Robert Ivers, also known as Bob Ivers, (December 11, 1934 – February 13, 2003) was an American actor who appeared in films and television in the 1950s and 1960s.

Background

Ivers was born in

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...

. He attended

Tucson High School Tucson High Magnet School , commonly referred to as THMS, THS, or Tucson High, is a public high school in Tucson, Arizona. It is part of the Tucson Unified School District with magnet programs in Technology, Visual Arts, and Performing Arts. Th ...

between 1950 and 1953. He was then was offered scholarships to the

Pasadena Playhouse The Pasadena Playhouse is a historic performing arts venue located 39 S. El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California, United States. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engage ...

and the

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory. T ...

. After short time at Pasadena, where the curriculum wouldn't allow him to appear on stage until his second year, he transferred to the University of Arizona where he began appearing in roles during his first year. During this time he had a number of uncredited roles in films such as ''

Broken Lance ''Broken Lance'' is a 1954 American Western film directed by Edward Dmytryk and produced by Sol C. Siegel. The film stars Spencer Tracy, Robert Wagner, Jean Peters, Richard Widmark, and Katy Jurado. Shot in Technicolor and CinemaScope, the fil ...

'' in 1954 and ''

Violent Saturday ''Violent Saturday'' is a 1955 American film noir crime film directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Victor Mature, Richard Egan and Stephen McNally. Set in a mining town, Bradenville, Arizona, the film depicts the planning of a bank rob ...

'' in 1955, before finally being signed by

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

in 1956 after he was seen performing the lead role in the play '' Tea and Sympathy''.

Film and television career

Ivers played a major role in the 1957 film ''

The Delicate Delinquent ''The Delicate Delinquent'' is an American VistaVision comedy film starring Jerry Lewis, released on June 6, 1957 by Paramount Pictures. It was the first film to star Lewis without his longtime partner Dean Martin and marked Lewis' debut as a pro ...

'', in which he co-starred with

Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian. As his contributions to comedy and charity made him a global figure in popular culture, pop culture ...

. In 1957 he also starred in ''

Short Cut to Hell ''Short Cut to Hell'' is a 1957 American film noir, filmed in black-and-white VistaVision, starring Robert Ivers and Georgann Johnson.. The film is the only directorial effort by famous actor James Cagney. ''Short Cut to Hell'' is a remake of ...

'', the only film directed by

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor, dancer and film director. On stage and in film, Cagney was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He ...

. He also co-starred in 1960 with

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

in ''

G.I. Blues ''G.I. Blues'' is a 1960 American musical comedy film directed by Norman Taurog and starring Elvis Presley and Juliet Prowse. The movie was filmed at Paramount Pictures studio, with some pre-production scenery shot on location in Germany before Pr ...

'' as 'Cookie', one of Elvis's army buddies stationed with him on base overseas. It was Presley's first film after coming home from the army. He appeared in a number of

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...

in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including the syndicated

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 ...

, ''

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 Pik ...

''. The timing of the program coincided with the 1960

centennial {{other uses, Centennial (disambiguation), Centenary (disambiguation) A centennial, or centenary in British English, is a 100th anniversary or otherwise relates to a century, a period of 100 years. Notable events Notable centennial events at a ...

of the

. Ivers also appeared on

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 ...

's '' The Fugitive'' starring

David Janssen David Janssen (born David Harold Meyer) (March 27, 1931February 13, 1980) was an American film and television actor who is best known for his starring role as Richard Kimble in the television series '' The Fugitive'' (1963–1967). Janssen also ...

and the war series, ''

Twelve O'clock High ''Twelve O'Clock High'' is a 1949 American war film about aircrews in the United States Army's Eighth Air Force, who flew daylight bombing missions against Germany and Occupied France during the early days of American involvement in World War II ...

''. He guest starred too on episodes of '' The Virginian'', ''

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 ...

'', ''

The Untouchables Untouchables or The Untouchables may refer to: American history * Untouchables (law enforcement), a 1930s American law enforcement unit led by Eliot Ness * ''The Untouchables'' (book), an autobiography by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley * ''The U ...

'', and ''

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 ...

''. Ivers was disappointed that his acting career stalled by the middle 1960s and told the ''

Yakima Herald-Republic The ''Yakima Herald-Republic'' is a newspaper published in Yakima, Washington, and distributed throughout Yakima, Kittitas and Klickitat counties as well as northwest Benton County. It is Washington state's seventh-largest daily newspaper. The ne ...

'' in 1978 that he would have enjoyed the excitement of the

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

scene and often contemplated what might have been. In 1965, he launched a career in television news at

KPHO KPHO-TV (channel 5) is a television station in Phoenix, Arizona, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is owned by Gray Television alongside independent station KTVK (channel 3) and low-power LATV affiliate KPHE-LD (channel 44). KPHO-TV an ...

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

, followed by WJIM in

Lansing Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, makin ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

, and then (in 1970) KTHI-TV in Fargo,

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...

. After moving to his home state of

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

in 1972 he became a mainstay of KAPP, Channel 35 in

Yakima Yakima ( or ) is a city in and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, and the state's 11th-largest city by population. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 96,968 and a metropolitan population of 256,728. The uninco ...

