Chris Robinson obit

Chris Robinson, ‘12 O’Clock High,’ ‘General Hospital’ and ‘Bold and the Beautiful’ Actor, Dies at 86

In a career that lasted more than 60 years, he appeared in films with Burt Lancaster and Ted Cassidy. And in a commercial for cough syrup, he noted he wasn’t a doctor but played one on TV. 

He was not on the list.

Chris Robinson, who starred as a World War II bomber pilot on the 1960s ABC drama 12 O’Clock High and had lengthy stints on the daytime soap operas General Hospital and The Bold and the Beautiful, has died. He was 86.

Robinson died Monday on his ranch near Sedona, Arizona, actor and musician MJ Allen announced on Facebook. They worked together on the 2022 film Just for a Week.

During an acting career that spanned eight decades, Robinson worked alongside Burt Lancaster in The Young Savages (1961) and Birdman of Alcatraz (1962), both directed by John Frankenheimer, and with Addams Family icon Ted Cassidy in four films, all of which he directed.

The Florida native also starred as Vietnam vet Tim Ochopee, a Seminole with a pet rattlesnake who obeys his commands (for most of the movie, anyway), in the Everglades-set horror film Stanley (1972), from Crown International Pictures.

Robinson joined the cast of the Quinn Martin-produced 12 O’Clock High as Technical Sgt. Sandy Komansky for its second season in September 1965. (Also coming on board as a full-time castmember that year: Paul Burke as Col. Joe Gallagher.) He appeared on the final 46 episodes of the show through January 1967.

On ABC’s General Hospital, he portrayed Dr. Rick Webber (two-time husband of Denise Alexander‘s Lesley and adoptive father of Genie Francis’ Laura) from 1978-86. He came back in 2002, only to have his character bludgeoned to death with a candlestick by Scotty Baldwin (Kin Shriner), Laura’s former husband.

Robinson also played Jack Hamilton, who enjoyed romances with Stephanie Douglas (Susan Flannery) and her rival Sally Spectra (Darlene Conley), on CBS’ The Bold and the Beautiful from 1992-2002, with a final appearance in 2005.

While he was working on G.H. — and after showing up in Garry Marshall’s soapy Young Doctors in Love (1982) — Robinson established his bona fides as a pitchman in a Vicks Formula 44 cough syrup commercial. “I’m not a doctor,” he noted, “but I do play one on TV.”

But when he encountered legal trouble related to income tax evasion, he was replaced by Peter Bergman, another TV doctor on another soap (All My Children).

Born on Nov. 5, 1938, in West Palm Beach, Florida, Christopher Brown Robinson appeared uncredited in the Tony Curtis-starring The Midnight Story (1957). Two years later, he played a teenage thug in The Diary of a High School Bride and the spider-like monster in Gene Corman’s Beast From Haunted Cave, wearing a costume he had designed.

Robinson stayed busy after that, guest-starring on such series as Colt. 45, Hennesey, The Donna Reed Show, Sea Hunt, Death Valley Days, Ben Casey, Gunsmoke, Wagon Train and The Fugitive before landing on 12 O’Clock High.

He starred as an albino slave who is on the run with his brother (Anthony Scott) from a plantation owner (Cassidy) in Catch the Black Sunshine (1974), which he also wrote and directed, then did similar triple duty on Thunder County (1974), The Intruder (1975) and The Great Balloon Race (1977).

Talking about The Intruder — which also featured Mickey Rooney and Yvonne De Carlo — in a 2017 interview with Nick Thomas, Robinson said he cast it, put the crew together and shot it in a mere six weeks.

Asked what became of the movie, Robinson replied: “I have no idea. I wasn’t involved in the editing and didn’t even see the finished film, which was never released. I moved on to other projects and just forgot about it.”

Robinson’s big-screen résumé also included Because They’re Young (1960), The Long Rope (1961), Shootout at Big Sag (1962), Lady in Cement (1968), The Cycle Savages (1969), The Hawaiians (1970), Revenge Is My Destiny (1971), Amy (1981), Savannah Smiles (1982) and Just for a Week (2022).

In 1985, Robinson pleaded guilty to federal income tax evasion but was allowed to continue on G.H. by serving his sentence on nights and weekends. In between that soap and The Bold and the Beautiful, he portrayed Jason Frame on NBC’s Another World from 1987-89.

He married his fourth wife, Jacquie, in April 2011. Survivors also include his children, Shane, Coby, Christian, Christopher, Chris and Taylor, and grandchildren Ivy, Ava, Davey, Brooks and Knox.

