Robert Irby Clarke (June 1, 1920 – June 11, 2005) was an American actor best known for his

cult classic A cult following is a group of Fan (person), fans who are highly dedicated to a person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some List of art media, medium. The latter is often cal ...

science fiction films of the 1950s. In succeeding decades he appeared in more conventional television, and in ''

The King Family Show ''The King Family Show'' is an American musical variety series that featured The King Sisters and their extended musical family. The series first aired on ABC from January 23, 1965, to January 8, 1966. The series was revived in 1969, airing ...

'', a variety show based on the family of which his wife Alyce King Clarke was a member.

Early life

Clarke was born and raised in

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...

, Oklahoma.He attended Kemper Military School where he planned a military career, but asthma prevented his service in World War II. He enrolled in the

University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...

and then the

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...

, where he began acting.

Career

After screen tests at

20th Century-Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film production and distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Com ...

and

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...

, Clarke landed a berth as a contract player at

RKO Radio Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, is an American film production and distribution company, historically one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Kei ...

. His first credited role was '' The Falcon in Hollywood'' (1944), then went on to play small roles in ''

The Body Snatcher "The Body Snatcher" is a short story by the Scottish people, Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. First published in ''The Pall Mall Gazette'' in December 1884, its characters were based on criminals in the employ of the surgeon Robert Knox ...

'' (1945), '' Bedlam'' (1946), and '' Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome'' (1947). When RKO dropped his option three years later, he began freelancing. In the 1950s, in addition to acting in genre films of all types, he is known for having appeared in several classic science fiction films, including '' The Man from Planet X'' (1951), ''

The Incredible Petrified World ''The Incredible Petrified World'' is a 1959 science fiction film produced and directed by Jerry Warren, and starring John Carradine and Robert Clarke. The film follows four explorers who travel down into the depths of the sea and get stranded in ...

'' (1957), '' The Astounding She-Monster'' (1957), ''

From the Earth to the Moon ''From the Earth to the Moon: A Direct Route in 97 Hours, 20 Minutes'' () is an 1865 novel by Jules Verne. It tells the story of the Baltimore Gun Club, a post-American Civil War society of weapons enthusiasts, and their attempts to build an en ...

'' (1958, narrator), '' Beyond the Time Barrier'' (1960), and '' The Hideous Sun Demon'' (1958), which Clarke wrote, directed and produced. He also appeared in the cult film '' Captain John Smith and Pocahontas'' (1953) as

John Rolfe John Rolfe ( – March 1622) was an English explorer, farmer and merchant. He is best known for being the husband of Pocahontas and the first settler in the colony of Virginia to successfully cultivate a tobacco crop for export. He played a ...

, Clarke revealed in his 1996 autobiography ''To 'B' or Not to 'B (co-written by Tom Weaver) that he made ''The Hideous Sun Demon'' for less than $50,000, including $500 for the rubberized lizard suit he wore. He shot the movie over 12 weekends to get two days' use of rental camera equipment for one day's fee. The ''Hideous Sun Demon'' was featured in the 1982 movie '' It Came from Hollywood'', and with Clarke's permission, was re- dubbed into the 1983 comedy ''What's Up, Hideous Sun Demon'' (aka ''Revenge of the Sun Demon'') featuring the voices of

Jay Leno James Douglas Muir Leno ( ; born April 28, 1950) is an American television host, comedian, and writer. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Tonight Show'' from 1992 until 200 ...

and

Cam Clarke Cam Clarke is an American voice actor, known for his work in animation, video games, and commercials. Among his notable roles are Leonardo and Rocksteady in the 1987 ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' animated series, Shotaro Kaneda in the 1989 ...

reprising his father's role. He later appeared in ''Alienator'' in 1990, ''Midnight Movie Massacre'' in 1988 and ''Frankenstein Island'' in 1981. From the 1950s through the 1980s, he regularly appeared on television series, including appearing on ''

'' (1965), and he sang on their tie-in albums. He made two guest appearances on ''

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 four short stories, all of which involve a ...

'', including the role of circus co-owner and murderer Jerry Franklin in the 1960 episode, "The Case of the Clumsy Clown" and as Jack Harper in the 1957 episode "The Case of the Crooked Candle". Other television appearances included ''

The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in a ...