, where he anchored newscasts and hosted a Saturday morning children's program, the weekday "Morning Moneyman Movie" and the station's annual participation in the

Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon The ''MDA Labor Day Telethon'' was an annual telethon held on (starting the night before and throughout) Labor Day in the United States to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). The Muscular Dystrophy Association was founded in ...

. After leaving KAPP, Ivers had a stint as newscaster at competing Yakima station

KNDO KNDO (channel 23) is a television station in Yakima, Washington, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by the Spokane-based Cowles Company as part of the KHQ Television Group. KNDO's studios are located on West Yakima Avenue in downtow ...

. He then began his own advertising agency in Yakima and hosted a small syndicated radio show in central Washington which provided factual trivia about films and actors along with reviews.

Personal life

Ivers married Lenore Roberts in 1961 but the marriage was annulled later that year. On 7 September 1961 he married actress

Marcia Henderson Marcia Anne Prestlien (née Henderson; July 22, 1929 – November 23, 1987) was an American actress. She made her Broadway debut as Wendy in the musical ''Peter Pan'' (1950), for which she won a Theatre World Award. Henderson also appeared in fi ...

. They had two daughters, Alenda and Mallory. Marcia died 23 November 1987 of

lupus Lupus, technically known as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue in many parts of the body. Symptoms vary among people and may be mild to severe. Comm ...

. Mallory, who was married to Steve Cangialosi, died 19 October 2005. Ivers died on February 13, 2003, at the age of 68 in Yakima, Washington.

Awards

In August 2003 Ivers was voted Elvis Fans' Choice Award for "Best Male Duo" as best Elvis movie sidekick during the Elvis Week festivities held annually in Memphis, Tennessee."Elvis Fans' Favorite Sidekick".

September 18, 2003

Filmography

Film *''

'' (1954) - Cowboy Working Cattle (uncredited) *'' Ten Wanted Men'' (1955) *''

'' (1955) - Caddy, at Country Club (uncredited) *'' A Kiss Before Dying'' (1956) - Student at Murder Scene (uncredited) *''

'' (1957) - Monk *''

'' (1957) - Kyle Niles *''

I Married a Monster from Outer Space ''I Married a Monster from Outer Space'' is a 1958 American horror science fiction film from Paramount Pictures, produced and directed by Gene Fowler Jr., that stars Tom Tryon and Gloria Talbott. Paramount released the film as a double feature w ...

'' (1958) - Harry Phillips *''

'' (1960) - Cookie *''

The Errand Boy ''The Errand Boy'' is a 1961 American comedy film directed by, co-written by and starring Jerry Lewis. Plot Paramutual Pictures decide that they need a spy to find out the inner workings of their studio. Morty S. Tashman, (the 'S' stands for 's ...

'' (1961) - Young NY Director Who Argues with T.P. *'' Cattle King'' (1963) - Webb Carter *''

The Young and The Brave ''The Young and The Brave'' (also known by the working title ''Attong'') is a feature film released in 1963 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer which depicts the quality of bravery of a group of prisoners of war that escaped North Korean capture, their youthfu ...

'' (1963) - Pvt. Kirk Wilson *'' The Patsy'' (1964) - Boy at Spring Hop (uncredited) *''

Town Tamer ''Town Tamer'' is a 1965 American Western film directed by Lesley Selander, written by Frank Gruber, and starring Dana Andrews, Terry Moore, Pat O'Brien, Lon Chaney Jr., Bruce Cabot, Lyle Bettger and Richard Arlen. It was released on July 7, ...

'' (1965) - Cowboy Television *''

'' (1959) - Johnny Asper *''

'' (1959) - Herman Barker *''

77 Sunset Strip ''77 Sunset Strip'' is an American television Private investigator#PIs in fiction, private detective drama series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Roger Smith (actor), Roger Smith, Richard Long (actor), Richard Long (fr ...

'' (1959-1962) - Danny Belmont / Nevin Williams *''

Tombstone Territory ''Tombstone Territory'' is an American Western series starring Pat Conway and Richard Eastham. The series' first two seasons aired on ABC from 1957 to 1959. The first season was sponsored by Bristol-Myers (consumer products) and the second seaso ...

'' (1960) - Eddie Casper *''Not For Hire'' (1960) *''

'' (1960) - Clarence McGroo / McGroo *'' Hawaiian Eye'' (1960-1961) - Harvey Cross / Bobby Kramer *''

'' (1960-1961) - Charley Boy / Yaqui Kid *''

Frontier Circus ''Frontier Circus'' is an American Western television series about a traveling circus roaming the American West in the 1880s. Filmed by Revue Productions, the program originally aired on CBS from October 5, 1961 until September 6, 1962. Overview T ...

'' (1962) - Sandy MacNeil *'' Bachelor Father'' (1962) - Joby *'' The Virginian'' (1964) - Vance Clayton *'' Mister Roberts'' (1966) - Kearney / Bob, a seaman *'' The Fugitive'' (1966) - Dave *''

The F.B.I. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

'' (1966) - First Special Agent *''

Twelve O'Clock High ''Twelve O'Clock High'' is a 1949 American war film about aircrews in the United States Army's Eighth Air Force, who flew daylight bombing missions against Germany and Occupied France during the early days of American involvement in World War II ...

'' (1966) - Reporter / B-17 Pilot (final appearance)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ivers, Robert 1934 births 2003 deaths Male actors from Seattle Tucson High School alumni