Robert Blake

American actor, a child star in the "Our Gang" film comedies at the age of six who rounded out the ‘40s as the plucky Indian boy in the popular western movie series "Red Ryder." Starting out as Mickey Gubitosi, he took the stage name of Bobby Blake in 1940, though he continued to use his birth name in the "Our Gang" series for another three years. He was an adult star of "In Cold Blood," 1967, "Tell Them Willie Boy is Here," 1969 and the "Baretta" TV series; a career marked by ups and downs. With a difficult, hard working childhood, Blake’s first exposure in show business was at age two. He relates that he was abused physically, emotionally and sexually as a child by his folks, a once-time song and dance team, and spent much of his life in a rage. He and his brother, sister and mother were all victims of a drunken, violent step-father who would beat them mercilessly. After being expelled from five schools, he was drafted in 1950, a "has-been" by the time he was 17. Rebellious, with periods of deep depression, he was compulsively resistant to authority and incapable of delegating authority. He spent time in the army stockade, and managed to get involved with heroin. Through his years he tried many of the various forms of self-destruct; drugs, alcohol and fights. When he returned to Hollywood in 1952, Blake worked as a stuntman, and in 1953 began to get TV roles. "Baretta" debuted mid-season in January, 1975 and was an immediate hit with a subsequent Emmy win that year that put Robert Blake on top of the world. From 1975-1978, "Baretta" held a top spot on TV, a set that often resembled a war zone in which Blake was accused of being "unprofessional" and tyrannical. He had his wife Sondra cast as a frequent guest-star and began ignoring directors he didn't like, effectively directing the show himself. "'Baretta" was canceled in 1978 and Blake's marriage ended soon after that. Finding himself persona non grata, he became a "walking nervous breakdown," holding himself together with uppers and downers. Prior to "Baretta" he had been strung out on heroin for two years during which time he stole, smashed motorcycles into trees, boozed and ate pills by the handful. "Self Destruction?" Blake told a reporter, "I could write a book." After the series finished, he drifted aimlessly back into an aggressive down-hill run. His 13-year marriage folded in 1980 before he stopped long enough to take a long hard look and take charge of his own life with some drastic changes. He had custody of both of his kids, Noah and Delinah. Hollywood was not convinced that Blake was housebroken and it was a long period of unemployment before a turnaround. In 1981, Robert Blake roared back with five TV-movies that year, three in the role of detective Joe Dancer. He hosted Saturday Night Live in 1982, starred as Joe Dancer again in 1983 and as Jimmy Hoffa in the miniseries "Blood Feud." He put himself on the line, signing a contract that his entire salary was in escrow subject to forfeit if he failed to conduct himself in a properly professional manner. On the last day of shooting, Blake collected the proudest wages of his career for his comeback. In 1986 he was working on a series, "Hell Town," when he walked away from show business into his own private wilderness for seven years. He dredged out his years of being hurt, how deeply and how long as a child, and looked at his years of tantrums at work, his drinking bouts, his fights and 30 years of therapy and wondered why he had not killed himself or someone else. When he came to some sort of compromise with his anger, he once more knocked on doors looking for work. He was cast in the CBS thriller "Judgment Day: The John List Story," which premiered in late February 1993. Blake married his girl friend, Bonny Lee Bakley, on 11/19/2000 (born June 7, 1956). The couple have a daughter together, Rose Lenore Sophia, born 6/02/2000. On 5/04/2001, Bonny and Robert had dinner at Vitello's, a studio city restaurant. They returned to their car but Blake went back into the restaurant to get a handgun that he had left there, a gun he was carrying as his wife was in fear of her life due to a threat. In the few minutes while Blake was gone, an unknown assailant shot and killed Bonny with one shot to the head as she sat in their Dodge Stealth. While his wife hemorrhaged and lay dying in the car, Robert Blake ran in a panic to the nearby home of Sean Stanek for help. "He was falling apart." Stanek told the press, "He was sick, he was throwing up, he was shaking, he was crying. He was really messed up." Blake entered the hospital for high blood pressure that night and was released early the next day. He was questioned and released and was not initially a suspect. Within a few days his status changed to that of a chief suspect in the investigation into the murder of his wife. Hollywood could hardly have penned a more lurid case. Bonny turned out to a "grifter," a con artist whose scam was to lure men by sending nude photos and a request for "gas money" for her to come visit them. Her stated goal for years was to marry a famous actor and she apparently got her wish by playing the missing-birth-control game. Bonny Bakley recently told her half-brother Peter Carlyon that she feared for her life. Carlyon claims that Blake told Bonny Bakley, "There's a bullet with your name on it." On 4/18/2002, Los Angeles police investigators arrested Robert Blake for the murder of Bonnie Bakley. Los Angeles Police Chief Bernard Parks said at the time that he anticipated Blake would be charged with two counts of solicitation of murder and one count of murder with special circumstances – a charge that could lead to the death penalty. Blake's handyman and bodyguard for the last two years, Earle Caldwell, was also arrested "for conspiracy to commit murder of Ms. Bakley," Parks said. Following an extensive investigation, police said they obtained arrest warrants against Blake and Caldwell on the morning of 04/18/2002. Both men were taken into custody – Blake at his sister's home in the gated Hidden Hills community, Caldwell in Burbank – around 6 PM (9 PM EDT). On March 16, 2005 in Van Nuys, CA, Blake was acquitted of his wife's murder. Eight months after being acquitted of murdering his wife, the actor was found liable in the civil suit that charged him with her wrongful death. The judgment rendered on November 18, 2005 in Burbank, CA awards Bonny Lee Bakley’s children $30 million in damages. Link to Wikipedia biography Link to Astrodienst discussion forum