Pernell Roberts
Encyclopedia
Pernell Elvin Roberts, Jr. (May 18, 1928 – January 24, 2010) was an American stage, movie and television actor, as well as a singer. In addition to guest starring in over 60 television series, he was widely known for his roles as Ben Cartwright's eldest son, Adam Cartwright, on the western
series Bonanza, a role he played from 1959 to 1965 — and as chief surgeon Dr. John McIntyre, the title character on Trapper John, M.D.
(1979–1986).
He was also widely known for his lifelong activism
, which included participation in the Selma to Montgomery marches
in 1965 and pressuring NBC
to refrain from hiring whites
to portray minority characters.
salesman) and Minnie (Betty) Myrtle Morgan Roberts (1910–1988).
During his high school years, he played the horn, acted in school and church plays and sang in local USO shows. He attended, but did not graduate from, Georgia Tech. While serving for two years in the United States Marine Corps, he played the tuba and horn in the Marine Corps Band, although he was also skilled in the sousaphone and percussion (New York Times, January 26, 2010). He later attended, but also without graduating, the University of Maryland, where he had his first exposure to acting in classical theater. He appeared in four productions while a student, including Othello and Antigone, but left school to act in summer stock.
In 1949, he made his professional stage debut with Moss Hart and Kitty Carlysle in The Man Who Came to Dinner, at the Olney Theatre in Olney, Maryland.
"He spent eight weeks at the Bryn Mawr College Theater in Philadelphia, portraying Dan in Emlyn Williams "Night Must Fall," and Alfred Doolittle in Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalian" (Washington Post Sept. 24, 1950
Page L2).
Roberts moved to Washington D.C. in 1950, supporting himself in a variety of jobs while performing with the Arena Stage Theater for two years. Here, he performed in numerous productions, including Steinbeck's Burning Bright, The Adding Machine, The Firebrand, The Deletable Judge, The Taming of the Shrew ("Petruchio"), Playboy of the Western World, Children of Darkness, School for Wives, The Inspector General, The Glass Menagerie, Mr. Arcularis, Twelfth Night, The Scarecrow, The Importance of Being Earnest, Julius Caesar, She Stoops to Conquer, School for Scandal, Three Men on a Horse, Faith of Our Fathers (Sesquicentennial Amphitheatre) and Dark of the Moon.
He performed with the Port Players, in Milwaukee,in the comedy "To Dorothy a Son," and other productions. "Roberts again is master of all situations, as he as been in the 9 previous productions of the season,"(Players Give Comedy Well, Christopher Matthew, The Milwaukee Journal, 1953).
He performed with the Brattle Theater's production of Othello and Henry IV, Part I, which was later brought to the New York City Center (Playbill, January 1957) and later, Guys and Dolls (also with the Cohassett Music Circus).
In 1952 he relocated to New York City, where he appeared first off-Broadway in one-act operas and ballets with the North American Lyric Theater, with the Shakespearewrights, at the Equity Library Theater, and later on Broadway with performances in Tonight in Samarkand (also in Washington D.C,) The Lovers opposite Joanne Woodward, and A Clearing in the Woods with Robert Culp and Kim Stanley. He won a Drama Desk Award in 1955 for his performance in an off-Broadway rendition of Macbeth, which was followed by the role of Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet. He performed in Twelfth Night, Merchant of Venice, Dr. Faustus, The Taming of the Shrew (at the American Shakespeare Festival, and later on Broadway. He performed in St. Joan (1954, Cleveland), "Down in the Valley (at the Provincetown Playhouse), The Duchess of Malfi," "Measure for Measure," and "King John. .
In 1956, he returned to the Olney Theater, starring opposite Jan Farrand in, "Much Ado About Nothing, with the "Players, Inc. Group (Big Season On For Shakespeare by Richard L. Coe, The Washington Post and Times Herald; July 8, 1956, pg, H3).
The same year, Roberts made his television debut in the "Shadow of Suspicion" episode of Kraft Television Theater, followed by guest starring roles in The Whirlybirds, Gunsmoke, Sugarfoot, and Cheyenne.
He signed a contract with Columbia Pictures in 1957 and made his film debut a year later as one of Burl Ives' contentious sons in Desire Under the Elms (1958). The film was nominated for a Best Cinematography Academy Award. He also landed character roles in such features as The Sheepman.
