Robert Golden Armstrong Jr. (April 7, 1917 – July 27, 2012) was an American
character actor
A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to b ...
and playwright. A veteran performer who appeared in dozens of
Westerns
The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...
during his 40-year career, he may be best remembered for his work with director
Sam Peckinpah
David Samuel Peckinpah (; February 21, 1925 – December 28, 1984) was an American film director and screenwriter. His 1969 Western epic ''The Wild Bunch'' received an Academy Award nomination and was ranked No. 80 on the American Film Institute ...
.
Early life
Armstrong was born in
Pleasant Grove, Alabama
Pleasant Grove is a city in western Jefferson County, Alabama. It is part of the Birmingham metropolitan area. Its nickname is "The Good Neighbor City". At the 2020 census, the population was 9,544.
History
It was established in 1889, but inc ...
, and was reared on a small farm near
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
. He came from a family of
fundamentalist Christian
Christian fundamentalism, also known as fundamental Christianity or fundamentalist Christianity, is a religious movement emphasizing biblical literalism. In its modern form, it began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries among British and ...
s, and his mother wanted him to be a pastor. After graduating from
Hueytown High School
Hueytown High School is a four-year public high school in the Birmingham, Alabama suburb of Hueytown. It is one of fourteen high schools in the Jefferson County School System. Hueytown competes in AHSAA Class 6A athletics. According to the websi ...
in 1935, Armstrong initially enrolled at
Howard College
Howard College is a community college in the U.S. state of Texas with its main campus in Big Spring and branch campuses in San Angelo and Lamesa.
History
Howard County Junior College was established in Big Spring in 1945. 148 students be ...
, now
Samford University
Samford University is a private Christian university in Homewood, Alabama. In 1841, the university was founded as Howard College by Baptists. Samford University describes itself as the 87th oldest institution of higher learning in the United Sta ...
in
Homewood, Alabama, where he became interested in acting, and then transferred to the
University of North Carolina
The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sy ...
(UNC) at
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill is a town in Orange, Durham and Chatham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Its population was 61,960 in the 2020 census, making Chapel Hill the 17th-largest municipality in the state. Chapel Hill, Durham, and the state ca ...
. While there, he began acting on stage with the
Carolina Playmakers. Upon graduating, he attended the
Actors Studio
The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded ...
.
Armstrong wanted to write, rather than act, and said in 1966, "I struggled so hard to be a serious writer."
As a student at UNC he wrote a three-act play that was produced. By 1966, he had written "nine full-length plays, four unpublished novels, and 50 unpublished poems."
[
]
Career
On Broadway, Armstrong portrayed Dr. Baugh and Big Daddy in ''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'' is a three-act play written by Tennessee Williams. An adaptation of his 1952 short story "Three Players of a Summer Game", the play was written by him between 1953 and 1955. One of Williams's more famous works and his p ...
'' (1955), Sheriff Talbott in ''Orpheus Descending'' (1957), and Captain Keller in ''The Miracle Worker'' (1959). He also began writing his own plays, which were performed off-Broadway.
Armstrong's first film appearance was in the 1954 film ''Garden of Eden
In Abrahamic religions, the Garden of Eden ( he, גַּן־עֵדֶן, ) or Garden of God (, and גַן־אֱלֹהִים ''gan-Elohim''), also called the Terrestrial Paradise, is the Bible, biblical paradise described in Book of Genesis, Genes ...
''; however, it was television where he first earned a name for himself. He guest-starred in virtually every television western series produced in the 1950s and 1960s, including '' Have Gun - Will Travel'', '' The Californians'', ''Jefferson Drum
''Jefferson Drum'', also known as ''The Pen and the Quill'', is an American Western television series starring Jeff Richards that aired on the NBC network from April 25 to December 11, 1958.
Overview
Jefferson Drum, portrayed by Jeff Richards, i ...
