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Robert Phillips (actor)

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Robert Phillips
Phillips in Dusty's Trail, 1973
Born
Robert R. Phillips[1]

(1925-04-10)April 10, 1925
DiedNovember 5, 2018(2018-11-05) (aged 93)
Occupation(s)Film and television actor
Years active1950s–1997

Robert R. Phillips (April 10, 1925 – November 5, 2018) was an American film and television actor.

Life and career

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Phillips was born in Chicago, Illinois.[2] He was a self-defense instructor while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II[3] and later played football for the Chicago Bears and the Washington Redskins.[2] Phillips was also a police officer in the Los Angeles Police Department and Illinois State Police.[3] He was a personal bodyguard for the 31st Governor of Illinois, Adlai Stevenson II.[3][4][5] Phillips began his film and television career in the 1950s,[2] when a film producer suggested he should become an actor, and gave him a role in a film,[3] and the TV series Tightrope! was based on aspects of his life.[5]

Phillips retired as a police officer after being injured while working undercover,[5] and attended acting school in the early 1950s.[3] Phillips was hired by studios as a minder for Lee Marvin, to prevent him getting into fights after hours.[4][5] He appeared in two films with actor Richard Jaeckel: The Gun Runners (1958) and The Dirty Dozen (1967).[5] His other film roles included appearances in The Killers (1964) and Cat Ballou (1965), Dimension 5 (1966), Hour of the Gun (1967), Mackenna's Gold (1969), Slaughter (1972), The Slams (1973), I Escaped from Devil's Island (1973), The Dion Brothers (1974), Capone (1975, as Bugs Moran), Mitchell (1975), Mean Johnny Barrows (1975), The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976) and Walking Tall: Final Chapter (1977). Phillips also guest-starred in numerous television programs including Star Trek: The Original Series (in the episode "The Cage"), Gunsmoke, The Rockford Files, Bonanza, The Dukes of Hazzard, The Wild Wild West, Rawhide, Mission: Impossible, The High Chaparral, Mannix, The Fall Guy and Planet of the Apes.[2] His last credit was for the western television series Bordertown.[2]

Death

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Phillips died November 5, 2018, at the age of 93.[1][2]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1953 Code Two Henchman Uncredited
1956 UFO (1956 film) Edward J. Ruppelt Edward J. Ruppelt
1958 The Gun Runners Outlaw Uncredited
1962 Hell Is for Heroes Jeep driver
1964 The Killers George Fleming
1965 Cat Ballou Klem Uncredited
1966 The Silencers 1st Armed Man
1966 Dimension 5 George
1967 The Dirty Dozen Corporal Morgan
1967 Hour of the Gun Frank Stilwell
1969 Mackenna's Gold Monkey
1970 Darker than Amber Griff
1972 Slaughter Frank
1973 The Student Teachers
1973 Detroit 9000 Captain Chalmers
1973 The Slams Cohalt
1973 I Escaped from Devil's Island Blassier
1974 The Dion Brothers Gino
1975 Capone Bugs Moran
1975 Mitchell Chief Albert Pallin
1975 Mean Johnny Barrows Ben
1975 Adios Amigo Notary
1976 The Killing of a Chinese Bookie Phil
1977 The Car Metcalf
1977 Walking Tall: Final Chapter Johnny
1977 Telefon Highway Patrolman #1
1984 Delta Pi Pud
1987 Cry Freedom Speaker at Funeral
1997 A Time to Revenge Billy Two Feathers (final film role)

References

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  1. ^ a b "SAG-AFTRA - Special Edition 2019". SAG-AFTRA. p. 95. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Lentz, Harris (May 30, 2019). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2018. McFarland. pp. 299–300. ISBN 9781476636559 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ a b c d e Wister, Emery (August 27, 1966). "Film Star? Not Bob". The Charlotte News. Charlotte, North Carolina. p. 25. Retrieved December 4, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. Closed access icon
  4. ^ a b Freese, Gene (October 5, 2017). Classic Movie Fight Scenes: 75 Years of Bare Knuckle Brawls, 1914-1989. McFarland. p. 197. ISBN 9781476669434 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ a b c d e Freese, Gene (April 6, 2016). Richard Jaeckel, Hollywood's Man of Character. McFarland. pp. 59–60. ISBN 9781476662107 – via Google Books.
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