His son Chris opened a window into the family by producing and directing two documentary shorts: Bankrupt by Beanies (2009), about his dad buying many thousands of Beanie Baby plush toys with the goal of reselling them at a profit, and Bastard: An Illegitimate Film (2010), which explored his “complicated” family tree (his father had his nine kids with six women).

Chris revealed in Bastard that he was “conceived in [his dad’s] dressing room in General Hospital” and pointed out that his father “practically had as many relationships in his real life as he’s had in the movies.”

“No matter how we came to be, all of us are connected,” Chris, talking about his siblings and half-siblings, said in closing the documentary. “And when our father is gone, even as some of us don’t even consider him to be their father, we’ll still have each other to look to for love and support. It might not be normal, but it’s certainly a hell of a lot more interesting.”

 

Director

The Great Balloon Race (1977)

The Great Balloon Race

Director

1977

 

Robert Blake in Baretta (1975)

Baretta

6.7

TV Series

Director

1976

1 episode

 

William Conrad in Cannon (1971)

Cannon

6.8

TV Series

Director

1975–1976

2 episodes

 

Buddy Ebsen in Barnaby Jones (1973)

Barnaby Jones

6.9

TV Series

Director

1976

1 episode

 

Yvonne De Carlo, Mickey Rooney, Ted Cassidy, Patricia Hornung, Robert Leslie, Chris Robinson, and Phyllis Robinson in The Intruder (1975)

The Intruder

4.5

Director

1975

 

Mickey Rooney in Thunder County (1974)

Thunder County

3.7

Director

1974

 

Catch the Black Sunshine (1974)

Catch the Black Sunshine

4.2

Director

1974

 

Writer

The Great Balloon Race (1977)

The Great Balloon Race

Writer

1977

 

Yvonne De Carlo, Mickey Rooney, Ted Cassidy, Patricia Hornung, Robert Leslie, Chris Robinson, and Phyllis Robinson in The Intruder (1975)

The Intruder

4.5

Writer

1975

 

Catch the Black Sunshine (1974)

Catch the Black Sunshine

4.2

Writer

1974

 

Actor

The Forsaken

Frank Cooper

In Production

 

Chris Robinson, Abby Rey, Mariya Tensina, Michael Jason Allen, and Kevin Goss in Just for a Week (2022)

Just for a Week

6.2

Ted Hurst

2022

 

Barely Dreaming (2021)

Barely Dreaming

5.0

Bud Millen

2021

 

Chris Robinson, Michael Jason Allen, and Gucci Mercer in Yancey McCord: The Killer That Arizona Forgot About (2020)

Yancey McCord: The Killer That Arizona Forgot About

3.3

Yancey McCord

2020

 

Legends from the Sky (2015)

Legends from the Sky

5.2

Agent Sibley

2015

 

Finola Hughes, Maurice Benard, Steve Burton, Genie Francis, Kelly Monaco, Laura Wright, Donnell Turner, Tanisha Harper, Josh Kelly, Eden McCoy, Josh Swickard, and Tabyana Ali in General Hospital (1963)

General Hospital

6.6

TV Series

Dr. Rick WebberD. Rick Webber

1978–2013

1039 episodes

 

Rez Bomb (2008)

Rez Bomb

7.6

Jaws

2008

 

Heather Tom, Thorsten Kaye, and Katherine Kelly Lang in The Bold and the Beautiful (1987)

The Bold and the Beautiful

3.5

TV Series

Jack Hamilton

1992–2005

245 episodes

 

Die glückliche Familie (1987)

Die glückliche Familie

7.6

TV Series

Radiomoderator

1991

1 episode

 

Hardball (1989)

Hardball

7.1

TV Series

1990

1 episode

 

Another World (1964)

Another World

7.0

TV Series

Jason Frame

1988–1989

20 episodes

 

Viper (1988)

Viper

4.8

James Macalla

1988

 

Dudley Moore and Kirk Cameron in Like Father Like Son (1987)

Like Father Like Son

5.2

Bobby (uncredited)

1987

 

Angela Lansbury in Murder, She Wrote (1984)

Murder, She Wrote

7.2

TV Series

Capt. Whetsel

1987

1 episode

 

Anne Baxter, James Brolin, and Connie Sellecca in Hotel (1983)

Hotel

6.4

TV Series

Rob Kincaid

1986

1 episode

 

Ricardo Montalban and Hervé Villechaize in Fantasy Island (1977)

