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Uncapie says Goodbye to one of the UNTOUCHABLES... Robert Stack
Father Geek here with another sad farewell to a Hollywood Legend... Robert Stack aka Elliot Ness has died in his home out in LA. I never missed one of his "UNTOUCHABLES" TV shows when they first aired back in the late 1950's... in fact, I don't think I ever missed one in the first few years of reruns! When that series started I recognized its star right away... he graced the photo cover of my DELL MOVIE CLASSIC comic "Don't Give Up the Ship" where he played USA Navy legend John Paul Jones. Later my connection to Stack would strike closer to home. You see he played on the Hollywood Polo Team with the likes of Spencer Tracy, Will Rogers, Gary Cooper and other screen greats, Stack was the replacement for Disney when Walt quit the team after a bad fall, and he became good buddies with team mate and B-western star Guinn 'Big Boy" Williams. Big Boy is this site's Harry's Great Great Uncle from the Head Geek's mom's side of our family, soooooo that makes him (Williams) my Great Unc in law and by that fact, Elliot Ness then becomes a distant family friend. O.K. That's reaching I know, but it makes for interesting Knowles family triva...Farewell Robert, we'll miss you over here at Geek Headquarters...
Now, here's Uncapie with his thoughts...
Farewell Robert, we'll miss you over here at Geek Headquarters...
Now, here's Uncapie with his thoughts...
Harry, some sad news. The great Robert Stack has died at the age of 84. Best
remembered for his portrayal of "Elliot Ness" in "The Untouchables," and the
host of the television series, "Unsolved Mysteries," Mr. Stack's lengthy
career spanned over 60 years.
Though, born in Los Angeles in 1919, his parents divorced when he was a year
old and his mother took him to Europe when he was 3. Though, fluent in French
and Italian, he didn't learn how to speak English until 1928, when his mother
remarried his father and they moved back to L.A.
Spending three years in the U.S. Navy as a gunnery officer, Mr. Stack left
the service and decided to get his college education and study drama at USC.
He joined the skeet shooting team where he came in second place in the
national championship; once held the world's record for skeet shooting with
350 consecutive hits. His knowledge of weapons would later come in handy on
"The Untouchables." His parents owned horse stables where stars like Clark
Cable and Spencer Tracy would rent them for riding and hunting. Mr. Stack's
contacts and his good looks, opened the door for him at Universal Studios
doing day player parts. His big break came when make up artist, Jack Pierce,
told him to dye his blond hair darker and uncurl his hair. He became leading
man overnight and got the part of Deanna Durbin's boyfriend in "Nice Girl?"
Other roles lead to him to star in the first 3-D movie, "Bwana Devil"(Which
later was remade as 'The Ghost And the Darkness,' based on a true event.) The
film's realism with lions that appeared to jump out at the audience from the
screen, broke box office records.
His work on "Written On the Wind" garnered him a Best Supporting Actor
nomination. Later he would try out for the part of "Elliot Ness" in "The
Untouchables" series. Though, he wasn't the first choice. Van Johnson and Van
Hefflin were offered the role, but both turned it down. Mr. Stack made the
character a household name.
After the successful four year run of "The Untouchables", Mr. Stack continued
to do memorable work in films such as "The Last Voyage," Sam Fuller's, "House
Of Bamboo," "Is Paris Burning?" and "The High And the Mighty," which years
later he would spoof in the classic comedy, "Airplane!"
Other television work included the long running series with the jazzy title
music score, "The Name Of the Game" where each week Mr. Stack would share
investigative journalism duties with other actors Anthony Franciosa, Susan
St. James and Gene Barry. Mr. Stack's character, "Dan Farrell" was a retired
FBI agent who ran "Crime Magazine" who raged a one-man war against the
unrighteous.
Mr. Ness would also to voice work for animated films. Most notably, "Ultra
Magnus" from "Transformers-The Movie" and "Bob the Narrator" in Disney's,
"Hercules."
Clark Gable, who mentored Mr. Stack gave him some sage advice: "If you're
going to be an actor, be a pro. Show up on time, know your lines. And if you
ever become a celebrity... a word I hate, if you ever do and use that power
to push people around, I'm gonna kick you right in the ass!"
