Robert Laman Webber (October 14, 1924 – May 19, 1989) was an American actor. He appeared in dozens of films and television series, including as Juror No. 12 in the 1957 film '' 12 Angry Men''.

Early life

Webber was the son of Robert Webber, who was a merchant seaman.Robert Webber, Actor, Dies at 64.
Bourdain, C.S. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' via

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American 501(c)(3) organization, non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle that runs a digital library website, archive.org. It provides free access to collections of digitized media including web ...

. Published 20 May 1989. He graduated from

Oakland Technical High School Oakland Technical High School, known locally as Oakland Tech or simply "Tech", is a public high school in Oakland, California, United States, and is operated under the jurisdiction of the Oakland Unified School District. It is one of six compre ...

. Webber enlisted in the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

in 1943 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 ...

, serving in the 1st Marine Amphibious Corps and later in the 6th Marine Division as a 776-Radio Operator (Low Speed)Webber, Robert L, PFC.
togetherweserved.com. Retrieved May 19, 2021. in

Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...

and

Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...

. Webber was discharged in 1945 as a private first class and was awarded the Navy Combat Action Ribbon, the Navy Presidential Unit Citation, the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.

Career

Webber had a 40-year career as a character actor, during which he appeared as Juror No. 12 in '' 12 Angry Men'' (1957), as Dudley Moore's gay lyricist in '' 10'' (1979), and the father of

Cybill Shepherd Cybill Lynne Shepherd (born February 18, 1950) is an American actress, singer and former model. Her film debut and breakthrough role came as Jacy Farrow in Peter Bogdanovich's coming-of-age drama '' The Last Picture Show'' (1971) alongside Jef ...

's character in the hit series '' Moonlighting''. Other notable turns were in the movies '' The Nun and the Sergeant'' (1962), in which he played the lead; '' The Sandpiper'' (1965), in which he played a supporting role as

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was an English and American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 19 ...

's character's former lover; a killer in the

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor, and comedian. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Cool", he is regarded as one of the most popular entertainers of ...

spy spoof '' The Silencers'' (1966); a sadistic lowlife encountered by

Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and activist. He was the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Paul Newman, numerous awards ...

in the anti-hero detective drama '' Harper'' (1966); '' The Dirty Dozen'' (1967), where he played a general who disliked the character portrayed by Lee Marvin; and a hitman in Sam Peckinpah's ''

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia ''Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia'' () is a 1974 neo-Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah, co-written by Peckinpah and Gordon Dawson from a story by Peckinpah and Frank Kowalski, and starring Warren Oates and Isela Vega, with Robert W ...

'' (1974). Other notable movies include '' The Great White Hope'' (1970), '' Midway'' (1976), '' Revenge of the Pink Panther'' (1978), '' Private Benjamin'' (1980), '' S.O.B.'' (1981), and '' Wild Geese II'' (1985). Several of the movies were directed by

Blake Edwards Blake Edwards (born William Blake Crump; July 26, 1922 – December 15, 2010) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Edwards began his career in the 1940s as an actor, but he soon began writing screenplays and radio scripts ...

. On television, Webber appeared in many of the popular dramas of the time, including ''

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 ...

'', ''

Mannix ''Mannix'' is an American detective television series that originally aired for eight seasons on CBS from September 16, 1967, to March 13, 1975. The show was created by Richard Levinson and William Link, and developed by executive producer ...

'', ''

Kojak ''Kojak'' is an American Action film, action Crime film, crime Drama (film and television), drama television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theophilus "Theo" Kojak. Tak ...

'', ''The Outer Limits'', '' The Virginian'', '' The Fugitive'', ''

Ben Casey ''Ben Casey'' is an American medical drama television series that aired on ABC from 1961 to 1966. The show was known for its opening titles, which consisted of a hand drawing the symbols "♂, ♀, ✳, †, ∞" on a chalkboard, as cast member ...

, Route 66'', '' I Spy'', ''

The Rifleman ''The Rifleman'' is an American Western television series starring Chuck Connors as rancher Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the fictional town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory. The show ...

