Robert Hinkle obit

 

Robert Hinkle, Who Taught Rock Hudson and Paul Newman to Talk Like a Texan, Dies at 95

After working as a dialogue coach on ‘Giant’ and ‘Hud,’ the actor and stunt performer managed the careers of Chill Wills and Marty Robbins and directed and produced films, too

He was not on the list.

Robert Hinkle, a onetime rodeo performer from Texas who served as a stunt performer and dialogue coach on the acclaimed films Giant and Hud and wrote, directed and produced a Western of his own, has died. He was 95.

Hinkle died March 3 in hospice care in Austin after suffering head, back and neck injuries in a fall in his driveway five days earlier, his daughter, Melody Hinkle, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Hinkle also showed up in The Far Horizons (1955), starring Fred MacMurray and Charlton Heston as the explorers Lewis & Clark; in The Conqueror (1956), with John Wayne as Genghis Khan; and in The First Texan (1956), starring Joel McCrea as Sam Houston.

Away from the camera, he was the personal manager for actor Chill Wills and singer Marty Robbins and a promoter for daredevil Evel Knievel.

After Hinkle had briefly interviewed with George Stevens for a part in Giant (1956), the director asked him to return to his Warner Bros. office in Burbank the next day. Instead of offering him a role, Stevens asked him, “Do you think you could teach Rock Hudson to talk like you?” Hinkle recalled in his 2009 book, Call Me Lucky: A Texan in Hollywood.

For $500 a week, Hinkle got an office on the lot and worked as a dialogue coach on the sprawling film, also advising James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, Mercedes McCambridge, Carroll Baker and Dennis Hopper on how to talk like a Texan. He got to be friends with the moody Dean, taught him rope tricks and handled some uncredited stunt work as well.

“Texans don’t just say the words, they linger over them like they’re old friends, worthy of a cup of coffee,” he wrote in his book. “It’s the journey, not the destination, that’s important in a conversation.”

Hinkle also worked with Newman, Patricia Neal, Melvyn Douglas and others on Martin Ritt’s Hud (1963) and directed the scene in which Newman’s character corrals a greased pig.

In between those classics, he wrote, helmed, produced and portrayed a sheriff in the Texas-shot Ole Rex (1961), which revolves around a boy (Billy E. Hughes) who rescues a wounded dog and nurses him back to health.

The oldest of three kids, Hinkle was born on July 25, 1930, in Brownfield, Texas. His father, Wesley, worked in a chemical plant, and his mother, Hattie, ran a local hotel. He said he was 10 when he knew he wanted to be a movie cowboy — that’s when silent-film star Tom Mix visited his hometown.

After graduating from Brownfield High School, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and helped deliver supplies in the Berlin Airlift during his 2 1/2-year stint in the military through March 1950.

He competed in rodeos while still in the service and was riding in Pendleton, Oregon, when Universal’s Bronco Buster (1952), starring John Lund, Scott Brady and Wills, arrived to film scenes. He was hired to play a cowhand and perform stunts, and afterward, director Budd Boetticher told him to look him up if he were ever in Hollywood.

A month later, Hinkle came to Los Angeles, sneaked on the lot at Republic Pictures and bumped into Wills. The actor brought him to Boetticher, who put him in the 3-D movie Wings of the Hawk (1953).

Hinkle wound up doing stunts and/or acting in other films including All American (1953), The Bamboo Prison (1954), Outlaw Treasure (1955), Andrew V. McLaglen’s Gun the Man Down (1956), The Oklahoman (1957), Under Fire (1957), No Place to Land (1958), All the Fine Young Cannibals (1960) and The Broken Land (1962).

He also appeared on TV on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, Annie Oakley, The Sheriff of Cochise, Gunsmoke, Tombstone Territory, Tales of Wells Fargo, Dragnet and, for his final credit, a 1994 episode of Walker, Texas Ranger.

Starting in 1963, Hinkle wrote, directed and produced two-reel shorts for Paramount and a year later shepherded a series of Hollywood Jubilee country music specials.

