Acting
Robert Middleton
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Robert Middleton, born Samuel G. Messer (May 13, 1911 – June 14, 1977), was an American film and television actor known for his large size and beetle-like brow. With a deep, booming voice, Middleton trained for a musical career at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and Carnegie Tech in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He worked steadily as a radio announcer and actor. One of his early works was as the narrator of the educational film "Duck and Cover". After appearing on the Broadway stage and live television, Middleton began appearing in films in 1954. He's also remembered on television as the boss Mr. Marshall on The Jackie Gleason Show and in film opposite Humphrey Bogart in The Desperate Hours (1955), Gary Cooper in Friendly Persuasion (1956), Richard Egan and Elvis Presley in Love Me Tender (1956), Dorothy Malone and Robert Stack in The Tarnished Angels (1958), and Dean Martin in Career (1959). A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Middleton appeared in many television programs in the 1950s and 1960s, including the CBS anthology series Appointment with Adventure. He was cast as "The Tichborne Claimant" in the NBC anthology series The Joseph Cotten Show. He appeared in ten episodes of ABC's family Western The Monroes, with costars Michael Anderson, Jr., and Barbara Hershey. Among his several appearances in the long-running Alfred Hitchcock Presents, he portrayed a gangster in high places, Mr. Koster, in the 1956 episode "The Better Bargain". In 1958, he played the villain in the first episode of Bat Masterson. In 1961, he appeared in the episode "Accidental Tourist" on the James Whitmore ABC legal drama The Law and Mr. Jones. That same year, he portrayed the highly sympathetic but fiercely dedicated state executioner in an episode of Thriller (U.S. TV series) entitled "Guillotine". He also appeared in at least one episode of Bonanza (1964). In the early 1950s, Middleton appeared on Broadway in Ondine. Other significant film roles include The Court Jester (1956) as a grim and determined knight who jousts with Danny Kaye in the famous "pellet with the poison" sequence, and as a sinister politician in The Lincoln Conspiracy (1977). Betwixt and between were an array of brutish mountain daddies, corrupt, cigar-chomping town bosses and lynch mob leaders. Occasionally he showed a bit of levity, as in his recurring role as Jackie Gleason's boss on The Honeymooners (1955) sketches. Middleton died of congestive heart failure in Hollywood at the age of sixty-six. Description above from the Wikipedia article Robert Middleton, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Filmography
James Dean: Forever Young
Film · 2005
The Lincoln Conspiracy
Film · 1977
Hunter
Series · 1977
Remember When
Film · 1974
The Mark of Zorro
Film · 1974
The Harrad Experiment
Film · 1973
Even Angels Eat Beans
Film · 1973
Fair Play
Film · 1972
Kung Fu
Series · 1972
Columbo
Series · 1971
Alias Smith and Jones
Series · 1971
Company of Killers
Film · 1970
Which Way to the Front?
Film · 1970
The Cheyenne Social Club
Film · 1970
McCloud
Series · 1970
Mannix
Series · 1967
A Big Hand for the Little Lady
Film · 1966
Mission: Impossible
Series · 1966
The Monroes
Series · 1966
Get Smart
Series · 1965
The Wild Wild West
Series · 1965
The Big Valley
Series · 1965
The Big Valley
Series · 1965
The Adventures of Gallegher
Series · 1965
For Those Who Think Young
Film · 1964
Daniel Boone
Series · 1964
Cattle King
Film · 1963
Burke's Law
Series · 1963
Vacation Playhouse
Series · 1963
Burke's Law
Series · 1963
Burke's Law
Series · 1963
Gold of the Seven Saints
Film · 1961
Witchcraft: The Doll in Brambles
Film · 1961
Target: The Corruptors!
Series · 1961
The New Breed
Series · 1961
The Americans
Series · 1961
The Investigators
Series · 1961
The Great Impostor
Film · 1960
Hell Bent for Leather
Film · 1960
The Gun of Zangara
Film · 1960
The Tall Man
Series · 1960
Thriller
Series · 1960
Thriller
Series · 1960
Don't Give Up the Ship
Film · 1959
Career
Film · 1959
Rawhide
Series · 1959
Adventures in Paradise
Series · 1959
The Rebel
Series · 1959
The Detectives
Series · 1959
Wichita Town
Series · 1959
The Untouchables
Series · 1959
The Untouchables
Series · 1959
Bonanza
Series · 1959
Bonanza
Series · 1959
The Untouchables
Series · 1959
Rawhide
Series · 1959
Rawhide
Series · 1959
Rawhide
Series · 1959
Bonanza
Series · 1959
The Law and Jake Wade
Film · 1958
No Place to Land
Film · 1958
Day of the Badman
Film · 1958
Bitter Heritage
Film · 1958
Nightmare at Ground Zero
Film · 1958
Bat Masterson
Series · 1958
The Lonely Man
Film · 1957
The Tarnished Angels
Film · 1957
The Death of Manolete
Film · 1957
So Lovely, So Deadly
Film · 1957
Perry Mason
Series · 1957
The Walter Winchell File
Series · 1957
Suspicion
Series · 1957
Wagon Train
Series · 1957
Friendly Persuasion
Film · 1956
Love Me Tender
Film · 1956
The Proud Ones
Film · 1956
Red Sundown
Film · 1956
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Series · 1956
Telephone Time
Series · 1956
The Big Combo
Film · 1955
The Court Jester
Film · 1955
The Desperate Hours
Film · 1955
Trial
Film · 1955
Gunsmoke
Series · 1955
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Series · 1955
Matinee Theater
Series · 1955
Gunsmoke
Series · 1955
Gunsmoke
Series · 1955
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Series · 1955
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Series · 1955
MGM Parade
Series · 1955
The Silver Chalice
Film · 1954
Climax!
Series · 1954
The Wonderful World of Disney
Series · 1954
The Wonderful World of Disney
Series · 1954
Studio 57
Series · 1954
Something For An Empty Briefcase
Film · 1953
Confessions of a Nervous Man
Film · 1953
General Electric Theater
Series · 1953
Letter to Loretta
Series · 1953
General Electric Theater
Series · 1953
Duck and Cover
Film · 1952
Cavalcade of America
Series · 1952
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Series · 1951
Tales of Tomorrow
Series · 1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Series · 1951
Lux Video Theatre
Series · 1950
Suspense
Series · 1949
Man Against Crime
Series · 1949