Robert Marion Gist (October 1, 1917 – May 21, 1998) was an American

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lit ...

and

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, pr ...

Life and career

Gist was reared around the stockyards of

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...

, during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

. Reform school-bound after injuring another boy in a fistfight, Gist instead ended up at Chicago's

Hull House Hull House was a settlement house in Chicago, Illinois, United States that was co-founded in 1889 by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr. Located on the Near West Side of the city, Hull House (named after the original house's first owner Ch ...

, a settlement house originally established by social worker

Jane Addams Laura Jane Addams (September 6, 1860 May 21, 1935) was an American Settlement movement, settlement activist, Social reform, reformer, social worker, sociologist, public administrator, and author. She was an important leader in the history of s ...

. There he first became interested in acting. Work in Chicago radio was followed by stage acting roles in Chicago and on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

(in the long-running '' Harvey'' with

Josephine Hull Marie Josephine Hull (née Sherwood; January 3, 1877 – March 12, 1957) was an American stage and film actress who also was a director of plays. She had a successful 50-year career on stage while taking some of her better known roles to film. Sh ...

). While acting in ''Harvey'', he made his motion picture debut in

20th Century-Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

's Christmas classic ''

Miracle on 34th Street ''Miracle on 34th Street'' (initially released as ''The Big Heart'' in the United Kingdom) is a 1947 American Christmas comedy-drama film released by 20th Century Fox, written and directed by George Seaton and based on a story by Valentine Davi ...

'' (1947). Gist was also seen on Broadway in director

Charles Laughton Charles Laughton (1 July 1899 – 15 December 1962) was a British actor. He was trained in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and first appeared professionally on the stage in 1926. In 1927, he was cast in a play with his future ...

's ''

The Caine Mutiny Court Martial ''The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial'' is a two-act play, of the courtroom drama type, that was dramatized for the stage by Herman Wouk, which he adapted from his own 1951 novel, ''The Caine Mutiny''. Wouk's novel covered a long stretch of time ab ...

'' (1954) with

Henry Fonda Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor. He had a career that spanned five decades on Broadway and in Hollywood. He cultivated an everyman screen image in several films considered to be classics. Born and ra ...

and John Hodiak. While shooting '' Operation Petticoat'' (1959), Gist told director

Blake Edwards Blake Edwards (born William Blake Crump; July 26, 1922 – December 15, 2010) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Edwards began his career in the 1940s as an actor, but he soon began writing screenplays and radio s ...

that he was interested in directing. Edwards later hired Gist to helm episodes of the TV series ''

Peter Gunn ''Peter Gunn'' is an American private eye television series, starring Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn with Lola Albright as his girlfriend, Edie Hart. The series aired on NBC from September 22, 1958, to 1960 and on ABC in 1960–1961. The seri ...

''. Gist also directed episodes of TV shows '' Naked City'', ''

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, sup ...

'', '' Route 66'' and many others. Gist directed the world premiere of Edna St. Vincent Millay's ''Conversation at Midnight'', produced by Worley Thorne and Susan Davis, in November 1961, on stage, at the Coronet Theatre in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

. Playing only on the three "off-nights" the theatre was available, Monday through Wednesday, the production was received enthusiastically by critics and audiences, and the small 160-seat theatre was filled to capacity each night for six weeks. With that success, the production moved to the larger Civic Playhouse, where it ran for more than four more months. In the cast were

James Coburn James Harrison Coburn III (August 31, 1928 – November 18, 2002) was an American film and television actor who was featured in more than 70 films, largely action roles, and made 100 television appearances during a 45-year career.AllmoviBi ...

Jack Albertson Harold Albertson (June 16, 1907 – November 25, 1981), known professionally as Jack Albertson, was an American actor, comedian, dancer and singer who also performed in variety. Albertson was a Tony, Oscar, and Emmy winning actor. For his perfo ...

, Eduard Franz, Hal England,

Sandy Kenyon Sandy Kenyon (born Sanford Klein; August 5, 1922 – February 20, 2010) was an American actor of film and television. He appeared as a guest actor on numerous television series, including a recurring role on ''The Americans''. He was also the orig ...

