Robert Rockwell
Robert Rockwell was an American stage, film, radio and television actor. He is best known for playing the handsome, but awkward biology teacher Philip Boynton in the radio and television sitcom Our Miss Brooks opposite Eve Arden. A native of Lake Bluff, Illinois, Rockwell studied at the Pasadena Playhouse, from which he obtained a master's degree. During World War II he enlisted in the US Navy for four years serving in Washington D.C. Dramatic roles often eluded him, however, after beginning his career as a contract player for Republic Studios he appeared, over his almost 50-year acting career, in more than 350 television episodes and, on stage, opposite José Ferrer in the 1946 Broadway production of Cyrano de Bergerac, and with Ginger Rogers during the 1960s in a San Diego production of Whitfield Cook's play A More Perfect Union. He appeared in the first Superman television show episode as Clark Kent's father, Jor-El in 1952. He appeared in a 1959 Perry Mason episode "The case of the Deadly Toy" as love interest to the defendant Claire Allison as Dick Benedict. He starred in the 1961 Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Misguided Missile" as an Air Force officer court-martialled on a murder charge. He later starred in the 1962 Perry Mason episodes "The Case of the Lurid Letter" as Everett Rixby, a high school principal, and the murderer Cole B. Troy in "The Case of the Shapely Shadow". He also appeared as Ed Purvis in the 1965 episode Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Candy Queen". Rockwell starred in his own ABC western-themed television series, The Man from Blackhawk in the 1959-1960 season. Rockwell was cast as the Blackhawk Insurance Company's key investigator, Sam Logan, who is assigned to weed out fraud in the payment of claims. He also played Sam Thompson in Thompson's Ghost, Tom Bennett in The Bill Cosby Show[4]:106 and Officer Russo in Adam-12. In 1967 he played a littering tourist in the Lassie episode "Lassie's Litter Bit", an iconic episode which earned a trip for Lassie to the White House to shake hands with then First Lady "Ladybird" Johnson who had used the famous collie in her Keep America Beautiful Campaign. Rockwell was a founding member of the California Artists Radio Theatre. He played standard leads in a couple of anti-Communist-era features, including Republic's The Red Menace, in which he is cast as a returning veteran of World War II, who is duped by communists. Later in his career, he appeared on episodes of Petticoat Junction, Growing Pains, and Beverly Hills, 90210. His appearances in commercials and voiceovers totaled more than 200, most notably as the armchair grandfather treating his grandson to a piece of candy in the 1995 version of the Werthers Original candy spot.
Known For
Credits
- 1995 · Perfect Alibi as
- 1992 · The Golden Palace as Mr. Cochran
- 1991 · Hell Hath No Fury as Mr. Stewart
- 1990 · Beverly Hills, 90210 as
- 1987 · Destination: America as
- 1985 · Growing Pains as Wally Overmier
- 1984 · Hunter as Ralph Flagg
- 1984 · E/R as John Harrison
- 1983 · The Kid with the 200 I.Q. as
- 1982 · Newhart as
- 1981 · Falcon Crest as Giles Taylor
- 1981 · Golden Gate as
- 1981 · Murder in Texas as Parker
- 1981 · Dynasty as
- 1979 · Knots Landing as Doctor
- 1979 · Benson as
- 1978 · Diff'rent Strokes as
- 1978 · Dallas as Mitchell
- 1977 · Eight Is Enough as
- 1976 · Charlie's Angels as Harrison
- 1972 · The Waltons as
- 1970 · Lassie: The miracle as Will Thorne
- 1969 · The Bill Cosby Show as Tom Bennett
- 1969 · Lassie: The Adventures of Neeka as Dean Chalmers (archive footage)
- 1968 · Lassies Abenteuer in Alaska as Dean Chalmers
- 1968 · Here's Lucy as Jack Scott
- 1968 · Sol Madrid as Chief Danvers
- 1966 · Summer Fun as
- 1965 · Green Acres as
- 1965 · A Letter to Nancy as Pastor
- 1964 · Espionage Target: You as Agent (uncredited)
- 1963 · Petticoat Junction as
- 1962 · The Lucy Show as Tom Bennett
- 1961 · Bus Stop as
- 1960 · The Roaring 20's as
- 1960 · Surfside 6 as
- 1959 · The Man from Blackhawk as
- 1958 · Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse as
- 1958 · Yancy Derringer as Phillip Hampton
- 1958 · Bronco as
- 1958 · Turn the Other Cheek as Ben Hanson
- 1957 · Maverick as
- 1957 · Perry Mason as Dick Benedict
- 1957 · Perry Mason as Maj. Jerry Reynolds
- 1957 · Perry Mason as Cole B. Troy
- 1957 · Perry Mason as Everett Rixby
- 1957 · Perry Mason as Ed Purvis
- 1956 · State Trooper as
- 1956 · Our Miss Brooks as Phillip 'Phil' Boynton
- 1955 · Navy Log as
- 1955 · Gunsmoke as Mr. Philips
- 1955 · The Millionaire as Prof. Amberson Adams
- 1955 · The Millionaire as Dolph Randolph
- 1954 · Lassie as
- 1953 · Letter to Loretta as Jeb Stewart
- 1953 · The War of the Worlds as Forest Ranger at Crash Site (uncredited)
- 1952 · Our Miss Brooks as Philip Boynton
- 1952 · Cavalcade of America as
- 1952 · Just for You as John Ransome
- 1952 · Adventures of Superman as Jor-El (uncredited)
- 1951 · Racket Squad as
- 1951 · The Prince Who Was a Thief as (uncredited)
- 1951 · The Frogmen as Lt. Bill Doyle
- 1950 · Prisoners in Petticoats as Mark Hampton
- 1950 · Lonely Heart Bandits as Police Lt. Carroll
- 1950 · Trial Without Jury as Police Lt. Bill Peters
- 1950 · Destination Big House as Dr. Walter Phillips
- 1950 · Women from Headquarters as Gates
- 1950 · Federal Agent at Large as Dr. Ross Carrington
- 1950 · Belle of Old Mexico as Kip Armitage III
- 1950 · Unmasked as Detective Lt. James 'Jim' Webster
- 1949 · The Blonde Bandit as Dist. Atty. Devron
- 1949 · Alias the Champ as Ron Peterson
- 1949 · The Red Menace as Bill Jones
- 1948 · You Gotta Stay Happy as Eddie
- 1948 · The Ed Sullivan Show as Self