'', '' Mission: Impossible'', '' S.W.A.T.'', and '' Ironside''. He appeared in four episodes of ''

Cannon A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder during th ...

'': the 1971 episode "The Nowhere Man" as McMillan, the 1972 episode "That Was No Lady" as Clay Spencer," the 1973 episode "Memo from a Dead Man" as Barney Shaw and the 1974 episode "A Voice from the Grave" as the Hitman. Webber appeared in four episodes of '' The Rockford Files'': the January 1975 episode "Aura Lee, Farewell" as Senator Evan Murdock, the October 1975 episode "The Deep Blue Sleep" as Bob Coleman, the 1976 episode "The Oracle Wore a Cashmere Suit" as Roman Clementi and the episode "Never Send a Boy King to Do a Man's Job" as Harold Jack Coombs. Webber guest-starred on three episodes of '' Barnaby Jones'': the October 1975

episode An episode is a narrative unit within a larger dramatic work or documentary production, such as a serial (radio and television), series intended for radio, television or Streaming media, streaming consumption. Etymology The noun ''episode'' is ...

“The Price of Terror” as businessman Maxwell Strager and the 1978 two-part episode “Final Judgment” as Gene Gates.

Death

Webber died from

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or—in the United States—Lou Gehrig's disease (LGD), is a rare, Terminal illness, terminal neurodegenerative disease, neurodegenerative disorder that results i ...

(also known as Lou Gehrig's disease) at age 64 in Malibu, California.

Filmography

Film

* '' Highway 301'' (1950) as William B. Phillips * '' 12 Angry Men'' (1957) as Juror No. 12 * '' The Nun and the Sergeant'' (1962) as Sergeant McGrath * '' The Stripper'' (1963) as Ricky Powers * ''

Hysteria Hysteria is a term used to mean ungovernable emotional excess and can refer to a temporary state of mind or emotion. In the nineteenth century, female hysteria was considered a diagnosable physical illness in women. It is assumed that the bas ...

'' (1965) as Chris Smith * '' The Sandpiper'' (1965) as Ward Hendricks * '' The Third Day'' (1965) as Dom Guardiano * '' The Silencers'' (1966) as Sam Gunther * '' Harper'' (1966) as Dwight Troy * ''Tecnica di un omicidio '' (1966) as Clint Harris * '' Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round'' (1966) as Milo Stewart * '' The Dirty Dozen'' (1967) as Brigadier General James Denton * '' Don't Make Waves'' (1967) as Rod Prescott * ''Every Man Is My Enemy'' (1967) as Tony Costa * '' Manon 70'' (1968) as Ravaggi * '' The Big Bounce'' (1969) as Bob Rodgers * '' The Great White Hope'' (1970) as Dixon * ''Macédoine'' (1971) as Sandeberg * '' $'' (1971) as Attorney * ''

'' (1974) as Sappensly * '' Flatfoot in Hong Kong'' (1975) as Sam Accardo * ''Soldat Duroc, ça va être ta fête'' (1975) as Sergeant John Lewis * '' Midway'' (1976) as Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher * ''

Hit Squad The Hit Squad is an American hip hop collective of East Coast hip hop artists. Originally formed in the 1990s by Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith of the rap group EPMD, the group included rap artists such as K-Solo, Redman, Das EFX, Top ...

'' (1976) as Mr. Duglas * '' Death Steps in the Dark'' (1977) as Inspector * ''

Madame Claude Fernande Grudet (6 July 1923 – 15 December 2015), also known as Madame Claude, was a French brothel keeper. In the 1960s, she was the head of a French network of call girls who worked especially for dignitaries and civil servants. Biogra ...

'' (1977) as Howard * '' The Accuser'' aka ''L'Imprécateur'' (1977) as Le Cadre Américain * '' The Choirboys'' (1977) as Deputy Chief Riggs * '' Casey's Shadow'' (1978) as Mike Marsh * '' Revenge of the Pink Panther'' (1978) as Philippe Douvier * ''

Gardenia ''Gardenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the coffee family, Rubiaceae, native to the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia, Madagascar, Pacific Islands, and Australia. The genus was named by Carl Linnaeus and John Ellis after ...