'', '' The Tall Man'', ''Riverboat
A riverboat is a watercraft designed for inland navigation on lakes, rivers, and artificial waterways. They are generally equipped and outfitted as work boats in one of the carrying trades, for freight or people transport, including luxury un ...
'', ''The Rifleman
''The Rifleman'' is an American Western television program starring Chuck Connors as rancher Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the fictional town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory. The show ...
'', ''Zane Grey Theater
''Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre'' is an American Western anthology television series that was broadcast on CBS from October 5, 1956, until September 20, 1962.
Format
Many episodes were based on novels by Zane Grey, to all of which Four Star F ...
'', '' Wanted: Dead or Alive'', '' The Westerner'', ''The Big Valley
''The Big Valley'' is an American Western drama television series that originally aired from September 15, 1965, to May 19, 1969 on ABC. The series is set on the fictional Barkley Ranch in Stockton, California, from 1884 to 1888. The one-hour e ...
'', ''Bonanza
''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on U ...
'', ''Maverick
Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to:
History
* Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick
Aviation
* AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design
* General Aviation Design Burea ...
'' (as Louise Fletcher
Estelle Louise Fletcher (July 22, 1934 – September 23, 2022) was an American actress who portrayed the antagonist Nurse Ratched in '' One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (1975), which earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress, a BAFTA Award, ...
's character's father in the episode which drew the series' largest single viewership, "The Saga of Waco Williams"), ''Gunsmoke
''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central character ...
'' (S7E10 as hard nosed Union soldier Capt. Benter”), '' Rawhide'', ''Wagon Train
''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings. It ...
'', and ''Bat Masterson
Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was born to ...
''.
On March 3, 1959, Armstrong was cast as the corrupt and cowardly Lou Stoner, a leading candidate for a territorial governorship in the episode "The Giant Killer" of the ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
/Warner Brothers
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...
western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
series ''Sugarfoot
''Sugarfoot'' is an American Western television series that aired for 69 episodes on ABC from 1957-1961 on Tuesday nights on a "shared" slot basis – rotating with ''Cheyenne'' (first season); ''Cheyenne'' and ''Bronco'' (second season); and ...
'', with Will Hutchins
Will Hutchins (born Marshall Lowell Hutchason; May 5, 1930) is an American actor most noted for playing the lead role of the young lawyer Tom Brewster, in the Western (genre), Western television series ''Sugarfoot'', which aired on American B ...
in the title role.
On November 22, 1960, in the episode "License to Kill" of NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
's '' Laramie'', Armstrong plays Sam Jarrad, a former bounty hunter
A bounty hunter is a private agent working for bail bonds who captures fugitives or criminals for a commission or bounty. The occupation, officially known as bail enforcement agent, or fugitive recovery agent, has traditionally operated outsid ...
and a sheriff in Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
, who comes to Laramie, Wyoming
Laramie is a city in and the county seat of Albany County, Wyoming, United States. The population was estimated 32,711 in 2019, making it the third-largest city in Wyoming after Cheyenne and Casper. Located on the Laramie River in southeastern ...
, with a warrant for Jess Harper, played by series co-star Robert Fuller.
In 1960 Armstrong appeared as Angus Emmett on ''Cheyenne
The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized nations: the Southern Cheyenne, who are enroll ...
'' in the episode titled "Alabi for the Scalped Man." Early in 1961, Armstrong was cast in the title guest-starring role of Nathanael Grimm in "The Return of Mr. Grimm" of the ABC/WB western series ''Cheyenne
The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized nations: the Southern Cheyenne, who are enroll ...
'', starring Clint Walker
Norman Eugene "Clint" Walker (May 30, 1927 – May 21, 2018) was an American actor. He played cowboy Cheyenne Bodie in the ABC/Warner Bros. western series ''Cheyenne'' from 1955 to 1963.
Early life
Clint Walker was born Norman Eugene Wal ...
.
Armstrong appeared on ''The Twilight Zone
''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, su ...
'', in the episode "Nothing in the Dark
"Nothing in the Dark" is episode 81 of the American television anthology series ''The Twilight Zone'', originally airing on January 5, 1962.
