Actor Robert Blake dies at age 89

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LOS ANGELES – Robert Blake, the Emmy-winning performer who went from acclaim for his acting to notoriety when he was tried and acquitted in the killing of his wife, died Thursday at age 89.

A statement released on behalf of his niece, Noreen Austin, said Blake died from heart disease, surrounded by family at home in Los Angeles.

Blake, star of the 1970s TV show, “Baretta,” had once hoped for a comeback, but he never recovered from the long ordeal which began with the shooting death of his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, outside a Studio City restaurant on May 4, 2001. The story of their strange marriage, the child it produced and its violent end was a Hollywood tragedy played out in court.

Once hailed as among the finest actors of his generation, Blake became better known as the defendant in a reallife murder trial, a story more bizarre than any in which he acted.

In a 2002 interview with The Associated Press while he was jailed awaiting trial, he bemoaned the change in his status with his fans nationwide: “It hurt because America is the only family I had.”

He was adamant that he had not killed his wife and a jury ultimately acquitted him. But a civil jury would find him liable for her death and order him to pay Bakley’s family $30 million, a judgment which sent him into bankruptcy.

It was an ignominious finale for a life lived in the spotlight from childhood. As a youngster, he starred in the “Our Gang” comedies and acted in a movie classic, “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.” As an adult, he was praised for his portrayal of real-life murderer Perry Smith in the movie of Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood.”

His career peaked with the 1975-78 TV cop series, “Baretta.” He starred as a detective who carried a pet cockatoo on his shoulder and was fond of disguises. It was typical of his specialty, portraying tough guys with soft hearts, and its signature line: “Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time,” was often quoted.

Blake won a 1975 Emmy for his portrayal of Tony Baretta, although behind the scenes the show was wracked by disputes involving the temperamental star. He gained a reputation as one of Hollywood’s finest actors, but one of the most difficult to work with.

In 1993, Blake won another Emmy as the title character in, “Judgment Day: the John List Story,” portraying a softspoken, churchgoing man who murdered his wife and three children.

His personal saga was as dramatic as any of the characters he portrayed and later he admitted to having his own struggles with alcohol and drug addiction in his early life.

He was born Michael James Gubitosi on Sept. 18, 1933, in Nutley, New Jersey. His father, an Italian immigrant and his mother, an Italian American, wanted their three children to succeed in show business. At age 2, Blake was performing with a brother and sister in a family vaudeville act called, “The Three Little Hillbillies.”

When his parents moved the family to Los Angeles, his mother found work for the kids as movie extras and little Mickey Gubitosi was plucked from the crowd by producers who cast him in the “Our Gang” comedies. He appeared in the series for five years and changed his name to Bobby Blake.

He went on to work with Hollywood legends, playing the young John Garfield in “Humoresque” in 1946 and the little boy who sells Humphrey Bogart a crucial lottery ticket in “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.”

In adulthood, he landed serious movie roles. The biggest breakthrough was in 1967 with “In Cold Blood.” Later there were films including, “Tell Them Willie Boy is Here” and “Electra Glide in Blue.”

In 1961, Blake and actress Sondra Kerr married and had two children, Noah and Delinah. They divorced in 1983.

His fateful meeting with Bakley came in 1999 at a jazz club where he went to escape loneliness.

“Here I was, 67 or 68 years old. My life was on hold. My career was stalled out,” he said in the AP interview. “I’d been alone for a long time.”

He said he had no reason to dislike Bakley: “She took me out of the stands and put me back in the arena. I had something to live for.”

When Bakley gave birth to a baby girl, she named Christian Brando – son of Marlon – as the father. But DNA tests pointed to Blake.

Blake first saw the little girl, named Rosie, when she was two months old and she became the focus of his life. He married Bakley because of the child.

“Rosie is my blood. Rosie is calling to me,” he said. “I have no doubt that Rosie and I are going to walk off into the sunset together.”

Prosecutors would claim that he planned to kill Bakley to get sole custody of the baby and tried to hire hitmen for the job. But evidence was muddled and a jury rejected that theory.

On her last night alive, Blake and his 44-year-old wife dined at a neighborhood restaurant, Vitello’s. He claimed she was shot when he left her in the car and returned to the restaurant to retrieve a handgun he had inadvertently left behind. Police were initially baffled and Blake was not arrested until a year after the crime occurred.

Once a wealthy man, he spent millions on his defense and wound up living on social security and a Screen Actor’s Guild pension.

In a 2006 interview with the AP a year after his acquittal, Blake said he hoped to restart his career.

“I’d like to give my best performance,” he said. “I’d like to leave a legacy for Rosie about who I am. I’m not ready for a dog and fishing pole yet. I’d like to go to bed each night desperate to wake up each morning and create some magic.”

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Actor Robert Blake attends his arraignment in Los Angeles in 2003. He was adamant that he had not killed his wife and a jury ultimately acquitted him. Blake died on Thursday. FRAZER HARRISON/AP FILE

Blake, seen in 1977, has died at age 89. The Emmy-winning performer went from acclaim for his acting to notoriety when he was tried and acquitted in the killing of his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley. AP FILE
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[Frankie the Fink]

Always liked the guy's acting, when Baretta came on the scene it was a fresh departure from the usual cop series. He always seemed like he stayed a "down to earth" guy in his TV interviews about sudden fame and money.

"Fred" and the "Gray Ghost" were great props for the series.

[Onebadcad]

Damn good actor, I remember watching Baretta as a very young kid, he was cool!!

He was Mickey on Our Gang for five years, but never spoke much IIRC.

[Yesfam]

I liked Electra Glide in Blue. He had a long and varied career, RIP.

[Aerovette]

...and he arranged to have someone murdered, so there's that.

[GTOguy]

Excellent actor, enjoyed everything he did. RIP.

[Frankie the Fink]

Originally Posted by GTOguy

Excellent actor, enjoyed everything he did. RIP.

"And you can take that to da bank!"

[Onebadcad]

Originally Posted by aerovette

...and he arranged to have someone murdered, so there's that.

But he beat the criminal charges, that defense costs him a large chunk of his fortune.
After that the wife's kids took the rest, and then some, by winning the civil suit.

[PLRX]

Originally Posted by aerovette

...and he arranged to have someone murdered, so there's that.

Women never shut the f*ck up. Can you blame him? I say he planned it right

[Shrike6]

RIP Robert Blake. Damn good actor. A shame that he ended up living on the margins. It’s always a sad way to end a long career.