He also produced for the big screen Country Music (1972), featuring Robbins; produced and directed Atoka (1982), which saw Robbins, Willie Nelson, Larry Gatlin, Freddy Fender, Hoyt Axton and others performing at a country music festival in Oklahoma; and produced Guns of a Stranger (1973), starring Robbins and Wills.

In addition to his daughter, survivors include his son, Brad; daughter-in-law Marlinda; granddaughters Jennifer and Kim; and great-grandchildren Brady and Taylor. Another son, Michael, a Vietnam veteran, died in 1991.

While competing in 1950 as a calf-roper and bulldogger in Moses Lake, Washington, Hinkle met his future wife, Sandra, then the Queen of the Rodeo. They married in June 1952 and were together for 73 years until her death in July.

His family will put his ashes to rest on June 6 in Brownfield.

 

Actor

Chuck Norris in Walker, Texas Ranger (1993)

Walker, Texas Ranger

5.7

TV Series

Third Judge (uncredited)

1994

1 episode

 

Night of the Beast (1993)

Night of the Beast

3.3

Detective #1

1993

 

The Rounders (1966)

The Rounders

6.4

TV Series

Cowboy (as Bob Hinkle)

1966

1 episode

 

Paul Newman in Hud (1963)

Hud

7.8

Rodeo Announcer Frank

1963

 

Gary Conway, Alana Ladd, Jody McCrea, James Mitchum, and Chill Wills in Young Guns of Texas (1962)

Young Guns of Texas

4.9

Sheriff Simon

1962

 

Gunsmoke (1955)

Gunsmoke

8.1

TV Series

RiderCowboy

1956–1962

2 episodes

 

Diana Darrin, Jody McCrea, and Kent Taylor in The Broken Land (1962)

The Broken Land

5.1

Dave

1962

 

John Derek, Richard Jaeckel, and Chill Wills in Frontier Circus (1961)

Frontier Circus

7.7

TV Series

Dave

1962

1 episode

 

Ole Rex (1961)

Ole Rex

7.4

1961

 

Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner in All the Fine Young Cannibals (1960)

All the Fine Young Cannibals

6.1

Texas Man (uncredited)

1960

 

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1955)

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp

7.6

TV Series

TownsmanDon BurkettRider (uncredited) ...

1956–1959

4 episodes

 

Speed Crazy (1959)

Speed Crazy

5.0

Sheriff

1959

 

Joel McCrea in The Gunfight at Dodge City (1959)

The Gunfight at Dodge City

6.2

Rafe (uncredited)

1959

 

Jack Webb in Dragnet (1951)

Dragnet

7.5

TV Series

1958

1 episode

 

Flight (1958)

Flight

7.4

TV Series

1958–1959

1 episode

 

Mari Blanchard, John Ireland, and Gail Russell in No Place to Land (1958)

No Place to Land

5.5

'Big Jim'

1958

 

Dale Robertson in Tales of Wells Fargo (1957)

Tales of Wells Fargo

7.9

TV Series

Mac

1958

1 episode

 

Pat Conway in Tombstone Territory (1957)

Tombstone Territory

8.0

TV Series

Gang Member

1957

1 episode

 

Under Fire (1957)

Under Fire

6.5

Private Finley (uncredited)

1957

 

Joel McCrea in The Oklahoman (1957)

The Oklahoman

6.4

Ken the Driver (uncredited)

1957

 

John Bromfield in The Sheriff of Cochise (1956)

The Sheriff of Cochise

7.7

TV Series

Bronco

1957

1 episode

 

Gail Davis in Annie Oakley (1954)

Annie Oakley

7.2

TV Series

Reno

1957

1 episode

 

James Arness and Angie Dickinson in Gun the Man Down (1956)

Gun the Man Down

6.3

Deputy (uncredited)

1956

 

James Arness, Ginger Rogers, Carol Channing, and Barry Nelson in The First Traveling Saleslady (1956)

The First Traveling Saleslady

5.4

Pete (uncredited)

1956

 

Felicia Farr and Joel McCrea in The First Texan (1956)

The First Texan

6.2

Lt. Hargrove (uncredited)

1956

 

Dakota Incident (1956)