, Frank DeKova and Bill Berger. Three years later, Gist directed another production of the piece on Broadway, at the Billy Rose Theatre, again produced by Thorne, in association with Davis, with some of the first cast. However, notably absent in key roles were James Coburn and Jack Albertson. The "play," a dramatic dialogue of ideas, delivered in various poetic forms, did not do well on Broadway and closed within the week.

Personal life

He was married to actress

Agnes Moorehead Agnes Robertson Moorehead (December 6, 1900April 30, 1974) was an American actress. In a career spanning four decades, her credits included work in radio, stage, film, and television.Obituary ''Variety'', May 8, 1974, page 286. Moorehead was th ...

from 1954 to 1958, although they separated in 1955. They met during the filming of ''

The Stratton Story ''The Stratton Story'' is a 1949 American biographical film directed by Sam Wood that tells the true story of Monty Stratton, a Major League Baseball pitcher who pitched for the Chicago White Sox from 1934 to 1938. The film is the first of three ...

'' (1949). In a 1970 interview with

David Frost Sir David Paradine Frost (7 April 1939 – 31 August 2013) was a British television host, journalist, comedian and writer. He rose to prominence during the satire boom in the United Kingdom when he was chosen to host the satirical programme ...

, Gist discussed his involvement with and commitment to Synanon.Joan Crawford on "The David Frost Show"
1970 FULL interview, see 30min mark

Filmography

* ''

'' (1947) - Department Store Window Dresser (uncredited) * '' Jigsaw'' (1949) - Tommy Quigley * ''

'' (1949) - Earnie * '' Scene of the Crime'' (1949) - P.J. Pontiac * '' Oh, You Beautiful Doll'' (1949) - Musician (uncredited) * '' A Dangerous Profession'' (1949) - Roy Collins, aka Max Gibney * '' Wabash Avenue'' (1950) - Sailor (uncredited) * ''

I Was a Shoplifter ''I Was a Shoplifter'' is a 1950 American film noir crime film directed by Charles Lamont and starring Scott Brady and Mona Freeman. Plot A shoplifter, Faye Burton, is being watched by Herb Klaxon, a security guard at a Los Angeles department st ...

'' (1950) - Barkie Neff * '' Love That Brute'' (1950) - Rookie Police Officer Wilson (uncredited) * '' The Jackpot'' (1950) - Pete Spooner * '' Strangers on a Train'' (1951) - Det. Leslie Hennessey * ''

One Minute to Zero ''One Minute to Zero'' is a 1952 American romantic war film starring Robert Mitchum and Ann Blyth, set during the opening phases of the Korean War, and produced by Howard Hughes as his last film as producer. Victor Young's score for the film incl ...

'' (1952) - Maj. Carter * '' Angel Face'' (1953) - Miller * '' The Band Wagon'' (1953) - Hal Benton * '' Ford Star Jubilee'' (1955, TV Series) - Lt. Thomas Keefer * '' D-Day the Sixth of June'' (1956) - Dan Stenick * ''

Ford Television Theatre ''General Motors Theatre'' (also known as ''CBC Theatre, Encounter, Ford Television Theatre,'' and ''General Motors Presents'') was a Canadian television anthology drama series of television plays, which ran on CBC Television under various titl ...

'' (1956, TV Series) - Rev. Wilkerson * '' Studio One'' (1957, TV Series) - Coley Davis * ''

The Phil Silvers Show ''The Phil Silvers Show'', originally titled ''You'll Never Get Rich'', is a sitcom which ran on CBS from 1955 to 1959. A pilot titled "Audition Show" was made in 1955, but it was never broadcast. 143 other episodes were broadcast – all half-a ...

'' (1957, TV Series) - Red Thompson * ''Flight'' (1957, TV Series) * '' The Walter Winchell File'' (1957, TV Series) - Lawton * '' The Walter Winchell File'' "The Boy From Mason City" (1957, TV Series) - Tony Romo * '' Richard Diamond, Private Detective'' (1958, TV Series) - Joe Quincy * ''Decision'' (1958, TV Series) - Dawes * '' The Naked and the Dead'' (1958) - Red * ''

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 chara ...