'' (1979) as Caruso * '' 10'' (1979) as Hugh * ''

Courage - Let's Run ''Courage fuyons'' is a French romantic comedy film directed by Yves Robert. Plot Martin Belhomme is a coward since his birth, also home cowardice is passed from generation to generation. After a childhood spent in the tumult of the Occupation, ...

'' (1979) as Charley * ''Tous vedettes'' (1980) as Harry Stabling * '' Private Benjamin'' (1980) as Colonel Clay Thornbush * ''

Sunday Lovers ''Sunday Lovers'' is a 1980 internationally co-produced romantic comedy film directed by Bryan Forbes, Gene Wilder, Dino Risi and Édouard Molinaro. It stars Roger Moore, Gene Wilder, Priscilla Barnes, Lynn Redgrave, Denholm Elliott and Kathl ...

'' (1980) as Henry Morrison (segment "The French Method") * '' S.O.B.'' (1981) as Ben Coogan * '' Wrong Is Right'' (1982) as Harvey * '' Who Dares Wins'' (1982) as General Ira Potter * '' Wild Geese II'' (1985) as Robert McCann * '' Nuts'' (1987) as Francis MacMillan

Television and radio

* ''Starlight Theatre'' (1950) as Mike Barry (Season 2, Episode 1: "Welcome Home") * ''Out There'' (1951–1952) as Captain Bill Hurley * ''Tales of Tomorrow'' (1952) (Season 1, Episode 23: "Bound Together") * '' Studio One'' (1952) as Skeets * ''Eye Witness'' (1953) (Season 1, Episode 2: "Apartment 4-D") * ''

Suspense Suspense is a state of anxiety or excitement caused by mysteriousness, uncertainty, doubt, or undecidedness. In a narrative work, suspense is the audience's excited anticipation about the plot or conflict (which may be heightened by a viol ...

'' (1954) as James Forsythe * ''Three Steps to Heaven'' (1953) as Chip Morrison * '' Robert Montgomery Presents'' (1954) ** (Season 5, Episode 21: "Machinal") ** (Season 5, Episode 28: "The Paradise Cafe") ** (Season 5, Episode 38: "Skyblock") ** (Season 5, Episode 55: "Ten Minute Alibi") ** (Season 6, Episode 20: "Deadline") ** as George Lawrence (Season 8, Episode 8: "One Bright Day") * '' The Phil Silvers Show'' (1956) as Ego * ''

Kraft Television Theatre ''Kraft Television Theatre'' is an American anthology drama television series running from 1947 to 1958. It began May 7, 1947, on NBC, airing at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday evenings until December of that year. It first promoted MacLaren's Impe ...

'' (1955–1957) ** (Season 8, Episode 29: "Now, Where Was I?") ** (Season 10, Episode 36: "All Those Beautiful Girls") * ''

Playhouse 90 ''Playhouse 90'' is an American television anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 134 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology drama series of t ...

'' (1958) as Malcolm Field * ''

'' (1959) as Wes Carney * ''

'' (1959) as Paul Brett (Season 4, Episode 34: "A True Account") * '' Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond'' (1959) as Andrew Courtney (Season 1, Episode 19: "The Captain's Guests") * ''Play of the Week'' (1960) (Season 1, Episode 26: "Palm Tree in a Rose Garden") * ''

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 ...

'' (1961) as Miles Archer * '' The Investigators'' (1961) as Bert Crayne * '' Thriller'' (1961) as Arthur Henshaw * ''

'' (1962) as Harrison Fell (Season 7, Episode 21: "Burglar Proof") * ''

