The Dale Robertson Centennial

Born 100 years ago today, Dale Robertson (1923-2013), an actor primarily known for his association with tv westerns.

In fact, Robertson may have starred in more TV westerns than any other actor. I’m tempted to call him the Poor Man’s James Arness, though Robertson was the better looking dude (not that that cuts any ice with western fans. I mean western fans dig Richard Boone, ya know? On the other hand, Robertson got to date April March.) Robertson’s shows were Tales of Wells Fargo (1957-62), in which he portrayed Wells Fargo agent Jim Hardie; followed by Iron Horse (1966-68), in which he played a gambler who won a railroad in a poker game; then he became the fourth host (after Stanley Andrews, Ronald Reagan, and Robert Taylor) of Death Valley Days (1969-70). He was also in several modern shows with contemporary westerns settings. He played the title role on J.J. Starbuck (1986), which was set in Texas, and had recurring roles on Dynasty (1981), Dallas (1982-83), and Harts of the West (1993-94).

Robertson was a genuine cowboy from Oklahoma, as well as a medal-winning World War Two hero. He began to pursue an acting career in the late 1940s. I’ve had occasion to mention a couple of his early film appearances on Travalanche in the past, Fighting Man of the Plains (1950), in which he played Jesse James; and Golden Girl (1951), the Lola Montez bio-pic, in which he played the fictional love interest. Other films he starred or co-starred in included the 1952 remake of The Outcasts of Poker Flat, Sitting Bull (1954), and Son of Sinbad (1955), and dozens of others.

In the mid ’90s Robertson retired from screen acting and moved back to Oklahoma, where he lived on a horse ranch. He also hosted a syndicated radio show called Little Known Facts that played on over 400 local stations.