He continued to guest star on television shows such as, episodes of Shirley Temple Storybook Theater (The Emperor's New Clothes, Rumplestiltskin, The Sleeping Beauty, and Hiawatha), the live-broadcast Matinee Theater, where he starred in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, and in The Heart's Desire. This was followed by appearances in Trackdown, Buckskin, and episodes of Zane Grey Theater. Roberts guest-starred as Captain Jacques Chavez on the NBC adventure series Northwest Passage (1958), based on the life of Major Robert Rogers in the French and Indian War. He appeared with fellow guest star Fay Spain in the 1958 episode "Pick up the Gun" of Tombstone Territory and played the lead villain in the 31st episode ("Hey Boy's Revenge") of Have Gun - Will Travel, portraying a killer boss exploiter of Chinese Coolie laborers. The episode drew critical acclaim for shedding some light on the contribution of indentured Chinese workers in building the U.S. west. (Bonanza Dcanary.com/Pernell)
In 1959 Roberts guest starred in episodes of General Electric Theater, Cimarron City, Sugarfoot, Lawman, One Step Beyond, Bronco, 77 Sunset Strip, and The Detectives, "House Call." He also appeared in Naked City and Route 66 (Bonanza Dcanary.com/Pernell, InMemorium.com/Pernell Roberts).
Also in 1959, he co-starred with James Coburn in the film Ride Lonesome. "If Roberts felt typecast by Westerns, they also provided his finest role in this film, arguably the greatest of the B-movies, starring Randolph Scott and directed by Budd Boetticher. Roberts recognised the film's classic structure; his engaging outlaw, Sam Boone, counterpoints Scott's granite-faced Ben Brigade, maintaining the tension of whether they will work together or clash. He similarly played off James Coburn, who was making his film debut as Boone's quiet sidekick, Whit." (Independent.Co.U.K.news.February 1, 2010).
The same year he was cast in Bonanza.
— an architectural engineer with a university education, unlike his brothers. Adam has been variously described as urbane, intense, introspective, quiet, sullen and serious.
Roberts, having largely been a stage actor, "accustomed as he was to a rigorous diet of the classics," found the adjustment to a television series difficult.
With respect to Bonanza, it particularly distressed him that his character, a man in his 30's, had to defer continually to the wishes of his widowed father and he reportedly disliked the series itself, allegedly calling it — "junk" television and accused NBC
of "perpetuating banality and contributing to the dehumanization of the industry." The equally self-critical Roberts ("I guess I'll never be satisfied with my own work"-Chicago Tribune, August 19, 1965), "had long disdained the medium's commercialization of his craft and its mass production, assembly-line mindset" (The Tidi Tudorancea Bulletin, English Edition, October 6, 2010- web).
In later interviews, Roberts denied statements about Bonanza attributed to him. "I did not enjoy Bonanza anymore...but I never said those things people said I said." (The Pittsburgh Press, 1979). He was however, "too smart not to recognize its weaknesses" (TV Guide, 1982). In a 1963 Washington Post interview, he asked a reporter, "Isn't it a bit silly for three adult males to have to ask father's permission for everything they do?" (Washington Post, January 25, 2010). "They told me the four characters (Lorne Greene
, patriarch Ben, Dan Blocker
and Michael Landon
as his half-brothers) would be carefully defined and the scripts carefully prepared, none of it ever happened," he complained to The Associated Press in 1964. He objected to how Bonanza portrayed the relationship between the "father" and adult "sons," describing it as adolescent ((Mike Douglas Show, 1966), lacking in "truth" and lacking in "reality" ("Weekly World News, August 4, 1981, page 29).
Roberts acknowledged reasons for Bonanza's appeal, but pointed to his personal need for story lines with greater social relevance, adult themes and dialogue. He wanted Bonanza to be "a little more grown up," (Mike Douglas Show, 1966). He also noted too that he was not suited to the "procedural" and "confining aspect" of series television, another reason for his dissatisfaction, while on the show (Mike Douglas Show, 1966).
Roberts, had had high hopes for what he could contribute to Bonanza, was disappointed with the direction of the show, the limitations imposed on his Bonanza character and on his acting range. In a newspaper interview he said, "I haven't grown at all since the series began...I have an impotent role. Wherever I turn there's the father image," (This Time Pernell Won't Need a Tuba, Washington Post, May 1, 1963, Lawrence Laurent).
Finally, after disagreements with writers and producers over the quality of the scripts, characterization, and Bonanza's refusal to allow him to perform elsewhere while on contract, Roberts "turned his back on Hollywood wisdom and well-meant advice," and left, largely to return to legitimate theater (Washington Post, January 25, 2010; New York Daily News January 26, 2010, Mike Douglas Show, 1965, 1966), Henry Darrow
Archival Interview; USA Today, January 25, 2010).