Mr. Stack learned from the best. He was always a kind and considerate man to
his family, his friends and his fans. He was married to his wife for 47 years
and that love never ceased. A gentleman and a great actor; the likes we will
never see again.
Uncapie
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Mr Stack will be missed. Though I never saw the Untouchables(im a little too young) I do remember him in his funnier roles, like Airplane!, Beavis and Butthed Do America and I'll never forget that line from Baseketball "Another possibility...Hes hanging by his neck in a fucking closet" (or just as good, the speech about cuddling in the spoon position). I think for all the great drama hes known for he was a great straight funnyman, and thats what Ill remeber... RIP
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Rest in Peace, Ultra Magnus.
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Butt Ugly Martians... anyone??? "Airplane" was his best role -- I still remember him walking through the mirror... Too bad Stack was also featured in perhaps the worst comedy of all time, Caddyshack II.
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Bit of a bad day for celebrities. sk
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Unfortunately, if it weren't for this movie (Transformers,which is my favorite) I would probably care less about this. Although he's also responsible for putting a smile on my face with Airplane! also. In these little ways Robert Stack has given me bright spots in my life, so R.I.P.
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to fall down in the mud, and get kicked, in the head, with an iron boot? No, of course you don't, that never happens. Sorry, Ted, that's a dumb question, skip that one.
One of the greatest lines in movie history. Robert Stack will be missed. -
May 16, 2003 4:13:49 PM CDT
I wonder if his death will be the subject of a story on the a ne
by eau hellz gnaw
It wouldn't surprise me.
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Somebody has to mention Stack in '1941' (which for all the critical drubbing at the time is actually one of Spielberg's best...you heard me...watch it again and a lot of it looks like a dry run for the Indy films). Stack was Maj. Gen. Stilwell, the sane center of the piece. While everyone else is bugging out, Stack is the one voice of reason who insists that everyone chill out and act logically. He's great at it, and he also has that fun scene where he's shown watching 'Dumbo,' totally lost in the world of elephants and crows, laughing and tearing up. Anyway, the guy did a lot of fine iconic stuff but the movie I'm gonna put on again to see Stack at one of his acting peaks is '1941.'
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May 16, 2003 4:50:56 PM CDT
Striker, listen, and you listen close: flying a plane is no diff
by darth brooks
They'll never show the original "The Untouchables" series again because the thing was probably the most-violent show of the 60's - - with the possible exception of "Mannix". (Is Mike Connors still alive?) Rest well, Mr. Stack - you've done your life's work in an exemplary fashion. As an actor, you were definitely in charge, the boss, the head man, top dog, big cheese, head honcho, numero uno...
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May 16, 2003 5:15:08 PM CDT
Re-route em' into Lake Michigan, it'll avoid killing innocent pe
by mully4ever
We'll miss you Bob.
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May 16, 2003 6:13:35 PM CDT
Stack also did voice work on Beavis and Butthead Do America
by doblermeyer
He was the voice of Agent Fleming: "Agent Hurley, I want you to give this scumbag a cavity search! I'm talking Roto-Rooter! Don't stop until you reach the back of his teeth!".....and who can forget, "Well I'll be a monkey's bare assed uncle!".....we'll miss you Robert Stack. It feels just like yesterday, it was around 1988 and I was in the fifth grade watching Unsolved Mysteries, damn I loved that show!! God speed to you sir!!
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May 16, 2003 7:29:17 PM CDT
Damn abd i was just thinking about his short lived t.v series ST
by jon-e-blaze
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That's a shame because his cameo was the best part of baseketball.
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"...they're all cheats and liars. Alright, let's get out of here!"
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May 16, 2003 10:10:15 PM CDT
"We still have no fucking clue where this guy is..." Aw fuck, t
by empyreal0
I loved his cameo in BASEketball, that was some seriously funny deadpan shit. Stack, you were a god. But who knew he was in his EIGHTIES!? That's just fucking crazy.
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He's had a great career, but I'm still sad it had to end. His voice in "Unsolved Mysteries" still creeps me the fuck out. And that walking-through-the-mirror bit in Airplane!--one of the best moments in movie history. RIP, Robert, you rule(d) and will be missed.