Fantasy Island

6.6

TV Series

Jeff Harrison

1983

1 episode

 

Young Doctors in Love (1982)

Young Doctors in Love

5.5

Soap Cameos

1982

 

Savannah Smiles (1982)

Savannah Smiles

7.1

Richard Driscoll

1982

 

Amy (1981)

Amy

6.4

Elliot Medford

1981

 

Morgan Fairchild, Robert Picardo, Eve Arden, Red Buttons, José Ferrer, Mark Harmon, Ray Milland, Howard Duff, Kaye Ballard, Morgan Brittany, Robert Culp, Vincent Gardenia, Robert Goulet, David Groh, Carolyn Jones, Fernando Lamas, Brianne Leary, and Jan Murray in The Dream Merchants (1980)

The Dream Merchants

6.3

TV Mini Series

Zack Larsen

1980

2 episodes

 

Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox in CHiPs (1977)

CHiPs

6.5

TV Series

Danny

1980

1 episode

 

The Busters

TV Movie

Nick Carroll

1978

 

Buddy Ebsen in Barnaby Jones (1973)

Barnaby Jones

6.9

TV Series

Harry BrennerHarley Nelson

1977

2 episodes

 

Jo Ann Harris, Shelly Novack, and Robert Stack in Most Wanted (1976)

Most Wanted

6.7

TV Series

Steve Barr

1977

1 episode

 

The Great Balloon Race (1977)

The Great Balloon Race

1977

 

Yvonne De Carlo, Mickey Rooney, Ted Cassidy, Patricia Hornung, Robert Leslie, Chris Robinson, and Phyllis Robinson in The Intruder (1975)

The Intruder

4.5

Reardon

1975

 

William Conrad in Cannon (1971)

Cannon

6.8

TV Series

Ernie Morgan

1975

1 episode

 

The Streets of San Francisco (1972)

The Streets of San Francisco

7.3

TV Series

Jack Constantine

1975

1 episode

 

Ace of Hearts (1975)

Ace of Hearts

5.0

Dean

1975

 

Carl Franklin and Stacy Keach in Caribe (1975)

Caribe

6.6

TV Series

Monkato

1975

1 episode

 

The F.B.I. Story: The FBI Versus Alvin Karpis, Public Enemy Number One (1974)

The F.B.I. Story: The FBI Versus Alvin Karpis, Public Enemy Number One

6.2

TV Movie

Earl Anderson

1974

 

Mickey Rooney in Thunder County (1974)

Thunder County

3.7

1974

 

The Manhunter (1974)

The Manhunter

7.0

TV Series

Willie Cotton

1974

1 episode

 

Catch the Black Sunshine (1974)

Catch the Black Sunshine

4.2

Sunshine

1974

 

Stanley (1972)

Stanley

4.6

Tim Ochopee

1972

 

Medical Center (1969)

Medical Center

7.1

TV Series

Ted Broder

1972

1 episode

 

Chris Robinson in Revenge Is My Destiny (1971)

Revenge Is My Destiny

5.3

Ross Archer

1971

 

Louise Latham, Stefanie Powers, and Chris Robinson in Sweet, Sweet Rachel (1971)

Sweet, Sweet Rachel

5.7

TV Movie

Carey Johnson

1971

 

Primus (1971)

Primus

7.0

TV Series

GeorgeGeorge Benton

1971

2 episodes

 

Insight (1960)

Insight

7.4

TV Series

Paul

1967–1971

3 episodes

 

Travis Logan, D.A. (1971)

Travis Logan, D.A.

6.9

TV Movie

Mark

1971

 

Burt Reynolds and Norman Fell in Dan August (1970)

Dan August

7.1

TV Series

Stan Manders

1971

1 episode

 

James Drury, Doug McClure, and John McIntire in The Virginian (1962)

The Virginian

7.6

TV Series

SandyColeyArnie Hendricks ...

1963–1970

4 episodes

 

The Aquarians

6.5

TV Movie

Ledring

1970

 

Rod Taylor and William Smith in Darker Than Amber (1970)

Darker Than Amber

6.1

Roy

1970

 

The Hawaiians (1970)

The Hawaiians

6.1

Dr. Whipple Jr.