Roberts fulfilled but did not extend his six-year contract for Bonanza, and when he left the series, his character was eliminated with the explanation that Adam had "moved away." Later episodes suggested variously that Adam was "at sea", had moved to Europe, or was on the East Coast, running that end of the family business. The last episode Pernell Roberts worked on was "Dead and Gone", air date April 4, 1965. He appeared in the next two that aired which were filmed prior to "Dead and Gone" — "A Good Night's Rest", air date April 11, 1965 and "To Own The World", air date April 18, 1965. The story line was kept open in case Roberts wished to return, but he never did. In television interviews, Roberts said that he would have stayed with Bonanza, had he been allowed to do so on a part-time basis to enable him to return to theater (Mike Douglas Show, 1966). Bonanza producer David Dortort
described Roberts as "rebellious, outspoken... and aloof," but, as one who "could make any scene he was in better..." (Archive Interview-web). In a later archive interview, he regretted not having insisted on a "marriage for Adam" and having Roberts continue on the show as a semi-regular. He added, "I must confess..I was "too hard on him. I did not appreciate him. I knew he was good, but I didn't realize he was that good...none better." (Archive Interview 2002; Bonanza, The Official First Season, Volume 1, Feature, CBS/Paramount, 2009). In the last two "Bonanza" movies that aired on NBC in the early 1990s, the story line stated that Adam, now in Australia, had equaled his father's success, dominating the engineering/construction business.
Roberts was the only accomplished singer of the original cast, though David Canary, who joined Bonanza in 1967, had a background in voice and performed on Broadway. During Roberts' Bonanza years, he recorded Come All Ye Fair and Tender Ladies, a folk music
album which Allmusic calls "...the softer, lyrical side of folk music — pleasant and not challenging, but quite rewarding in its unassuming way." The album, released by RCA Victor
and arranged by Dick Rosmini
, is available on compact disc only as part of the fourth disc of the Bonanza 4-CD boxed set
on Bear Family Records
.
On the Bonanza box set albums, Roberts also sings "Early One Morning", "In the Pines", "The New Born King", "The Bold Soldier", "Mary Ann", "They Call the Wind Mariah", "Sylvie", "Lily of the West", "The Water is Wide", "Rake and a Ramblin Boy", "A Quiet Girl", "Shady Grove", "Alberta", and "Empty Pocket Blues".
, regional theaters, and episodic TV, which gave him the opportunity to play a wide variety of roles. He toured with musicals such as The King and I, "Kiss me Kate," Camelot and The Music Man and dramas such as Tiny Alice
. He played Jigger in an ABC television presentation of Carousel
and was featured in a CBS Playhouse production, Dear Friends.
In 1967, Roberts starred in the lavish, but short - lived David Merrick production of Mata Hari
, directed by Vincente Minnelli. The show had a much publicized "chaotic" preview performance due to technical problems stemming from lack of rehearsal time at the Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C., where the preview performance took place. "What was offered the people of Washington was a dress rehearsal. David Merrick spoke to the audience beforehand warning them of this". Problems were corrected by the official opening night, when the show received good reviews for Roberts, musical score and lyrics, stage design and costumes, but poor reviews for its co-star and other aspects of the production. The show, nevertheless was thought to have the potential to continue to Broadway. "Mata Hari was a show with a great story, two fascinating characters and some accessory mess that could have easily been tidied up by anyone but Vincente Minnelli." But Merrick, "instead of bringing someone to clean house closed the production down" ("Opening A New Window: The Broadway Musical in the 1960's," p. 205 Ethan Morrden, October 29, 2002).
In 1972 Roberts returned to Broadway and toured with Ingrid Bergman
in Captain Brassbound's Conversion
, in which he played the title role. "Particularly helpful is Pernell Roberts in the acted upon title role... This actor is a sturdy, not unamusing leading- man type and may his appearance as a Bergman costar be rewarded beyond Bonanza."
In 1973 Roberts was nominated for a Joseph Jefferson Award for his performance in Welcome Home, at the Ivanhoe Theatre in Chicago.
The same year, Roberts starred as Rhett Butler
opposite Lesley Ann Warren
, in another major production, Gone with the Wind
, at the Chandler Pavilion
in Los Angeles, again receiving good personal reviews, amidst weak reviews for the rest of the show.
Additional stage credits after Bonanza include Two for the Seesaw
, A Thousand Clowns
, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
, Any Wednesday
and The Sound of Music
(as Captain von Trapp).
He did The Night of the Iguana
while still playing in Bonanza in 1963.
Roberts guest starred in TV shows such as The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.
, The Virginian
, The Big Valley
, Lancer
, Mission: Impossible
, Marcus Welby, M.D.
, The Wild Wild West
, Ironside
, The Rockford Files
, Gunsmoke
, Mannix
, Vega$
, The Odd Couple
, Hawaii Five-O
, The Love Boat
, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries
, San Francisco International, Nakia
, Night Gallery, The Bold Ones, The Quest, Most Wanted, Westside Medical, Man From Atlantis, Jigsaw John, Sixth Sense, Quincy, M.E, Feather and Father Gang, Hawkins, Men from Shiloh, Perry Mason, Wide World of Mystery, Six Million Dollar Man, and appeared in mini-series, including Captain and the Kings, Centennial, Hotel, The Immigrants, and Around the World in Eighty Days. He starred in two cult films, Four Rode Out
and Kashmiri Run, directed by the veteran TV director John Peyser, and made some feature films, including The Magic of Lassie
. He co-starred or was featured in several TV movies, including, The Adventures of Nick Carter, Dead Man on the Run, The Night Rider, The Silent Gun, The Lives of Jenny Dolan, The Deadly Tower, Hot Rod
, Desperado
, The Bravos, High Noon, Part II, and Assignment Munich.