This is one of two episodes that were filmed during season two but held over for broadcast until season th ...
" along with Robert Redford
Charles Robert Redford Jr. (born August 18, 1936) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the List of awards and nominations received by Robert Redford, recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Awards, Academy Award from four nomi ...
. He appeared in three episodes of ''Perry Mason
Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...
'', twice in the role of the defendant. In 1958, he appeared in the episode "The Case of the Black-Eyed Blonde" as character Matthew Bartlett. In 1959, he played character Harry Bright in "The Case of the Petulant Partner," then in 1962 he played John Gregory in "The Case of the Stand-in Sister." Armstrong also appeared on ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents
''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was ren ...
'', ''The Everglades
The Everglades is a natural region of tropical wetlands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large drainage basin within the Neotropical realm. The system begins near Orlando with the Kissimm ...
'', ''The Andy Griffith Show
''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American situation comedy television series that aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in color.
The ...
'', '' The Fugitive'', ''Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...
'', '' T.H.E. Cat'', ''Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O or Hawaii Five-0 may refer to:
* ''Hawaii Five-0'' (2010 TV series), an American action police procedural television series
* ''Hawaii Five-O'' (1968 TV series), an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productio ...
'', '' Starsky and Hutch'', ''The Dukes of Hazzard
''The Dukes of Hazzard'' is an American action comedy TV series that was aired on CBS from January 26, 1979 to February 8, 1985. The show aired for 147 episodes spanning seven seasons. It was consistently among the top-rated television series ...
'', ''Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A ...
'', and in the miniseries ''War and Remembrance
''War and Remembrance'' is a novel by Herman Wouk, published in October 1978 as the sequel to Wouk's ''The Winds of War'' (1971). ''The Winds of War'' covers the period 1939 to 1941, and ''War and Remembrance'' continues the story of the extended ...
''. Armstrong had a recurring role in the second season of ''Millennium
A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting point (ini ...
'' as a reclusive visionary known only as the Old Man. In the late 1980s, he played the demonic recurring character "Uncle Lewis Vendredi" in the Canadian horror series '' Friday the 13th: The Series''.
While working on ''The Westerner'' in 1960, Armstrong met the up-and-coming writer/director Sam Peckinpah
David Samuel Peckinpah (; February 21, 1925 – December 28, 1984) was an American film director and screenwriter. His 1969 Western epic ''The Wild Bunch'' received an Academy Award nomination and was ranked No. 80 on the American Film Institute ...
. The two men immediately struck up a friendship. Peckinpah recognized Armstrong's inner turmoil regarding the religious beliefs of his family and utilized that to brilliant effect in his films. Armstrong would almost always play a slightly unhinged fundamentalist Christian in Peckinpah's films, usually wielding a Bible in one hand and a shotgun in the other. This character archetype appeared in ''Ride the High Country
''Ride the High Country'' (released internationally as ''Guns in the Afternoon'') is a 1962 American CinemaScope Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring Randolph Scott, Joel McCrea, and Mariette Hartley. The supporting cast includ ...
'' (1962), ''Major Dundee
''Major Dundee'' is a 1965 American Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring Charlton Heston, Richard Harris, Jim Hutton, and James Coburn. Written by Harry Julian Fink, the film is about a Union cavalry officer who leads a content ...
'' (1965), and perhaps most memorably in ''Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid
''Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid'' is a 1973 American Revisionist Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah, written by Rudy Wurlitzer, and starring James Coburn, Kris Kristofferson, Richard Jaeckel, Katy Jurado, Chill Wills, Barry Sullivan, Jason ...
'' (1973). However, Armstrong also appeared in ''The Ballad of Cable Hogue
''The Ballad of Cable Hogue'' is a 1970 American Technicolor Western comedy film directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring Jason Robards, Stella Stevens and David Warner. Set in the Arizona desert during a period when the frontier was closing, t ...
