Robert Clarke American actor Date of Birth: 01.03.1920 Country: USA

Biography of Robert Irby Clarke

Robert Irby Clarke was an American actor, best known for his roles in cult classic science fiction films of the 1950s. He was born on June 1, 1920, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA. As a young boy who loved movies, Clarke decided at an early age that he would become an actor. However, he had to overcome stage fright when he appeared in his first school production in front of an audience.

Clarke attended the Kemper Military School, planning to pursue a career in the military, but his asthma prevented him from doing so. After World War II, Robert enrolled at the University of Oklahoma, where he participated in radio plays. He then attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he further explored his passion for acting. Although he did not obtain a higher education degree, he hitchhiked to California in hopes of breaking into the film industry.

After auditions with the film companies '20th Century-Fox' and 'Columbia Pictures', Clarke became a contract player for the American company 'RKO' after three years. He landed his first role in the drama film "The Falcon in Hollywood" in 1944, directed by Gordon Douglas. Following his time with 'RKO', the actor worked as a freelancer and in the late 1950s, he appeared in numerous classic science fiction films, including the horror film "The Man from Planet X" (1951), where Clarke portrayed John Lawrence, and the western "Captain John Smith and Pocahontas" (1953), directed by Lew Landers.

Adding to his cult filmography are his roles in Jerry Warren's "The Incredible Petrified World" (1957) with John Carradine, Ronald V. Ashcroft's horror film "The Astounding She-Monster" about bandits and a seductive alien, and the science fiction film "From the Earth to the Moon" (1959) in which he provided voice-over work. In the horror film "The Hideous Sun Demon," Clarke not only played the lead role of scientist Gilbert McKenna transforming into a lizard-like creature, but also served as one of the directors, producers, and screenwriters. In his biography, Robert mentioned that he made "The Hideous Sun Demon" for less than $50,000, with $500 of it going towards the rubber reptile suit he wore in the film.

Clarke was married to Alice King, a member of the vocal quartet 'King Sisters', from 1956 to 1996, until her passing. The couple had a son named Cameron Arthur 'Cam' Clarke, who would later become a voice actor. Robert's autobiography, titled "To 'B' or Not to 'B': A Film Actor's Odyssey," was published in 1996.

The actor passed away at the age of 85 on June 11, 2005, in California, USA, due to complications from diabetes.