1. Theatre, Film, and Television Biographies
2. Patrick Renna to Christy Carlson Romano

Cliff Robertson Biography (1925-)

Full name, Clifford Parker Robertson III; born September 9, 1925, in La Jolla, CA; son of Clifford Parker and Audrey (maiden name, Willingham) Robertson;married Cynthia Stone, 1957 (divorced, 1959); married Dina Merrill (an actress), December 21, 1966 (divorced, 1986); children: (first marriage) Stephanie;(second marriage) Heather. Education: Studied at the Actors Studio. Religion: Presbyterian. Avocational interests: Sailplane and airplane piloting, tennis, skiing. Addresses: Agent-- International Creative Management, 8942 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211. Career: Actor, director, and writer. Former adjunct professor at Antioch College. President John F. Kennedy personally chose Robertson to portray him in PT-109. Received Congressional recognition for exposing Hollywood corporate studio corruption, 1979, blacklisted by Hollywood, 1979-82, but later commended by the Hollywood industry, Screen Actors Guild, and the Congressional Record; also appeared in commercials for AT&T during the mid-1980s, and radio commercials for Union Bank in the late 1990s. Member: Screen Actors Guild (New York chapter, 1980--), Directors Guild of America, Writers Guild of America, Bath and Tennis Club Palm Beach, Maidston Club (East Hampton), River Club (New York City), Brook Club (New York City), Players, WingsClub. Awards, Honors: Emmy Award, best actor, 1966, for "The Game," Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre; Academy Award, best actor, 1968, for Charly; NBR Award, National Board of Review, best actor, and Golden Globe nomination, best motion picture actor-drama, 1969, both for Charly; Theatre World Award, 1970, for Orpheus Descending; Sharples Aviation Award, AOPA, 1983; Wallace Award, American Scottish Foundation, 1984;Advertising Age Award, 1985; Lifetime Achievement Award, Long Island Film Festival, 1988; Special Achievement Award, Florida Film Festival, for acting, 1998; Doctorate of Fine Arts (honorary), Bradford College, 1981, MacMurray College, 1986, and Susquehanna University, 1988. Addresses: Agent: International Creative Management, 8942 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211.