In 1979, Roberts again achieved "superstar" status (TV Guide, 1982) as the lead in Trapper John, M.D.
(1979–86), receiving an Emmy nomination in 1981; and playing the character twice as long as Wayne Rogers
had (1972–1975) on the CBS
M*A*S*H series. Roberts told TV Guide
(1979) that he chose to return to weekly television after watching his father age, and realizing that it was a vulnerable time to be without financial security. "The show allowed Roberts to both use his dramatic range and address issues," wrote The Independent
.
Of the period between series, Roberts said he enjoyed moving around and playing different characters. During that time, he also toured university campuses conducting seminars on play production, acting and poetry.
In 1988, Roberts co-starred with Milla Jovovich
in the TV movie The Night Train to Kathmandu
.
He guest starred as Hezekiah Horn in the powerful Young Riders
episode, "Requiem for a Hero," which won a Western Heritage Award in 1991.
In interviews, Roberts had described television as a "director's and film cutter's medium" (Pittsburgh Press, April 28, 1967), but he himself was described as a "born television actor........low key" (TV Guide, 1982).
In the 1980s and 1990s, playing off his Trapper John M.D. persona, Roberts acted as TV spokesman for Ecotrin, a brand of analgesic
tablets.
Recent roles included Donor (thriller, 1990) with Melissa Gilbert
and Checkered Flag (action, 1990).
He narrated documentaries, including the National Geographic episode, "In the Realm of the Alligator," in 1986; the TV special Code One, about the work of paramedics, 1989 and, "The Mountain Men" episode of the History Channel, 1999.
From 1991–1993, in his last venture into series television, Roberts lent his distinctive voice to host and narrate the TV anthology series, "FBI: The Untold Stories
."
He made his last TV appearance in 2001 on an episode of Diagnosis: Murder
, updating a Mannix
character he had portrayed decades before.
In his later life, and after the death of all of his former Bonanza co-stars, Roberts "jokingly referred to himself as, "Pernell--The--Last--One--Roberts," (New York Times, January 26, 2010; Cowboydirectory.com). He read Bonanza Gold Magazine, which was like looking at an old family album he said, and watched reruns of Bonanza when he wanted to see old friends (Bonanza Gold Magazine, 2005).
of theater history at Washington State University
and subsequently Hunter College
as well as professor emerita of the Ph.D. Program in Theatre at City University of New York
— with whom he had his only child (Jonathan Christopher "Chris" Roberts, b. October 1951). Pernell and his first wife later divorced. Chris Roberts, who lived variously in California and New York, attended Franconia College
and died in a motorcycle accident in 1989 at age 38, sometimes reported as age 37.
Roberts married Judith Anna LeBreque on October 15, 1962; they divorced in 1971. He subsequently married Kara Knack in 1972, divorcing in 1996.
At the time of his death —
from pancreatic cancer
on January 24, 2010 — Roberts was married to Eleanor Criswell. He appeared as captain of the CBS
teams for Battle of the Network Stars
11 and 12.
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
series Bonanza, a role he played from 1959 to 1965 — and as chief surgeon Dr. John McIntyre, the title character on Trapper John, M.D.
Trapper John, M.D.
Trapper John, M.D. is an American television medical drama and spin-off of the film MASH, concerning a lovable surgeon who became a mentor and father figure in San Francisco, California. The show ran on CBS from September 23, 1979, to September 4, 1986....
(1979–1986).
He was also widely known for his lifelong activism
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
, which included participation in the Selma to Montgomery marches
Selma to Montgomery marches
The Selma to Montgomery marches were three marches in 1965 that marked the political and emotional peak of the American civil rights movement. They grew out of the voting rights movement in Selma, Alabama, launched by local African-Americans who formed the Dallas County Voters League...
in 1965 and pressuring NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
to refrain from hiring whites
Caucasian race
The term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Western Asia , Central Asia and South Asia...
to portray minority characters.
Early life
Roberts was born in 1928 in Waycross, Georgia, the only child of Pernell Elvin Roberts, Sr. (1907–1980, a Dr PepperDr Pepper
Dr Pepper is a soft drink, marketed as having a unique flavor. The drink was created in the 1880s by Charles Alderton of Waco, Texas and first served around 1885. Dr Pepper was first nationally marketed in the United States in 1904 and is now also sold in Europe, Asia, Canada, Mexico, Australia ...
salesman) and Minnie (Betty) Myrtle Morgan Roberts (1910–1988).
