Robert Blake obit

Robert Blake, Combustible Star of ‘In Cold Blood’ and ‘Baretta,’ Dies at 89

The Emmy-winning actor faced real-life drama when he was accused of murdering his wife, a con artist, in 2001. 

He was not on the list.

Robert Blake, who played the crazed real-life killer Perry Smith in Truman Copote’s In Cold Blood and the popular TV cop Tony Baretta before a sensational Hollywood murder trial destroyed his career, has died. He was 89.

Blake, who got his start as a child star in the 1940s in the Our Gang comedy shorts at MGM, died Thursday at his Los Angeles home after a long battle with heart disease, his niece, Noreen Austin, told The Hollywood Reporter.

On the night of May 4, 2001, Bonny Lee Bakley, Blake’s wife of six months and the mother of his young daughter, was fatally shot twice at point-blank range while she sat in their car after they had dined at Vitello’s, an Italian restaurant in Studio City. (The actor said he had gone back into the restaurant to retrieve a revolver he had left behind.)

Nearly four years later, including a year spent in jail, a jury acquitted Blake of murdering Bakley and also found him not guilty of soliciting a former stunt double (whom he first met on the set of his 1975-78 ABC series Baretta) to kill his wife.

“If you want to know how to go through $10 million in five years, ask me how,” he told reporters after the verdict. “I was a rich man. I’m broke now.”

During the trial, Bakley was shown to be a con artist who had dozens of aliases, swindled thousands of men and had been married 10 times previously. Blake wed her in November 2000 after a DNA test confirmed he was the father of their daughter, Rosie. (Bakley had said that Christian Brando, son of Marlon Brando, was the father.)

“Everybody said, ‘Well, hang him. Skin him first. Drive him through town and then hang him,’” Blake told the CBS News program 48 Hours in 2003. “God just kind of said, ‘Robert, sit quiet. Be patient, be patient. Let this mob mentality wear itself out. Because it just isn’t true. And if you sit still and be quiet and wait long enough, the truth does come out.’”

Blake, however, was found responsible for her death in a civil suit and ordered to pay $30 million to Bakley’s four children. He declared bankruptcy in 2006 and never acted again; in fact, his last appearance as an actor was in David Lynch’s Lost Highway (1997).

The New Jersey native was chillingly convincing as the drifter Smith — one of two men who meet in jail and then wipe out the Clutter family of four in their rural Holcomb, Kansas, home after a botched robbery — in the drama In Cold Blood (1967), directed by Richard Brooks, who also adapted Capote’s 1965 best-selling novel for the screenplay.

“I thought Mr. Clutter was a very nice gentleman,” his character says in the film. “I thought so right up to the time I cut his throat.”

The 5-foot-4 Blake, though, could also be downright charming, as when he played an unconventional detective with a penchant for disguises in Baretta, created by Stephen J. Cannell. His character lived in a run-down hotel with Fred, his pet cockatoo, and Blake won an Emmy in 1975.

He said he also wrote and directed most of the episodes but never took any of the credit.

Later, the actor starred as a priest living in a tough section of Los Angeles in the 1986 NBC series Hell Town. He owned the show and had written the pilot, but after a handful of episodes, he couldn’t go on any longer and quit.

“I was living on sleeping pills and junk food,” Blake told the Los Angeles Times in 1992. “I was overweight. My face was puffy and I had old, sad eyes. I would get in the limo to go to the Hell Town location every morning, and I’d be so uptight I could hardly breathe. My heart hurt, my soul hurt. I’ve always been a fierce competitor and a perfectionist, but during Hell Town, I only remember being terrified. One morning I realized I was only days — maybe hours — away from sticking a gun in my mouth and pulling the trigger.”

He went on a self-imposed exile for almost a decade, re-emerging in an Emmy-nominated performance as a real-life accountant who killed his mother, wife and their three children and wasn’t caught for nearly two decades in the 1993 CBS telefilm Judgment Day: The John List Story.

A second-generation Italian American, he was born Michael “Mickey” Gubitosi on Sept. 8, 1933, in Nutley, New Jersey. His parents performed as a song-and-dance team, and he and his brother and sister were known as “The Three Little Hillbillies.”

Blake said he was mistreated as a child, locked in closets, beaten, sexually abused and forced to eat off the floor. (His father committed suicide in 1955 at age 48.)

