Robert Stack | |
|---|---|
 Stack in the 1950s | |
| Born | Charles Langford Modini Stack (1919-01-13)January 13, 1919 Los Angeles,California, U.S. |
| Died | May 14, 2003(2003-05-14) (aged 84) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1934–2003 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Signature | |
 | |
Robert Stack (bornCharles Langford Modini Stack; January 13, 1919 – May 14, 2003)[1][2][3] was an American actor and television host. Known for his deep voice and commanding presence, he appeared in over forty feature films. He starred in theABC television seriesThe Untouchables (1959–1963), for which he won the 1960Primetime Emmy Award forOutstanding Performance by an Actor in a Series, and later hosted/narrated the true-crime seriesUnsolved Mysteries (1987–2002). He was also nominated for anAcademy Award forBest Supporting Actor for his role in the filmWritten on the Wind (1956). Later in his career, Stack was known for hisdeadpan comedy roles that lampooned his dramatic on-screen persona, most notably as Captain Rex Kramer inAirplane! (1980).
He was born Charles Langford Modini Stack inLos Angeles,California,[4] but his first name, selected by his mother, was changed to Robert by his father. He spent his early childhood inAdria andRome, becoming fluent in French and Italian at an early age, and did not learn English until returning to Los Angeles when he was seven.[5][6]
His parents divorced when he was a year old, and he was raised by his mother, Mary Elizabeth (née Wood). His father, James Langford Stack, a wealthy advertising agency owner, later remarried his ex-wife, but died when Stack was 10.[7]
He always spoke of his mother with the greatest respect and love. When he collaborated with Mark Evans on his autobiography,Straight Shooting, he included a picture of himself and his mother that he captioned "Me and my best girl". His maternal grandfather, opera singer Charles Wood, studied voice in Italy and performed there under the name "Carlo Modini." Stack had another opera-singer relative: American baritoneRichard Bonelli (born George Richard Bunn), who was his uncle.
Stack took some drama courses at the University of Southern California, where he played on the polo team.Clark Gable was a family friend.[6]
By the time he was 20, Stack had achieved minor fame as a sportsman. He was an avid polo player and shooter. His brother and he won the International Outboard Motor Championships, inVenice, Italy, and at age 16, he became a member of the All-AmericanSkeet Team.[5] He set two world records in skeet shooting and became national champion. In 1971, he was inducted into the National Skeet Shooting Hall of Fame.[8][9] He was aRepublican.[10]
ThePiikani Nation of theBlackfoot Confederacy, which was known as the Peigan Nation before the 1990s, honored him by inducting him into theirchieftainship in 1953 (July 2, 1953, Newspaper) as Chief Crow Flag. In 1962, Stack received the Golden Plate Award of theAmerican Academy of Achievement.[11]
Stack took drama courses atBridgewater State University, a mid-sized liberal-arts school located 25 miles southeast ofBoston. His deep voice and good looks attracted the attention of producers inHollywood. When Stack visited the lot ofUniversal Studios at age 20, producerJoe Pasternak offered him an opportunity to enter the business. Recalled Stack, "He said, 'How'd you like to be in pictures? We'll make a test withHelen Parrish, a little love scene.' Helen Parrish was a beautiful girl. 'Gee, that sounds keen,' I told him. I got the part."[12]
Stack's first film, which teamed him withDeanna Durbin, wasFirst Love (1939), produced by Pasternak. This film was considered controversial at the time, as he was the first actor to give Durbin an on-screen kiss.[13][14] Stack won critical acclaim for his next role,The Mortal Storm (1940) starringMargaret Sullavan andJames Stewart, and directed byFrank Borzage atMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer. He played a young man who joins theNazi party.
Back at Universal, Stack was in Pasternak'sA Little Bit of Heaven (1940), starringGloria Jean, who was that studio's back-up for Deanna Durbin. Stack was reunited with Durbin in Pasternak'sNice Girl? (1941). Stack then starred in a Western,Badlands of Dakota (1941), co-starringRichard Dix andFrances Farmer.[15]
United Artists borrowed him to play a Polish Air Force pilot inTo Be or Not to Be (1942), alongsideJack Benny andCarole Lombard. Stack admitted he was terrified going into this role, but he credited Lombard, whom he had known personally for several years, with giving him many tips on acting and with being his mentor. Lombard was killed in a plane crash shortly before the film was released. Stack played another pilot inEagle Squadron (1942), a huge hit. He then made a Western,Men of Texas (1942).[16] DuringWorld War II, Stack served as anofficer in theUnited States Navy. He worked as an aerial gunnery instructor and rose to the rank oflieutenant.[17][18]
Stack resumed his career after the war with roles in such films asFighter Squadron (1948) at Warner Bros. withEdmond O'Brien, playing a pilot;A Date with Judy (1948) at MGM, withWallace Beery andElizabeth Taylor. He made two films at Paramount:Miss Tatlock's Millions (1948) andMr. Music (1950). He had an excellent role inBullfighter and the Lady (1951), a passion project ofBudd Boetticher forJohn Wayne's company. He later said this was the first time he liked himself on screen.[19]
Stack supportedMickey Rooney inMy Outlaw Brother (1951) and had the lead in the adventure epicBwana Devil (1952), considered the first color, American 3-D feature film. It was released byUnited Artists, which also put Stack in a Western,War Paint (1953). He continued making similar low-budget action fare:Conquest of Cochise (1953) forSam Katzman;Sabre Jet (1953), playing another pilot, this time in theKorean War;The Iron Glove (1954), a swashbuckler where Stack playedCharles Wogan, for Katzman.