'' (1955-1958, TV Series) - Cam Speegle / Rourke / Rabb Briggs * ''

Wolf Larsen Seawolf, Sea wolf or Sea Wolves may refer to: Animals * Sea wolf, a wolf subspecies found in the Vancouver coastal islands * Seawolf (fish), a marine fish also known as wolffish or sea wolf * A nickname of the killer whale * South American sea ...

'' (1958) - Matthews * ''Goodyear Theatre'' (1959, TV Series) - Ben Moore * '' Black Saddle'' (1959, TV Series) - Milo Dawes * ''

Al Capone Alphonse Gabriel Capone (; January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947), sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface", was an American gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-founder and boss of the ...

'' (1959) -

Dean O'Banion Charles Dean O'Banion (July 8, 1892 – November 10, 1924) was an American mobster who was the main rival of Johnny Torrio and Al Capone during the brutal Chicago bootlegging wars of the 1920s. The newspapers of his day made him better known ...

* ''

The FBI Story ''The FBI Story'' is a 1959 American drama film starring James Stewart, and produced and directed by Mervyn LeRoy. The screenplay by Richard L. Breen and John Twist is based on a book by Don Whitehead. Plot John Michael ("Chip") Hardesty ( J ...

'' (1959) - Medicine Salesman * '' Lock Up'' (1959, TV Series) - Wayne Powell * ''

Johnny Ringo John Peters Ringo (May 3, 1850 – July 13, 1882), known as Johnny Ringo, was an American Old West outlaw loosely associated with the Cochise County Cowboys in frontier boomtown Tombstone, Arizona Territory. He took part in the Mason County ...

'' (1960, TV Series) - Virgil Kincaid * ''

Alcoa Theatre ''Alcoa Theatre'' is a half-hour American anthology series telecast on NBC at 9:30 pm on Monday nights from September 30, 1957 to May 23, 1960. The program also aired under the title ''Turn of Fate''. ''Alcoa Theatre'' was syndicated together ...

'' (1959, TV Series) - Walter Parker * '' Men into Space'' (1959, TV Series) - Capt. Dan Freer * '' Operation Petticoat'' (1959) - Lt. Watson * ''

Hawaiian Eye ''Hawaiian Eye'' is an American detective television series that ran from October 1959 to April 1963 on the ABC television network. Premise Private investigator Tracy Steele ( Anthony Eisley) and his half-Hawaiian partner, Tom Lopaka ( Robert ...

'' (1960, TV Series) - Barney Mitchell * ''

The DuPont Show with June Allyson ''The DuPont Show with June Allyson'' (also known as ''The June Allyson Show'') is an American anthology drama series which aired on CBS from September 21, 1959, to April 3, 1961, with rebroadcasts continuing until June 12, 1961. The series wa ...

'' (1960, TV Series) - Lennie Vale * '' The Untouchables'' (1960, TV Series) - Fred 'Caddy' Croner * ''

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American old-time radio and television anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program ...

'' (1960, TV Series) - Aaron Taggert * '' Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater'' (1960, TV Series) * ''

General Electric Theater ''General Electric Theater'' was an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations. Radio After an audition show ...

'' (1960, TV Series) - Committee Chairman * ''

Hennesey ''Hennesey'' is an American military comedy-drama television series that aired on CBS from 1959 to 1962, starring Jackie Cooper and Abby Dalton. Cooper played a United States Navy physician, Lt. Charles W. "Chick" Hennesey, with Abby Dalt ...

'' (1960, with

Jackie Cooper John Cooper Jr. (September 15, 1922 – May 3, 2011) was an American actor, television director, producer, and executive, known universally as Jackie Cooper. He was a child actor who made the transition to an adult career. Cooper was the first ...