The family left for California in 1938 and the kids got work as extras at MGM, with Blake appearing in Bridal Suite, a 1939 film starring Robert Young. Also that year, he appeared for the first time as the obnoxious Little Mickey in the studio’s series of Our Gang shorts; he did about 40 of those, and his best pal was Billie “Buckwheat” Thomas.

(In November 1982, Blake hosted Saturday Night Live, where the castmembers played Our Gang characters — Julia Louis-Dreyfus was Darla, Joe Piscopo was Froggy, Mary Gross was Alfalfa and Eddie Murphy was Buckwheat. Blake reportedly was so difficult to work with that he was banned from the show.)

Mickey Gubitosi became Bobby Blake when he was given the title role in Mokey (1942), playing a kid who meets his new stepmom, Donna Reed.

In 1943, he first starred as Little Beaver, the Native-American sidekick to cowboy Red Ryder, the title character in a series of B-movies. He was in The Seventh Cross (1944) opposite Spencer Tracy and played John Garfield as a boy in Humoresque (1946), and in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948), he is seen as a Mexican kid who sells a lottery ticket to Humphrey Bogart.

Blake appeared in The Black Rose (1950) starring Tyrone Power and on television’s The Cisco Kid, The Roy Rogers Show and Broken Arrow. He portrayed a young tough in Rumble on the Docks (1956) and a private in Lewis Milestone’s Pork Chop Hill (1959) starring Gregory Peck.

He was a regular on Richard Boone’s 1963-64 NBC anthology show and had parts in PT 109 (1963) and Sydney Pollack’s This Property Is Condemned (1966) before he got the In Cold Blood job.

Later, Blake played an Indian in Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here (1969), an Arizona motorcycle officer who uncovers a murder in Electra Glide in Blue (1973) and Jimmy Hoffa in Blood Feud, an 1983 ABC miniseries.

He also was married to actress Sondra Kerr from 1961 until their divorce in 1983 and briefly to Pamela Hudak until their divorce was finalized in February 2019. Survivors also include his three children.

In his later years, Blake wrote a 2012 memoir, Tales of a Rascal, enjoyed jazz music, played his guitar, read poetry and watched classic films, his family said. Donations in his memory can be made to City of Hope.

Say what you will, Blake was a survivor. He credited his staying power to an innate ability to perform, noting he never took an acting or dancing lesson. “I was magic by the time I was 2 years old,” he told Tavis Smiley in a 2011 interview. “When it comes to show business, I took a back seat to nobody.”

 

Filmography

 

Film

Year     Film            Role            Notes            Ref.

1939    Bridal Suite     Toto            Uncredited      

1939    Joy Scouts  Mickey            Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi           

1939    Auto Antics   Mickey            Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi           

1939    Captain Spanky's Showboat            Mickey            Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi           

1939    Dad for a Day   Mickey            Short film      

1939    Time Out for Lessons            Mickey            Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi           

1940    Alfalfa's Double Mickey            Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi           

1940    The Big Premiere            Mickey            Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi           

1940    All About Hash            Mickey            Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi           

1940    The New Pupil            Mickey            Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi           

1940    Spots Before Your Eyes     Kid            Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi            [51]

1940            Bubbling Troubles            Mickey            Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi           

1940    I Love You Again            Edward Littlejohn Jr.            Uncredited      

1940    Good Bad Boys            Mickey            Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi           

1940            Waldo's Last Stand            Mickey            Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi           

1940    Goin' Fishin'   Mickey            Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi           

1940    Kiddie Kure    Mickey            Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi           

1941    Fightin' Fools    Mickey            Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi           

1941    Baby Blues    Mickey            Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi           

1941    Ye Olde Minstrels            Mickey            Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi           

1941    1-2-3 Go       Mickey            Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi           