1970

 

Bruce Dern, Maray Ayres, Randee Lynne Jensen, Casey Kasem, and Melody Patterson in The Cycle Savages (1969)

The Cycle Savages

4.7

Romko

1969

 

Gentle Ben (1967)

Gentle Ben

6.5

TV Series

Hal

1969

1 episode

 

John Banner, Robert Clary, Bob Crane, Richard Dawson, Ivan Dixon, Larry Hovis, and Werner Klemperer in Hogan's Heroes (1965)

Hogan's Heroes

7.8

TV Series

Karl Wagner

1969

1 episode

 

Lady in Cement (1968)

Lady in Cement

5.8

Melvin (uncredited)

1968

 

Jim Nabors and Frank Sutton in Gomer Pyle: USMC (1964)

Gomer Pyle: USMC

7.0

TV Series

Howie Reilly

1968

1 episode

 

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964)

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea

7.2

TV Series

Corpsman Mallory

1968

1 episode

 

The Invaders (1967)

The Invaders

8.0

TV Series

Mike Calvin

1968

1 episode

 

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964)

The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

7.7

TV Series

John Saimes

1967

1 episode

 

Wayne Maunder in Custer (1967)

Custer

6.4

TV Series

Lt. Tim Rudford

1967

1 episode

 

The Felony Squad (1966)

The Felony Squad

7.4

TV Series

Vince Ludi

1967

1 episode

 

12 O'Clock High (1964)

12 O'Clock High

8.1

TV Series

Sgt. Sandy KomanskyLieutenant Gunther

1965–1967

47 episodes

 

Raymond Burr in Perry Mason (1957)

Perry Mason

8.3

TV Series

Carl Talbert

1965

1 episode

 

John McIntire in Wagon Train (1957)

Wagon Train

7.5

TV Series

Gib Ryker2nd Lt. Brad CarterBrad Proctor

1963–1964

3 episodes

 

Ben Gazzara and Chuck Connors in Arrest and Trial (1963)

Arrest and Trial

7.6

TV Series

Bradford HolcombePfc. Al Rogers

1963–1964

2 episodes

 

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (1963)

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre

7.4

TV Series

Vin Finneran

1964

1 episode

 

Channing (1963)

Channing

7.1

TV Series

Jim Wilson

1963

1 episode

 

Alfred Hitchcock in The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962)

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour

8.5

TV Series

TerryRicky

1963

2 episodes

 

David Janssen in The Fugitive (1963)

The Fugitive

8.1

TV Series

Miles

1963

1 episode

 

"The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters" Kurt Russell, Jean Engstrom 1963 MGM

The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters

7.4

TV Series

Billy Bird

1963

1 episode

 

Stoney Burke (1962)

Stoney Burke

7.7

TV Series

Ross Webster

1963

1 episode

 

G.E. True (1962)

G.E. True

8.2

TV Series

Holt

1963

1 episode

 

Fred Astaire in Alcoa Premiere (1961)

Alcoa Premiere

6.9

TV Series

DoylePrivate Dave Chatham

1962–1963

2 episodes

 

Wide Country (1962)

Wide Country

8.0

TV Series

Gabriel Horn

1963

1 episode

 

James Arness, Amanda Blake, Milburn Stone, and Dennis Weaver in Gunsmoke (1955)

Gunsmoke

8.1

TV Series

Jett

1963

1 episode

 

Jack Elam, Chad Everett, Michael Greene, and Larry Ward in The Dakotas (1962)

The Dakotas

7.4

TV Series

Chino James

1963

1 episode

 

Combat! (1962)

Combat!

8.4

TV Series

Paul Villers

1963

1 episode

 

Robert Conrad, Anthony Eisley, Poncie Ponce, and Connie Stevens in Hawaiian Eye (1959)

Hawaiian Eye

7.6

TV Series

Ted Allen

1962

1 episode

 

Empire (1962)

Empire

7.7

TV Series

Arnold Koenig

1962

1 episode

 

"Birdman of Alcatraz" (Saul Bass Poster) 1962

Birdman of Alcatraz

7.8

Logue (uncredited)

1962

 

The New Breed (1961)

The New Breed

7.5

TV Series

Clifford Forbes

1962

1 episode

 

Walter Brennan, Leif Erickson, Constance Ford, Virginia Gregg, Don Kelly, Luana Patten, Chris Robinson, and Les Tremayne in Shootout at Big Sag (1962)

Shootout at Big Sag

5.4

Lee Barbee

1962

 

The Detectives (1959)

The Detectives

7.4

TV Series

GrantCharlesBrad Snyder

1961–1962

3 episodes

 

Edd Byrnes, Roger Smith, and Efrem Zimbalist Jr. in 77 Sunset Strip (1958)

77 Sunset Strip

7.7

TV Series

Archie (uncredited)

1962

1 episode

 

Ben Casey (1961)

Ben Casey

7.1

TV Series

Robert Stanton

1962

1 episode

 

Peter Mark Richman in Cain's Hundred (1961)

Cain's Hundred

7.7

TV Series

Jack Hayes

1962

1 episode

 

13 West Street (1962)

13 West Street

6.3

Everett Bush

1962

 

Death Valley Days (1952)

Death Valley Days

7.5

TV Series

Herschel

1962

1 episode

 

Everglades! (1961)

Everglades!

