Robert Brubaker (October 9, 1916 – April 15, 2010) was an American character actor best known for his roles in

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

and movie

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 ...

, including '' Gunsmoke'' and ''

40 Guns to Apache Pass ''40 Guns to Apache Pass'' is a 1967 American Western film directed by William Witney and starring Audie Murphy. Plot In the Arizona Territory of 1868, the Apaches, led by Cochise (Michael Keep), are on the warpath. Army Captain Bruce Coburn (A ...

''.

Early years

Brubaker was born in

Robinson, Illinois Robinson is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Illinois, United States. The population was 7,713 at the 2010 census, up from 6,822 in 2000. Geography Robinson is in the center of Crawford County at . Illinois Route 33 passes thro ...

, on October 9, 1916, the son of George Brubaker. His interest in acting developed when he was a student at Robinson Township High School. He dropped out of

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

after two years and went to New York.

Military service

During World War II, Brubaker was an aircraft commander in the U.S. Army Air Force. Later, he served during the

Berlin Airlift The Berlin Blockade (24 June 1948 – 12 May 1949) was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War. During the multinational occupation of post–World War II Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway, roa ...

, and in the Korean War he was a part of the Strategic Air Command.

Career

Brubaker debuted as a professional actor in ''Oh Say Can You Sing, Dance or Act'' (1936), a production of the Federal Theatre Project. While he worked at radio station

KMPC KMPC (1540 AM, "Radio Korea", 라디오코리아) is a commercial radio station in Los Angeles, California. It is owned by P&Y Broadcasting Corporation. Radio Korea is a division of the Radio Korea Media Group. The station airs Korean– ...

, Brubaker caught the attention of an executive of Paramount Pictures, and his film debut came in a bit part in ''Blonde Alibi'' (1946). Brubaker portrayed a deputy in the syndicated television series ''

U.S. Marshal The United States Marshals Service (USMS) is a federal law enforcement agency in the United States. The USMS is a bureau within the U.S. Department of Justice, operating under the direction of the Attorney General, but serves as the enforce ...

''. He was the only actor to have two recurring roles on the television series, ''Gunsmoke'', portraying both a

bartender A bartender (also known as a barkeep, barman, barmaid, or a mixologist) is a person who formulates and serves alcoholic or soft drink beverages behind the bar, usually in a licensed establishment as well as in restaurants and nightclubs, but ...

named Floyd and a stagecoach driver named Jim Buck (often uncredited). Some of Brubaker's other credits included the Rock Hudson film, '' Seconds'', and television crime dramas ''

The Walter Winchell File ''The Walter Winchell File'' is a television crime drama series that initially aired from 1957 to 1958, dramatizing cases from the New York City Police Department that were covered in the ''New York Daily Mirror''. The series featured columnist an ...

'' and ''

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 ...

'', and the television police drama ''

The Asphalt Jungle ''The Asphalt Jungle'' is a 1950 American film noir heist film directed by John Huston. Based on the 1949 novel of the same name by W. R. Burnett, it tells the story of a jewel robbery in a Midwestern city. The film stars Sterling Hayden and L ...

''.

Later years

After he left acting, Brubaker worked for Forest Lawn Cemetery as a director in the training department. When he retired from that job, he moved to

Lake Elsinore Lake Elsinore is a natural freshwater lake in Riverside County, California, located east of the Santa Ana Mountains and fed by the San Jacinto River. Originally named ''Laguna Grande'' by Spanish explorers, it was renamed for the town of Elsino ...

, California.

Death

Brubaker died on April 15, 2010, at the age of 93. He was buried at

Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale Forest Lawn Memorial Park is a privately owned cemetery in Glendale, California. It is the original and current flagship location of Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks & Mortuaries, a chain of six cemeteries and four additional mortuaries in Southern Cal ...

, in Southern California.

Partial filmography

* ''

Blonde Alibi ''Blonde Alibi'' is a 1946 American black-and-white noir thriller directed by Will Jason and starring Tom Neal, Martha O'Driscoll, Donald MacBride, and Peter Whitney. Cast *Tom Neal as Rick Lavery *Martha O'Driscoll as Marian Gale *Donald MacB ...

'' (1946) – Pedestrian (uncredited) * ''

The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell ''The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell'' is a 1955 American CinemaScope war film directed by Otto Preminger, and starring Gary Cooper and co-starring Charles Bickford, Ralph Bellamy, Rod Steiger, and Elizabeth Montgomery in her film debut. The fil ...