'' (1962) as Edward Gibson (Season 7, Episode 36: "First Class Honeymoon") * ''The Paradine Case'' (1962) as Andre Latour * ''Stoney Burke'' (1962) as Roy Hazelton * '' The Dick Powell Show'' (1961–1962) as Captain John Wycliff * '' Route 66'' (1962) as Frank Bridenbaugh * '' The Defenders'' (1962–1963) as ** Douglas (Season 1, Episode 19: "Reunion With Death") ** Michael Hillyer (Season 2, Episode 20: "Ordeal") ** Father Phelps (Season 3, Episode 9: "The Seal of Confession") * '' Naked City'' (1963) as Gordon Lanning * ''The Greatest Show on Earth'' (1963) as Rudy * '' The Nurses'' (1963) as Arthur Luskin * ''

Arrest and Trial ''Arrest and Trial'' is a 90-minute American crime/legal drama series that ran during the 1963–1964 season on ABC, airing Sundays from 8:30-10 pm Eastern. Overview The majority of episodes consists of two segments. Set in Los Angeles, the ...

'' (1963) as George Morrison * '' Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre'' (1963) as Stuart Landsman * ''

'' (1963) as Slim * '' The Fugitive'' (1964) as Harlan Guthrie * ''Espionage'' (1964) as Jack Hanley * ''Brenner'' (1964) as Eddie Constantinos * '' Mr. Broadway'' (1964) as Hogan * '' The Outer Limits'' (1964) as Ikar * '' Kraft Suspense Theatre'' (1964–1965) as ** Prosecutor David Henderson (Season 1, Episode 14: "Leviathan Five") ** Robert Burke (Season 2, Episode 23: "Kill No More") * '' The Rogues'' (1965) as Guy Gabriel * '' The Name of the Game'' (1968) as William McKendricks * '' Journey to the Unknown'' (1969) as Manservant * ''

Special Branch Special Branch is a label customarily used to identify units responsible for matters of national security and Intelligence (information gathering), intelligence in Policing in the United Kingdom, British, Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, ...

'' (1969) as Mr. Snell * '' The Bold Ones: The Lawyers'' (1969) as Sam Rand * Pontiac "Breakaway" commercial * ''The Movie Murderer'' (1970) as Karel Kessler * ''The Men From Shiloh'', rebranded name of '' The Virginian'' (1970) as Jackson Reed * ''

San Francisco International Airport San Francisco International Airport is the primary international airport for the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. Owned and operated by the City and County of San Francisco, the airport has a San Francisco mailing ...

'' (1970) as Brigadier General Goodwin * ''Hauser's Memory'' (1970) as Dorsey * '' The Young Lawyers'' (1971) as Sergeant Fielder * ''

'' (1971) as Tom Carlson * '' The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes'' (1971) as Commissioner of Oaths * ''Thief'' (1971) as James Calendar * ''Cutter'' (1972) as Meredith * '' Banacek'' (1972) as Jerry Brinkman * '' Mission: Impossible'' (1972) as Charles Rogan * ''

Love, American Style ''Love, American Style'' is an American anthology comedy television series that aired on ABC from September 29, 1969, to January 11, 1974. The series was produced by Paramount Television. During the 1971–72 and 1972–73 seasons, it was a pa ...

'' (1972) as Harris (Season 4, Episode 6: "Love and the Confession" segment) * '' Banyon'' (1972) as Waldo * ''

Search Searching may refer to: Music * "Searchin', Searchin", a 1957 song originally performed by The Coasters * Searching (China Black song), "Searching" (China Black song), a 1991 song by China Black * Searchin' (CeCe Peniston song), "Searchin" (C ...

'' (1973) as Matthew Linden * '' Hawkins'' (1973) as Carl Vincent * ''

Griff Griff may refer to: People * Griff (name), a list of people with the given name or surname * Griff (singer), stage name of English singer and songwriter Sarah Faith Griffiths (born 2001) * Nickname of Guy Griffiths (1915–1999), British Secon ...

'' (1973) as Alan Gilbert * ''

Double Indemnity ''Double Indemnity'' is a 1944 American film noir directed by Billy Wilder and produced by Buddy DeSylva and Joseph Sistrom. Wilder and Raymond Chandler adapted the screenplay from James M. Cain's Double Indemnity (novel), novel of the same na ...

