Joseph N. "Joby" Baker (born March 26, 1934) is a Canadian actor and painter, long based in the United States.

Career

Baker was born in

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

. An early role in his career was in a 1958 episode of ''

The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show ''The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show'', sometimes called ''The Burns and Allen Show'', is a half-hour television sitcom broadcast from 1950 to 1958 on CBS. It starred George Burns and Gracie Allen, one of the most enduring acts in entertainm ...

'', "Ronnie Makes A Record", where he was cast as a recording studio vocalist. In the early 1960s he made guest appearances on many

television series A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming plat ...

. In 1962, he appeared on '' Perry Mason'' as Kenneth Carter in "The Case of the Bogus Books". He appeared as a semi-regular in the first season of the WWII TV series '' Combat!'' as Pvt. Kelly. Other television series appearances included ''The Alfred Hitchcock Hour'', '' Dr. Kildare'' and '' The Dick Van Dyke Show''. In 1960, he co-starred with

Jack Lemmon John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001) was an American actor. Considered proficient in both dramatic and comic roles, he was known for his anxious, middle-class everyman screen persona in comedy-drama films. He received num ...

and

Ricky Nelson Eric Hilliard "Ricky" Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985) was an American musician and actor. From age eight, he starred alongside his family in the radio and television series ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet''. In 1957, he began a ...

in '' The Wackiest Ship in the Army''. He appeared in the

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

movie '' Girl Happy'' (1965), and in all three Gidget movies. In 1967, Baker was cast as a travelling magician, Dr. William Davis, in the episode "The Saga of Dr. Davis" on the syndicated series ''

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American Western (genre), Western anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program was ...

'', hosted by Robert Taylor.

Judi Meredith Judi Clare Meredith (born Judith Clare Boutin; October 13, 1936 – April 30, 2014) was an American actress. Early life Born on October 13, 1936, to Herbert Boutin and Janice M. Starr in Portland, Oregon, Meredith graduated from St. Mary's Acad ...

played his wife, Jenny, whose death leads him to take an adopted son, Tad, on his remaining westward journeys. Baker began a long association with Walt Disney Studios where he appeared in ''

The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin ''The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin'' is a 1967 American Western (genre), Western comedy film directed by James Neilson (director), James Neilson, produced by Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Productions, and starring Roddy McDowall, Suzanne ...

'' (1966), '' Blackbeard's Ghost'' (1968), and '' Superdad'' (1974). In 1967–68, he had a lead role in '' Good Morning World'', a short-lived

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

about a pair of

disc jockeys A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at nightclubs or music festivals), mobile D ...

named Lewis and Clarke. The series co-starred

Goldie Hawn Goldie Jeanne Hawn (born November 21, 1945) is an American actress, producer, dancer, and singer. She achieved stardom and acclaim for playing lighthearted comedic roles in film and television. In a career spanning six decades, she has received ...

. This was followed by a succession of character roles, including an appearance in an episode of the 1973

situation comedy A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

'' A Touch of Grace'' and a stint as "Colonel Marvin" on the 1980 sitcom ''Six O'Clock Follies''.

Personal life

Baker was first married to Joan Blackman, whom he met in drama school. In 1984, he married lyricist and songwriter

Dory Previn Dorothy Veronica "Dory" Previn (née Langan; October 22, 1925 – February 14, 2012) was an American lyricist, singer-songwriter and poet. During the late 1950s and 1960s, Previn was a lyricist on songs intended for motion pictures and, with h ...

. He illustrated ''The Dory Previn Songbook'',Dory Previn Biography
by William Ruhlmann at www.allmusic.com published in 1995. He has exhibited as an abstract painter in major Los Angeles art galleries.

Selected Filmography

* ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 ...

'' (1959) (Season 4 Episode 13: "Six People, No Music") as Thor * ''

'' (1960) (Season 5 Episode 24: "Madame Mystery") as Jimmy Dolan * ''

'' (1961) (Season 7 Episode 11: "The Right Kind of Medicine") as Vernon * ''

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 a ...

'' (1963) (Season 2 Episode 8: "The Cadaver") as Doc Carroll

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Joby 1934 births Living people 20th-century Canadian painters Canadian male painters 21st-century Canadian painters Canadian male film actors Canadian male television actors Painters from Montreal Male actors from Montreal Canadian expatriate male actors in the United States 20th-century Canadian male artists 21st-century Canadian male artists