Robert E. Bray (October 23, 1917 – March 7, 1983) was an American film and television

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), l ...

known for playing the

forest ranger A ranger, park ranger, park warden, or forest ranger is a law enforcement person entrusted with protecting and preserving parklands – national, state, provincial, or local parks. Description "Parks" may be broadly defined by some systems in th ...

Corey Stuart in the CBS series ''

Lassie Lassie is a fictional female Rough Collie dog and is featured in a short story by Eric Knight that was later expanded to a full-length novel called '' Lassie Come-Home''. Knight's portrayal of Lassie bears some features in common with another ...

'', He also starred in ''

Stagecoach West Stagecoach West is the trading name of Cheltenham & Gloucester Omnibus Company Limited, a bus operator providing services in Gloucestershire, Bristol, Swindon, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, North Somerset and Herefordshire, in the West of Englan ...

'' and as Mike Hammer in the movie version of

Mickey Spillane Frank Morrison Spillane (; March 9, 1918July 17, 2006), better known as Mickey Spillane, was an American crime novelist, whose stories often feature his signature detective character, Mike Hammer. More than 225 million copies of his books have s ...

's novel '' My Gun Is Quick'' (1957).

Life and career

Bray entered films in 1946 under contract to RKO. He was marketed as the "next

Gary Cooper Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, a ...

" but appeared in B Westerns like 1949's '' Rustlers''. In the 1950s, the then freelancing actor appeared in a varied number of roles including the 1952 episode "Thunder Over Inyo" of the

syndicated Syndication may refer to: * Broadcast syndication, where individual stations buy programs outside the network system * Print syndication, where individual newspapers or magazines license news articles, columns, or comic strips * Web syndication, ...

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US * Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that i ...

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed ...

The Adventures of Kit Carson ''The Adventures of Kit Carson'' is an American Western that aired from 1951 to 1955. The show ran for four seasons and consisted of 104 episodes over four years. The original air date was Saturday, August 11, 1951. It concluded on January 22, 19 ...

''. In 1954, he portrayed bandit

Emmett Dalton Emmett Dalton (May 3, 1871 – July 13, 1937) was an American outlaw, train robber and member of the Dalton Gang in the American Old West. Part of a gang that attempted to rob two banks in Coffeyville, Kansas, on October 5, 1892, he was the ...

in an episode of Jim Davis's syndicated western ''

Stories of the Century ''Stories of the Century'' is a 39-episode Western historical fiction television series starring Jim Davis that ran in syndication through Republic Pictures between 1954 and 1955. Synopsis Jim Davis, who became famous decades later as the ...

''. That same year, he guest-starred in

Reed Hadley Reed Hadley (born Reed Herring, June 25, 1911 – December 11, 1974) was an American film, television and radio actor. Early life Hadley was born in Petrolia, Texas, to Bert Herring, an oil well driller, and his wife Minnie. Hadley had on ...

's CBS

crime drama Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...

, '' The Public Defender''. On December 4, 1955, he was cast as petroleum pioneer Pattillo Higgins in "

Spindletop Spindletop is an oil field located in the southern portion of Beaumont, Texas, in the United States. The Spindletop dome was derived from the Louann Salt evaporite layer of the Jurassic geologic period. On January 10, 1901, a well at Spindle ...

– The First Great Texas Oil Strike (January 10, 1901)" on the CBS history series, '' You Are There'', the story of the origin of the Texas oil industry. In 1958, he starred in ''

Never Love a Stranger ''Never Love A Stranger'' is a 1958 crime and gangster film that is based on Harold Robbins' 1948 debut novel with the same title. The film was shot in black and white starring John Drew Barrymore and Robert Bray, and featuring a young Steve McQue ...

'', a film adaptation of a

Harold Robbins Harold Robbins (May 21, 1916 – October 14, 1997) was an American author of popular novels. One of the best-selling writers of all time, he wrote over 25 best-sellers, selling over 750 million copies in 32 languages. Early life Robbins was b ...

novel. Bray guest-starred in the episode "Obituary" of

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters ...

's western series, ''

Jefferson Drum ''Jefferson Drum'', also known as ''The Pen and the Quill'', is an American Western television series starring Jeff Richards that aired on the NBC network from April 25 to December 11, 1958. Overview Jefferson Drum, portrayed by Jeff Richards, ...

'', starring Jeff Richards, and in the 1959 episode "The Trouble with Tolliver" of the ABC western drama, ''

The Man from Blackhawk ''The Man From Blackhawk'' is a Western television series about an insurance investigator starring Robert Rockwell that aired on ABC from October 9, 1959 until September 9, 1960. The series was created by Frank Barron and produced by Herb Meadow ...