'' (1970), playing a more likeable character.
Even outside of Peckinpah's work, Armstrong became a tier-one character actor in his own right, appearing in dozens of films over his career, playing both villains and sympathetic characters. Some of his more memorable roles outside of Peckinpah's films include a sympathetic rancher in ''El Dorado
El Dorado (, ; Spanish for "the golden"), originally ''El Hombre Dorado'' ("The Golden Man") or ''El Rey Dorado'' ("The Golden King"), was the term used by the Spanish in the 16th century to describe a mythical tribal chief (''zipa'') or king o ...
'' (1966), Cap'n Dan in ''The Great White Hope
''The Great White Hope'' is a 1967 play written by Howard Sackler, later adapted in 1970 for a film of the same name.
The play was first produced by Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. and debuted on Broadway at the Alvin Theatre in October 1968, ...
'' (1970), outlaw Clell Miller
Clell Miller (1849 or 1850 – September 7, 1876) (also known as Cleland D. Miller or Clenand Miller or McClelland Miller) was an outlaw with the James-Younger Gang who was killed during the gang's robbery at Northfield, Minnesota.
Miller was ...
in ''The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid
''The Great Northfield, Minnesota Raid'' is a 1972 American Western film about the James-Younger Gang distributed by Universal Pictures. It was written and directed by Philip Kaufman in a cinéma vérité style and starring Cliff Robertson. Th ...
'' (1972), a bumbling outlaw in ''My Name is Nobody
''My Name Is Nobody'' ( it, Il mio nome è Nessuno) is a 1973 Italian/French/German international co-production comedy Spaghetti Western starring Terence Hill and Henry Fonda. The film was directed by Tonino Valerii and based on an idea by Ser ...
'' (1973), a secret Satanic cultist sheriff in ''Race with the Devil
''Race with the Devil'' is a 1975 American action horror film directed by Jack Starrett, written by Wes Bishop and Lee Frost, and starring Peter Fonda, Warren Oates, Loretta Swit, and Lara Parker. This was the second of three films Fonda and ...
'' (1975), ''The Car
''The Car'' is a 1977 American horror film directed by Elliot Silverstein and written by Michael Butler, Dennis Shryack and Lane Slate. The film stars James Brolin, Kathleen Lloyd, John Marley and Ronny Cox, along with real-life sisters Kim ...
'' (1977), as well as '' Children of the Corn'' (1984), ''Red Headed Stranger
''Red Headed Stranger'' is the 18th studio album by American outlaw country singer Willie Nelson, released in 1975. Following the success of his recordings with Atlantic Records, coupled with the negotiating skills of his manager, Neil Reshen, ...
'' (1986) with Willie Nelson, and as General Phillips in ''Predator
Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...
'' (1987). He appeared in several of Warren Beatty
Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker, whose career spans over six decades. He was nominated for 15 Academy Awards, including four for Best Actor, four for Best Picture, two for Best Director, ...
's films, including '' Heaven Can Wait'' (1978), ''Reds
Reds may refer to:
General
* Red (political adjective), supporters of Communism or socialism
* Reds (January Uprising), a faction of the Polish insurrectionists during the January Uprising in 1863
* USSR (or, to a lesser extent, China) during th ...
'' (1981), and as the character Pruneface
Pruneface is a fictional character in the long-running comic strip '' Dick Tracy'', drawn by cartoonist Chester Gould. He is one of the series' main villains and notable for his wrinkly face despite being a young man.
Fictional character biog ...
in ''Dick Tracy
''Dick Tracy'' is an American comic strip featuring Dick Tracy (originally Plainclothes Tracy), a tough and intelligent police detective created by Chester Gould. It made its debut on Sunday, October 4, 1931, in the ''Detroit Mirror'', and it ...
'' (1990).
He semi-retired from films and television in the late 1990s, but he continued to be active in off-Broadway theater in New York and Los Angeles, until finally retiring from acting in 2005 because of near-blindness due to cataracts.
