My Outlaw BrotherMy Outlaw Brother- Plot summary :Danny O'Moore, an Irish lad from New York, has not seen big brother Patrick for eight years. Patrick is said to now own a silver mine in Mexico.In the town of Border City, Texas, a bandit known as "El Tigre" blows up and robs a bank...
(1951) - Bwana DevilBwana DevilBwana Devil is a 1952 drama based on the true story of the Tsavo maneaters. It was written, directed, and produced by Arch Oboler, and is considered the first color, American 3-D feature. It started the 3-D boom in the U.S. film making industry from 1952 to 1954...
(1952) - War PaintWar Paint (1953 film)War Paint is a 1953 Western directed by Lesley Selander, starring Robert Stack and Joan Taylor. A U.S. Cavalry lieutenant is assigned to deliver a peace treaty to a powerful Indian chief, but a band of renegades have vowed to kill the officer before he completes his mission.The film was shot in...
(1953) - Sabre Jet (1953)
- Conquest of Cochise (1953)
- The Iron Glove (1954)
- The High and the MightyThe High and the Mighty (film)The High and the Mighty is a 1954 American "disaster" film directed by William A. Wellman and written by Ernest K. Gann who also wrote the novel on which his screenplay was based. The film's cast was headlined by John Wayne, who was also the project's co-producer...
(1954) - House of BambooHouse of BambooHouse of Bamboo is an American color film noir shot in CinemaScope format. The film was directed by Samuel Fuller.The film is a loose remake of The Street with No Name , by the same screenwriter and cinematographer as in the original.-Plot:In 1954, a military train guarded by American soldiers...
(1955) - Screen Snapshots: Hollywood Shower of Stars (1955)
- Good Morning, Miss Dove (1955)
- Great Day in the MorningGreat Day in the MorningGreat Day In The Morning is a 1956 film. It was directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Robert Stack and Virginia Mayo, set in 1860s Denver.-Plot and overview:...
(1956) - Written on the WindWritten on the WindWritten on the Wind is a 1956 American drama film directed by Douglas Sirk. It stars Rock Hudson, Lauren Bacall, Robert Stack and Dorothy Malone....
(1956) ‡ - The Tarnished AngelsThe Tarnished AngelsThe Tarnished Angels is a 1958 American drama film directed by Douglas Sirk. The screenplay by George Zuckerman is based on the 1935 novel Pylon by William Faulkner.-Plot:...
(1958) - The Gift of LoveThe Gift of LoveThe Gift of Love is a 1958 film directed by Jean Negulesco. It stars Lauren Bacall and Robert Stack.-Cast:*Lauren Bacall as Julie Beck*Robert Stack as William Bill Beck*Evelyn Rudie as Hitty*Lorne Greene as Grant Allan*Anne Seymour as Miss McMasters...
(1958) - John Paul JonesJohn Paul Jones (film)John Paul Jones is a 1959 biographical epic film about John Paul Jones. The film was made by Samuel Bronston Productions and released by Warner Bros. It was directed by John Farrow and produced by Samuel Bronston from a screenplay by John Farrow, Ben Hecht, Jesse Lasky Jr. from the story Nor'wester...
(1959) - The Last VoyageThe Last VoyageThe Last Voyage is a 1960 American disaster film written and directed by Andrew L. Stone. It stars Robert Stack and Dorothy Malone.The screenplay centers on the sinking of an aged ocean liner in the Pacific Ocean following an explosion in the boiler room...
(1960) - The CaretakersThe CaretakersThe Caretakers is a 1963 United Artists film drama starring Joan Crawford, Robert Stack, Polly Bergen and Janis Paige in a story about a mental hospital....
(1963) - Is Paris Burning?Is Paris Burning?Is Paris Burning? is a 1966 film dealing with the 1944 liberation of Paris by rival branches of the French Resistance and the Free French Forces.-Plot:...
(1966) - Sail to Glory (1967)
- The Corrupt Ones (1967)
- Action ManAction ManAction Man is an action figure boys' toy launched in Britain in 1966 by Palitoy as a licensed copy of Hasbro's American "moveable fighting man": G.I...
(1967) - Alone, Unarmed, and Unafraid (1968)
- Story of a Woman (1970)
- Second Wind (1978)
- 19411941 (film)1941 is a 1979 period comedy film directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, and featuring an ensemble cast including John Belushi, Ned Beatty, John Candy, Toshiro Mifune, Christopher Lee and Dan Aykroyd...
(1979) - Airplane!Airplane!Airplane! is a 1980 American satirical comedy film directed and written by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker and released by Paramount Pictures...
(1980) - Uncommon ValorUncommon ValorUncommon Valor is a 1983 action/war film written by Joe Gayton and directed by Ted Kotcheff, about a Marine officer who puts together a team to try to rescue his son, who he believes is among those still held in Laos after the Vietnam War...
