Robert Hudson Walker
Encyclopedia
Robert Hudson Walker was an American actor. He is probably best known for his role as Bruno Anthony in Alfred Hitchcock's
1951 thriller Strangers on a Train
.
, to Zella (née McQuarrie) and Horace Walker, he was the youngest of four sons. Emotionally scarred by his parents' divorce when he was still a child, he subsequently developed an interest in acting which led his maternal aunt Hortense (McQuarrie) Odlum
(the president of Bonwit Teller
) to offer to pay for his enrollment at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts
in New York City in 1937. Walker lived in her home during his first year in the city.
. After a brief courtship, the couple were married in Tulsa, Oklahoma
on January 2, 1939 and moved to Hollywood
to find work in films but their prospects proved to be meager and they soon returned to New York.
Walker found work in radio while Phylis stayed home and gave birth to two sons in quick succession, actor Robert Walker, Jr. (born April 15, 1940) and Michael Walker (March 13, 1941 – December 27, 2007). Phylis then returned to auditioning where her luck changed when she was discovered in 1941 by producer David O. Selznick
, who changed her name to Jennifer Jones and groomed her for stardom. During their initial meetings Selznick was highly attracted to Jones and they quietly began an affair.
The couple returned to Hollywood, and Selznick's connections helped Walker secure a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
, where he started work on the war drama Bataan (1943). Walker's charming demeanor and boyish good looks caught on with audiences, and he worked steadily playing "boy-next-door"
roles in films such as See Here, Private Hargrove
(1944) and Her Highness and the Bellboy
(1945). He also appeared in Selznick's Since You Went Away
(1944) in which he and his wife portrayed doomed young lovers. By that time Selznick and Jones' affair was common knowledge, and Jones and Walker separated in November 1943, in the midst of production. The filming of their love scenes was torturous as Selznick insisted that Walker perform take after take of each love scene with Jones. She filed for divorce in April 1945.
That year, Walker starred in the film The Clock
opposite Judy Garland
in her first straight dramatic film. Although Walker continued to work steadily in Hollywood, he was distraught over the divorce and was soon prone to drinking, emotional outbursts and eventually, a nervous breakdown
.
In 1946, Walker starred in Till the Clouds Roll By
, where he played the song writer Jerome Kern
. He starred as composer Johannes Brahms
in Song of Love
(1947), which co-starred Katharine Hepburn
and Paul Henreid. In 1948, Walker starred with Ava Gardner
in the film One Touch of Venus
, directed by William A. Seiter
. The film was a non-musical comedy adapted from a Broadway
show with music by Kurt Weill
. He married Barbara Ford, the daughter of director John Ford
, in July 1948, but the marriage lasted only five months.
He spent time at the Menninger Clinic
in 1949 where he was treated for a psychiatric disorder.
Following his discharge from the clinic, he was cast by acclaimed director Alfred Hitchcock
for Strangers on a Train
(1951). His performance as the psychopathic Bruno Anthony was highly lauded and considered to be his finest role. His emotional problems largely behind him, and his career on an upswing, Walker spent the summer with his sons, and was considering the possibility of remarrying.
His final film role was in the title role of anti-Communist film, My Son John (1952). Walker died before production finished, and so angles from his death scene in Strangers were spliced into a similar melodramatic dying near end of the film.
, who arrived and administered amobarbital
(a barbiturate) to him in an effort to calm him down. Since he had been drinking prior to his emotional outburst, he suffered a severe reaction to the drug because it had a synergistic effect with the alcohol which was already in his system. As a result, he passed out and stopped breathing, and all efforts to resuscitate him failed. Walker was 32 years old.
Walker was buried at Washington Heights Memorial Park in Ogden, Utah
.
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
1951 thriller Strangers on a Train
Strangers on a Train (film)
Strangers on a Train is an American psychological thriller film produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and based on the 1950 novel of the same name by Patricia Highsmith. It was shot in the autumn of 1950 and released by Warner Bros. on June 30, 1951. The film stars Farley Granger, Ruth Roman,...
.