'', ''

The Cisco Kid The Cisco Kid is a fictional character found in numerous film, radio, television and comic book series based on the fictional Western character created by O. Henry in his 1907 short story "The Caballero's Way", published in ''Everybody's Maga ...

'', '' Men Into Space'', ''

The Man and the Challenge ''The Man and the Challenge'' is an American adventure fiction television series about a scientist who tests problems of human survival. It stars George Nader and aired on NBC during the 1959–60 television season. Synopsis Dr. Glenn Barton i ...

'', ''

Hawaiian Eye ''Hawaiian Eye'' is an American detective television series that ran from October 1959 to April 1963 on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television network. Premise Private investigator Tracy Steele (Anthony Eisley) and his half-Hawaiian ...

'', ''

77 Sunset Strip ''77 Sunset Strip'' is an American private detective crime drama television series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Roger Smith, Richard Long (from 1960 to 1961) and Edd Byrnes (billed as Edward Byrnes). Each epis ...

'', '' Wendy and Me'', ''

General Hospital ''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera created by Frank and Doris Hursley which has been broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC since April 1, 1963. Originally a half-hour seria ...

'', '' Marcus Welby, M.D.'', '' Dragnet'', ''

Adam-12 ''Adam-12'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created by Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb and produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. The series follows Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers Pe ...

'', ''

Sea Hunt ''Sea Hunt'' is an American action adventure television series that aired in syndication from 1958 to 1961 and was popular for decades afterwards. The series originally aired for four seasons, with 155 episodes produced. It stars Lloyd Bridges ...

'', '' Ripcord'', ''

Sky King ''Sky King'' is an American radio and television series. Its lead character was Arizona rancher and aircraft pilot Schuyler "Sky" King. The series had strong Western elements. Cattle rancher King usually captured criminals and spies and found ...

'', ''

Checkmate Checkmate (often shortened to mate) is any game position in chess and other chess-like games in which a player's king is in check (threatened with ) and there is no possible escape. Checkmating the opponent wins the game. In chess, the king is ...

'', '' M Squad'', '' Daktari'', '' Baa Baa Black Sheep'', '' Hawaii Five-O'', ''

Tabitha Tabitha () is an English feminine given name, originating with (or made popular through) Tabitha ( Dorcas), mentioned in the New Testament Acts 9:36. In the Bible Tabitha, or Dorcas, the Greek equivalent of the name, is a woman mentioned in t ...

'', '' Trapper John, M.D.'', ''

Fantasy Island ''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tattoo. ...

'', ''

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

'', ''

Simon & Simon ''Simon & Simon'' is an American crime drama television series that originally ran from November 24, 1981, to September 16, 1989. The series was broadcast on CBS, and starred Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker as two disparate brothers who ope ...

'', '' Knight Rider'', '' Murder She Wrote'', ''

Matt Houston ''Matt Houston'' is an American crime drama television series starring Lee Horsley as the title character, a wealthy oilman who holds a side job as a private investigator. Created by Lawrence Gordon and produced by Aaron Spelling, it origin ...

'', ''

Hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...

'', ''

Dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a monarchy, monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A dynasty may also be referred to as a "house", "family" or "clan", among others. H ...

'', ''

Falcon Crest ''Falcon Crest'' is an American prime time television soap opera created by Earl Hamner Jr. that aired for nine seasons on CBS from December 4, 1981, to May 17, 1990. The series revolves around the feuding factions of the wealthy Gioberti/Cha ...

'', and dozens of others. The 1997 biographical documentary ''Lugosi: Hollywood's Dracula'' featured narration which he provided. Clarke's last appearance was in the movie '' The Naked Monster'', a send-up of the classic science fiction films of the 1950s, in 2005. In the mid-1960s, he served as spokesperson for a furniture and appliance store chain called Gold's Giant Stores. His autobiography, ''To "B" or Not to "B": A Film Actor's Odyssey'', was published in 1996. In the late it's Clarke co-wrote "The Hideous She Demon" with Michael Goodell, published in Graphic Novella format for EMGEE Comics, and completed as a Screenplay/Shooting Script for EMGEE Studios and Krashenburn Films.

Personal life

Clarke married Alyce King in 1956. They remained wed until her death in 1996. He was the father of actor and voice artist

Death

Clarke died June 11, 2005, at his home in Valley Village, California from complications of diabetes. He was 85.

