Robert Middleton(1911-1977)
- Actor
Despite the fact that hefty, beetle-browed character actor Robert
Middleton (born Samuel G. Messer) was known for most of his career as a
mop-faced villain capable of the most vicious and contemptible of
crimes, the man himself was quite a happy and hearty gent who loved to
play practical jokes, particularly on his family. Robert was educated
at the University of Cincinnati and the Carnegie Institute of
Technology, where he studied music. His deep, mellifluous voice earned
him steady work as a radio announcer which, in turn, sparked his
interest in acting.
In the early 1950s Middleton made it to Broadway, appearing in
"Ondine." This in turn led to films and TV, where he solidified his
evil image in such strong fare as
The Desperate Hours (1955) as
a sadistic killer,
The Court Jester (1955) as a
grim and determined knight who jousts with
Danny Kaye in the famous "pellet with the
poison" sequence, and as a sinister politician in
The Lincoln Conspiracy (1977).
Betwixt and between were an array of brutish mountain daddies, corrupt,
cigar-chomping town bosses and lynch mob leaders. Occasionally he
showed a bit of levity, as in his recurring role as
Jackie Gleason's boss on
The Honeymooners (1955)
sketches. Middleton died of congestive heart failure in Hollywood at
the age of 66.
Middleton (born Samuel G. Messer) was known for most of his career as a
mop-faced villain capable of the most vicious and contemptible of
crimes, the man himself was quite a happy and hearty gent who loved to
play practical jokes, particularly on his family. Robert was educated
at the University of Cincinnati and the Carnegie Institute of
Technology, where he studied music. His deep, mellifluous voice earned
him steady work as a radio announcer which, in turn, sparked his
interest in acting.
In the early 1950s Middleton made it to Broadway, appearing in
"Ondine." This in turn led to films and TV, where he solidified his
evil image in such strong fare as
The Desperate Hours (1955) as
a sadistic killer,
The Court Jester (1955) as a
grim and determined knight who jousts with
Danny Kaye in the famous "pellet with the
poison" sequence, and as a sinister politician in
The Lincoln Conspiracy (1977).
Betwixt and between were an array of brutish mountain daddies, corrupt,
cigar-chomping town bosses and lynch mob leaders. Occasionally he
showed a bit of levity, as in his recurring role as
Jackie Gleason's boss on
The Honeymooners (1955)
sketches. Middleton died of congestive heart failure in Hollywood at
the age of 66.