Early life
Born in Salt Lake City, UtahSalt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
, to Zella (née McQuarrie) and Horace Walker, he was the youngest of four sons. Emotionally scarred by his parents' divorce when he was still a child, he subsequently developed an interest in acting which led his maternal aunt Hortense (McQuarrie) Odlum
Hortense Odlum
Hortense McQuarrie Odlum was the first woman president of Bonwit Teller Department Store in New York City and the wife of financier Floyd Odlum....
(the president of Bonwit Teller
Bonwit Teller
Bonwit Teller was a department store in New York City founded by Paul Bonwit in 1895 at Sixth Avenue and 18th Street. In 1897 Edmund D. Teller was admitted to the partnership and the store moved to 23rd Street, East of Sixth Avenue...
) to offer to pay for his enrollment at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts
American Academy of Dramatic Arts
The American Academy of Dramatic Arts is a fully accredited two-year conservatory with facilities located in Manhattan, New York City – at 120 Madison Avenue, in a landmark building designed by noted architect Stanford White as the original Colony Club – and in Hollywood, California...
in New York City in 1937. Walker lived in her home during his first year in the city.
Career and personal life
While attending American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Walker met fellow aspiring actress Phylis Isley, who later took the stage name Jennifer JonesJennifer Jones
Phylis Lee Isley , better known by her stage name Jennifer Jones, was an American actress. A five-time Academy Award nominee, Jones won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in The Song of Bernadette .-Early life:Jones was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the daughter of Flora Mae and...
. After a brief courtship, the couple were married in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
on January 2, 1939 and moved to Hollywood
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
to find work in films but their prospects proved to be meager and they soon returned to New York.
Walker found work in radio while Phylis stayed home and gave birth to two sons in quick succession, actor Robert Walker, Jr. (born April 15, 1940) and Michael Walker (March 13, 1941 – December 27, 2007). Phylis then returned to auditioning where her luck changed when she was discovered in 1941 by producer David O. Selznick
David O. Selznick
David O. Selznick was an American film producer. He is best known for having produced Gone with the Wind and Rebecca , both of which earned him an Oscar for Best Picture.-Early years:...
, who changed her name to Jennifer Jones and groomed her for stardom. During their initial meetings Selznick was highly attracted to Jones and they quietly began an affair.
The couple returned to Hollywood, and Selznick's connections helped Walker secure a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
, where he started work on the war drama Bataan (1943). Walker's charming demeanor and boyish good looks caught on with audiences, and he worked steadily playing "boy-next-door"
Boy next door
The boy next door is an archetype of storytelling. He is often invoked in Western contexts to indicate wholesome, unassuming, or "average" masculinity. He is a young man with a sweet, shy demeanor who is just discovering his physical and spiritual strengths. The boy next door maintains his innocent...
roles in films such as See Here, Private Hargrove
See Here Private Hargrove
See Here, Private Hargrove is a book by journalist Marion Hargrove about the author's experiences in becoming a soldier in the U.S. Army during World War II. The light-hearted book was a hit with readers, and spent 15 weeks atop the New York Times best seller list...
(1944) and Her Highness and the Bellboy
Her Highness and the Bellboy
Her Highness and the Bellboy is a 1945 film starring Hedy Lamarr and Robert Walker.- Plot synopsis :In a fictional European country, a beautiful princess meets a handsome American reporter and falls in love with him. On a trip to New York, she hopes to find him again. While staying at one of the...
(1945). He also appeared in Selznick's Since You Went Away
Since You Went Away
Since You Went Away is a 1944 film distributed by United Artists, a big-budget epic about the American home front during World War II. It was directed by John Cromwell and adapted and produced by David O. Selznick from the novel Since You Went Away: Letters to a Soldier from His Wife by Margaret...
(1944) in which he and his wife portrayed doomed young lovers. By that time Selznick and Jones' affair was common knowledge, and Jones and Walker separated in November 1943, in the midst of production. The filming of their love scenes was torturous as Selznick insisted that Walker perform take after take of each love scene with Jones. She filed for divorce in April 1945.