'' (1973) as Edward Norton * '' The Magician'' as Zellman * '' Tenafly'' (1973) as Kent * ''

'' (1973) as David Lawrence * ''Murder or Mercy'' (1974) as Dr. Eric Stoneman * '' Ironside'' (1973–1974) as Del Hogan, Burton * ''

'' (1971–1974) as ** McMillan (Season 1, Episode 13: "Nowhere Man") ** Clay Spencer (Season 2, Episode 4: "That Was No Lady") ** Barney Shaw (Season 3, Episode 3: "Memo from a Dead Man") ** Jake McVea (Season 4, Episode 3: "Voice from the Grave") * '' The Manhunter'' (1974) * '' The Streets of San Francisco'' (1974) as Al Cooper * '' McCloud'' (1971–1975) as ** Jack Faraday (Season 2, Episode 2: "Top of the World, Ma!") ** Fritz August (Season 5, Episode 6: "The Man with the Golden Hat") * ''Death Stalk'' (1975) as Hugh Webster * ''

Switch In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit, interrupting the electric current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most common type o ...

'' (1975) as Paul Sinclair * '' S.W.A.T.'' (1975) as ** McVea (Season 1, Episode 7: "Death Score") ** Mike Simon (Season 2, Episode 9: "Courthouse") * '' Police Woman'' (1975) as Julian Lord * '' McMillan & Wife'' (1977) as Charles Meridio * '' 79 Park Avenue'' (1977) as John Hackson DeWitt * '' Barnaby Jones'' (1975–1978) as ** Maxwell Strager (Season 4, Episode 4: "The Price of Terror") ** Gene Gates (Season 6, Episodes 18 & 19: "Final Judgment") * '' The Young Runaways'' (1978) as Fred Lockhart * '' Kaz'' (1978) (Season 1, Episode 7: "Which Side Are You On?") * '' The Rockford Files'' (1975–1979) as ** Senator Evan Murdock (Season 1, Episode 14: "Aura Lee, Farewell") ** Bob Coleman (Season 2, Episode 5: "The Deep Blue Sleep") ** Roman Clementi (Season 3, Episode 2: "The Oracle Wore a Cashmere Suit") ** Harold Jack Coombs (Season 5, Episode 19: "Never Send a Boy King to Do a Man's Job") * '' Quincy, M.E.'' (1977–1979) as ** Dr. John Franklin (Season 2, Episode 12: "Valleyview") ** Dr. Steven Chase (Season 4, Episode 23: "The Eye of the Needle") * ''The Streets of L.A.'' (1979) as Ralph Salkin * '' Tenspeed and Brown Shoe'' (1980) as LaCrosse * ''The Two Lives of Carol Letner'' (1981) as Ed Leemans * ''

Darkroom A darkroom is used to process photographic film, make Photographic printing, prints and carry out other associated tasks. It is a room that can be made completely dark to allow the processing of light-sensitive photographic materials, including ...

'' (1981) as Greg Conway * '' Bret Maverick'' (1982) as Everest Sinclair * ''Not Just Another Affair'' (1982) as Professor Wally Dawson (TV movie) * '' Don't Go to Sleep'' (1982) as Dr. Cole (TV movie) * '' Starflight: The Plane That Couldn't Land'' (1983) as Felix Duncan (TV movie) * '' Shooting Stars'' (1983) as Woodrow Norton (TV movie) * ''Getting Physical'' (1984) as Hugh Gibley (TV movie) * '' No Man's Land'' (1984) as Will Blackfield (TV movie) * '' Cover Up'' (1984) as Mason Carter * '' Half Nelson'' (1985) as Arthur Harrison (TV movie) * ''In Like Flynn'' (1985) as Colonel Harper * ''Assassin'' (1986) as Calvin Lantz * ''The Ladies'' (1987) as Jerry * '' Moonlighting'' (1986–1988) as Alexander Hayes * '' Something Is Out There'' (1988) as Commissioner Estabrook

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Webber, Robert 1924 births 1989 deaths American people of English descent American male film actors American male television actors Deaths from motor neuron disease in California United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II United States Marines 20th-century American male actors Oakland Technical High School alumni