Stack was back in "A" pictures when he appeared opposite John Wayne inThe High and the Mighty (1954), playing the pilot of an airliner who comes apart under stress after the airliner encounters engine trouble. The film was a hit, and Stack received good reviews. In 1954, he signed a seven-year contract with Fox.[20]Sam Fuller cast him in the lead ofHouse of Bamboo (1955), shot in Japan for20th Century Fox. He supportedJennifer Jones inGood Morning, Miss Dove (1955), also at Fox, and starred inGreat Day in the Morning (1956) at RKO, directed byJacques Tourneur.
Stack was then given a role inWritten on the Wind (1956), directed byDouglas Sirk and produced byAlbert Zugsmith. Stack played another pilot, the son of a rich man who marriesLauren Bacall, who in turn falls for his best friend, played byRock Hudson. The film was a massive success and Stack was nominated for anAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actor;Dorothy Malone, who played Stack's sister, was nominated for Best Supporting Actress. Malone won, but Stack lost, toAnthony Quinn. Stack felt that the primary reason he lost to Quinn was that 20th Century Fox, which had lent him toUniversal-International, organized block voting against him to prevent one of their contract players from winning an Academy Award while working at another studio.[21] Stack was reunited with Hudson, Malone, Zugsmith, and Sirk onThe Tarnished Angels (1957), once more playing a pilot. At Fox, he was inThe Gift of Love (1958) with Bacall. Stack then was given a real star role, playing the title part inJohn Farrow's biopic,John Paul Jones (1959). Despite a large budget and an appearance byBette Davis, it was not a success.
Stack portrayed the crimefightingEliot Ness in theABC television drama seriesThe Untouchables (1959–1963) produced byDesilu Productions, in association with Stack's Langford Productions. The show portrayed the ongoing battle between gangsters and a special squad of federal agents in prohibition-era Chicago. "No one thought it was going to be a series," Stack once said, "When you tell the same story every week, it seemed like a vendetta between Ness and the Italians."[6] The show won Stack thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series at the12th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1960.[22]
During the series' run, Stack starred in a disaster film,The Last Voyage (1960), appearing opposite Malone. At Fox, he was inThe Caretakers (1963) withJoan Crawford and he appeared in a special on hunting,The American Sportsman.[23] He owned 25% ofThe Untouchables andThe Caretaker.[19] Stack worked in Europe forIs Paris Burning? (1966),The Peking Medallion (1967),Action Man (1967), andStory of a Woman (1970). He also appeared inLaura (1967).[24]
Stack starred in a new drama series, rotating the lead withTony Franciosa andGene Barry in the lavishThe Name of the Game (1968–1971). He played a former federal agent turned true-crime journalist, evoking memories of his role as Ness. In 1971, he sued CBS for $25 million for appearing in the documentaryThe Selling of the Pentagon, saying that the company had falsely portrayed him as doing propaganda to sell the Vietnam War, while in fact he'd been opposed from the start.[25]
Stack played a pilot in the TV filmMurder on Flight 502 (1975) and was the lead in the seriesMost Wanted (1976), playing a tough, incorruptible police captain commanding an elite squad of special investigators, also evoking the Ness role. He later played a similar role in the seriesStrike Force (1981).[26] He also starred in a French film,Second Wind, in 1978.
Stack parodied his own persona in the comedy1941 (1979). His performance was well received and Stack became a comic actor, appearing inAirplane! (1980),Big Trouble (1986),Plain Clothes (1988),Caddyshack II (1988),Joe Versus the Volcano (1990),Beavis and Butt-Head Do America (1996), andBASEketball (1998). He also provided the voice for the characterUltra Magnus inThe Transformers: The Movie (1986). In a more serious vein, he appeared in the action filmUncommon Valor (1983), the televisionminiseriesGeorge Washington (1984), andHollywood Wives (1985), and appeared in several episodes of the primetime soap operaFalcon Crest in 1986. Stack's seriesStrike Force was scheduled oppositeFalcon Crest, where it quickly folded.[citation needed]
He began hostingUnsolved Mysteries in 1987. He thought very highly of the interactive nature of the show, saying that it created a "symbiotic" relationship between viewer and program, and that the hotline was a great crime-solving tool.Unsolved Mysteries aired from 1987 to 2002, first as specials in 1987 (Stack did not host all the specials, which were previously hosted byRaymond Burr andKarl Malden), then as a regular series onNBC (1988–1997), then onCBS (1997–1999) andLifetime (2001–2002). Stack served as the show's host during its entire original series run.[27]
In 1991, Stack voiced the main police officer Lt. Littleboy (who is also the main protagonist and narrator) inThe Real Story of Baa Baa Black Sheep. In 1996, a Golden Palm Star on thePalm Springs, California,Walk of Stars was dedicated to him.[28]
Stack was married to actressRosemarie Bowe from 1956 until his death. They had two children, a son, Charles, and a daughter, Elizabeth.