That year, Walker starred in the film The Clock
The Clock (film)
The Clock is a 1945 film starring Judy Garland and Robert Walker and directed by Garland's future husband, Vincente Minnelli. This was Garland's first dramatic role as well as her first starring vehicle in which she did not sing.-Plot:...
opposite Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
in her first straight dramatic film. Although Walker continued to work steadily in Hollywood, he was distraught over the divorce and was soon prone to drinking, emotional outbursts and eventually, a nervous breakdown
Nervous breakdown
Mental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...
.
In 1946, Walker starred in Till the Clouds Roll By
Till the Clouds Roll By
Till The Clouds Roll By is a 1946 American musical film made by MGM. The film is a fictionalized biography of composer Jerome Kern, who was originally involved with the production of the film, but died before it was completed...
, where he played the song writer Jerome Kern
Jerome Kern
Jerome David Kern was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in over 100 stage works, including such classics as "Ol' Man River", "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man", "A...
. He starred as composer Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
in Song of Love
Song of Love (film)
Song of Love is a biopic starring Katharine Hepburn, Paul Henreid, Robert Walker, and Leo G. Carroll, directed by Clarence Brown and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer....
(1947), which co-starred Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Houghton Hepburn was an American actress of film, stage, and television. In a career that spanned 62 years as a leading lady, she was best known for playing strong-willed, sophisticated women in both dramas and comedies...
and Paul Henreid. In 1948, Walker starred with Ava Gardner
Ava Gardner
Ava Lavinia Gardner was an American actress.She was signed to a contract by MGM Studios in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew attention with her performance in The Killers . She became one of Hollywood's leading actresses, considered one of the most beautiful women of her day...
in the film One Touch of Venus
One Touch of Venus (film)
One Touch of Venus is a film directed by William A. Seiter, starring Robert Walker and Ava Gardner, released by Universal Studios, and based on the Broadway musical of the same name, book written by S. J. Perelman and Ogden Nash, with music composed by Kurt Weill...
, directed by William A. Seiter
William A. Seiter
William A. Seiter was an American film director. He was born in New York City. After attending Hudson River Military Academy, Seiter broke into films in 1915 as a bit player at Mack Sennett's Keystone Studios, doubling a cowboy...
. The film was a non-musical comedy adapted from a Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
show with music by Kurt Weill
Kurt Weill
Kurt Julian Weill was a German-Jewish composer, active from the 1920s, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fruitful collaborations with Bertolt Brecht...
. He married Barbara Ford, the daughter of director John Ford
John Ford
John Ford was an American film director. He was famous for both his westerns such as Stagecoach, The Searchers, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and adaptations of such classic 20th-century American novels as The Grapes of Wrath...
, in July 1948, but the marriage lasted only five months.
He spent time at the Menninger Clinic
Menninger Foundation
The Menninger Foundation was founded in 1919 by the Menninger family in Topeka, Kansas, and consists of a clinic, a sanatorium, and a school of psychiatry, all of which bear the Menninger name. In 2003, the Menninger Clinic moved to Houston. The foundation was started by Drs. Karl, Will, and...
in 1949 where he was treated for a psychiatric disorder.
Following his discharge from the clinic, he was cast by acclaimed director Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
for Strangers on a Train
Strangers on a Train (film)
Strangers on a Train is an American psychological thriller film produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and based on the 1950 novel of the same name by Patricia Highsmith. It was shot in the autumn of 1950 and released by Warner Bros. on June 30, 1951. The film stars Farley Granger, Ruth Roman,...
(1951). His performance as the psychopathic Bruno Anthony was highly lauded and considered to be his finest role. His emotional problems largely behind him, and his career on an upswing, Walker spent the summer with his sons, and was considering the possibility of remarrying.
His final film role was in the title role of anti-Communist film, My Son John (1952). Walker died before production finished, and so angles from his death scene in Strangers were spliced into a similar melodramatic dying near end of the film.
Death
On the night of August 28, 1951, Walker's housekeeper found him in an emotional state. She called his psychiatristPsychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
, who arrived and administered amobarbital
Amobarbital
Amobarbital is a drug that is a barbiturate derivative. It has sedative-hypnotic and analgesic properties. It is a white crystalline powder with no odor and a slightly bitter taste. It was first synthesized in Germany in 1923...