During his high school years, he played the horn, acted in school and church plays and sang in local USO shows. He attended, but did not graduate from, Georgia Tech. While serving for two years in the United States Marine Corps, he played the tuba and horn in the Marine Corps Band, although he was also skilled in the sousaphone and percussion (New York Times, January 26, 2010). He later attended, but also without graduating, the University of Maryland, where he had his first exposure to acting in classical theater. He appeared in four productions while a student, including Othello and Antigone, but left school to act in summer stock.
In 1949, he made his professional stage debut with Moss Hart and Kitty Carlysle in The Man Who Came to Dinner, at the Olney Theatre in Olney, Maryland.
"He spent eight weeks at the Bryn Mawr College Theater in Philadelphia, portraying Dan in Emlyn Williams "Night Must Fall," and Alfred Doolittle in Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalian" (Washington Post Sept. 24, 1950
Page L2).
Roberts moved to Washington D.C. in 1950, supporting himself in a variety of jobs while performing with the Arena Stage Theater for two years. Here, he performed in numerous productions, including Steinbeck's Burning Bright, The Adding Machine, The Firebrand, The Deletable Judge, The Taming of the Shrew ("Petruchio"), Playboy of the Western World, Children of Darkness, School for Wives, The Inspector General, The Glass Menagerie, Mr. Arcularis, Twelfth Night, The Scarecrow, The Importance of Being Earnest, Julius Caesar, She Stoops to Conquer, School for Scandal, Three Men on a Horse, Faith of Our Fathers (Sesquicentennial Amphitheatre) and Dark of the Moon.
He performed with the Port Players, in Milwaukee,in the comedy "To Dorothy a Son," and other productions. "Roberts again is master of all situations, as he as been in the 9 previous productions of the season,"(Players Give Comedy Well, Christopher Matthew, The Milwaukee Journal, 1953).
He performed with the Brattle Theater's production of Othello and Henry IV, Part I, which was later brought to the New York City Center (Playbill, January 1957) and later, Guys and Dolls (also with the Cohassett Music Circus).
In 1952 he relocated to New York City, where he appeared first off-Broadway in one-act operas and ballets with the North American Lyric Theater, with the Shakespearewrights, at the Equity Library Theater, and later on Broadway with performances in Tonight in Samarkand (also in Washington D.C,) The Lovers opposite Joanne Woodward, and A Clearing in the Woods with Robert Culp and Kim Stanley. He won a Drama Desk Award in 1955 for his performance in an off-Broadway rendition of Macbeth, which was followed by the role of Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet. He performed in Twelfth Night, Merchant of Venice, Dr. Faustus, The Taming of the Shrew (at the American Shakespeare Festival, and later on Broadway. He performed in St. Joan (1954, Cleveland), "Down in the Valley (at the Provincetown Playhouse), The Duchess of Malfi," "Measure for Measure," and "King John. .
In 1956, he returned to the Olney Theater, starring opposite Jan Farrand in, "Much Ado About Nothing, with the "Players, Inc. Group (Big Season On For Shakespeare by Richard L. Coe, The Washington Post and Times Herald; July 8, 1956, pg, H3).
The same year, Roberts made his television debut in the "Shadow of Suspicion" episode of Kraft Television Theater, followed by guest starring roles in The Whirlybirds, Gunsmoke, Sugarfoot, and Cheyenne.
He signed a contract with Columbia Pictures in 1957 and made his film debut a year later as one of Burl Ives' contentious sons in Desire Under the Elms (1958). The film was nominated for a Best Cinematography Academy Award. He also landed character roles in such features as The Sheepman.
He continued to guest star on television shows such as, episodes of Shirley Temple Storybook Theater (The Emperor's New Clothes, Rumplestiltskin, The Sleeping Beauty, and Hiawatha), the live-broadcast Matinee Theater, where he starred in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, and in The Heart's Desire. This was followed by appearances in Trackdown, Buckskin, and episodes of Zane Grey Theater. Roberts guest-starred as Captain Jacques Chavez on the NBC adventure series Northwest Passage (1958), based on the life of Major Robert Rogers in the French and Indian War. He appeared with fellow guest star Fay Spain in the 1958 episode "Pick up the Gun" of Tombstone Territory and played the lead villain in the 31st episode ("Hey Boy's Revenge") of Have Gun - Will Travel, portraying a killer boss exploiter of Chinese Coolie laborers. The episode drew critical acclaim for shedding some light on the contribution of indentured Chinese workers in building the U.S. west. (Bonanza Dcanary.com/Pernell)
In 1959 Roberts guest starred in episodes of General Electric Theater, Cimarron City, Sugarfoot, Lawman, One Step Beyond, Bronco, 77 Sunset Strip, and The Detectives, "House Call." He also appeared in Naked City and Route 66 (Bonanza Dcanary.com/Pernell, InMemorium.com/Pernell Roberts).