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May 17, 2003 12:08:39 AM CDT
His voice terrified me for years on Unsolved Mysteries...
by enigmainyourhead
and I thank him for it. Truly one of the greatest voices in showbiz history.
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I'd forgotten he did a voice on Transformers.
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A dying breed in today's cinema, where we're supposed to accept guys like Paul Walker and Vin Diesel as heirs to the throne. Here's hoping Stack and Robert Mitchum are sharing a neat whiskey in the Great Hereafter. God Bless, man. Life well lived.
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I don't know if this'll come across as insensitive or not, but it was mentioned in the article, so I'll throw it out anyways. For me (+ I like to think for many others of my generation) Robert Stack will always be the voice of 'Unsolved Mysteries.' His voice... man, it just gave me the creeps when I was a kid. I'm sure he was a fine actor, + I hope that doesn't come across as extremely ignorant. I just don't know much about him beyond UM. God bless you, Mr. Stack; vichnaya pamyat. Out.
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May 17, 2003 5:14:40 AM CDT
Uncommon Valor was one of my favorite movies when I was a kid.
by skenzin
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My uncle and aunt once had the chance to host mr. Stack for dinner and drinks in Athens. Being a young film geek at the time (this was around 1990), I felt bad for missing my chance to meet an actor (and voice actor, and narrator) whom I admired. They both had only the best things to say of him, that he was polite, sociable, intelligent, and had a kind and charming presence. I don't know how Robert Stack lived the other days and nights of his life, but after some time I realised that I hadn't missed the chance to meet a 'celebrity'; that non-descript schoolday I spent here in Seattle I missed the opportunity to meet a representative of the generation of actors my father grew up watching, what might be called the greatest generation of American cinema. GhostJax, when I heard of Robert Mitchum's death, that hit me pretty hard too. I nearly cried when I heard that Victor Borge had died, I have a framed photograph of him being interviewed by my father for his radio program in my room. I loved that man. These actors, they were never cutting-edge during my lifetime... my father died in 1998, and all the actors, and musicians, and personalities who touched his life in little ways are going too, one by one that generation is disappearing. It almost seems unfair that movies survive, recordings persist, that I can go down to the video store and pick up a Danny Kaye flick or the Philadelphia Story (I plan to name my first boat the Truelove, great name) or Sabrina and connect with young faces that are now either greyed or gone (how can you not be hot for young Audrey Hepburn?) Now I just wish I'd have the chance to thank them all before they're gone, for the memories, the amusement and entertainment, the songs and the nights curled up in bed with my girlfriend watching a black-and-white movie... I feel I owe them so much, and now I just have so many more familiar faces to lose. As for Robert Stack, he gave to my father with his work, and my mother (who's the biggest walking film-encyclopaedia in the family), and he's given to me, and in the one evening's worth of connection I can claim to him through my family, he's apparently a damn fine guy to boot. Robert Stack, wherever you are, I'm sorry I missed that chance 13 years ago, but I just want to say THANK YOU, and please pass the word on to those who've gone before you. You'll all be missed, and you'll be remembered.
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Yes, he was a class act, bringing decency and professionalism to everything he touched. And who knew the guy had a sense of humor, a deadpan delivery that was perfectly suited for Airplane and 1941? And let's not forget the classic, the original, To Be or Not to Be - the Jack Benny/Carole Lombard version that deserves to be on everyone's movie shelf. And while we're all lamenting his passing, how about a suggestion, Harry? Instead of waiting for post-mortem tributes, how about occasionally honoring those old pros that have provided us with so many precious memories - say, an AICN version of an AFI tribute? Once a month or so, we could single out someone who has been around for a long time, submitting our own stories and memories of how a particular artist added to our collection of cultural icons. Whaddya say?
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Stacks cameo was the funniest visual joke of all time (the comps with solatare on them), and the psych outs? Pure genius, i need to own that film,but cant find it anywhere.Shit.Hope char;ton heston dies next,hopefully with great pain.
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Far from it. I liked the movie. but stack was still the best part of that movie. And what if I am a dick monger? Is that a bad thing? You say "fag" like it's an offensive term.
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