Robert Stack
Robert Stack was born in 1919 in Los Angeles, California. 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 mother, but died when Stack was 10. He spent his early childhood in Adria and Rome, becoming fluent in French and Italian at an early age, and did not learn English until returning to Los Angeles when he was seven. He took some drama courses at the University of Southern California, where he played on the polo team. Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy were family friends who often took him hunting and fishing. By the time he was 20, he 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, in Venice, Italy, and at age 16 he became a member of the All-American Skeet Team. He set two world records in skeet shooting and became national champion. He took drama courses at Bridgewater State University, a mid-size liberal arts school located 25 miles southeast of Boston. His deep voice and good looks attracted the attention of producers in Hollywood. During World War II, he served as an Aerial Gunnery Officer and gunnery instructor in the United States Navy. He was awarded the World War II Victory Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, American Campaign Medal, Expert Rifle Ribbon and Expert Pistol Ribbon.
In his first film he played the character of Ted Drake in First Love (1939). In his first Western film he played Jim Holliday in Badlands of Dakota (1941). He appeared in Western films with: Richard Dix, Ann Rutherford, Broderick Crawford, Andy Devine, Jackie Cooper, Ralph Bellamy, Mickey Rooney, Wanda Hendrix, Robert Preston, Joan Taylor, Robert J. Wilke, John Doucette, Virginia Mayo, Ruth Roman, Raymond Burr, Leo Gordon. Some non-Western films he appeared in were: The Mortal Storm, The High and the Mighty, Good Morning Miss Dove, Airplane, Caddyshack II, Joe Versus the Volcano. His final film appearance was as The Gooch in Killer Bud (2001).
He made his first appearance on TV in an episode of Pulitzer Prize Playhouse (1951). He appeared as a guest on other shows, but not in any Westerns. He is mostly remembered for playing the part of Eliot Ness in The Untouchables (1959-1963). He was the voice of Stoat Muldoon in the animated series Butt-Ugly Martians (2001). He hosted/narrated the true crime series Unsolved Mysteries (1987-2002). For 30 episodes he was the voice of Bob the Narrator on Disney’s animated series Hercules (1980/81). He portrayed Captain Frank Murphy in the series Strike Force (1981/82), Captain Linc Evers in the series Most Wanted (1776/77) and former federal agent turned true-crime journalist Dan Farrell in the series The Name of the Game (1968-1971). His final work on TV was as the voice of Reynolds Penland in an episode of King of the Hill (2001).
The Piikani Nation of the Blackfoot Confederacy, which was known as the Peigan Nation before the 1990s, honored him by inducting him into their chieftainship in 1953 as Chief Crow Flag.
His film and TV career spanned 62 years, during which he made more than 40 films and made many appearances on TV. In 1957 he won the Golden Laurel Top Male Supporting Performance Award. In 1960 he won the Primetime Emmy Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Series Award, and was also awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in motion pictures. In 1971, he was inducted into the National Skeet Shooting Association Hall of Fame. In 1981 he was inducted into the California Skeet Shooting Association Hall of Fame (inaugural class). In 1996 he was awarded a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars. In 1999 he received the John F. Kennedy National Award. In 2000 he won the Golden Boot Award. In 2001 he won the Temecula Valley International Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award. His autobiography, “Straight Shooting,” was published in 1979.
He said about his role in The Untouchables: “Well, I come from a military family. Whether it's the country or city, I never liked the bad guy. I never put my arms around John Gotti, Al Capone or Lucky Luciano. For me, very simply they were the bad guys. And when I did The Untouchables, I told them going in, ‘If you try apologizing for any of these crumb bums, get someone else to play the part.’.” He also said: “As a matter of national survival, we need to do the best we can to sponsor the good guys and to do something active about bringing down the bad guys.” In a 1998 interview with The Associated Press, he said: "Somebody once said, ‘You really think you're Eliot Ness.' No, I don't think I'm Ness, but I sure as hell know I'm not Al Capone.' "
He underwent radiation therapy for prostate cancer in October 2002 and died of heart failure on May 14, 2003 at the age of 84. He and his wife, Rosemarie, had been married for 47 years at the time of his death.
He was an actor who didn’t take life in Hollywood too seriously. He said: "It's all malarky; even the wonderful part is malarky”. In life, and in the business, he was a nice guy and a professional, who followed the advice Clark Cable gave him when he was first starting out: “You're gonna be one thing: A pro. Show up on time, know your lines. ... And if you ever become a thing called a celebrity - a word I hate - if you ever do, and you use that power to push people around, I'm gonna kick you right in the (expletive)."