Dakota Incident

6.0

Joe (uncredited)

1956

 

John Wayne and Susan Hayward in The Conqueror (1956)

The Conqueror

3.8

Monk (uncredited)

1956

 

Charlton Heston, Donna Reed, and Fred MacMurray in The Far Horizons (1955)

The Far Horizons

6.1

Jake (uncredited)

1955

 

Johnny Carpenter, Adele Jergens, and Glenn Langan in Outlaw Treasure (1955)

Outlaw Treasure

8.1

Frank James (as Bob Hinkle)

1955

 

Dianne Foster, Robert Francis, and Keye Luke in The Bamboo Prison (1954)

The Bamboo Prison

6.1

P.O.W. Soldier (uncredited)

1954

 

Scott Brady, Joyce Holden, John Lund, and Chill Wills in Bronco Buster (1952)

Bronco Buster

6.0

Cowhand Bob (uncredited)

1952

 

Stunts

Paul Newman in Hud (1963)

Hud

7.8

stunts (uncredited)

1963

 

Diana Darrin, Jody McCrea, and Kent Taylor in The Broken Land (1962)

The Broken Land

5.1

stunts (uncredited)

1962

 

Mari Blanchard, John Ireland, and Gail Russell in No Place to Land (1958)

No Place to Land

5.5

stunts (uncredited)

1958

 

The Badge of Marshal Brennan (1957)

The Badge of Marshal Brennan

5.8

Stunt Double Jim Davisstunts (uncredited, uncredited)

1957

 

James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, and Rock Hudson in Giant (1956)

Giant

7.6

stunts (uncredited)

1956

 

Dianne Foster, Robert Francis, and Keye Luke in The Bamboo Prison (1954)

The Bamboo Prison

6.1

stunts (uncredited)

1954

 

Tony Curtis and Lori Nelson in All American (1953)

All American

5.8

stunts (uncredited)

1953

 

Scott Brady, Joyce Holden, John Lund, and Chill Wills in Bronco Buster (1952)

Bronco Buster

6.0

stunts (uncredited)

1952

 

Producer

Atoka (1979)

Atoka

executive producer

1979

 

Dovie Beams, Marty Robbins, and Chill Wills in Guns of a Stranger (1973)

Guns of a Stranger

4.2

producer

1973

 

Marty Robbins in Country Music (1972)

Country Music

producer

1972

 

Mr. Chat

Short

producer

1964

 

Ole Rex (1961)

Ole Rex

7.4

producer

1961

 

Flight (1958)

Flight

7.4

TV Series

producer

1958–1959

1 episode

 

Director

Atoka (1979)

Atoka

Director

1979

 

Dovie Beams, Marty Robbins, and Chill Wills in Guns of a Stranger (1973)

Guns of a Stranger

4.2

Director

1973

 

Marty Robbins in Country Music (1972)

Country Music

Director

1972

 

Ole Rex (1961)

Ole Rex

7.4

Director

1961

 

Writer

Marty Robbins in The Drifter (1965)

The Drifter

TV Series

written by

1965

3 episodes

 

Ole Rex (1961)

Ole Rex

7.4

Writer

1961

 

Flight (1958)

Flight

7.4

TV Series

story by

1958–1959

1 episode

 

Additional Crew

James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, and Rock Hudson in Giant (1956)

Giant

7.6

dialogue coach (uncredited)

1956

 

Thanks

James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, and Rock Hudson in Return to 'Giant' (1996)

Return to 'Giant'

6.7

TV Movie

special thanks

1996

 

Self

James Dean with two local children on location in Marfa, TX for George Steven's film, Giant. Summer of 1956.

Children of Giant

8.0

Self - Interviewed

2015

 

Voces (2012)

Voces

TV Series

Self

2012

 

American Masters (1985)

American Masters

8.2

TV Series

Self (as Bob Hinkle)

2005

1 episode

 

Living Famously (2002)

Living Famously

7.7

TV Series

Self

2003

1 episode

 

James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, and Rock Hudson in Return to 'Giant' (1996)

Return to 'Giant'

6.7

TV Movie

Self (as Bob Hinkle)

1996