'' (1955) – Major H.H. Arnold * ''

Pardners ''Pardners'' is a 1956 American comedy western film starring the comedy team of Martin and Lewis. It was released on July 25, 1956 by Paramount Pictures. A western spoof directed by Norman Taurog, this was the penultimate film of the 16 screen c ...

'' (1956) – Businessman (uncredited) * ''

The Girl He Left Behind ''The Girl He Left Behind'' is a 1956 American romantic comedy film starring Tab Hunter and Natalie Wood. The supporting cast includes Jim Backus, Alan King, James Garner, and David Janssen. The film was written by Guy Trosper and directed by ...

'' (1956) – Colonel Thomas Murphy (uncredited) * ''

Written on the Wind ''Written on the Wind'' is a 1956 American Southern Gothic melodrama film directed by Douglas Sirk and starring Rock Hudson, Lauren Bacall, Robert Stack, and Dorothy Malone. It follows the dysfunctional family members of a Texas oil dynasty, ...

'' (1956) – Hotel Manager (uncredited) * ''The Book of Acts Series'' (1957) – Simon Peter * ''

'' – "Act of Folly" – (1957) – Beckman * '' Battle Hymn'' (1957) – Briefing Officer (uncredited) * ''

Mister Cory ''Mister Cory'' is a 1957 American CinemaScope film noir directed by Blake Edwards and starring Tony Curtis, Martha Hyer, Charles Bickford and Kathryn Grant. Plot Cory, a poor Chicago kid with a penchant for gambling, gets a job at a posh Wisc ...

'' (1957) – Card Player (uncredited) * '' Man of a Thousand Faces'' (1957) – Jack Conway, Director of 'Unholy Three' (uncredited) * '' My Man Godfrey'' (1957) – Man with Monkey * '' The Female Animal'' (1958) – Bartender (uncredited) * '' The Gift of Love'' (1958) – State Trooper (uncredited) * ''

Official Detective ''Official Detective'' is an American anthology television series which aired in syndication from 1957 to March 19, 1958. The series was hosted by veteran film actor Everett Sloane.McNeil, Alex (1996). ''Total Television'' (4th ed.). New York: P ...

'' – "Tinseled Alibi" – (1958) – Snyder * ''

'' – "Portrait of A Cop" (1958) – Janis * ''The Heart Is a Rebel'' (1958) – Dr. Chambers * ''

The Walking Target ''The Walking Target'' is a 1960 crime film directed by Edward L. Cahn and starring Joan Evans, Merry Anders, and Ronald Foster. The screenplay concerns an ex-con who, upon release from prison, sets out to retrieve the $260,000 he hid before h ...

'' (1960) – Brenner (uncredited) * ''

Moon Pilot ''Moon Pilot'' is a 1962 American Technicolor science fiction comedy film from Walt Disney Productions, released through Buena Vista Distribution, directed by James Neilson, and starring Tom Tryon, Brian Keith, Edmond O'Brien, Dany Saval, and ...

'' (1962) – Space Flight Technician (uncredited) * ''

Seven Days in May ''Seven Days in May'' is a 1964 American political thriller film about a military-political cabal's planned takeover of the United States government in reaction to the president's negotiation of a disarmament treaty with the Soviet Union. The ...

'' (1964) – Gen. Diefenbach (uncredited) * ''

Apache Rifles ''Apache Rifles'' is a 1964 American Western film directed by William Witney and starring Audie Murphy. The film was shot at Bronson Canyon and Red Rock Canyon State Park, California. It was the first of four Audie Murphy films for producer Gra ...

'' (1964) – Sgt. Cobb * '' Mirage'' (1965) – Bar Patron (uncredited) * ''

'' (1966) – Sergeant Walker * '' Seconds'' (1966) – Mayberry * ''

Airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surfa ...

'' (1970) – Dr. Nash (uncredited) * '' The Brotherhood of the Bell'' (1970) – Bell Operative (uncredited) * '' The Bus Is Coming'' (1971) – Chief Jackson * ''

The Sting ''The Sting'' is a 1973 American caper film set in September 1936, involving a complicated plot by two professional grifters (Paul Newman and Robert Redford) to con a mob boss ( Robert Shaw).'' Variety'' film review; December 12, 1973, pag ...

'' (1973) – Bill Clayton from Pittsburgh (uncredited) (TV)”Dragnet. 1970. Father of drug addict.

References

External links

*
Boot Hill: R.I.P. Robert Brubaker
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brubaker, Robert 1916 births 2010 deaths American male film actors American male television actors Male Western (genre) film actors People from Robinson, Illinois Male actors from Illinois 20th-century American male actors United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II United States Army Air Forces officers United States Air Force officers United States Air Force personnel of the Korean War Military personnel from Illinois Federal Theatre Project people