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1933–2023
Who Was Robert Blake?
Robert Blake starred as Mickey in the Our Gang series of shorts before working in TV and film as a teen and adult. He starred in more than 70 films throughout the 1940s and ’50s, earning critical acclaim for his starring role in 1967’s In Cold Blood. Later, Blake won an Emmy for his role in the ’70s gritty cop drama Baretta. Blake’s media exposure waned until 2002 when he was accused of murdering his second wife, Bonny Lee Bakley. He was later acquitted, though he was found liable for her death in a civil trial. He died March 9, 2023, at age 89.
Quick Facts
FULL NAME: Robert Blake
BORN: circa September 18, 1933
DIED: March 9, 2023
BIRTHPLACE: Nutley, New Jersey
SPOUSES: Sondra Kerry (1964–1983), Bonny Lee Bakley (2000–2001)
CHILDREN: Noah, Delinah, and Rose
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Virgo
Early Life
Blake was born Michael James Gubitosi on September 18, 1933, in Nutley, New Jersey, according to some accounts (in a 2011 interview, he stated that he is unsure of his exact date of birth, believing it fell sometime in September or October.)
Blake’s parents were vaudeville performers, and he spent his childhood performing with his family’s vaudeville act. During his childhood, Blake moved with his family to Hollywood, California, where he worked as an extra for the MGM studios. By the age of 6, he had a starring role in the Our Gang series of shorts (also known as The Little Rascals), including Dad for a Day (1939) and Alfalfa’s Double (1940). He starred as Mickey in the series, eventually having his acting name changed to Bobby Blake. Also in 1940, Blake had a bit part in the romantic comedy I Love You Again, starring Myrna Loy and William Powell.
Blake experienced a painful time growing up, reportedly suffering physical abuse from his father and being introduced to liquor and cigarettes at a very young age.
Movies and Television
During his teen years, Blake landed a lead part in the drama Mokey (1942), parts in the comedy-fantasy film The Horn Blows at Midnight (1945) and Humoresque (1946), an uncredited but pivotal role in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948), and a starring role in the Red Ryder Western series.
By the mid-1950s, he had turned to dramatic fare, with TV work and small parts in films like Apache War Smoke (1952), Screaming Eagles (1956), The Rack (1956), The Tijuana Story (1957), Three Violent People (1957), Battle Flame (1959), and The Purple Gang (1960).
During the 1960s, Blake landed more noticeable roles, including those in the World War II adventure PT 109 (1963), the mammoth religious epic The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), and the romantic drama This Property Is Condemned (1966). Also around this time, he worked on the TV anthology The Richard Boone Show. In 1967, Blake starred in the popular murder drama In Cold Blood, a film based on the Truman Capote book of the same name. Blake received critical acclaim for his portrayal of homicidal drifter Perry Smith in the film. More prominent roles followed in several films, including Tell Them Willlie Boy Is Here (1969) and Electra Glide in Blue (1973) before Blake turned once again to TV.
Baretta
In 1975, Blake was cast in the role for which he is best remembered: that of the title character on the TV police drama Baretta, which enjoyed three years on the air. Blake starred on the series from 1975 to 1978, winning an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1975. By this time, Blake had also become known for his often volatile behavior.
Later Career
Blake subsequently appeared in a slew of TV miniseries and special movie projects during the 1980s and ’90s, including Of Mice and Men (1981) based on the novel by John Steinbeck. In 1983’s Blood Feud, a dramatized account of Robert Kennedy’s pursuit of corrupt labor organizer Jimmy Hoffa, he played the lead role of Hoffa and garnered another Emmy nomination. For the next 10 years, Blake virtually withdrew from the spotlight.
In 1993, he staged an unlikely comeback, receiving an Emmy nomination for his performance as a New Jersey accountant-turned–mass murderer in the TV drama Judgement Day: The John List Story. Blake went back to film thereafter, landing supporting roles in Money Train (1995) with Jennifer Lopez and Wesley Snipes, and Lost Highway (1997) with Patricia Arquette and Bill Pullman, among other parts.
Marriages and Children
In 1964, Blake married actress Sondra Kerry; they had two children, Noah and Delinah, before divorcing in 1983. In 2000, he wed Bonny Lee Bakley, with whom he had a daughter named Rose.
Bakley Murder and Trial
In May 2001, Blake made headlines when his second wife, Bakley, was shot to death while waiting in a car outside a restaurant where the couple had just dined. Blake maintained his innocence throughout the ensuing investigation, but after almost a year, the police arrested him and his bodyguard in connection with the murder. A highly scrutinized trial followed with allegations that Bakley had a history of fraud and that Blake had hired stuntmen to orchestrate the killing. Blake was also interviewed by Barbara Walters and proclaimed his innocence, the clip of which was shown during the trial.
In March 2005, Blake was acquitted of the murder charge, as well as one count of soliciting murder. The jury deadlocked on a second murder solicitation charge, but a judge dismissed the charge. According to The New York Times, Blake wept into his lawyer’s shoulder upon hearing the verdict.
Eight months later, a jury in a civil suit found the actor liable for the murder and ordered him to pay $30 million in damages to Bakley’s children. After Blake later appealed the case, the damages awarded were cut in half. The actor also filed for bankruptcy around this time.
Blake generated a wave of new publicity about Bakley’s murder in 2012. To promote his self-published memoir, Tales of a Rascal (2011), he appeared on Piers Morgan Tonight. Morgan questioned the actor about Bakley, and a defensive Blake said that she was a “con artist” and “had people that she burned.” The actor became irate and was sometimes incoherent during this televised encounter, calling Morgan “a liar” and railing against the police who “ripped my guts out and left me beside the road to die.”
Death
Blake died on March 9, 2023, at his Los Angeles home surrounded by family. He was 89. According to a statement by his niece, he died from heart disease.
Quotes
- When I got to the sidewalk and started dancing, that’s when I found love. People threw money. When you’re 2 years old you don’t have to do much to be cute, but I was talented.
- I’m a human being, I’m not a machine. I’m 72. I’m dyslexic.
Citation Information
- Article Title: Robert Blake Biography
- Author: Biography.com Editors
- Website Name: The Biography.com website
- URL: https://www.biography.com/actors/robert-blake
- Access Date:
- Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
- Last Updated: March 10, 2023
- Original Published Date: April 2, 2014
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