He underwent radiation therapy forprostate cancer in October 2002, and died of heart failure at his home inBel Air, Los Angeles,[29] on May 14, 2003, at the age of 84.[6][4][30]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Pulitzer Prize Playhouse | Unknown | Episode: "Broken Dishes" |
| 1955 | The 20th Century Fox Hour | Mark MacPherson | Episode: "A Portrait of Murder" |
| 1956 | Producers' Showcase | Unknown | Episode: "The Lords Don't Play Favorites" |
| 1959–1963 | The Untouchables | Eliot Ness | 119 episodes Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (1960) |
| 1964 | Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre | Major Morgan | Episode: "The Command" |
| 1965 | Memorandum for a Spy | James Andrew Congers | Television film |
| 1967 | Sail to Glory | Narrator | |
| 1968–1971 | The Name of the Game | Dan Farrell | 26 episodes |
| 1974 | The Strange and Deadly Occurrence | Michael Rhodes | Television film |
| 1975 | The Honorable Sam Houston | Sam Houston | |
| Adventures of the Queen | Captain James Morgan | ||
| Murder on Flight 502 | Captain Larkin | ||
| 1976 | Police Story | Sergeant Dave Stoddard | Episodes: "Odyssey of Death" |
| 1976–1977 | Most Wanted | Captain Lincoln "Linc" Evers | 23 episodes |
| 1978 | The Adventurous Rangers of the Jungle | Charles Cross | Television film |
| 1979 | The Muppets Go Hollywood | Himself | Television special |
| Undercover with the KKK | Narrator | Television film | |
| 1980 | The Love Boat | Bret Garrett | Episode: "The Horse Lover/Secretary to the Stars/Julie's Decision/Gopher and Isaac Buy a Horse/Village People Ride Again" |
| 1981–1982 | Strike Force | Captain Frank Murphy | 20 episodes |
| 1984 | Hotel | Lewis Blackwood | Episode: "The Wedding" |
| George Washington | General Stark | 3 episodes Television miniseries | |
| 1985 | Brothers | Russell Maltby | Episode: "Donald's Dad" |
| Hotel | Charles Vandoor | Episode: "New Beginnings" | |
| Hollywood Wives | George Lancaster | 3 episodes, Television miniseries | |
| Midas Valley | Drew Hammond | Television film | |
| 1986 | Murder, She Wrote | Chester Harrison | Episode: "Christopher Bundy – Died on Sunday" |
| 1987 | Falcon Crest | Roland Saunders | 5 episodes |
| 1987–2002 | Unsolved Mysteries | Host | 292 episodes |
| 1987 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Sinister Spirit | Jordan White | Television film |
| Korea: The Forgotten War | Narrator | ||
| 1990 | The Fanelli Boys | Kyle Hadley | Episode: "A Very Fanelli Christmas" |
| 1991 | The Real Story of... | Lt. Littleboy / Narrator | Voice, episode: "Baa Baa Black Sheep"[31] |
| The Return of Eliot Ness | Eliot Ness | Television film | |
| 1993 | Blossom | Robert Stack | Episode: "Sitcom" |
| 1995 | The Pinocchio Shop | George Washington | Episode: "Patriots and Apples" |
| 1996 | JAG | TV Host | Episode: "Sightings" |
| 1997 | Diagnosis Murder | Peter McReynolds | Episode: "Open and Shut" |
| 1998–1999 | Hercules | Bob the Narrator | Voice, 30 episodes |
| 1999 | Recess | General | Voice, episode: "A Genius Among Us" |
| Sealed with a Kiss | Sumner Ethridge | Television film | |
| 2000 | Star Trek: Voyager | Eliot Ness | Episode: "Memorial" |
| The Lords of the Mafia | Himself | Documentary | |
| The Angry Beavers | Narrator | Voice, episode: "Home Loners" | |
| H.U.D. | Deep Throat Man | Television film | |
| 2001–2003 | Butt-Ugly Martians | Stoat Muldoon | Voice, main role |
| 2001 | King of the Hill | Reynolds Penland | Voice, episode: "The Trouble with Gribbles"; uncredited |
| 2002 | Teamo Supremo | Gordon / The Silver Shield | Voice, episode: "The Grandfather Show" |
| Year | Program | Episode/source |
|---|---|---|
| 1953 | Family Theater | The Indispensable Man[32] |
| 1950 | Lux Radio Theatre | Mr Belvedere Goes To College |
Robert Stack was born in Los Angeles, Calif., on January 13, 1919.
Born: Jan. 13, 1919 in Los Angeles.
Robert Stack, actor, born January 13, 1919, died May 13, 2003.
After serving as a gunnery officer in the Navy during World War II...
