Robert Nichols obit

Actor Robert Nichols dies

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Robert Nichols was born in Oakland, California, the son of Edna (née Beemer) and Ray D. Nichols, a real estate broker. He began his career in entertainment as a student at Oakland High School. Nichols enlisted with the U.S. Army during World War II, performing with the Special Services to entertain U.S. troops during the war. He performed on domestic U.S. military bases and managed a jazz band in Japan during the post-war period.

Nichols was awarded a scholarship for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, a drama school in London, following World War II. He began performing on in theater while living in London. In 1949, Nichols made his film debut in I Was a Male War Bride, which was shot in West Germany. He was deported from the United Kingdom soon after because he did not have a British work permit.

In 1950, soon after his deportation, Nichols met his future wife, Jennifer, at her 19th birthday beach party near Malibu, California. They became engaged after two dates and were married just two months later. Jennifer Nichols later worked as a film wardrobe supervisor.

Nichols worked in American film and television throughout the 1950s. In the episode "Doc Holliday Rewrites History" (May 6, 1958) of the ABC/Desilu western television series, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, with Hugh O'Brian in the title role, Nichols played a traveling photographer and historian who arrives in Dodge City, Kansas, to take pictures and write the biographies of interested citizens, who pay in advance the purchase price of the book that he produces. A range of problems result when Doc Holliday (Myron Healey) takes over the writing of the local biographies and according to premature reports is unflattering to the townspeople, including Mayor James "Dog" Kelley.

Nichols returned to the United Kingdom around 1960, where he appeared in British and European film, television and theater productions. Nichols moved back to Los Angeles, California, in 1965. He soon relocated to New York City, where he enjoyed a steady career on and off Broadway, notably the Broadway productions of The Man Who Came to Dinner, Man and Superman and Take Me Along.

Nichols and his wife purchased property to build a home in Occidental, Sonoma County, California, in 1991. He continued to act and perform until the early 2000s. His last theater role was in the musical Ragtime, appearing in Los Angeles, Chicago and Vancouver

Filmography

1940      Little Men           Teddy    Notes

1949      I Was a Male War Bride Motor Pool Mechanic     Uncredited

1951      The Thing from Another World   Lt. Ken MacPherson "Mac"          

1951      Father Takes the Air        Photographer    Uncredited

1951      The Red Badge of Courage           Fat Union Soldier              Uncredited

1951      Disc Jockey         Photographer    Uncredited

1951      The Blue Veil      Fred Begley, Jr. Uncredited

1952      Red Skies of Montana     Felton   Uncredited

1952      Hold That Line   Harold Lane       

1952      Jet Job Dynamo Jackson              

1952      The Pride of St. Louis      Eddie     Uncredited

1952      Sally and Saint Anne        Henry    Uncredited

1952      Dreamboat         Student                Uncredited

1952      Monkey Business             Garage Man       Uncredited

1952      Battle Zone         Marine Uncredited

1952      Eight Iron Men Walsh   

1953      Battle Circus       Pvt. Sommers    Uncredited

1953      Julius Caesar       Citizen of Rome                 Uncredited

1953      Dream Wife        Elevator Boy       Uncredited

1953      Gentlemen Prefer Blondes           Evans    Uncredited

1953      Jennifer                Orin      

1954      The Command   2nd Lt. O'Hirons               

1954      Prisoner of War                 Patrick Woodhope           Uncredited

1954      The Student Prince          Student at Duel                 Uncredited

1954      Johnny Dark       Smitty  

1954      The Bob Mathias Story   Stanford Football Player                Uncredited

1954      The Atomic Kid Bob        Uncredited

1955      Tight Spot            Boy Honeymooner          Uncredited

1955      This Island Earth               Joe Wilson          

1956      Navy Wife           Oscar    

1956      Hold Back the Night        Beany Smith      

1956      Giant     Mort 'Pinky' Snythe        

1957      Don't Go Near the Water              Lt. Cmdr. Hereford         

1957      Bombers B-52    Wilbur 'Brooklyn' Stuart               

1958      Imitation General             Soldier Uncredited

1959      The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock               Bank Manager  

1962      Don't Bother to Knock    American Sailor                 Uncredited

1962      The Amorous Prawn       Sam Goulansky

1963      Follow the Boys                Hulldown            

1963      Come Fly with Me            Nickerson            Uncredited

1963      Call Me Bwana American Major               

1963      The Victors          'The Squad' Member No. 5          

1963 The Donna Reed Show as Mr. Moody in the ,Neighborly Gesture."

1963      Man in the Middle           Lt. Harvey Bender           

1964      The Yellow Rolls-Royce American Travel Agent   Uncredited

1969      The Trouble with Girls    Smith   

1970      The Out-of-Towners       Man in Airplane               

1971      Escape from the Planet of the Apes          Reporter              Uncredited

1972      They Only Kill Their Masters        Doctor Peterson              

1972      Pete 'n' Tillie      Party Guest        Uncredited

1973      Wicked, Wicked                Fred, Day Clerk

1973      Westworld          1st Male Interviewee     Uncredited

1975      The Night They Robbed Big Bertha's         Professor            

1976      God Told Me To                Fletcher               

1983      Reuben, Reuben              Harry Pycraft     

1984      Billions for Boris                Derelict               

1993      So I Married an Axe Murderer    Scottish Minister              (final film role)

Discography

 

    Jerome Kern: Show Boat, conducted by John McGlinn, EMI, 1988