In 1991, Armstrong gained critical praise for his portrayal of the title character
The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piece. The title of ...
in the music video for "Enter Sandman
"Enter Sandman" is a song by American heavy metal band Metallica. It is the opening track and lead single from their self-titled fifth album, released in 1991. The music was written by Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich. Vocalist a ...
" from heavy metal band Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
.
Personal life and death
Armstrong was married three times: his first wife was Ann Neale, with whom he had four children; he was then married to Susan Guthrie until 1976; he was married to his third wife, Mary Craven, until her death in 2003. Armstrong died of natural causes at the age of 95 on July 27, 2012, at his home in Studio City
Studio City is a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California, in the southeast San Fernando Valley, just west of the Cahuenga Pass. It is named after the studio lot that was established in the area by film producer Mack Sennett in 1927, ...
, California.[
]
Selected filmography
* ''Garden of Eden
In Abrahamic religions, the Garden of Eden ( he, גַּן־עֵדֶן, ) or Garden of God (, and גַן־אֱלֹהִים ''gan-Elohim''), also called the Terrestrial Paradise, is the Bible, biblical paradise described in Book of Genesis, Genes ...
'' (1954) as J. Randolph Latimore
* ''Baby Doll
''Baby Doll'' is a 1956 American dramatic black comedy film directed by Elia Kazan, and starring Carroll Baker, Karl Malden, and Eli Wallach. It was produced by Kazan and Tennessee Williams, and adapted by Williams from his own one-act play '' ...
'' (1956) as Townsman Sid (voice, uncredited)
* '' A Face in the Crowd'' (1957) as TV Prompter Operator (uncredited)
* ''From Hell to Texas
''From Hell to Texas'' is a 1958 American Western film directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Don Murray and Diane Varsi.
Plot
Ruthless cattle baron Hunter Boyd orders his riders to capture a former ranch-hand, Tod Lohman, suspected of murder ...
'' (1958) as Hunter Boyd
* ''Never Love a Stranger
''Never Love A Stranger'' is a 1958 crime and gangster film that is based on Harold Robbins' 1948 debut novel with the same title. The film was shot in black and white starring John Drew Barrymore and Robert Bray, and featuring a young Steve McQ ...
'' (1958) as Flix
* ''No Name on the Bullet
''No Name on the Bullet'' is a 1959 American CinemaScope Western film directed by Jack Arnold, and starring Audie Murphy, Charles Drake, and Joan Evans. It is one of a handful of pictures in that genre directed by Arnold, better known for hi ...
'' (1959) as Asa Canfield
* ''The Fugitive Kind
''The Fugitive Kind'' is a 1960 American drama film starring Marlon Brando, Anna Magnani, and Joanne Woodward, directed by Sidney Lumet. The screenplay by Meade Roberts and Tennessee Williams was based on the latter's 1957 play ''Orpheus Des ...
'' (1960) as Sheriff Jordan Talbott
* '' Ten Who Dared'' (1960) as Oramel Howland
* ''Ride the High Country
''Ride the High Country'' (released internationally as ''Guns in the Afternoon'') is a 1962 American CinemaScope Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring Randolph Scott, Joel McCrea, and Mariette Hartley. The supporting cast includ ...
'' (1962) as Joshua Knudsen
* ''He Rides Tall
''He Rides Tall'' is a 1964 American Western film directed by R. G. Springsteen and written by Charles Irwin and Robert Creighton Williams. The film stars Tony Young, Dan Duryea, Jo Morrow, Madlyn Rhue, R. G. Armstrong, and Joel Fluellen. The ...
'' (1964) as Joshua 'Josh' McCloud
* ''Major Dundee
''Major Dundee'' is a 1965 American Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring Charlton Heston, Richard Harris, Jim Hutton, and James Coburn. Written by Harry Julian Fink, the film is about a Union cavalry officer who leads a content ...
