Robert Blees obit

Robert Blees, Writer & Producer, Dies At 96

He was not on the List

Robert Blees, a prolific film and television writer and producer, has died. Blees, whose screenwriting credits include Magnificent Obsession, starring Rock Hudson and Jayne Wyman, and Autumn Leaves, starring Joan Crawford and Cliff Robertson, died January 31 at the home of his daughter in Menlo Park, CA. He was 96.

His other film writing credits include Cattle Queen Of Montana, starring Ronald Reagan and Barbara Stanwyck, The Glass Web, The Black Scorpion, From The Earth To The Moon, High School Confidential, and Frogs.

In the 1960s, he was a producer on several hit TV series, including Bonanza, Combat! and Kraft Suspense Theatre. He also wrote for Columbo, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Airwolf, Zane Grey Theater, and Cannon, among many other popular TV shows.

A former member of the board of directors of the Writers Guild and the Producers Guild, he served for many years on the board of the Motion Picture & Television Fund. “While my tenure on MPTF’s board overlapped Bob Blees’ for only a few years, it didn’t take long to appreciate his grace and intellect as well as his compassion for the people of our industry,” said MPTF CEO Bob Beitcher. “Bob served the entertainment industry through his tireless dedication as a board member, which spanned 30 years. Based on the thousands of lives he touched through his many contributions to his industry, Blees will be remembered for his storytelling and the goodness he promoted. He was a true gentleman.”

Born on June 9, 1918, in Lathrop, MO, Blees studied at Dartmouth College and worked as a writer and photographer for Time and Life magazines. He came to Hollywood in 1940, landing a job as a scenarist for Warner Bros. During World War II, he served as a bomber navigator in the U.S. Army Air Corps.

 

Writer

Dean Butler and Caryn Richman in Gidget's Summer Reunion (1985)

Gidget's Summer Reunion

6.2

TV Movie

Writer

1985

 

Ernest Borgnine, Jan-Michael Vincent, and Alex Cord in Airwolf (1984)

Airwolf

6.7

TV Series

written by

1985

1 episode

 

Savage Harvest (1981)

Savage Harvest

5.7

Writer

1981

 

Flamingo Road (1980)

Flamingo Road

6.5

TV Series

written by

1981

1 episode

 

Project U.F.O. (1978)

Project U.F.O.

7.2

TV Series

writer

story

teleplay

1978–1979

7 episodes

 

Shelley Fabares, Stephen McHattie, Jenny O'Hara, and Eugenie Ross-Leming in Highcliffe Manor (1979)

Highcliffe Manor

7.0

TV Series

creator

1979

1 episode

 

Peter Falk in Columbo (1971)

Columbo

8.3

TV Series

written by

1978

1 episode

 

What Really Happened to the Class of '65? (1977)

What Really Happened to the Class of '65?

7.8

TV Series

writer

1978

1 episode

 

Curse of the Black Widow (1977)

Curse of the Black Widow

5.7

TV Movie

story by

teleplay by

1977

 

David Janssen in Harry O (1973)

Harry O

7.6

TV Series

story

teleplay

1975

1 episode

 

A Woman for All Men (1975)

A Woman for All Men

5.0

written by

1975

 

Cannon (1971)

Cannon

6.8

TV Series

teleplay

writer

1973

2 episodes

 

Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972)

Dr. Phibes Rises Again

6.3

written by

1972

 

Frogs (1972)

Frogs

4.4

screenplay by

1972

 

Shelley Winters, Chloe Franks, Hugh Griffith, Lionel Jeffries, Mark Lester, and Ralph Richardson in Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? (1972)

Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?

6.1

screenplay

1972

 

Kraft Suspense Theatre (1963)

Kraft Suspense Theatre

7.7

TV Series

story

1964

1 episode

 

Kraft Mystery Theater (1961)

Kraft Mystery Theater

7.9

TV Series

Writer

1962

1 episode

 

Buddy Ebsen and Tuesday Weld in Bus Stop (1961)

Bus Stop

7.3

TV Series

adaptation

1961

1 episode

 

Sebastian Cabot, Anthony George, and Doug McClure in Checkmate (1960)

Checkmate

7.6

TV Series

story

1961

1 episode

 

Rod Taylor in Hong Kong (1960)

Hong Kong

8.2

TV Series

written by

1961

1 episode

 

Barbara Stanwyck in The Barbara Stanwyck Show (1960)

The Barbara Stanwyck Show

7.6

TV Series

teleplay

1960

1 episode

 

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (1958)

