Robert Lansing | WatchedThis
Robert Lansing
Acting
Biography
Robert Lansing (June 5, 1928 - October 23, 1994) was an American stage, film and television actor. Born in San Diego, California as Robert Howell Brown, he reportedly took his acting surname from the state capital of Michigan. As a young actor in New York City, he was hired to join a stock company in Michigan but was told he would first have to join Actors Equity Association. Equity would not allow him to join as "Robert Brown" since there was already another actor using that name. Since the stock company was based in Lansing, this became the actor's new surname. In the 1961–1962 television season, Lansing appeared as Detective Steve Carella on NBC's 87th Precinct series based on the Ed McBain detective novels. His costars were Gena Rowlands, Ron Harper, Gregory Walcott, and Norman Fell. In 1961, he played the outlaw Frank Dalton in a two-part episode of NBC's The Outlaws with Barton MacLane. On film, Lansing starred in the late-1950s sci-fi film 4D Man (which included a young Patty Duke). Other notable television roles include portrayals of an alcoholic college professor in ABC's drama Channing, as General George Custer on Chuck Connors's NBC series Branded, as Gil Green in the 1963 episode "Fear Begins at Forty" on the NBC medical drama The Eleventh Hour, in a 1965 episode of I Spy, 1965 Gunsmoke as a bounty hunter, as a parole officer in a 1968 episode (A Time To Love - A Time To Cry) of The Mod Squad and as intergalactic secret agent Gary Seven in a 1968 episode "Assignment: Earth" on Star Trek. He appeared as General Frank Savage on Twelve O'Clock High, as an international secret agent in The Man Who Never Was, as Lt. Jack Curtis on Automan and as Control on The Equalizer. He made a notable appearance on The Twilight Zone episode "The Long Morrow". His final role was that of "Paul Blaisdell" on Kung Fu: The Legend Continues.
Filmography Movies
Acting
4D Man
Two brothers, scientists Scott and Tony Nelson, develop an amplifier which enables a person to enter a 4th dimensional state, allowing him to pass through any object. Scott experiments on himself and discovers that each time he passes through something he ages rapidly. He begins killing people, sucking out their life energies and regaining his youth as a result.
Empire of the Ants
A Florida real estate developer and her captain lure investors to a property in the Everglades called Dreamland Shores, under false pretenses that the swampland will soon be developed. After the group arrives on a small island, they find it has been overrun by giant mutated ants, brought on by the dumping of toxic waste in the area.
The Pusher
A detective investigating the murder of a heroin addict discovers that there is a connection between the junkie and his fiance, who is his boss' daughter.
Namu, the Killer Whale
Based on the amazing true story of a marine biologist (Robert Lansing) who befriends a six-ton Orcawhale, this "honest, fascinating and vigorously wholesome film" (Citizen-News) is heartwarming fun for the whole family. Like all close pals, Hank (Lansing) and Namu love spending time together. Whether sharing a morning swim or soaking up the afternoon sun, these two are virtually inseparable. Trouble is, the local fishermen mistakenly think that Namu is a threat. Racing against time, Hank must enlist the help of a young widow and her daughter to save Namu and prove that he's a gentle giant!
The Nest
Horrifying shocker as a biological experiment goes haywire when meat-eating mutant roaches invade an island community, terrorizing a peaceful New England fishing village and hideously butchering its citizens.
The Grissom Gang
Violent crime caper set in 1930s Kansas in which a gang kidnap an heiress and attempt to recover a ransom. However, the scheme is jeopardised when the leader falls in love with their beautiful captive.
A Gathering of Eagles
A B-52 commander must prepare his men to pass a grueling inspection.
Island Claws
A biological experiment in Florida goes awry. The result: 8-foot long land crabs which roar loudly and kill everything in sight.
False Face
A psychopathic plastic surgeon transforms a young accident victim into the spitting image of his missing daughter.
The Astronaut
An elaborate deception emerges when an American astronaut is lost on a mission to Mars. Space agency officials fearful of losing public support and government funding decide to cover up the accident by employing an exact double for the lost astronaut. The ruse begins to unravel when the wife of the lost astronaut realizes she is living with a different man. Although angered by the deception, the woman has fallen in love with the replacement and plans to keep the secret. They both have a change of heart and decide to reveal the secret when they discover a new Mars mission is underway.
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