Robert Laman Webber (October 14, 1924 – May 19, 1989) was an American actor. He established himself as a reliable supporting player in a screen career that spanned nearly 50 years, with a “sleek appearance and clenched-jaw look which made him believable as the elegant businessman of sleazy character.” Notable roles include Juror No. 12 in 12 Angry Men (1957) and Brigadier General James Denton in The Dirty Dozen (1967).
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Early life
Robert Laman (sometimes spelled Lamar) Webber was born in Santa Ana, California in 1924. His father, also named Robert Webber, was a merchant seaman. He graduated from Oakland Technical High School and Compton College.
Military service
Webber enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1943 during World War II, serving in the 1st Marine Amphibious Corps and later in the 6th Marine Division as a 776-Radio Operator (Low Speed) in Guam and Okinawa. He was discharged in 1945 as a private first class, and he was awarded the Navy Combat Action Ribbon, the Navy Presidential Unit Citation, the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal.
Career
Theatre
After his military discharge, Webber hitchhiked to New York City to become an actor. He spent two seasons in summer stock before making his Broadway stage debut in Two Blind Mice, starring Melvyn Douglas. Webber then appeared in The Royal Family, Orpheus Descending, A Loss of Roses, and Period of Adjustment.
Film
Webber made his film debut as a gangster in Highway 301 (1950).
On screen, Webber had a 40-year career as a character actor, during which he appeared as Juror No. 12 in 12 Angry Men (1957), as Dudley Moore's gay lyricist in 10 (1979), and the father of Cybill Shepherd's character in the hit series Moonlighting.
Other notable turns were in the movies The Nun and the Sergeant (1962), in which he played the lead; The Sandpiper (1965), in which he played a supporting role as Elizabeth Taylor's character's former lover; a killer in the spy spoof The Silencers (1966); a sadistic lowlife in the neo-noir Harper (1966); The Dirty Dozen (1967); and a hitman in Sam Peckinpah's Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974). Other notable movies include The Great White Hope (1970), Midway (1976), Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978), Private Benjamin (1980), S.O.B. (1981), and Wild Geese II (1985).
He was an frequent collaborator of director Blake Edwards.
Television
On television, Webber appeared in many of the popular dramas of the time, including Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Mannix, Kojak,The Outer Limits, The Virginian, The Fugitive, Ben Casey, Route 66, I Spy, The Rifleman, Mission: Impossible, S.W.A.T., and Ironside.
He appeared in four episodes of Cannon: the 1971 episode "The Nowhere Man" as McMillan, the 1972 episode "That Was No Lady" as Clay Spencer," the 1973 episode "Memo from a Dead Man" as Barney Shaw, and the 1974 episode "A Voice from the Grave" as the Hitman.
Webber appeared in four episodes of The Rockford Files: the January 1975 episode "Aura Lee, Farewell" as Senator Evan Murdock, the October 1975 episode "The Deep Blue Sleep" as Bob Coleman, the 1976 episode "The Oracle Wore a Cashmere Suit" as Roman Clementi and the episode "Never Send a Boy King to Do a Man's Job" as Harold Jack Coombs.
Webber guest-starred on three episodes of Barnaby Jones: the October 1975 episode “The Price of Terror” as businessman Maxwell Strager and the 1978 two-part episode “Final Judgment” as Gene Gates.
Personal life
Webber married twice, once to actress Miranda Jones.
Death
Webber died from ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) on May 19, 1989 in Malibu, California; he was age 64.