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

8.0

TV Series

writer

1960

1 episode

 

Dick Powell in Zane Grey Theatre (1956)

Zane Grey Theatre

7.5

TV Series

writer

1960

1 episode

 

Tales of the Vikings (1959)

Tales of the Vikings

8.2

TV Series

writer

1960

1 episode

 

David Janssen in Richard Diamond, Private Detective (1957)

Richard Diamond, Private Detective

7.8

TV Series

writer

1959

1 episode

 

Craig Stevens in Peter Gunn (1958)

Peter Gunn

8.0

TV Series

written by

1958

1 episode

 

From the Earth to the Moon (1958)

From the Earth to the Moon

5.1

screenplay

1958

 

Anita Ekberg in Screaming Mimi (1958)

Screaming Mimi

5.8

screenplay by

1958

 

Russ Tamblyn and Mamie Van Doren in High School Confidential! (1958)

High School Confidential!

6.1

screenplay

story

1958

 

Climax! (1954)

Climax!

6.7

TV Series

adaptation

1958

1 episode

 

The Black Scorpion (1957)

The Black Scorpion

5.4

screenplay

1957

 

Lux Video Theatre (1950)

Lux Video Theatre

7.6

TV Series

original screenplay

1956

1 episode

 

Joan Crawford and Cliff Robertson in Autumn Leaves (1956)

Autumn Leaves

6.8

written by

1956

 

Arlene Dahl, Rhonda Fleming, and John Payne in Slightly Scarlet (1956)

Slightly Scarlet

6.5

screen play

1956

 

Alfred Hitchcock in Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955)

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

8.5

TV Series

written by

1955

1 episode

 

Rod Cameron and Julie London in The Fighting Chance (1955)

The Fighting Chance

7.3

story

1955

 

John Bromfield and Maxie Rosenbloom in Damon Runyon Theater (1955)

Damon Runyon Theater

7.7

TV Series

teleplay

1955

1 episode

 

Anne Baxter and Rock Hudson in One Desire (1955)

One Desire

6.2

Writer

1955

 

Ronald Reagan and Barbara Stanwyck in Cattle Queen of Montana (1954)

Cattle Queen of Montana

5.6

screenplay

1954

 

Lex Barker, Howard Duff, and Mala Powers in The Yellow Mountain (1954)

The Yellow Mountain

5.8

adaptation

1954

 

Magnificent Obsession (1954)

Magnificent Obsession

7.0

screenplay

1954

 

Shelley Winters, Colleen Miller, and Barry Sullivan in Playgirl (1954)

Playgirl

5.7

screenplay

1954

 

The Glass Web (1953)

The Glass Web

6.6

screenplay

1953

 

Barbara Stanwyck and Lyle Bettger in All I Desire (1953)

All I Desire

7.0

screenplay

1953

 

Robert Cummings, Diana Lynn, Lora Lee Michel, and Lizabeth Scott in Paid in Full (1950)

Paid in Full

6.2

screenplay

1950

 

Eddie Bracken and June Preisser in Sweater Girl (1942)

Sweater Girl

6.8

Writer

1942

 

Producer

Project U.F.O. (1978)

Project U.F.O.

7.2

TV Series

producer

1978–1979

5 episodes

 

What Really Happened to the Class of '65? (1977)

What Really Happened to the Class of '65?

7.8

TV Series

producer

1978

1 episode

 

A Woman for All Men (1975)

A Woman for All Men

5.0

producer

1975

 

Bonanza (1959)

Bonanza

7.3

TV Series

producer

1967–1968

13 episodes

 

Vacation Playhouse (1963)

Vacation Playhouse

7.9

TV Series

producer

1966

1 episode

 

Off We Go

TV Movie

producer

1966

 

Kraft Suspense Theatre (1963)

Kraft Suspense Theatre

7.7

TV Series

producer

1963–1964

7 episodes

 

Combat! (1962)

Combat!

8.4

TV Series

producer

1962–1963

13 episodes

 

Buddy Ebsen and Tuesday Weld in Bus Stop (1961)

Bus Stop

7.3

TV Series

producer

1961–1962

8 episodes

 

Additional Crew

Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The Early Years (1955-1970) (2000)

Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The Early Years (1955-1970)

6.7

TV Movie

source: additional footage

2000

 

Project U.F.O. (1978)

Project U.F.O.

7.2

TV Series

story editor

1978–1979

10 episodes

 

Buddy Ebsen in Barnaby Jones (1973)

Barnaby Jones

6.9

TV Series

executive story consultant

1973

13 episodes