Robert Stack facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Robert Stack
Stack in the 1950s
Born	Charles Langford Modini Stack (1919-01-13)January 13, 1919 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Died	May 14, 2003(2003-05-14) (aged 84) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1934–2003
Spouse(s)	Rosemarie Bowe ​ (m. 1956)​
Children	2
Signature

Robert Stack (born Charles Langford Modini Stack; January 13, 1919 – May 14, 2003) was a famous American actor. He was known for his deep voice and strong presence on screen. Robert Stack appeared in over forty movies. He starred in the popular TV show The Untouchables from 1959 to 1963. For this role, he won an Emmy Award in 1960. Later, he hosted the true-crime series Unsolved Mysteries from 1987 to 2002. He was also nominated for an Academy Award for his role in the movie Written on the Wind (1956). In his later career, Stack became known for his funny roles, especially as Capt. Rex Kramer in Airplane! (1980).

Robert Stack's Early Life

Robert Stack was born Charles Langford Modini Stack in Los Angeles, California. His father changed his first name to Robert. He spent his early childhood in Italy, in cities like Adria and Rome. Because of this, he learned to speak French and Italian very well when he was young. He did not learn English until he moved back to Los Angeles at age seven.

His parents divorced when he was one year old. His mother, Mary Elizabeth, raised him. His father, James Langford Stack, owned a successful advertising company. His father later remarried his mother but passed away when Robert was 10.

Robert Stack always spoke about his mother with great love. In his autobiography, Straight Shooting, he included a picture of them. He captioned it "Me and my best girl." His grandfather, Charles Wood, was an opera singer who performed in Italy. Robert Stack also had another opera singer in his family, his uncle Richard Bonelli.

Robert Stack took some drama classes at the University of Southern California. He also played on the polo team there. The famous actor Clark Gable was a friend of his family.

A Talented Sportsman

By the time he was 20, Robert Stack was quite famous as a sportsman. He loved playing polo and was a skilled shooter. He and his brother won the International Outboard Motor Championships in Venice, Italy. At age 16, he joined the All-American Skeet Team. He even set two world records in skeet shooting and became a national champion. In 1971, he was added to the National Skeet Shooting Hall of Fame.

In 1953, the Piikani Nation (a Native American tribe) honored him. They made him a chieftain, giving him the name Chief Crow Flag. In 1962, Robert Stack received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement.

Robert Stack's Acting Career

Robert Stack took drama classes at Bridgewater State University. His deep voice and good looks caught the eye of movie producers in Hollywood.

Starting at Universal Studios

When Robert Stack was 20, he visited Universal Studios. A producer named Joe Pasternak offered him a chance to become an actor. Stack remembered, "He said, 'How'd you like to be in pictures? We'll make a test with Helen Parrish, a little love scene.' Helen Parrish was a beautiful girl. 'Gee, that sounds keen,' I told him. I got the part."

Stack's first movie was First Love (1939). He starred with Deanna Durbin. This movie was a bit controversial because he was the first actor to kiss Durbin on screen.

Stack, around 1940

Stack received good reviews for his next role in The Mortal Storm (1940). He played a young man who joins the Nazi party.

He then made more films at Universal, including A Little Bit of Heaven (1940) and Nice Girl? (1941), again with Deanna Durbin. Stack also starred in a Western movie called Badlands of Dakota (1942).

United Artists borrowed him for the movie To Be or Not To Be (1942). He played a Polish Air Force pilot alongside Jack Benny and Carole Lombard. Stack was nervous about this role. But he said Lombard, who he knew personally, gave him many acting tips and was his mentor. Sadly, Lombard died in a plane crash shortly before the film came out.

Stack played another pilot in Eagle Squadron (1942), which was a big hit. He then made another Western, Men of Texas (1942).

Serving in World War II

During World War II, Robert Stack served as an officer in the United States Navy. He was an aerial gunnery instructor. He reached the rank of lieutenant.

After the War

After the war, Stack continued his acting career. He appeared in films like Fighter Squadron (1948) and A Date with Judy (1948) with Elizabeth Taylor.

He had a great role in Bullfighter and the Lady (1951). He later said this was the first time he really liked his performance on screen.

Stack also starred in Bwana Devil (1952). This movie was special because it was one of the first color, American 3-D films. He continued to make action movies like War Paint (1953) and Sabre Jet (1953), where he played another pilot.

Back to Big Movies

Robert Stack returned to bigger movies when he appeared with John Wayne in The High and the Mighty (1954). He played a pilot who struggles under pressure when his plane has engine trouble. The movie was a success, and Stack received good reviews.

Sam Fuller chose him for the main role in House of Bamboo (1955), filmed in Japan. He also starred in Great Day in the Morning (1956).

Stack in Written on the Wind (1956)

Stack then got a role in Written on the Wind (1956). He played a rich man's son who marries Lauren Bacall. His character's best friend, played by Rock Hudson, falls for his wife. The movie was a huge hit. Stack was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. His co-star, Dorothy Malone, won an Oscar for her role in the film.

Stack worked again with Hudson and Malone in The Tarnished Angels (1957), where he again played a pilot. He also starred in John Paul Jones (1959), playing the famous naval hero.

The Untouchables TV Series

Stack portraying prohibition agent, Eliot Ness, in the series The Untouchables (1959)

Robert Stack became very famous for playing the crime-fighting agent Eliot Ness in the TV series The Untouchables (1959–1963). The show was about the battles between gangsters and federal agents during the Prohibition era in Chicago. Stack won an Emmy Award in 1960 for his role.

During the show's run, Stack also starred in the disaster movie The Last Voyage (1960). After The Untouchables, he worked on films in Europe.

The Name of the Game and Later Roles

Stack starred in another drama series, The Name of the Game (1968–1971). He played a former federal agent who became a true-crime journalist. This role reminded many viewers of his famous Eliot Ness character.

In the 1970s, Stack continued to act in TV movies and series. He played a pilot in Murder on Flight 502 (1975). He also had the lead role in the series Most Wanted (1976), playing a tough police captain. He played a similar role in Strike Force (1981).

Comedy Roles and Unsolved Mysteries

Stack at the 60th Academy Awards in 1988

Robert Stack showed his funny side in the comedy movie 1941 (1979). His performance was well-liked, and he started taking on more comedy roles. He appeared in Airplane! (1980), Caddyshack II (1988), and Joe Versus the Volcano (1990). He also lent his voice to characters in animated films like The Transformers: The Movie (1986) and Beavis and Butt-Head Do America (1996).

In 1987, Robert Stack began hosting Unsolved Mysteries. This show featured real-life mysteries and asked viewers for help solving them. Stack believed the show created a "symbiotic" relationship between viewers and the program. He felt the hotline was a great tool for solving crimes. Unsolved Mysteries aired from 1987 to 2002 on different networks. Stack was the host for its entire original run.

In 1996, Robert Stack received a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California, Walk of Stars. This honor recognized his contributions to entertainment.

Robert Stack's Personal Life and Death

Robert Stack was married to actress Rosemarie Bowe from 1956 until he passed away. They had two children, a son named Charles and a daughter named Elizabeth.

He had radiation therapy for prostate cancer in October 2002. Robert Stack died from heart failure at his home in Bel Air, Los Angeles, on May 14, 2003. He was 84 years old.

Filmography

Film

Television

Radio Appearances

Books

• Straight Shooting (with Mark Evans) (1980); ISBN: 0-02-613320-2
• Shotgun Digest (Jack Lewis, Editor) (1974); ISBN: 978-0695804978

See Also

In Spanish: Robert Stack para niños

• William H. Perry (Los Angeles), his great-grandfather