image of Robert Rockwell
Birthday: Oct 15, 1920
Place of Birth: Chicago, Illinois, USA

Robert Rockwell

Robert Rockwell was an American stage, film, radio and television actor. He is best known for playing the handsome, but awkward biology teacher Philip Boynton in the radio and television sitcom Our Miss Brooks opposite Eve Arden. A native of Lake Bluff, Illinois, Rockwell studied at the Pasadena Playhouse, from which he obtained a master's degree. During World War II he enlisted in the US Navy for four years serving in Washington D.C. Dramatic roles often eluded him, however, after beginning his career as a contract player for Republic Studios he appeared, over his almost 50-year acting career, in more than 350 television episodes and, on stage, opposite José Ferrer in the 1946 Broadway production of Cyrano de Bergerac, and with Ginger Rogers during the 1960s in a San Diego production of Whitfield Cook's play A More Perfect Union. He appeared in the first Superman television show episode as Clark Kent's father, Jor-El in 1952. He appeared in a 1959 Perry Mason episode "The case of the Deadly Toy" as love interest to the defendant Claire Allison as Dick Benedict. He starred in the 1961 Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Misguided Missile" as an Air Force officer court-martialled on a murder charge. He later starred in the 1962 Perry Mason episodes "The Case of the Lurid Letter" as Everett Rixby, a high school principal, and the murderer Cole B. Troy in "The Case of the Shapely Shadow". He also appeared as Ed Purvis in the 1965 episode Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Candy Queen". Rockwell starred in his own ABC western-themed television series, The Man from Blackhawk in the 1959-1960 season. Rockwell was cast as the Blackhawk Insurance Company's key investigator, Sam Logan, who is assigned to weed out fraud in the payment of claims. He also played Sam Thompson in Thompson's Ghost, Tom Bennett in The Bill Cosby Show[4]:106 and Officer Russo in Adam-12. In 1967 he played a littering tourist in the Lassie episode "Lassie's Litter Bit", an iconic episode which earned a trip for Lassie to the White House to shake hands with then First Lady "Ladybird" Johnson who had used the famous collie in her Keep America Beautiful Campaign. Rockwell was a founding member of the California Artists Radio Theatre. He played standard leads in a couple of anti-Communist-era features, including Republic's The Red Menace, in which he is cast as a returning veteran of World War II, who is duped by communists. Later in his career, he appeared on episodes of Petticoat Junction, Growing Pains, and Beverly Hills, 90210. His appearances in commercials and voiceovers totaled more than 200, most notably as the armchair grandfather treating his grandson to a piece of candy in the 1995 version of the Werthers Original candy spot.

Filmography
Movie Cast Year
Golden Gate 1981
Belle of Old Mexico Kip Armitage III 1950
Unmasked Detective Lt. James 'Jim' Webster 1950
Espionage Target: You Agent (uncredited) 1964
The Red Menace Bill Jones 1949
A Letter to Nancy Pastor 1965
Our Miss Brooks Phillip 'Phil' Boynton 1956
Trial Without Jury Police Lt. Bill Peters 1950
Federal Agent at Large Dr. Ross Carrington 1950
Destination Big House Dr. Walter Phillips 1950
Sol Madrid Chief Danvers 1968
Lonely Heart Bandits Police Lt. Carroll 1950
The Blonde Bandit Dist. Atty. Devron 1949
Perfect Alibi 1995
The Frogmen Lt. Bill Doyle 1951
Lassies Abenteuer in Alaska Dean Chalmers 1968
Destination: America 1987
The Kid with the 200 I.Q. 1983
Lassie: The miracle Will Thorne 1970
Murder in Texas Parker 1981
Alias the Champ Ron Peterson 1949
Just for You John Ransome 1952
Women from Headquarters Gates 1950
Lassie: The Adventures of Neeka Dean Chalmers (archive footage) 1969
You Gotta Stay Happy Eddie 1948
Turn the Other Cheek Ben Hanson 1958
The War of the Worlds Forest Ranger at Crash Site (uncredited) 1953
Hell Hath No Fury Mr. Stewart 1991
The Prince Who Was a Thief (uncredited) 1951
Prisoners in Petticoats Mark Hampton 1950
Series Cast Year
Growing Pains Wally Overmier 1985
Falcon Crest Giles Taylor 1981
Green Acres 1965
Here's Lucy Jack Scott 1968
Beverly Hills, 90210 1990
Benson 1979
The Lucy Show Tom Bennett 1962
Diff'rent Strokes 1978
Dynasty 1981
Petticoat Junction 1963
Charlie's Angels Harrison 1976
Knots Landing Doctor 1979
Surfside 6 1960
The Bill Cosby Show Tom Bennett 1969
Newhart 1982
The Golden Palace Mr. Cochran 1992
Gunsmoke Mr. Philips 1955
Perry Mason Dick Benedict 1957
Dallas Mitchell 1978
The Ed Sullivan Show Self 1948
Lassie 1954
Eight Is Enough 1977
Hunter Ralph Flagg 1984
The Waltons 1972
Bus Stop 1961
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse 1958
The Millionaire Prof. Amberson Adams 1955
E/R John Harrison 1984
Yancy Derringer Phillip Hampton 1958
Adventures of Superman Jor-El (uncredited) 1952
Bronco 1958
Navy Log 1955
Racket Squad 1951
The Man from Blackhawk 1959
Summer Fun 1966
Cavalcade of America 1952
State Trooper 1956
The Roaring 20's 1960
Letter to Loretta Jeb Stewart 1953
Maverick 1957
Our Miss Brooks Philip Boynton 1952
The Millionaire Dolph Randolph 1955
Perry Mason Maj. Jerry Reynolds 1957
Perry Mason Cole B. Troy 1957
Perry Mason Everett Rixby 1957
Perry Mason Ed Purvis 1957
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