, recurring role, TV Series) - Dr. Owen King * '' Perry Mason'' (1960, TV Series) - Deputy D.A. Claude Drumm * '' Hotel de Paree'' (1960) - Zack * ''

Pony Express The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders. It operated from April 3, 1860, to October 26, 1861, between Missouri and California. It was operated by the Central Overland California and Pike ...

'' (1960, TV Series) - Slater * ''

Sea Hunt ''Sea Hunt'' is an American action adventure television series that aired in syndication from 1958 to 1961 and was popular for decades afterwards. The series originally aired for four seasons, with 155 episodes produced. It stars Lloyd Bridges a ...

'' (1960) - Captain Olsen * '' Blueprint for Robbery'' (1961) - Chips McGann * ''

The Aquanauts ''The Aquanauts'' (later known as ''Malibu Run'') is an American adventure/drama series that aired on CBS in the 1960–1961 season. The series stars Keith Larsen, Jeremy Slate and Ron Ely, who later replaced Larsen on midseason. Synopsis The ...

'' (1960, TV Series) - Darrell Willoughby * ''

The Americans ''The Americans'' is an American period spy drama television series created by Joe Weisberg that aired on the FX television network for six seasons from January 30, 2013, to May 30, 2018. Weisberg and Joel Fields also serve as showrunners a ...

'' (1961, TV Series) - Gen. Charles P. Stone * ''

The Law and Mr. Jones ''The Law and Mr. Jones'' is an American legal drama series starring James Whitmore. The series aired on ABC in two nonconsecutive seasons from October 7, 1960 to June 2, 1961, and again from April 19 to July 12, 1962. The program was created and ...

'' (1961, TV Series) - District Attorney Tom Starkowski * ''

'' (1958-1961, TV Series) - Cesar Carlyle / Miles Spence / Jason Willows * '' The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor'' (1962, TV Series) - Tully * '' Rawhide'' (1959-1962, TV Series) - Harleck / Sheriff Ed Stockton / Sheriff * '' Have Gun - Will Travel'' (1958-1962, TV Series) - Gavin O'Shea / Sheriff Ernie Backwater / Ike Brennan / Matt Baker / Ben Tyler * ''

Jack the Giant Killer "Jack the Giant Killer" is a Cornish fairy tale and legend about a young adult who slays a number of bad giants during King Arthur's reign. The tale is characterised by violence, gore and blood-letting. Giants are prominent in Cornish folklor ...

'' (1962) - Scottish Captain * ''

Vacation Playhouse ''Vacation Playhouse'' is an American anthology television series that was broadcast during the summer months on CBS from July 22, 1963, to August 21, 1967. Premise ''Vacation Playhouse'' premiered on July 22, 1963, on CBS. The show aired as a ...

'' (1965, TV Series) - Ben Moore * '' An American Dream'' (1966) * '' Nichols'' (1971, TV Series) - Gulley (final appearance)

Teaching

Robert Gist was appointed Head of the School of Arts at the Darling Downs Institute of Advanced Education (DDIAE) now the University of Southern Queensland,

Toowoomba Toowoomba ( , nicknamed 'The Garden City' and 'T-Bar') is a city in the Toowoomba Region of the Darling Downs, Queensland, Australia. It is west of Queensland's capital city Brisbane by road. The urban population of Toowoomba as of the 2021 ...

, Australia from the beginning of 1973 to the end of 1975. Also, during the 1960s, he made himself into a Hollywood acting coach, forming one of the actors' workshops of that time. In 1964, he used its members—who he named "The Group"—to perform several evenings of Carl Sandburg's poetry. The event was titled ''The People Yes''.

Students

* Philip Barter Cameraman/artist * Neville Tranter, Australian actor/puppeteer * Bernd Ullrich, German artist * Lenore Robbins ee Lee Australian dancer and choreographer. Contemporary dancer who, following a brief but highly successful performance career, has influenced a generation of young dancers through a succession of regional dance schools in

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gist, Robert 1917 births 1998 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American film directors American male television actors American television directors Male actors from Los Angeles Male actors from Miami Joan Crawford FULL Interview (January 16th, 1970) / https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2865131750218048