''. He appeared twice on ABC's ''

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp ''The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp'' is the first Western television series written for adults, premiering four days before ''Gunsmoke'' on September 6, 1955. Two weeks later came the Clint Walker western ''Cheyenne''. The series is loosely bas ...

''. Bray was cast as Carl the Bus Driver in '' Bus Stop'' with

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...

(1956) and as

detective A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads t ...

Mike Hammer in '' My Gun Is Quick'' (1957). Other roles were on

's western

anthology series An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a di ...

, ''

Frontier A frontier is the political and geographical area near or beyond a boundary. A frontier can also be referred to as a "front". The term came from French in the 15th century, with the meaning "borderland"—the region of a country that fronts ...

'' and on the syndicated series ''

City Detective ''City Detective'' is a half-hour syndicated crime drama starring Rod Cameron as Bart Grant, a tough 1950s New York City police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensu ...

'' and ''

State Trooper State police, provincial police or regional police are a type of sub-national territorial police force found in nations organized as federations, typically in North America, South Asia, and Oceania. These forces typically have jurisdiction ...

''. Early in 1960, Bray was cast as Tom Byson in the episode "Three Graves" of the NBC western series, ''

Riverboat A riverboat is a watercraft designed for inland navigation on lakes, rivers, and artificial waterways. They are generally equipped and outfitted as work boats in one of the carrying trades, for freight or people transport, including luxury u ...

''. In the 1960–1961 television season, Bray played Simon Kane in the ABC series ''

''. The Western comprised 38 one-hour episodes. He starred in three episodes of NBC's

'' Laramie'' between 1960 and 1963. He appeared in three episodes of CBS's ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a cli ...

''. In 1959 he played private detective and murder victim Carl Davis in "The Case of the Foot-Loose Doll." In the 1962 episode, "The Case of the Angry Astronaut," he had the role of title character and defendant Mitch Heller; and in 1963 he portrayed wealthy murder victim Martin Walden (Episode 180, "The Case of the Potted Planter"). He also guest-starred in NBC's ''

Temple Houston (TV series) ''Temple Houston'' is an American television series starring Jeffrey Hunter as real-life 19th century Texas lawyer Temple Lea Houston. It ran for one season on NBC from 1963 to 1964. It is considered "the first attempt ... to produce an hour-long ...

'', ''

Overland Trail The Overland Trail (also known as the Overland Stage Line) was a stagecoach and wagon trail in the American West during the 19th century. While portions of the route had been used by explorers and trappers since the 1820s, the Overland Trail was ...

'', and ''

The Loretta Young Show ''The Loretta Young Show'' (originally known as ''Letter to Loretta'') is an American anthology drama television series broadcast on Sunday nights from September 2, 1953, to June 4, 1961, on NBC for a total of 165 episodes. The series was hoste ...

''. He appeared in four episodes of CBS's anthology suspense series ''

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

'' between 1958 and 1961. Bray portrayed forest ranger Corey Stuart in Season 11 of ''

''. He was written out of the series in Season 15 as a victim of a forest fire, and his character was sent away to a hospital never to return.Lassie Star
/ref>

Selected filmography

* '' Sunset Pass'' (1946) – Bank Clerk (uncredited) * '' Crack Up'' (1946) – Man with Drunk (uncredited) * ''

Dick Tracy vs. Cueball ''Dick Tracy vs. Cueball'' is a 1946 American action film based on the 1930s comic strip character of the same name created by Chester Gould. The film stars Morgan Conway as Dick Tracy in the second installment of the ''Dick Tracy'' film seri ...

'' (1946) – Steve (uncredited) * '' Vacation in Reno'' (1946) – Police Guard in Bank (uncredited) * '' The Falcon's Adventure'' (1946) – Doorman (uncredited) * ''

San Quentin San Quentin State Prison (SQ) is a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation state prison for men, located north of San Francisco in the unincorporated place of San Quentin in Marin County. Opened in July 1852, San Quentin is th ...

'' (1946) – Saunders, a Gunman (uncredited) * ''

Banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...

'' (1947) – Policeman (uncredited) * ''

Honeymoon A honeymoon is a vacation taken by newlyweds immediately after their wedding, to celebrate their marriage. Today, honeymoons are often celebrated in destinations considered exotic or romantic. In a similar context, it may also refer to the phase ...