Also in 1959, he co-starred with James Coburn in the film Ride Lonesome. "If Roberts felt typecast by Westerns, they also provided his finest role in this film, arguably the greatest of the B-movies, starring Randolph Scott and directed by Budd Boetticher. Roberts recognised the film's classic structure; his engaging outlaw, Sam Boone, counterpoints Scott's granite-faced Ben Brigade, maintaining the tension of whether they will work together or clash. He similarly played off James Coburn, who was making his film debut as Boone's quiet sidekick, Whit." (Independent.Co.U.K.news.February 1, 2010).
The same year he was cast in Bonanza.
Bonanza
Roberts played Ben Cartwright's eldest son, Adam, in the Western television series BonanzaBonanza
Bonanza is an American western television series that both ran on and was a production of NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series and still continues to air in syndication. It centers on the...
— an architectural engineer with a university education, unlike his brothers. Adam has been variously described as urbane, intense, introspective, quiet, sullen and serious.
Roberts, having largely been a stage actor, "accustomed as he was to a rigorous diet of the classics," found the adjustment to a television series difficult.
With respect to Bonanza, it particularly distressed him that his character, a man in his 30's, had to defer continually to the wishes of his widowed father and he reportedly disliked the series itself, allegedly calling it — "junk" television and accused NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
of "perpetuating banality and contributing to the dehumanization of the industry." The equally self-critical Roberts ("I guess I'll never be satisfied with my own work"-Chicago Tribune, August 19, 1965), "had long disdained the medium's commercialization of his craft and its mass production, assembly-line mindset" (The Tidi Tudorancea Bulletin, English Edition, October 6, 2010- web).
In later interviews, Roberts denied statements about Bonanza attributed to him. "I did not enjoy Bonanza anymore...but I never said those things people said I said." (The Pittsburgh Press, 1979). He was however, "too smart not to recognize its weaknesses" (TV Guide, 1982). In a 1963 Washington Post interview, he asked a reporter, "Isn't it a bit silly for three adult males to have to ask father's permission for everything they do?" (Washington Post, January 25, 2010). "They told me the four characters (Lorne Greene
Lorne Greene
Lorne Greene , was the stage name of Lyon Himan Green, OC, a Canadian actor.His television roles include Ben Cartwright on the western Bonanza, and Commander Adama in the science fiction movie and subsequent TV Series Battlestar Galactica...
, patriarch Ben, Dan Blocker
Dan Blocker
Dan Blocker was an American actor best remembered for his role as Eric "Hoss" Cartwright in the NBC western television series Bonanza.-Early life:...
and Michael Landon
Michael Landon
Michael Landon was an American actor, writer, director, and producer. He is widely known for his roles as Little Joe Cartwright in Bonanza , Charles Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie , and Jonathan Smith in Highway to Heaven...
as his half-brothers) would be carefully defined and the scripts carefully prepared, none of it ever happened," he complained to The Associated Press in 1964. He objected to how Bonanza portrayed the relationship between the "father" and adult "sons," describing it as adolescent ((Mike Douglas Show, 1966), lacking in "truth" and lacking in "reality" ("Weekly World News, August 4, 1981, page 29).
Roberts acknowledged reasons for Bonanza's appeal, but pointed to his personal need for story lines with greater social relevance, adult themes and dialogue. He wanted Bonanza to be "a little more grown up," (Mike Douglas Show, 1966). He also noted too that he was not suited to the "procedural" and "confining aspect" of series television, another reason for his dissatisfaction, while on the show (Mike Douglas Show, 1966).
Roberts, had had high hopes for what he could contribute to Bonanza, was disappointed with the direction of the show, the limitations imposed on his Bonanza character and on his acting range. In a newspaper interview he said, "I haven't grown at all since the series began...I have an impotent role. Wherever I turn there's the father image," (This Time Pernell Won't Need a Tuba, Washington Post, May 1, 1963, Lawrence Laurent).
Finally, after disagreements with writers and producers over the quality of the scripts, characterization, and Bonanza's refusal to allow him to perform elsewhere while on contract, Roberts "turned his back on Hollywood wisdom and well-meant advice," and left, largely to return to legitimate theater (Washington Post, January 25, 2010; New York Daily News January 26, 2010, Mike Douglas Show, 1965, 1966), Henry Darrow
Henry Darrow
Henry Darrow is a prolific Puerto Rican-American character actor of stage and film. Darrow is probably best remembered for his role as Big John Cannon's teasing brother-in-law, and Buck Cannon's favorite ranch hand, and best friend, Manolito Montoya, in the 1960s television series The High...
Archival Interview; USA Today, January 25, 2010).