(1983) - Born AmericanBorn AmericanBorn American is a 1986 film directed by Renny Harlin. It was a feature length action movie about three Americans vacationing in Finland who cross the border into the Soviet Union...
(1986) - Big TroubleBig Trouble (1986 film)Big Trouble is 1986 a American comedy film. It was director John Cassavetes's last film. He took over from screenwriter Andrew Bergman .-Cast:* Peter Falk as Steve Rickey* Alan Arkin as Leonard Hoffman...
(1986) - The Transformers: The MovieThe Transformers: The MovieThe Transformers: The Movie is a 1986 animated feature film based on the animated series of the same name. It was released in North America on August 8, 1986 and in the UK on December 5, 1986....
(1986) - Dangerous Curves (1988)
- Plain ClothesPlain Clothes (1988 film)Plain Clothes is a 1988 comedy film directed by Martha Coolidge. The film stars Arliss Howard and was released by Paramount Pictures. As of 2011, it is available on VHS and 'Internet video streaming' through Netflix.-Plot summary:...
(19881988 in film-Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:* Act of Piracy* Action Jackson, starring Carl Weathers, Craig T. Nelson, Vanity, Sharon Stone* The Adventures of Baron Munchausen* Akira* Alice...
) - Caddyshack IICaddyshack IICaddyshack II is the 1988 sequel to the 1980 golf comedy film Caddyshack. The film stars Jackie Mason, Dan Aykroyd, Robert Stack, Dyan Cannon, Chevy Chase, Jonathan Silverman, and Jessica Lundy.-Plot:...
(1988) - Joe Versus the VolcanoJoe Versus the VolcanoJoe Versus the Volcano is a 1990 comedy film written and directed by John Patrick Shanley and starring Tom Hanks and—in three roles—Meg Ryan. The film is writer Shanley's directorial debut and the first of three films pairing Hanks and Ryan....
(1990) - Wild Bill: Hollywood Maverick (1996)
- Beavis and Butt-Head Do AmericaBeavis and Butt-head Do AmericaBeavis and Butt-head Do America is a 1996 animated feature film, based on the TV series, Beavis and Butt-Head. It was produced by Paramount Pictures in association with Geffen Pictures and MTV Films, and co-written and directed by creator Mike Judge. The film grossed $20.11 million in its opening...
(1996) - BASEketballBASEketballBASEketball is a 1998 American David Zucker comedy starring South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, along with Dian Bachar, Robert Vaughn, Ernest Borgnine, Yasmine Bleeth, and Jenny McCarthy...
(1998) - Hercules: Zero to HeroHercules: Zero to HeroHercules: Zero to Hero is a 1998 direct-to-video midquel to Disney's 1997 animated feature Hercules. It was released on August 31, 1998, and serves as the pilot to Hercules: The Animated Series...
(1999) - MumfordMumford (film)Mumford is a 1999 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Lawrence Kasdan. It is set in a small town where a new psychologist gives offbeat advice to the neurotic residents...
(1999) - Recess: School's OutRecess: School's OutRecess: School's Out is a 2001 animated film based on the Disney television series Recess. This film was produced by Walt Disney Pictures and was released theatrically nationwide on February 16, 2001. It was released on video and DVD on August 7, 2001.-Plot:School's out at Third Street School, but...
(2001) - Killer BudKiller Bud-External links:**...
(2001) - From Russia to Hollywood: The 100-Year Odyssey of Chekhov and Shdanoff (2002)
‡ Denotes he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
Television
- Butt-Ugly MartiansButt-Ugly MartiansButt-Ugly Martians is a computer-animated television series, which aired on the Nickelodeon cable channel between 2002 and 2003. It is also a computer game for several platforms...
(voice only) (2001-2002) - King of the HillKing of the HillKing of the Hill is an American animated dramedy series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, that ran from January 12, 1997, to May 6, 2010, on Fox network. It centers on the Hills, a working-class Methodist family in the fictional small town of Arlen, Texas...
(2001) - Unsolved MysteriesUnsolved MysteriesUnsolved Mysteries is an American television program, hosted by Robert Stack, from 1987 until 2002, and later by Dennis Farina, starting in 2008...
(1987–2002) - Murder, She WroteMurder, She WroteMurder, She Wrote is an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network, with 264 episodes transmitted. It was followed by four TV films and a spin-off series,...
(1986) - Diagnosis MurderDiagnosis MurderDiagnosis: Murder is a mystery/medical/crime drama television series starring Dick Van Dyke as Dr. Mark Sloan, a medical doctor who solves crimes with the help of his son, a homicide detective played by his real-life son Barry Van Dyke. The series began as a spin-off of Jake and the Fatman...
(?) - The UntouchablesThe Untouchables (1959 TV series)The Untouchables is an American crime drama that ran from 1959 to 1963 on ABC. Based on the memoir of the same name by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley, it fictionalized the experiences of Eliot Ness, a real-life Prohibition agent, as he fought crime in Chicago during the 1930s with the help of a...
(1959–1963)
police story