1941    Robot Wrecks            Mickey            Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi           

1941    Helping Hands  Mickey            Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi           

1941    Come Back, Miss Pipps    Mickey            Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi           

1941            Wedding Worries            Mickey            Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi           

1941    Main Street on the March! Schulte Child    Short film; uncredited

1942            Melodies Old and New     Mickey            Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi           

1942    Going to Press            Mickey            Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi           

1942    Mokey            Daniel "Mokey" Delano            Credited as Bobby Blake  

1942    Don't Lie       Mickey            Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi           

1942    Kid Glove Killer            Boy in Car            Uncredited      

1942            Surprised Parties            Mickey            Short film; credited as Mickey Gubitosi           

1942    Doin' Their Bit            Mickey            Short film; uncredited

1942    Rover's Big Chance            Mickey            Short film      

1942    Mighty Lak a Goat            Mickey            Short film      

1942            Unexpected Riches            Mickey            Short film      

1942    Andy Hardy's Double Life            "Tooky" Stedman        

1942    China Girl       Chandu                       

1943            Benjamin Franklin, Jr.            Mickey            Short film      

1943    Family Troubles            Mickey            Short film      

1943    Slightly Dangerous            Boy on Porch            Uncredited      

1943    Calling All Kids            Mickey            Short film      

1943    Farm Hands  Mickey            Short film      

1943    Election Daze    Mickey            Short film      

1943    Salute to the Marines            Junior Carson            Uncredited      

1943    Little Miss Pinkerton            Mickey            Short film      

1943    Three Smart Guys            Mickey            Short film      

1943    Lost Angel   Jerry                

1944    Radio Bugs     Mickey            Short film      

1944    Tale of a Dog   Mickey            Short film      

1944            Dancing Romeo            Mickey            Short film      

1944    Tucson Raiders Little Beaver            

1944    Meet the People            Jimmy Smith            Uncredited      

1944            Marshal of Reno            Little Beaver            

1944    The Seventh Cross            Small Boy            Uncredited      

1944    The San Antonio Kid      Little Beaver            

1944    The Big Noise   Egbert Hartley            

1944            Cheyenne Wildcat            Little Beaver            

1944    The Woman in the Window            Dickie Wanley            Uncredited      

1944            Vigilantes of Dodge City      Little Beaver            

1944    Sheriff of Las Vegas            Little Beaver            

1945    Great Stagecoach Robbery            Little Beaver            

1945    Pillow to Post Wilbur             

1945    The Horn Blows at Midnight            Junior Poplinski                     

1945    Lone Texas Ranger            Little Beaver            

1945            Phantom of the Plains            Little Beaver            

1945            Marshal of Laredo            Little Beaver            

1945            Colorado Pioneers            Little Beaver            

1945    Dakota            Little Boy                 

1945    Wagon Wheels Westward            Little Beaver            

1946    A Guy Could Change            Alan Schroeder                   

1946            California Gold Rush            Little Beaver            

1946    Sheriff of Redwood Valley   Little Beaver            

1946    Sheriff of Redwood Valley   Cub Garth               

1946    Sun Valley Cyclone            Little Beaver            

1946    In Old Sacramento            Newsboy                   

1946            Conquest of Cheyenne            Little Beaver            

1946    Santa Fe Uprising            Little Beaver            

1946    Out California Way            Danny McCoy                       

1946            Stagecoach to Denver            Little Beaver            

1946            Humoresque   Paul Boray as a Child               

1947            Vigilantes of Boomtown            Little Beaver            

1947            Homesteaders of Paradise Valley            Little Beaver            

1947    Oregon Trail Scouts            Little Beaver            

1947    Rustlers of Devil's Canyon            Little Beaver            

1947            Marshal of Cripple Creek   Little Beaver            

1947    The Return of Rin Tin Tin  Paul the Refugee Lad                

1947    The Last Round-up            Mike Henry              

1948    The Treasure of the Sierra Madre            Mexican Boy Selling Lottery Tickets            Uncredited      

1950    Black Hand    Enrico, Naples Bus Boy            Uncredited      

1950    The Black Rose            Mahmoud                   

1952    Apache War Smoke            Luis Herrera                       

1953            Treasure of the Golden Condor            Stable Boy            Uncredited      

1953    The Veils of Bagdad            Beggar Boy                 

1956            Screaming Eagles            Pvt. Hernandez                   

1956    The Rack    Italian soldier            Uncredited      

1956    Rumble on the Docks            Chuck             

1957    Three Violent People            Rafael Ortega             

1957    The Tijuana Story            Enrique Acosta Mesa               

1958    The Beast of Budapest            Karolyi            

1958    Revolt in the Big House  Rudy Hernandez                   

1959    Pork Chop Hill            Pvt. Velie               

1959    Battle Flame   Cpl. Jake Pacheco              

1959    The Purple Gang            William Joseph "Honeyboy" Willard            

1961    Town Without Pity            Corporal Jim Larkin                

1963    PT 109            Charles "Bucky" Harris             

1965    The Greatest Story Ever Told            Simon the Zealot                    

1966    This Property Is Condemned            Sidney             

1967    In Cold Blood   Perry Smith               

1969    Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here            Willie Boy                 

1972            Ripped-Off      Teddy "Cherokee" Wilson             

1972    Corky            Corky             

1973    Electra Glide in Blue            Officer John Wintergreen                 

1974    Busting            Farrell             

1980    Coast to Coast            Charles Callahan                      

1981            Second-Hand Hearts            Loyal Muke              

1995    Money Train    Donald Patterson                     

1997    Lost Highway            The Mystery Man            Final film role           

 

Television

Year     Film            Role            Notes            Ref.