'' (1965) as Reverend Dahlstrom
* ''El Dorado
El Dorado (, ; Spanish for "the golden"), originally ''El Hombre Dorado'' ("The Golden Man") or ''El Rey Dorado'' ("The Golden King"), was the term used by the Spanish in the 16th century to describe a mythical tribal chief (''zipa'') or king o ...
'' (1967) as Kevin MacDonald
* ''80 Steps to Jonah
''80 Steps to Jonah'' is a 1969 American drama film directed by Gerd Oswald, written by Frederick Louis Fox, and starring Wayne Newton, Jo Van Fleet, Keenan Wynn, Diana Ewing, Mickey Rooney and Sal Mineo. It was released by Warner Bros. in Dece ...
'' (1969) as Mackray
* '' Tiger by the Tail'' (1970) as Ben Holmes
* ''The Ballad of Cable Hogue
''The Ballad of Cable Hogue'' is a 1970 American Technicolor Western comedy film directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring Jason Robards, Stella Stevens and David Warner. Set in the Arizona desert during a period when the frontier was closing, t ...
'' (1970) as Quittner
* ''Angels Die Hard
''Angels Die Hard'' is a 1970 biker film directed by Richard Compton and starring Tom Baker and William Smith. It is the first film distributed by New World Pictures; half its budget was provided by Roger Corman.
The film—which was written in t ...
'' (1970) as Mel
* ''The McMasters
''The McMasters'' is a 1970 American Western film directed by Alf Kjellin and starring Burl Ives, Brock Peters, David Carradine and Nancy Kwan.
Producer Monroe Sachson had made ''The Incident'' with Brock Peters and the two were looking aroun ...
'' (1970) as Watson
* ''The Great White Hope
''The Great White Hope'' is a 1967 play written by Howard Sackler, later adapted in 1970 for a film of the same name.
The play was first produced by Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. and debuted on Broadway at the Alvin Theatre in October 1968, ...
'' (1970) as Cap'n Dan
* ''J. W. Coop
''J. W. Coop'' is a 1972 American Western film set in the world of the modern American rodeo circuit. It stars and was directed by Cliff Robertson who also co-produced and co-scripted the film. Featuring footage from actual rodeo events, it was ...
'' (1971) as Jim Sawyer
* ''Justin Morgan Had a Horse'' (1972) as Squire Fisk
* ''The Final Comedown
''The Final Comedown'' is a 1972 blaxploitation drama film written, produced and directed by Oscar Williams and starring Billy Dee Williams and D'Urville Martin. The film is an examination of racism in the United States and depicts a shootout bet ...
'' (1972) as Mr. Freeman
* '' The Great Northfield, Minnesota Raid'' (1972) as Clell Miller
* ''The Legend of Hillbilly John'' (1972) as Bristowe
* ''Gentle Savage'' (1973) as Rupert Beeker - Owner of 'Beeker's Bar'
* ''Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid
''Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid'' is a 1973 American Revisionist Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah, written by Rudy Wurlitzer, and starring James Coburn, Kris Kristofferson, Richard Jaeckel, Katy Jurado, Chill Wills, Barry Sullivan, Jason ...
'' (1973) as Ollinger
* '' White Lightning'' (1973) as Big Bear
* ''Running Wild'' (1973) as Bull
* ''My Name is Nobody
''My Name Is Nobody'' ( it, Il mio nome è Nessuno) is a 1973 Italian/French/German international co-production comedy Spaghetti Western starring Terence Hill and Henry Fonda. The film was directed by Tonino Valerii and based on an idea by Ser ...
'' (1973) as Honest John
* ''Cotter'' (1973) as Jack
* ''Boss Nigger
''Boss Nigger'' (also known as simply ''Boss'' and ''The Black Bounty Killer'') is a 1975 blaxploitation Western film directed by Jack Arnold, and stars former football player Fred Williamson, who both wrote and co-produced. ''Boss Nigger'' i ...