Roberts fulfilled but did not extend his six-year contract for Bonanza, and when he left the series, his character was eliminated with the explanation that Adam had "moved away." Later episodes suggested variously that Adam was "at sea", had moved to Europe, or was on the East Coast, running that end of the family business. The last episode Pernell Roberts worked on was "Dead and Gone", air date April 4, 1965. He appeared in the next two that aired which were filmed prior to "Dead and Gone" — "A Good Night's Rest", air date April 11, 1965 and "To Own The World", air date April 18, 1965. The story line was kept open in case Roberts wished to return, but he never did. In television interviews, Roberts said that he would have stayed with Bonanza, had he been allowed to do so on a part-time basis to enable him to return to theater (Mike Douglas Show, 1966). Bonanza producer David Dortort
David Dortort
-Further reading:*"David Dortort." The Complete Marquis Who's Who. Marquis Who's Who, 2010. Gale Biography In Context. Web. Retrieved 22 Sept. 2010. Fee, via Fairfax County Public Library...
described Roberts as "rebellious, outspoken... and aloof," but, as one who "could make any scene he was in better..." (Archive Interview-web). In a later archive interview, he regretted not having insisted on a "marriage for Adam" and having Roberts continue on the show as a semi-regular. He added, "I must confess..I was "too hard on him. I did not appreciate him. I knew he was good, but I didn't realize he was that good...none better." (Archive Interview 2002; Bonanza, The Official First Season, Volume 1, Feature, CBS/Paramount, 2009). In the last two "Bonanza" movies that aired on NBC in the early 1990s, the story line stated that Adam, now in Australia, had equaled his father's success, dominating the engineering/construction business.
Roberts was the only accomplished singer of the original cast, though David Canary, who joined Bonanza in 1967, had a background in voice and performed on Broadway. During Roberts' Bonanza years, he recorded Come All Ye Fair and Tender Ladies, a folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
album which Allmusic calls "...the softer, lyrical side of folk music — pleasant and not challenging, but quite rewarding in its unassuming way." The album, released by RCA Victor
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
and arranged by Dick Rosmini
Dick Rosmini
Dick Rosmini was an American guitarist, at one time considered the best 12-string guitarist in the world. He was best known for his role in the American "folk revival" of the 1960s...
, is available on compact disc only as part of the fourth disc of the Bonanza 4-CD boxed set
Boxed set
A box set is a compilation of various musical recordings, films, television programs, or other collection of related items that are contained in a box.-Music box sets:...
on Bear Family Records
Bear Family Records
Bear Family Records is a Germany-based independent record label that specializes in reissues of archival material ranging from country music to 1950s rock and roll to old German movie soundtracks.-History:...
.
On the Bonanza box set albums, Roberts also sings "Early One Morning", "In the Pines", "The New Born King", "The Bold Soldier", "Mary Ann", "They Call the Wind Mariah", "Sylvie", "Lily of the West", "The Water is Wide", "Rake and a Ramblin Boy", "A Quiet Girl", "Shady Grove", "Alberta", and "Empty Pocket Blues".
After Bonanza
After Bonanza, Roberts played the straw hat circuitSummer stock theatre
Summer stock theatre is any theatre that presents stage productions only in the summer within the United States. The name combines both the seasonal time of year with the tradition of staging shows by a resident company, reusing stock scenery and costumes...
, regional theaters, and episodic TV, which gave him the opportunity to play a wide variety of roles. He toured with musicals such as The King and I, "Kiss me Kate," Camelot and The Music Man and dramas such as Tiny Alice
Tiny Alice
Tiny Alice, a three act play written by Edward Albee, premiered on Broadway at the Billy Rose Theatre on December 29, 1964.- Billy Rose Theatre production :...
. He played Jigger in an ABC television presentation of Carousel
Carousel (film)
Carousel is a 1956 film adaptation of the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical of the same name which, in turn, was based on Ferenc Molnár's non-musical play Liliom. The 1956 Carousel film stars Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones, and was directed by Henry King...
and was featured in a CBS Playhouse production, Dear Friends.
In 1967, Roberts starred in the lavish, but short - lived David Merrick production of Mata Hari
Mata Hari
Mata Hari was the stage name of Margaretha Geertruida "M'greet" Zelle , a Dutch exotic dancer, courtesan, and accused spy who was executed by firing squad in France under charges of espionage for Germany during World War I.-Early life:Margaretha Geertruida Zelle was born in Leeuwarden, Friesland,...
, directed by Vincente Minnelli. The show had a much publicized "chaotic" preview performance due to technical problems stemming from lack of rehearsal time at the Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C., where the preview performance took place. "What was offered the people of Washington was a dress rehearsal. David Merrick spoke to the audience beforehand warning them of this". Problems were corrected by the official opening night, when the show received good reviews for Roberts, musical score and lyrics, stage design and costumes, but poor reviews for its co-star and other aspects of the production. The show, nevertheless was thought to have the potential to continue to Broadway. "Mata Hari was a show with a great story, two fascinating characters and some accessory mess that could have easily been tidied up by anyone but Vincente Minnelli." But Merrick, "instead of bringing someone to clean house closed the production down" ("Opening A New Window: The Broadway Musical in the 1960's," p. 205 Ethan Morrden, October 29, 2002).