Robert Stack
Robert Stack was born in 1919 in Los Angeles, California. 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 mother, but died when Stack was 10. He spent his early childhood in Adria and Rome, becoming fluent in French and Italian at an early age, and did not learn English until returning to Los Angeles when he was seven. He took some drama courses at the University of Southern California, where he played on the polo team. Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy were family friends who often took him hunting and fishing. By the time he was 20, he 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, in Venice, Italy, and at age 16 he became a member of the All-American Skeet Team. He set two world records in skeet shooting and became national champion. He took drama courses at Bridgewater State University, a mid-size liberal arts school located 25 miles southeast of Boston. His deep voice and good looks attracted the attention of producers in Hollywood. During World War II, he served as an Aerial Gunnery Officer and gunnery instructor in the United States Navy. He was awarded the World War II Victory Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, American Campaign Medal, Expert Rifle Ribbon and Expert Pistol Ribbon.
In his first film he played the character of Ted Drake in First Love (1939). In his first Western film he played Jim Holliday in Badlands of Dakota (1941). He appeared in Western films with: Richard Dix, Ann Rutherford, Broderick Crawford, Andy Devine, Jackie Cooper, Ralph Bellamy, Mickey Rooney, Wanda Hendrix, Robert Preston, Joan Taylor, Robert J. Wilke, John Doucette, Virginia Mayo, Ruth Roman, Raymond Burr, Leo Gordon. Some non-Western films he appeared in were: The Mortal Storm, The High and the Mighty, Good Morning Miss Dove, Airplane, Caddyshack II, Joe Versus the Volcano. His final film appearance was as The Gooch in Killer Bud (2001).
He made his first appearance on TV in an episode of Pulitzer Prize Playhouse (1951). He appeared as a guest on other shows, but not in any Westerns. He is mostly remembered for playing the part of Eliot Ness in The Untouchables (1959-1963). He was the voice of Stoat Muldoon in the animated series Butt-Ugly Martians (2001). He hosted/narrated the true crime series Unsolved Mysteries (1987-2002). For 30 episodes he was the voice of Bob the Narrator on Disney’s animated series Hercules (1980/81). He portrayed Captain Frank Murphy in the series Strike Force (1981/82), Captain Linc Evers in the series Most Wanted (1776/77) and former federal agent turned true-crime journalist Dan Farrell in the series The Name of the Game (1968-1971). His final work on TV was as the voice of Reynolds Penland in an episode of King of the Hill (2001).
The Piikani Nation of the Blackfoot Confederacy, which was known as the Peigan Nation before the 1990s, honored him by inducting him into their chieftainship in 1953 as Chief Crow Flag.
His film and TV career spanned 62 years, during which he made more than 40 films and made many appearances on TV. In 1957 he won the Golden Laurel Top Male Supporting Performance Award. In 1960 he won the Primetime Emmy Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Series Award, and was also awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in motion pictures. In 1971, he was inducted into the National Skeet Shooting Association Hall of Fame. In 1981 he was inducted into the California Skeet Shooting Association Hall of Fame (inaugural class). In 1996 he was awarded a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars. In 1999 he received the John F. Kennedy National Award. In 2000 he won the Golden Boot Award. In 2001 he won the Temecula Valley International Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award. His autobiography, “Straight Shooting,” was published in 1979.
He said about his role in The Untouchables: “Well, I come from a military family. Whether it's the country or city, I never liked the bad guy. I never put my arms around John Gotti, Al Capone or Lucky Luciano. For me, very simply they were the bad guys. And when I did The Untouchables, I told them going in, ‘If you try apologizing for any of these crumb bums, get someone else to play the part.’.” He also said: “As a matter of national survival, we need to do the best we can to sponsor the good guys and to do something active about bringing down the bad guys.” In a 1998 interview with The Associated Press, he said: "Somebody once said, ‘You really think you're Eliot Ness.' No, I don't think I'm Ness, but I sure as hell know I'm not Al Capone.' "
He underwent radiation therapy for prostate cancer in October 2002 and died of heart failure on May 14, 2003 at the age of 84. He and his wife, Rosemarie, had been married for 47 years at the time of his death.
He was an actor who didn’t take life in Hollywood too seriously. He said: "It's all malarky; even the wonderful part is malarky”. In life, and in the business, he was a nice guy and a professional, who followed the advice Clark Cable gave him when he was first starting out: “You're gonna be one thing: A pro. Show up on time, know your lines. ... And if you ever become a thing called a celebrity - a word I hate - if you ever do, and you use that power to push people around, I'm gonna kick you right in the (expletive)."