7.6

TV Series

Coley JarrettRalph Martin

1961–1962

2 episodes

 

Like Father, Like Son (1961)

Like Father, Like Son

6.1

Bobby

1961

 

Straightaway (1961)

Straightaway

8.5

TV Series

Harkey

1961

1 episode

 

Joan Freeman, Marilyn Maxwell, and Rhodes Reason in Bus Stop (1961)

Bus Stop

6.9

TV Series

Tony Maddox

1961

1 episode

 

Lloyd Bridges in Sea Hunt (1958)

Sea Hunt

7.7

TV Series

Kelsey

1961

1 episode

 

Burt Lancaster in The Young Savages (1961)

The Young Savages

6.9

Pretty Boy Savarese (uncredited)

1961

 

The Donna Reed Show (1958)

The Donna Reed Show

7.4

TV Series

Ken

1961

1 episode

 

Assignment: Underwater (1960)

Assignment: Underwater

6.9

TV Series

Harold

1961

1 episode

 

Two Faces West (1960)

Two Faces West

7.7

TV Series

Gordie

1961

1 episode

 

Hugh Marlowe and Lisa Montell in The Long Rope (1961)

The Long Rope

5.9

Reb Gilroy

1961

 

Don Collier, Judy Lewis, and Bruce Yarnell in Outlaws (1960)

Outlaws

7.3

TV Series

Sonny Buck

1961

1 episode

 

Hennesey (1959)

Hennesey

7.9

TV Series

Larry Stander

1961

1 episode

 

Zane Grey Theatre (1956)

Zane Grey Theatre

7.5

TV Series

Paul Martin

1960

1 episode

 

Wayde Preston in Colt .45 (1957)

Colt .45

7.1

TV Series

Cal Sanger

1960

1 episode

 

Because They're Young (1960)

Because They're Young

5.9

Patcher

1960

 

Ron Foster and Anita Sands in The Diary of a High School Bride (1959)

The Diary of a High School Bride

5.3

Chuck

1959

 

Beast from Haunted Cave (1959)

Beast from Haunted Cave

4.3

The BeastMan Sitting at Bar (as Christopher Robinson)

1959

 

Tony Curtis, Peggy Maley, Marisa Pavan, and Gilbert Roland in The Midnight Story (1957)

The Midnight Story

6.6

Boy at Dance (uncredited)

1957

 

Producer

Yvonne De Carlo, Mickey Rooney, Ted Cassidy, Patricia Hornung, Robert Leslie, Chris Robinson, and Phyllis Robinson in The Intruder (1975)

The Intruder

4.5

executive producer

1975

 

Catch the Black Sunshine (1974)

Catch the Black Sunshine

4.2

executive producerproducer

1974

 

Costume Department

Beast from Haunted Cave (1959)

Beast from Haunted Cave

4.3

creator: the Beast costume (as Christopher Robinson)

1959

 

Self

They Came from the Swamp: The Films of William Grefé (2016)

They Came from the Swamp: The Films of William Grefé

7.2

Self

2016

 

Bastard: An Illegitimate Film

Short

Self

2010

 

Bankrupt by Beanies

7.1

Short

Self

2009

 

Dark Side of Eden: The Making of 'Stanley'

7.5

Video

Self

2008

 

Hour Magazine (1980)

Hour Magazine

7.5

TV Series

Self

1986

1 episode

 

The Toni Tennille Show (1979)

The Toni Tennille Show

7.5

TV Series

Self

1980–1981

2 episodes

 

Mike Douglas in The Mike Douglas Show (1961)

The Mike Douglas Show

7.1

TV Series

Self - Actor

1980

1 episode

 

Dateline: Hollywood

6.2

TV Series

Self

1967

1 episode

 

Archive Footage

Dan August: Once Is Never Enough (1980)

Dan August: Once Is Never Enough

5.9

TV Movie

Stan Manders (archive footage)

1980