The American Spectator : The Spectacle Blog : Cliff Robertson, R.I.P.

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Cliff Robertson, R.I.P.

By Aaron Goldstein on 9.10.11 @ 10:40PM

Actor Cliff Robertson passed away today of natural causes. He had just turned 88 yesterday.

Robertson's acting career took off with the help of President Kennedy who handpicked him to play a younger version of himself in PT-109, an account of his WWII service which was released in 1963.

But Robertson would reach the pinnacle of his career in 1968 when he starred in Charly (an adaptation of Daniel Keyes' Flowers for Algernon.) Robertson's performance would earn him an Academy Award for Best Actor. Robertson had played the role on television seven years earlier in The Two Worlds of Charlie Gordon. Robertson would later buy the rights to Flowers for Algernon and was instrumental in having it adapted to the silver screen. On a personal note, Charly is amongst my very favorite films. It also happens to be set in Boston.

Unfortunately, Robertson could not accept the award in person as he was filming Too Late The Hero with Michael Caine and Henry Fonda on location in the Philippines and the flim's director Robert Aldrich would not permit Robertson to travel overseas to attend the ceremony.

In the late 1970s and into the early 1980s, Robertson was blacklisted in Hollywood after he exposed the check forgery scandal at Columbia Pictures. After the smoke had cleared, Robertson spent several years as the spokesman for AT & T.

Younger audiences might remember Robertson's portrayal of Uncle Ben in the Spider-Man movies. If they do remember then they are fortunate to have seen the sort of actor they just don't make anymore.

View all comments (13) | Leave a comment

astorian| 9.10.11 @ 10:56PM

Shame... come back, Shame!

Hank| 9.11.11 @ 12:30AM

For this 46 year old he'll always be "Shame," the campy gunslinger on the old "Batman" series ("Shame on you, Shame!")

Deborah D| 9.11.11 @ 8:47AM

RIP, Cliff. Loved you in PT 109.

Oldefarte| 9.11.11 @ 10:44AM

Unfortionately there are no more actors, period, anymore [either like him or otherwise, since the only current qualification for movie parts today is shooting lazer beams in outer space etc]. May he rest in peace!!!!!!

Occam's Tool| 9.11.11 @ 11:23AM

"Charly" was based on one of the 10 best science fiction stories of all time, "Flowers for Algernon," by Daniel Keyes, who didn't write much SF.

Both are worth checking out. Good guy and actor. RIP.

Xavier| 9.11.11 @ 1:50PM

Why the bizarre and annoying reliance on a spurious future-in-the-past construction when the imperfect tense exists for the purpose? "would reach the pinnacle" ; "would earn him" ; "would later buy" SHOULD BE "reached the pinnacle" ; "earned him" ; "later bought." The grammar of the English language is wonderfully flexible and it's worth learning.

Butch| 9.11.11 @ 4:23PM

Don't forget The Big Kahuna!

Margie| 9.11.11 @ 4:22PM

All the good ones are dying, and it makes me sad. :^(

Butch| 9.11.11 @ 4:24PM

Post above was intended as a general comment, not a reply to Xavier.

jrp61356| 9.11.11 @ 9:40PM

Sadly, the truly talented actors/actresses are extremely hard to find. Nowadays Hollywood is saturated with pretty-boy types who couldn't act to save their skins. But since they look good, and make for good gossip rag material, they are considered to be good at their craft.

Seek| 9.12.11 @ 11:14AM

I'll wager that George Clooney, Al Pacino and John Malkovich can outact you.

Mick Lee| 9.12.11 @ 9:35AM

It is a commentary on Hollywood that when such a distinguished actor exposes a crime and it is He that is punished. One would have thought other prominent actors and directors would have stood up for him. To those who didn’t come to Robertson’s aid in his time of need, shame on you—you cowards.

yisong| 10.27.11 @ 2:15AM

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