'' (1947) – Bridegroom (uncredited) * '' Desperate'' (1947) – Policeman with Lt. Ferrari (uncredited) * ''

Seven Keys to Baldpate Seven Keys to Baldpate may refer to: * '' Seven Keys to Baldpate'', a novel by Earl Derr Biggers * ''Seven Keys to Baldpate'' (play), a 1913 play by George M. Cohan based on the novel * ''Seven Keys to Baldpate'' (1916 film), a 1916 Australian si ...

'' (1947) – Policeman (uncredited) * ''

Crossfire A crossfire (also known as interlocking fire) is a military term for the siting of weapons (often automatic weapons such as assault rifles or sub-machine guns) so that their arcs of fire overlap. This tactic came to prominence in World War I. ...

'' (1947) – MP (uncredited) * '' The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer'' (1947) – Official at Airline Gate (uncredited) * ''

Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome ''Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome'' (also known as ''Dick Tracy Meets Karloff'' and ''Dick Tracy's Amazing Adventure'' (UK) ) is a 1947 thriller film starring Boris Karloff, Ralph Byrd, and Anne Gwynne. The film is the fourth and final installment of ...

'' (1947) – Sergeant (uncredited) * '' Wild Horse Mesa'' (1947) – Tex * '' The Judge Steps Out'' (1947) – Truck Driver (uncredited) * '' If You Knew Susie'' (1948) – Reporter (uncredited) * '' Western Heritage'' (1948) – Henchman Pike * '' Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House'' (1948) – Workman (uncredited) * '' Fighting Father Dunne'' (1948) – Classroom Instructor (uncredited) * '' Arizona Ranger'' (1948) – Jasper Todd * ''

Guns of Hate ''Guns of Hate'' is a 1948 Western film''Guns of Hate''
at

'' (1948) – Rocky * ''

Return of the Bad Men ''Return of the Bad Men'', also known as ''Return of the Badmen'', is a 1948 American Western film directed by Ray Enright and starring Randolph Scott, Robert Ryan and Anne Jeffreys.Jarlett p.192-93 A loose sequel to the 1946 film '' Badman's T ...

'' (1948) – 'The Youngers': John Younger * '' Blood on the Moon'' (1948) – Bart Daniels * ''

Indian Agent In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with American Indian tribes on behalf of the government. Background The federal regulation of Indian affairs in the United States first included development of ...

'' (1948) – Nichols * '' Gun Smugglers'' (1948) – Henchman Dodge * '' Brothers in the Saddle'' (1949) – Henchman Polk Lynch * '' Rustlers'' (1949) – Henchman Hank * '' Stagecoach Kid'' (1949) – Henchman Clint * '' The Clay Pigeon'' (1949) – Gunsel Blake * '' Strange Bargain'' (1949) – Det. McTay * '' Johnny Holiday'' (1949) – Policeman (uncredited) * '' The Great Missouri Raid'' (1951) – Charlie Pitts * ''

Law of the Badlands ''Law of the Badlands'' is a 1951 American western film starring Tim Holt. Although the cheapest Holt vehicle since the war years, it still recorded a loss of $20,000. Plot In 1890, Captain McVey of the Texas Rangers is dispatched by the United ...

'' (1951) – Benson * ''

Warpath Warpath may refer to: * Great Indian Warpath, a network of trails in eastern North America used by Native Americans Games * ''Warpath'' (video game), a 2006 FPS video game by Digital Extremes for the PC and Xbox *'' Warpath: Jurassic Park'', a 19 ...

'' (1951) – Maj. Comstock * ''

Overland Telegraph The Australian Overland Telegraph Line was a telegraphy system to send messages over long distances using cables and electric signals. It spanned between Darwin, in what is now the Northern Territory of Australia, and Adelaide, the capital of ...

'' (1951) – Steve – Henchman * '' Man from the Black Hills'' (1952) – Ed Roper * '' The Gunman'' (1952) – Tom Jamison * ''

One Minute to Zero ''One Minute to Zero'' is a 1952 American romantic war film starring Robert Mitchum and Ann Blyth, set during the opening phases of the Korean War, and produced by Howard Hughes as his last film as producer. Victor Young's score for the film ...

'' (1952) – (uncredited) * ''

Fargo Fargo usually refers to: * Fargo, North Dakota, United States * ''Fargo'' (1996 film), a crime film by the Coen brothers * ''Fargo'' (TV series), an American black comedy–crime drama anthology television series Fargo may also refer to: Othe ...

'' (1952) – Ed Murdock * ''

Feudin' Fools ''Feudin' Fools'' is a 1952 American comedy film directed by William Beaudine and starring The Bowery Boys, Anne Kimbell and Dorothy Ford. The film was released on September 21, 1952 by Monogram Pictures and is the twenty-seventh film in the serie ...

