Robert Brubaker (October 9, 1916 – April 15, 2010) was an American

character actor A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric, or interesting character (arts), characters in supporting roles, rather than leading ones.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrie ...

best known for his roles in

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

and movie westerns, including ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centered on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central charact ...

'' and '' 40 Guns to Apache Pass''.

Early years

Brubaker was born in Robinson, Illinois, on October 9, 1916, the son of George Brubaker. His interest in acting developed when he was a student at Robinson Township High School. He dropped out of

Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...

after two years and went to New York.

Military service

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Brubaker was an aircraft commander in the U.S. Army Air Force. Later, he served during the

Berlin Airlift The Berlin Blockade (24 June 1948 – 12 May 1949) was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War. During the multinational occupation of post–World War II Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway, roa ...

and during the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

he was a part of the

Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command (SAC) was a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile compon ...

Career

Brubaker debuted as a professional actor in ''Oh Say Can You Sing, Dance or Act'' (1936), a production of the

Federal Theatre Project The Federal Theatre Project (FTP; 1935–1939) was a theatre program established during the Great Depression as part of the New Deal to fund live artistic performances and entertainment programs in the United States. It was one of five Federal ...

. While he worked at radio station KMPC, Brubaker caught the attention of an executive of Paramount Pictures, and his film debut came in a bit part in ''Blonde Alibi'' (1946). Brubaker portrayed a deputy in the syndicated television series '' U.S. Marshal''. He was the only actor to have two recurring roles on the television series, ''Gunsmoke'', portraying both a

bartender A bartender (also known as a barkeep or barman or barmaid or a mixologist) is a person who formulates and serves alcoholic or soft drink beverages behind the Bar (establishment), bar, usually in a licensed bar (establishment), establishment as ...

named Floyd and a

stagecoach A stagecoach (also: stage coach, stage, road coach, ) is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by ...

driver named Jim Buck (often uncredited). Some of Brubaker's other credits included the Rock Hudson film, ''

Seconds The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of ...

'', and television crime dramas ''

The Walter Winchell File ''The Walter Winchell File'' is a television crime drama series that initially aired from 1957 to 1958, dramatizing cases from the New York City Police Department that were covered in the ''New York Daily Mirror''. The series featured columnist ...

'' and '' Perry Mason'', and the television police drama '' The Asphalt Jungle''.

Later years

After he left acting, Brubaker worked for Forest Lawn Cemetery as a director in the training department. When he retired from that job, he moved to Lake Elsinore, California.

Death

Brubaker died on April 15, 2010, at the age of 93 in

Riverside, California Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. As of the 2020 census, the city has a population of 314,998. It is the most populous city in th ...

. He was buried at

Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale Forest Lawn Memorial Park is a privately owned cemetery in Glendale, California, United States. It is the original and current flagship location of Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks & Mortuaries, a chain of six cemeteries and four additional mortuaries ...

, in Southern California.

Partial filmography

* '' Blonde Alibi'' (1946) – Pedestrian (uncredited) * '' The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell'' (1955) – Major H. H. Arnold * '' Pardners'' (1956) – Businessman (uncredited) * '' The Girl He Left Behind'' (1956) – Colonel Thomas Murphy (uncredited) * '' Written on the Wind'' (1956) – Hotel Manager (uncredited) * ''The Book of Acts Series'' (1957) – Simon Peter * ''

'' – "Act of Folly" – (1957) – Beckman * '' Battle Hymn'' (1957) – Briefing Officer (uncredited) * '' Mister Cory'' (1957) – Card Player (uncredited) * '' Man of a Thousand Faces'' (1957) – Jack Conway, Director of 'Unholy Three' (uncredited) * '' My Man Godfrey'' (1957) – Man with Monkey * '' Decision'' – (1958) (TV) – season 1 episode 13 (''Man on a Raft'') – Tim Rourke * '' The Female Animal'' (1958) – Bartender (uncredited) * '' The Gift of Love'' (1958) – State Trooper (uncredited) * '' Official Detective'' – "Tinseled Alibi" – (1958) – Snyder * ''

'' – "Portrait of A Cop" (1958) – Janis * ''The Heart Is a Rebel'' (1958) – Dr. Chambers * '' Wanted Dead or Alive'' – (1959) (TV) – season 2 episode 12 (''Twelve Hours to Crazy Horse'') – Warner * '' The Walking Target'' (1960) – Brenner (uncredited) * ''

Moon Pilot ''Moon Pilot'' is a 1962 American Technicolor science fiction comedy film from Walt Disney Productions, released through Buena Vista Distribution, directed by James Neilson, and starring Tom Tryon, Brian Keith, Edmond O'Brien, Dany Saval, an ...

'' (1962) – Space Flight Technician (uncredited) * '' Seven Days in May'' (1964) – Gen. Diefenbach (uncredited) * '' Apache Rifles'' (1964) – Sgt. Cobb * ''

Mirage A mirage is a naturally-occurring optical phenomenon in which light rays bend via refraction to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky. The word comes to English via the French ''(se) mirer'', from the Latin ''mirari'', mean ...

'' (1965) – Bar Patron (uncredited) * '' 40 Guns to Apache Pass'' (1966) – Sergeant Walker * ''

'' (1966) – Mayberry * ''

Airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial Aviation, air transport. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surf ...

'' (1970) – Dr. Nash (uncredited) * '' The Brotherhood of the Bell'' (1970) – Bell Operative (uncredited) * '' The Virginian'' (1970) (TV) – season 8 episode 23 ''(Rich Man, Poor Man)'' – Reardon * '' Dragnet (1970) (TV) – Father of drug addict * '' The Bus Is Coming'' (1971) – Chief Jackson * ''

The Sting ''The Sting'' is a 1973 American caper film. Set in 1936, it involves a complicated plot by two professional grifters (Paul Newman and Robert Redford) to con a mob boss ( Robert Shaw). The film was directed by George Roy Hill, who had dir ...

'' (1973) – Bill Clayton from Pittsburgh (uncredited)

References

External links

*
Boot Hill: R.I.P. Robert Brubaker
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brubaker, Robert 1916 births 2010 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American male television actors Federal Theatre Project people Male actors from Illinois Male Western (genre) film actors Military personnel from Illinois People from Robinson, Illinois United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II United States Army Air Forces officers United States Air Force officers United States Air Force personnel of the Korean War