Selected filmography

*'' The Falcon in Hollywood'' (1944) - Perc Saunders - Assistant Director *'' What a Blonde'' (1945) - Man (scenes deleted) *'' The Enchanted Cottage'' (1945) - Marine Corporal *''

'' (1945) - Richardson - Medical Student (uncredited) *'' Zombies on Broadway'' (1945) - Wimp (uncredited) *'' Those Endearing Young Charms'' (1945) - Pilot (uncredited) *''

Back to Bataan ''Back to Bataan'' is a 1945 American black-and-white World War II war film drama from RKO Radio Pictures, produced by Robert Fellows, directed by Edward Dmytryk, that stars John Wayne and Anthony Quinn. The film depicts events (some fictionalize ...

'' (1945) - Soldier (uncredited) *'' Wanderer of the Wasteland'' (1945) - Jay Collinshaw *'' Radio Stars on Parade'' (1945) - Danny *'' First Yank Into Tokyo'' (1945) - Narrator / Prisoner Rosenbaum (uncredited) *'' Sing Your Way Home'' (1945) - Reporter at New York Dock (uncredited) *'' Man Alive'' (1945) - Cabby (uncredited) *'' A Game of Death'' (1945) - Helmsman *'' Ding Dong Williams'' (1946) - Club Creon Orchestra Leader (uncredited) *'' Bedlam'' (1946) - Dan the Dog (uncredited) *'' Sunset Pass'' (1946) - Ash Preston *'' The Bamboo Blonde'' (1946) - Jonesy, Bamboo Blonde Crewman (uncredited) *'' Step by Step'' (1946) - The Doctor (uncredited) *'' Genius at Work'' (1946) - Ralph - Radio Announcer (uncredited) *'' Lady Luck'' (1946) - Carstairs, the Confederate Officer / Messenger (uncredited) *'' Criminal Court'' (1946) - Charlie - Club Circle Dance Director *''

San Quentin San Quentin Rehabilitation Center (SQ), formerly known as San Quentin State Prison, 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 ...

'' (1946) - Tommy North *'' Code of the West'' (1947) - Harry Stockton *'' The Farmer's Daughter'' (1947) - Assistant Announcer (uncredited) *'' Desperate'' (1947) - Bus Driver (uncredited) *'' Thunder Mountain'' (1947) - Lee Jorth *'' Under the Tonto Rim'' (1947) - Hooker *'' Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome'' (1947) - Fred - Police Analyst (uncredited) *'' The Judge Steps Out'' (1948) - Reporter (uncredited) *'' If You Knew Susie'' (1948) - Bob - Orchestra Leader (uncredited) *'' Fighting Father Dunne'' (1948) - Priest (uncredited) *'' Return of the Bad Men'' (1948) - Dave *'' Beyond Glory'' (1948) - Bit part (uncredited) *'' Ladies of the Chorus'' (1948) - Peter Winthrop (uncredited) *'' Riders of the Range'' (1950) - Harry Willis *''

Champagne for Caesar ''Champagne for Caesar'' is a 1950 American comedy film about a quiz show contestant directed by Richard Whorf from an original screenplay by Hans Jacoby and Fred Brady. It stars Ronald Colman, Celeste Holm, Vincent Price, Barbara Britton, and ...

'' (1950) - Actor in Movie at Drive-In (uncredited) *'' A Modern Marriage'' (1950) - Bill Burke *'' Outrage'' (1950) - Jim Owens *'' Sword of D'Artagnan'' (1951) - D'Artagnan *'' The Man from Planet X'' (1951) - John Lawrence *''

Tales of Robin Hood ''Tales of Robin Hood'' is a 1951 American film directed by James Tinling. The film was one of a series Robert L. Lippert wanted to make for television with R and L Productions but he ended up only making this and '' As You Were''. Filming sta ...

'' (1951) - Robin Hood *'' Hard, Fast and Beautiful'' (1951) - Gordon McKay *'' Manana'' (1951) - Larry Sawyer *'' Pistol Harvest'' (1951) - Jack Green *'' Drums in the Deep South'' (1951) - Union Officer (uncredited) *'' Street Bandits'' (1951) - Fred Palmer *''The Valparaiso Story'' (1951) *''

The Fabulous Senorita ''The Fabulous Senorita'' is a 1952 American musical film, musical comedy film directed by R. G. Springsteen and starring Estelita Rodriguez, Robert Clarke and Nestor Paiva. The film came at the tail-end of a cycle of Latin American-themed films, ...