Nationality

American

Gender

Male

Occupation

Actor, director, writer

Birth Details

September 9, 1925

La Jolla, California, United States

Famous Works

• CREDITS
• Stage Appearances
• Matthew Anderson, Late Love, National Theatre, New York City, 1953
• Val Xavier, Orpheus Descending, New York City, 1957
• Also appeared in Mr. Roberts, The Lady and the Tiger, and The Wisteria Trees.
• Stage Work
• Director, The V.I.P.s,1981
• Film Appearances
• Lookout, Corvette K-225(also known as The Nelson Touch), 1943
• Alan, Picnic, Columbia, 1955
• Burt Hanson, Autumn Leaves, Columbia, 1956
• Pete, The Girl Most Likely, Universal, 1957
• Lieutenant Hearn, The Naked and the Dead, Warner Bros., 1958
• The Big Kahuna, Gidget, Columbia, 1959
• Lieutenant Commander Jeff Conway, Battle of the Coral Sea, Columbia, 1959
• Clements, As the Sea Rages(also known as Raubfischer in Hellas), Columbia, 1960
• Warren Kingsley, Jr., All in a Night's Work, Paramount, 1961
• Josef, The Big Show, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1961
• Dr. John Paul Otis, The Interns, Columbia, 1962
• Tolly Devlin, Underworld, U.S.A., Columbia, 1962
• Reverend Jim Larkin, My Six Loves, Paramount, 1963
• Lieutenant John F. Kennedy, PT-109, Warner Bros., 1963
• Adam Tyler, Sunday in New York, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1963
• Joe Cantwell, The Best Man, United Artists, 1964
• Wing Commander Roy Grant, 633 Squadron(also known as Squadron 633), United Artists, 1964
• Sergeant Edward Baxter, Up from the Beach, Twentieth Century-Fox,1965
• Pete Jordan, Love Has Many Faces, Columbia, 1965
• David Frazer, Masquerade(also known as Operation Masqueradeand A Shabby Tiger), United Artists, 1965
• William McFly, The Honey Pot(also known as Anyone for Venice?, It Comes Up Murder, and Mr. Fox of Venice), United Artists,1966
• Charly Gordon, Charly, Cinerama/Selmur Films, 1968
• Major Alan Crown, The Devil's Brigade, United Artists, 1968
• Lieutenant Lawson, Too Late the Hero(also known as Suicide Run), Cinerama, 1970
• Cole Younger, The Great Northfield, Minnesota Raid, Universal, 1972
• Title role, J.W. Coop, Columbia, 1972
• Narrator, Alfred Hitchcock,1973
• Eli, Ace Eli and Rodger of the Skies, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1973
• Lee Tucker, Man on a Swing, Paramount, 1974
• Higgins, Three Days of the Condor, Paramount, 1975
• Joe Tanner, Out of Season(also known as Winter Rates), Athenaeum, 1975
• Commander Carl Jessop, Midway(also known as The Battle of the Midway), Universal/Mirisch Corporation, 1976
• Alex, Shoot, Avco Embassy, 1976
• Michael Courtland, Obsession, Columbia, 1976
• Narrator, Fraternity Row(also known as Brotherhood), Paramount, 1977
• David Ballard, Dominique(also known as Avenging Spirit andDominique Is Dead), Subotsky, 1978
• Mike Hagan, The Pilot(also known as Danger in the Skies), New Line Cinema, 1979
• Mr. Burroughs, Class, Orion Films, 1983
• Alex Terson, Brainstorm, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1983
• Hugh Hefner, Star '80, Warner Bros., 1983
• Judd Pierson, Shaker Run, New Line Home Video, 1985
• Charles Delany, Malone, Orion, 1987
• Doctor Carver, Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken, Buena Vista, 1991
• Morgan Weld, Wind, TriStar, 1992
• Colonel James, Renaissance Man(also known as Army Intelligence or By the Book), Buena Vista, 1994
• Ted Roth, Pakten(also known as The Sunset Boys and Waiting for Sunset), Kushner-Locke International, 1995
• President, Escape from L.A.(also known as John Carpenter'sEscape from L.A.), Paramount, 1996
• Jack Durman, Melting Pot(also known as Race), A-Pix Entertainment,1997
• Cliff Garret, Assignment Berlin(also known as Babyhandel Berlin),Hallmark Entertainment, 1998
• Larry, Family Tree, Independent Artists, 2000
• Mach 2, Little Lights Productions, 2000
• Falcon Down,2000
• Film Work
• Director and producer, J.W. Coop, Columbia, 1972
• Director, Morning, Winter, and Night, Xanadu Films, 1977
• Director, The Pilot(also known as Danger in the Skies), NewLine Cinema, 1979
• Television Appearances
• Series
• Rod Brown, Rod Brown of the Rocket Rangers, CBS, 1953-54
• Dr. Michael Ranson, Falcon Crest, CBS, 1983-84
• Miniseries
• William Martin, Washington: Behind Closed Doors, ABC, 1977
• Major William Vandam, The Key to Rebecca, syndicated, 1985
• Henry Ford, Ford: The Man and the Machine(also known as The Life of Henry Ford), syndicated, 1987
• Mike Kilkullen, Judith Krantz's Dazzle(also known as Dazzle), CBS, 1995
• Narrator, With God on Our Side: The Rise of the Religious Right, PBS, 1996
• Movies
• Christopher Ross/Arthur Selby, The Sunshine Patriot, NBC, 1968
• Philip Nolan, Man without a Country, ABC, 1973
• Johnny Nolan, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,1974
• Tom Lindholm, Sr., My Father's House, ABC, 1975
• Buzz Aldrin, Return to Earth, ABC, 1976
• Mitch Garrison, Overboard, NBC, 1978
• Frank Minor, Two of a Kind, CBS, 1982
• Mel Fisher, Dreams of Gold: The Mel Fisher Story, CBS, 1986
• Daniel Barnard, Dead Reckoning, USA Network, 1990
• Episodic
• Short, Short Dramas, NBC, 1953
• Treasury Men in Action, ABC, 1954
• Robert Montgomery Presents, NBC, 1954
• Philco TV Playhouse, NBC, 1955
• "A Fair Shake," The U.S. Steel Hour, CBS, 1956
• Joe Clay, "The Days of Wine and Roses," Playhouse 90, CBS, 1958
• Liam Fitzmorgan, "The Liam Fitzmorgan Story," Wagon Train, NBC, 1958
• Frank Halloway, "The Underground Railway," The Untouchables, ABC,1959
• "The Man Who Knew Tomorrow," The U.S. Steel Hour, CBS, 1960
• "Ballad for a Badman," Outlaws,1960
• "The Two Worlds of Charlie Gordon," The U.S. Steel Hour, CBS, 1961
• Christian Horn, "A Hundred Yards over the Rim," The Twilight Zone,CBS, 1961
• "The Story of Connie Masters," Outlaws,1961
• "Man on the Mountaintop," The U.S. Steel Hour, CBS, 1961
• "The Dark Sunrise of Griff Kincaid," Outlaws,1962
• Ventriloquist, "The Dummy," The Twilight Zone, CBS, 1962
• Alan Maxwell, "The Galaxy Being," The Outer Limits(pilot episode),ABC, 1963
• "The Game," Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, NBC, 1965
• Shame, "Come Back Shame," Batman, ABC, 1966
• Shame, "It's the Way You Play the Game," Batman, ABC, 1966
• Shame, "The Great Escape," Batman, ABC, 1968
• Shame, "The Great Train Robbery," Batman, ABC, 1968
• Guest, Front Page Challenge,1975
• Take Charge!, PBS, 1988
• Narrator, First Flights(also known as Test Pilot), Arts andEntertainment, 1991
• Theodore Harris, "Joyride," The Outer Limits,1999
• Also appeared in Alcoa Theatre, NBC; Studio One, CBS; Alcoa Premiere, ABC; and Philco-Goodyear Hour.
• Specials
• The Screen Actors Guild 50th Anniversary Celebration,1984
• An All-Star Party for "Dutch" Reagan,1985
• Narrator, Galapagos: My Fragile World(also known as World of Audubon Specials or National Audubon Society Specials), TBS/PBS, 1986
• Ghosts of '87, PBS, 1988
• William Holden: The Golden Boy(also known as Crazy about the Movies), Cinemax, 1989
• Host, Medal of Honor: True Stories of America's Greatest War Heroes, syndicated, 1990-91
• Narrator, Life and Death of a Dynasty, PBS, 1991
• Narrator, Wings as Eagles, ABC, 1994
• Narrator, Earthwinds, Discovery Channel, 1995
• Television Work
• Specials
• Director and executive producer of Hunters in the Sky.
• RECORDINGS
• Videos
• Narrator, Running on Empty(documentary).
• WRITINGS
• Plays
• The V.I.P.s,1981
• Screenplays
• J.W. Coop, Columbia, 1972
• The Pilot(also known as Danger in the Skies), New Line Cinema, 1979

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals:

• New York Times, July 16, 1972 .