'' (1975) as Mayor Griffin
* ''Race with the Devil
''Race with the Devil'' is a 1975 American action horror film directed by Jack Starrett, written by Wes Bishop and Lee Frost, and starring Peter Fonda, Warren Oates, Loretta Swit, and Lara Parker. This was the second of three films Fonda and ...
'' (1975) as Sheriff Taylor
* '' White Line Fever'' (1975) as Prosecutor
* ''Mean Johnny Barrows
''Mean Johnny Barrows'' is a 1976 American crime drama film starring Fred Williamson, who also directed the film; Stuart Whitman; Luther Adler; Jenny Sherman; and Roddy McDowall also star.
Plot
Johnny Barrows (played by Fred "The Hammer" Wil ...
'' (1976) as Richard
* ''Stay Hungry
''Stay Hungry'' is a 1976 American comedy-drama film by director Bob Rafelson from a screenplay by Charles Gaines (adapted from his 1972 novel of the same name).
The story centers on a younscionfrom Birmingham, Alabama, played by Jeff Bridges, ...
'' (1976) as Thor Erickson
* ''Dixie Dynamite
''Dixie Dynamite'' is a 1976 American film directed by Lee Frost that stars Warren Oates. Steve McQueen appears uncredited in a scene as a motorbike driver.
Plot
A man who makes liquor illegally from a still is in cahoots with the sheriff, who ...
'' (1976) as Charlie White - Bank President
* ''Mr. Billion
''Mr. Billion'' is a 1977 action comedy/action-adventure film directed by Jonathan Kaplan. It is notable as the Hollywood debut of Terence Hill. It's also the last film of actor William Redfield, who died before its release.
Plot
After billion ...
'' (1977) as Sheriff T.C. Bishop
* ''The Car
''The Car'' is a 1977 American horror film directed by Elliot Silverstein and written by Michael Butler, Dennis Shryack and Lane Slate. The film stars James Brolin, Kathleen Lloyd, John Marley and Ronny Cox, along with real-life sisters Kim ...
'' (1977) as Amos
* '' The Pack'' (1977) as Cobb
* ''Texas Detour'' (1978) as Sheriff Burt
* '' Heaven Can Wait'' (1978) as General Manager
* '' Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell'' (1978) as Dunworth
* ''The Time Machine
''The Time Machine'' is a science fiction novella by H. G. Wells, published in 1895. The work is generally credited with the popularization of the concept of time travel by using a vehicle or device to travel purposely and selectively for ...
'' (1978) as Gen. Harris
* ''Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff
''Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff'' is a 1979 American drama film directed by Marvin J. Chomsky. The screenplay by Polly Platt is based on the 1970 novel of the same title by William Inge. Inge wrote two novels, both set in the fictional town of Freedom, ...
'' (1979) as Mr. Hemmings
* '' Fast Charlie... the Moonbeam Rider'' (1979) as Al Barber
* ''Steel
Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
'' (1979) as Kellin
* ''Where the Buffalo Roam
''Where the Buffalo Roam'' is a 1980 American semi-biographical comedy film which loosely depicts author Hunter S. Thompson's rise to fame in the 1970s and his relationship with Chicano attorney and activist Oscar "Zeta" Acosta. The film was p ...
'' (1980) as Judge Simpson
* ''Evilspeak
''Evilspeak'' is a 1981 American horror film directed by Eric Weston and co-written by Weston and Joseph Garofalo. The film stars Clint Howard as an outcast cadet named Stanley Coopersmith, who frequently gets tormented by his mates and advisers ...
'' (1981) as Sarge
* ''Raggedy Man
''Raggedy Man'' is a 1981 American drama film based on William D. Wittliff and Sara Clark's 1979 novel, and directed by Jack Fisk. It follows a divorced mother and telephone switchboard operator living with her two sons in a small town during Wo ...
'' (1981) as Rigby
* ''The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper
''The Pursuit of D. B. Cooper'' is a 1981 American crime thriller film about infamous aircraft hijacker D. B. Cooper, who escaped with $200,000 after leaping from the back of a Boeing 727 airliner on November 24, 1971. The bulk of the film fiction ...