'' (1952) - Jerry Taylor *'' Captive Women'' (1952) - Robert *'' Sword of Venus'' (1953) - Robert Dantes *'' Oiltown, U.S.A.'' (1953) - Bob Johnson *''The Body Beautiful'' (1953) - Adam Roberts *'' Captain John Smith and Pocahontas'' (1953) - Rolfe *'' New Faces of 1954'' (1954) - Himself *'' Her Twelve Men'' (1954) - Dream Crown Prince / Junior Senator (uncredited) *'' The Black Pirates'' (1954) - Manuel Azaga *'' King of the Carnival'' (1955) - Jim Hayes *''

The Benny Goodman Story ''The Benny Goodman Story'' is a 1956 American musical film, musical biographical film starring Steve Allen and Donna Reed, written and directed by Valentine Davies, and released by Universal-International. The film was intended as a follow-up t ...

'' (1956) - Roger Gillespie - Alice's Escort (uncredited) *'' Outlaw Queen'' (1957) - John Andrews *'' Band of Angels'' (1957) - Auction Participant (uncredited) *''

The Helen Morgan Story ''The Helen Morgan Story'', released in the UK as ''Both Ends of the Candle'', is a 1957 American biographical film directed by Michael Curtiz starring Ann Blyth and Paul Newman. The screenplay by Oscar Saul, Dean Riesner, Stephen Longstreet, ...

'' (1957) - Party Guest (uncredited) *''

My Man Godfrey ''My Man Godfrey'' is a 1936 American screwball comedy film directed by Gregory La Cava and starring William Powell and Carole Lombard, who had been briefly married years before appearing together in the film. The screenplay for ''My Man Godfr ...

'' (1957) - George *'' The Astounding She-Monster'' (1957) - Dick Cutler *'' The Deep Six'' (1958) - Ens. David Clough (uncredited) *'' The Hideous Sun Demon'' (1958, also wrote, directed and produced) - Dr. Gilbert McKenna *''Girl with an Itch'' (1958) - Orrie Cooper *''

'' (1958) - Narrator (voice, uncredited) *'' Date with Death'' (1959) - Joe Emmanuel *'' The FBI Story'' (1959) - Bartender (uncredited) *''

'' (1959) - Craig Randall *''

Timbuktu Timbuktu ( ; ; Koyra Chiini: ; ) is an ancient city in Mali, situated north of the Niger River. It is the capital of the Tombouctou Region, one of the eight administrative regions of Mali, having a population of 32,460 in the 2018 census. ...

'' (1959) - Captain Girard *'' Cash McCall'' (1960) - Reporter (uncredited) *'' Beyond the Time Barrier'' (1960) - Maj. William Allison *'' The Last Time I Saw Archie'' (1961) - Officer (uncredited) *''

'' (1961, Episode: "Top Secret") - Carl Sexton *'' Terror of the Bloodhunters'' (1962) - Steve Duval *'' Secret File: Hollywood'' (1962) - Maxwell Carter *'' The Lively Set'' (1964) - Physician (uncredited) *'' Zebra in the Kitchen'' (1965) - Sheriff *''The Restless Ones'' (1965) *''Dragnet'' (1967) S1-E12 Clayton Fillmore — hit and run driver *''Dragnet'' (1968) S2-E17, "The Big Search" - Bert Stanley *''

'' Episode 69 "Log:66 The Vandals" (1970) *''Where's Willie?'' (1978) *''

Born Again To be born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelical Christianity, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is d ...

'' (1978) - Computer Controller *'' Frankenstein Island'' (1981) - Dr. Paul Hadley *''First Strike'' (1985) *''Midnight Movie Massacre'' (1988) - Col Carlyle *'' Alienator'' (1990) - Lund *'' The Naked Monster'' (2005) - Major Allison (final film role)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Clarke, Robert 1920 births 2005 deaths American male film actors Film directors from Oklahoma Male actors from Oklahoma City Deaths from diabetes in California University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) RKO Pictures contract players King family (show business) Kemper Military School alumni