'' (1952) – Private Eye * ''

Back at the Front ''Back at the Front'' (titled ''Willie and Joe in Tokyo'' in the UK) is a 1952 American comedy film directed by George Sherman and starring Tom Ewell, Harvey Lembeck and Mari Blanchard, very loosely based on the characters ''Willie and Joe'' by B ...

'' (1952) – Military Police Corporal (uncredited) * ''

The Lusty Men ''The Lusty Men '' is a 1952 Western film released by Wald-Krasna Productions and RKO Radio Pictures starring Susan Hayward, Robert Mitchum, Arthur Kennedy and Arthur Hunnicutt. The picture was directed by Nicholas Ray and produced by Jerry Wal ...

'' (1952) – Fritz (uncredited) * '' Voodoo Tiger'' (1952) – Maj. Bill Green * '' The Maverick'' (1952) – Cpl. Johnson * ''

Seminole The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, ...

'' (1953) – Capt. Sibley (uncredited) * '' The Neanderthal Man'' (1953) – Tim Newcomb – cattle rancher (uncredited) * '' The Marshal's Daughter'' (1953) – Anderson * ''

Main Street to Broadway ''Main Street to Broadway'' is a 1953 American romantic musical comedy-drama film by independent producer Lester Cowan, his final credit, in collaboration with The Council of the Living Theatre, which provided tie-up with a number of well-known B ...

'' (1953) – Lawyer in Fantasy Sequence * '' Vigilante Terror'' (1953) – Gene Smith * '' Bad for Each Other'' (1953) – Trooper at Mine Accident Scene (uncredited) * ''

Ride Clear of Diablo ''Ride Clear of Diablo'' is a 1954 American Technicolor Western film directed by Jesse Hibbs starring Audie Murphy, Dan Duryea, Susan Cabot and Abbe Lane. made for Universal Pictures. Cabot and Murphy had appeared in two films together previou ...

'' (1954) – Jackson – Ranch Hand (uncredited) * ''

Rose Marie Rose Marie (born Rose Marie Mazzetta; August 15, 1923 – December 28, 2017) was an American actress, singer, comedian, and vaudeville performer with a career ultimately spanning nine decades, which included film, radio, records, theater, night ...

'' (1954) – Mountie (uncredited) * '' Arrow in the Dust'' (1954) – Cavalry Corporal (uncredited) * '' The Yellow Tomahawk'' (1954) – Lieutenant Banion * '' Drums Across the River'' (1954) – Sheriff Ed Crockett (uncredited) * '' The Caine Mutiny'' (1954) – Court-Martial Board Member (uncredited) * '' Francis Joins the WACS'' (1954) – Military Police Sgt. Kreuger (uncredited) * ''

Shield for Murder ''Shield for Murder'' is a 1954 American film noir crime film co-directed by and starring Edmond O'Brien as a police detective who has become malevolent. It was based on the novel of the same name by William P. McGivern. Plot Lieutenant Barney No ...

'' (1954) – Detective (uncredited) * '' Big House, U.S.A.'' (1955) – Ranger McCormick * ''

The Steel Jungle ''The Steel Jungle'' is a 1956 American film noir crime drama directed by Walter Doniger and starring Perry Lopez, Beverly Garland, and Walter Abel. The film was directed and written by Walter Doniger. Produced independently, the film was distri ...

'' (1956) – Police Lt. Soberman * '' Bus Stop'' (1956) – Carl * '' The Accursed'' (1957) – Major Shane * ''

The Wayward Bus ''The Wayward Bus'' is a novel by American author John Steinbeck, published in 1947. The novel's epigraph is a passage from 15th-century English play ''Everyman (15th-century play), Everyman'', with its archaic English intact; the quotation refe ...

'' (1957) – Morse * '' My Gun is Quick'' (1957) – Mike Hammer * ''

'' (1958) – 'Silk' Fennelli * ''

Never So Few ''Never So Few'' is a 1959 CinemaScope Metrocolor war film, directed by John Sturges and starring Frank Sinatra, Gina Lollobrigida, Peter Lawford, Steve McQueen, Richard Johnson, Paul Henreid, Brian Donlevy, Dean Jones, Charles Bronson, and Phi ...

'' (1959) – Col. Fred Parkson * '' Fiend of Dope Island'' (1961) – David * '' A Gathering of Eagles'' (1963) – Lt. Col. Gales

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bray, Robert 1917 births 1983 deaths American male film actors American male television actors Male actors from Los Angeles Male actors from Montana Male Western (genre) film actors Civilian Conservation Corps people People from Bishop, California People from Kalispell, Montana Male actors from Seattle United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II United States Marines Cowboys 20th-century American male actors