'' (1981) as Dempsey
* ''Reds
Reds may refer to:
General
* Red (political adjective), supporters of Communism or socialism
* Reds (January Uprising), a faction of the Polish insurrectionists during the January Uprising in 1863
* USSR (or, to a lesser extent, China) during th ...
'' (1981) as Government Agent
* ''The Beast Within
''The Beast Within'' is a 1982 American horror film directed by Philippe Mora and starring Ronny Cox, Bibi Besch, Paul Clemens, L. Q. Jones, Don Gordon, R. G. Armstrong, Logan Ramsey, Katherine Moffat, and Meshach Taylor.
''The Beast With ...
'' (1982) as Doc Schoonmaker
* '' Hammett'' (1982) as Lt. O'Mara
* '' The Shadow Riders'' (1982) as Sheriff Miles Gillette
* ''Lone Wolf McQuade
''Lone Wolf McQuade'' is a 1983 American Western film directed by Steve Carver and starring Chuck Norris, David Carradine, Barbara Carrera, L.Q. Jones, R.G. Armstrong, Leon Isaac Kennedy and Robert Beltran.
Plot
J.J. McQuade (Norris) is a f ...
'' (1983) as T. Tyler
* '' Children of the Corn'' (1984) as Diehl
* '' The Best of Times'' (1986) as Schutte
* ''Red Headed Stranger
''Red Headed Stranger'' is the 18th studio album by American outlaw country singer Willie Nelson, released in 1975. Following the success of his recordings with Atlantic Records, coupled with the negotiating skills of his manager, Neil Reshen, ...
'' (1986) as Sheriff Reese Scoby - Driscoll, Montana
* '' Jocks'' (1987) as Coach Bettlebom
* ''Predator
Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...
'' (1987) as Gen. Phillips
* ''Bulletproof
Bulletproofing is the process of making an object capable of stopping a bullet or similar high velocity projectiles (e.g. shrapnel). The term bullet resistance is often preferred because few, if any, practical materials provide complete protectio ...
'' (1988) as Miles Blackburn
* ''Ghetto Blaster'' (1989) as Curtis
* ''Trapper County War'' (1989) as Pop Luddigger
* ''Dick Tracy
''Dick Tracy'' is an American comic strip featuring Dick Tracy (originally Plainclothes Tracy), a tough and intelligent police detective created by Chester Gould. It made its debut on Sunday, October 4, 1931, in the ''Detroit Mirror'', and it ...
'' (1990) as Pruneface
* '' Warlock: The Armageddon'' (1993) as Franks
* ''Dead Center'' (1993) as Art Fencer
* ''Payback
Payback may refer to:
* Revenge, a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance
Payback may also refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media Fictional entities
* Payback, a member of the fictional comics superhero team Shadow ...
'' (1995) as Mac
* ''Invasion of Privacy
The right to privacy is an element of various legal traditions that intends to restrain governmental and private actions that threaten the privacy of individuals. Over 150 national constitutions mention the right to privacy. On 10 December 194 ...
'' (1996) as Sam Logan - Storekeeper
* ''Purgatory
Purgatory (, borrowed into English via Anglo-Norman and Old French) is, according to the belief of some Christian denominations (mostly Catholic), an intermediate state after physical death for expiatory purification. The process of purgatory ...
'' (1999) as Coachman
* ''The Waking'' (2001) as Edward Sloan (final film role)
Selected television
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
*
Robert G. Armstrong
at the University of Wisconsin
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
'
Actors Studio audio collection
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Armstrong, R.G.
1917 births
2012 deaths
American male film actors
American male stage actors
Male Western (genre) film actors
American male television actors
Male actors from Birmingham, Alabama
Male actors from Los Angeles
Samford University alumni
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni
20th-century American male actors
People from Pleasant Grove, Alabama
People from Studio City, Los Angeles
Western (genre) television actors
Hueytown High School alumni