1952    The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok Rain Cloud            Episode: "The Professor's Daughter"        

1953    Fireside Theatre Johnny            Episode: "Night in the Warehouse"     

1953    The Cisco Kid            Davy / Alfredo 2 episodes          

1956    The Roy Rogers Show            Unknown character            Episode: "Paleface Justice"

1956–1958            Broken Arrow  Viklai / Machogee / Young Apache Warrior            3 episodes          

1957    Official Detective            Al Madsen            Episode: "The Hostages"        

1957    Men of Annapolis            Ed            Episode: "The White Hat"    

1957    26 Men            Tobe Hackett            Episode: "Trade Me Deadly"           

1957            Whirlybirds       Jose            Episode: "The Runaway"        

1957    The Court of Last Resort  Tomas Mendoza            Episode: "The Tomas Mendoza Case"  

1958    The Millionaire            Clark Davis            Episode: "The John Richards Story"           

1958    The Restless Gun            Lupe Sandoval            Episode: "Thunder Valley"

1958    The Californians            Cass            Episode: "The Long Night"  

1959    Black Saddle  Wayne Robinson            Episode: "Client: Robinson"        

1959            Playhouse 90            Unknown character            Episode: "A Trip to Paradise"         

1959    Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre            CSA Cpl. Michael Bers            Episode: "Heritage"    

1960    The Rebel   Virgil Moss            Episode: "He's Only a Boy"    

1960    Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond            Tom            Episode: "Gyspy"       

1960–1962            Have Gun - Will Travel   Lauro / Jessie May Turnbow / Smollet 3 episodes          

1961    Bat Masterson            Bill-Bill MacWilliams            Episode: "No Amnesty for Death"        

1961    Wagon Train    Johnny Kamen            Episode: "The Joe Muharich Story"  

1961    Naked City      Knox Maquon            2 episodes          

1961            Laramie          Lame Wolf            Episode: "Wolf Club" 

1961–1962            Straightaway    Chu Chu      2 episodes          

1962    Ben Casey   Jesse Verdugo            Episode: "Imagine a Long Bright Corridor"         

1962    Cain's Hundred            Rick Carter            Episode: "A Creature Lurks in Ambush"         

1962    The New Breed            Bobby Madero            Episode: "My Brother's Keeper"          

1963–1964            The Richard Boone Show   Various            14 episodes          

1965            Slattery's People            Jerry Leon            Episode: "Question: Does Nero Still at Ringside Sit?"    

1965    The Trials of O'Brien            Joe Rooney            Episode: "Bargain Day on the Street of Regret"

1965            Rawhide          Max Gufler / Hap Johnson            2 episodes          

1965–1966            The F.B.I.   Junior / Pete Cloud            2 episodes          

1966    Twelve O'Clock High            Lt. Johnny Eagle            Episode: "A Distant Cry"    

1966    Death Valley Days            Billy the Kid            Episode: "The Kid from Hell's Kitchen"          

1975–1978            Baretta            Detective Anthony Vincenzo "Tony" Baretta            82 episodes          

1977    29th Primetime Emmy Awards            Co-host      With Angie Dickinson        

1981    The Big Black Pill            Joe Dancer            Television film 

1981    The Monkey Mission            Joe Dancer            Television film 

1981    Of Mice and Men            George Milton            Television film 

1982            Saturday Night Live            Host            Episode: "Robert Blake/Kenny Loggins"          

1983    Blood Feud    Jimmy Hoffa            Miniseries        

1983    Murder 1, Dancer 0            Joe Dancer            Television film 

1985    Hell Town   Noah "Hardstep" Rivers   13 episodes          

1985    Heart of a Champion: The Ray Mancini Story            Lenny Mancini            Television film 

1993            Judgment Day: The John List Story            John List            Television film