(a barbiturate) to him in an effort to calm him down. Since he had been drinking prior to his emotional outburst, he suffered a severe reaction to the drug because it had a synergistic effect with the alcohol which was already in his system. As a result, he passed out and stopped breathing, and all efforts to resuscitate him failed. Walker was 32 years old.
Walker was buried at Washington Heights Memorial Park in Ogden, Utah
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | Winter Carnival | Wes | Uncredited |
| 1939 | These Glamour Girls | College Boy | Uncredited |
| 1939 | Dancing Co-Ed | Boy | Uncredited Alternative title: Every Other Inch a Lady |
| 1943 | Bataan | Leonard Purckett | |
| 1943 | Madame Curie Madame Curie (film) Madame Curie is a 1943 biographical film made by MGM. It was directed by Mervyn LeRoy and produced by Sidney Franklin from a screenplay by Paul Osborn, Paul H. Rameau, and Aldous Huxley , adapted from the biography by Eve Curie.... |
David Le Gros | |
| 1944 | See Here, Private Hargrove | Private Marion Hargrove | |
| 1944 | Since You Went Away Since You Went Away Since You Went Away is a 1944 film distributed by United Artists, a big-budget epic about the American home front during World War II. It was directed by John Cromwell and adapted and produced by David O. Selznick from the novel Since You Went Away: Letters to a Soldier from His Wife by Margaret... |
Corporal William G. "Bill" Smollett II | |
| 1944 | Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo Thirty Seconds over Tokyo Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo is a 1944 MGM war film. It is based on the true story of America's first retaliatory air strike against Japan four months after the December 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The movie was directed by Mervyn LeRoy and produced by Sam Zimbalist. The screenplay by... |
David Thatcher (Crew of the Ruptured Duck) | |
| 1945 | Corporal Joe Allen | Alternative title: Under the Clock | |
| 1945 | Her Highness and the Bellboy Her Highness and the Bellboy Her Highness and the Bellboy is a 1945 film starring Hedy Lamarr and Robert Walker.- Plot synopsis :In a fictional European country, a beautiful princess meets a handsome American reporter and falls in love with him. On a trip to New York, she hopes to find him again. While staying at one of the... |
Jimmy Dobson | |
| 1945 | What Next, Corporal Hargrove? | Corporal Marion Hargrove | |
| 1945 | John Hill | ||
| 1946 | Till the Clouds Roll By Till the Clouds Roll By Till The Clouds Roll By is a 1946 American musical film made by MGM. The film is a fictionalized biography of composer Jerome Kern, who was originally involved with the production of the film, but died before it was completed... |
Jerome Kern | |
| 1947 | Colonel Jeff Nixon | ||
| 1947 | Brock Brewton | ||
| 1947 | Song of Love Song of Love (film) Song of Love is a biopic starring Katharine Hepburn, Paul Henreid, Robert Walker, and Leo G. Carroll, directed by Clarence Brown and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.... |
Johannes Brahms | |
| 1948 | One Touch of Venus One Touch of Venus (film) One Touch of Venus is a film directed by William A. Seiter, starring Robert Walker and Ava Gardner, released by Universal Studios, and based on the Broadway musical of the same name, book written by S. J. Perelman and Ogden Nash, with music composed by Kurt Weill... |
Eddie Hatch | |
| 1950 | Please Believe Me Please Believe Me Please Believe Me is a 1950 romantic comedy film directed by Norman Taurog, and starring Deborah Kerr, Robert Walker, Mark Stevens and Peter Lawford.-Plot:... |
Terence Keath | |
| 1950 | Commander William J. Lattimer | ||
| 1951 | Vengeance Valley Vengeance Valley Vengeance Valley is a Western film starring Burt Lancaster, based on the novel by Luke Short. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer failed to renew the copyright on this film in 1978, so it is now in the public domain in the United States.-Plot:... |
Lee Strobie | |
| 1951 | Strangers on a Train Strangers on a Train (film) Strangers on a Train is an American psychological thriller film produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and based on the 1950 novel of the same name by Patricia Highsmith. It was shot in the autumn of 1950 and released by Warner Bros. on June 30, 1951. The film stars Farley Granger, Ruth Roman,... |
Bruno Anthony | |
| 1952 | My Son John | John Jefferson |