Robert Middleton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Robert Middleton
Middleton in the TV series Bonanza (1960)
Born	Samuel Abraham Messer (1911-05-13)May 13, 1911 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Died	June 14, 1977(1977-06-14) (aged 66) Encino, California, U.S.
Alma mater	Cincinnati Conservatory of Music Carnegie Institute of Technology
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1951–1977
Spouse(s)	Lucille Van Flymen ​ ​ (m. 1934; div. 1949)​ Roberta Cecil Kelley ​ ​ (m. 1951; div. 1956)​
Children	2

Robert Middleton (born Samuel Abraham Messer; May 13, 1911 – June 14, 1977) was an American actor. He was known for his large size, bushy eyebrows, and deep, powerful voice. People sometimes called him "Big Bob Middleton." He often played tough or villainous characters in movies and on TV.

Early Life and Training

Robert Middleton was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was one of four children. His father worked as a building contractor.

Before becoming an actor, Middleton studied music. He went to the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. He also trained at the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh.

Acting Career

Middleton started his career in entertainment as a radio announcer. He worked at WLW radio in Cincinnati. He was a radio announcer and actor for many years.

One of his early jobs was narrating an educational film called "Duck and Cover." This film taught people what to do in case of an atomic attack. After performing on Broadway and in live television shows, Middleton began acting in movies in 1954.

Movies and Famous Co-Stars

Middleton appeared in many films. He acted alongside famous stars like Humphrey Bogart in The Desperate Hours (1955). He also played a knight in The Court Jester (1955) with Danny Kaye.

Other notable movies include:

• Friendly Persuasion (1956) with Gary Cooper.
• Love Me Tender (1956) with Elvis Presley.
• The Tarnished Angels (1958) with Dorothy Malone and Robert Stack.
• The Law and Jake Wade (1958) with Robert Taylor and Richard Widmark.
• Career (1959) with Dean Martin.

He also played Edwin M. Stanton in The Lincoln Conspiracy (1977). In many films, he played tough characters like mountain men, corrupt town leaders, or mob bosses.

Television Appearances

Middleton was a familiar face on television in the 1950s and 1960s. He appeared in many TV shows.

He was in the CBS show Appointment with Adventure. He also played a politician on ABC's The Real McCoys. In this role, he pretended to be a farmer to get votes.

In 1956, he guest-starred in the TV Western series Gunsmoke. He played a horse thief named "Dutch George." This episode showed a bit of Matt Dillon's younger, wilder days. Middleton also appeared in The Rebel and The Investigators.

He was in ten episodes of The Monroes, a family Western drama. In 1963, he appeared in Rawhide.

Middleton made several appearances on Alfred Hitchcock Presents. He played a gangster in one episode. In 1958, he was the villain in the first episode of Bat Masterson. He also appeared in four episodes of The Untouchables. In one story, he played Chicago mayor Anton Cermak.

In 1961, he was in The Law and Mr. Jones. That same year, he played an executioner in an episode of Thriller (U.S. TV series). He also appeared in three episodes of Bonanza between 1960 and 1967. He played a gangster named Sam Bryant. In 1963, he was a judge in a Perry Mason episode. Later, he guest-starred on Get Smart as a villain called "The Whip."

Robert Middleton in the trailer of The Proud Ones (1956)

Personal Life

Robert Middleton was married twice and had two sons. He passed away on June 14, 1977, in Encino, California, at the age of 66.

Selected Films & Television

• The Silver Chalice (1954) – Idbash
• The Big Combo (1955) – Police Captain Peterson
• The Desperate Hours (1955) – Sam Kobish
• Trial (1955) – A.A. 'Fats' Sanders
• The Court Jester (1955) – Sir Griswold
• Red Sundown (1956) – Rufus Henshaw
• Alfred Hitchcock Presents (Season 2 Episode 9: "Crack of Doom") (1956) - Sam Klinker
• Alfred Hitchcock Presents (Season 2 Episode 11: "The Better Bargain") (1956) - Louis Koster
• The Proud Ones (1956) – Honest John Barrett
• Friendly Persuasion (1956) – Sam Jordan
• Love Me Tender (1956) – Mr. Siringo
• Alfred Hitchcock Presents (Season 2 Episode 37: "The Indestructible Mr. Weems") (1957) - Brother Cato Stone
• The Lonely Man (1957) – Ben Ryerson
• So Lovely... So Deadly (1957) – Eddie Rocco
• The Tarnished Angels (1957) – Matt Ord
• The Walter Winchell File "The Law and Aaron Benjamin" (1957) – Aaron Benjamin
• Day of the Badman (1958) – Charlie Hayes
• The Law and Jake Wade (1958) – Ortero
• No Place to Land (1958) – Buck LaVonne
• Don't Give Up the Ship (1959) – Vice Admiral Philo Tecumseh Bludde
• Career (1959) – Robert Kensington
• Hell Bent for Leather (1960) – Ambrose
• The Great Impostor (1961) – R.C. Brown
• Gold of the Seven Saints (1961) – Amos Gondora
• Gunsmoke (Season 8 Episode 10 "The Hunger") (1962) - Dorf
• Cattle King (1963) – Clay Mathews
• For Those Who Think Young (1964) – Burford Sanford Cronin
• A Big Hand for the Little Lady (1966) – Dennis Wilcox
• Bonanza "The Greedy Ones" S8 E34 (1967)
• The Cheyenne Social Club (1970) – Barkeeper – Great Plains Saloon
• Which Way to the Front? (1970) – Colonico
• Columbo (Season 3 Episode 4 "Double Exposure") (1973) - Vic Norris
• Even Angels Eat Beans (1973) – Angelo
• The Harrad Experiment (1973) – Sidney Bower
• The Lincoln Conspiracy (1977) – Edwin M. Stanton