In 1972 Roberts returned to Broadway and toured with Ingrid Bergman
Ingrid Bergman
Ingrid Bergman was a Swedish actress who starred in a variety of European and American films. She won three Academy Awards, two Emmy Awards, and the Tony Award for Best Actress. She is ranked as the fourth greatest female star of American cinema of all time by the American Film Institute...
in Captain Brassbound's Conversion
Captain Brassbound's Conversion
Captain Brassbound's Conversion is a play by G. Bernard Shaw. It was published in Shaw's 1901 collection Three Plays for Puritans . The first American production of the play starred Ellen Terry in 1907....
, in which he played the title role. "Particularly helpful is Pernell Roberts in the acted upon title role... This actor is a sturdy, not unamusing leading- man type and may his appearance as a Bergman costar be rewarded beyond Bonanza."
In 1973 Roberts was nominated for a Joseph Jefferson Award for his performance in Welcome Home, at the Ivanhoe Theatre in Chicago.
The same year, Roberts starred as Rhett Butler
Rhett Butler
Rhett Butler is a fictional character and one of the main protagonists of Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell.-Role:In the beginning of the novel, we first meet Rhett at the Twelve Oaks Plantation barbecue, the home of John Wilkes and his son Ashley and daughters Honey and India Wilkes...
opposite Lesley Ann Warren
Lesley Ann Warren
Lesley Ann Warren is an American actress and singer. She has been nominated once for an Academy Award and Emmy Awards and five times for Golden Globe, winning one....
, in another major production, Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind
The slaves depicted in Gone with the Wind are primarily loyal house servants, such as Mammy, Pork and Uncle Peter, and these slaves stay on with their masters even after the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 sets them free...
, at the Chandler Pavilion
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is one of the halls in the Los Angeles Music Center . The Music Center's other halls include the Mark Taper Forum, Ahmanson Theatre, and Walt Disney Concert Hall.The Pavilion has 3,197 seats spread over four tiers, with chandeliers, wide curving stairways and rich décor...
in Los Angeles, again receiving good personal reviews, amidst weak reviews for the rest of the show.
Additional stage credits after Bonanza include Two for the Seesaw
Two for the Seesaw
Two for the Seesaw is a 1962 romance-drama film directed by Robert Wise and starring Robert Mitchum and Shirley MacLaine. It was adapted from the Broadway play written by William Gibson.-Plot:...
, A Thousand Clowns
A Thousand Clowns
A Thousand Clowns is a 1962 American play by Herb Gardner, which tells the story of a young boy who lives with his eccentric uncle Murray, who is forced to conform to society in order to keep custody of the boy. A 1965 movie version was adapted from the play by Gardner and directed by Fred Coe.-...
, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (play)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a play based on Ken Kesey's 1962 novel of the same name. Dale Wasserman's stage adaptation, with music by Teiji Ito, made its Broadway preview on November 12, 1963, its premiere on November 13, and ran until January 25, 1964 for a total of one preview and 82...
, Any Wednesday
Any Wednesday
Any Wednesday is a 1966 comedy film directed by Robert Ellis Miller, starring Jane Fonda, Jason Robards, and Dean Jones. The story centers around a Manhattan woman who is trying to decide between two suitors on the day of her 30th birthday.On August 18, 2009, Warner Brothers released the movie...
and The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
(as Captain von Trapp).
He did The Night of the Iguana
The Night of the Iguana
The Night of the Iguana is a stageplay written by American author Tennessee Williams, based on his 1948 short story. The play premiered on Broadway in 1961. Two film adaptations have been made, including the Academy Award-winning 1964 film of the same name....
while still playing in Bonanza in 1963.
Roberts guest starred in TV shows such as The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. is an American spy-fi TV series that aired on NBC for one season from September 16, 1966 to April 11, 1967. The series was a spin-off from The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and used the same theme music composed by Jerry Goldsmith, which was rearranged into a slightly different,...
, The Virginian
The Virginian (TV series)
The Virginian is an American Western television series starring James Drury and Doug McClure, which aired on NBC from 1962 to 1971 for a total of 249 episodes. Filmed in color, The Virginian became television's first 90-minute western series...
, The Big Valley
The Big Valley
The Big Valley is an American television Western which ran on ABC from September 15, 1965, to May 19, 1969, which starred Barbara Stanwyck, as a California widowed mother. It was created by A.I. Bezzerides and Louis F. Edelman...
, Lancer
Lancer
A lancer was a type of cavalryman who fought with a lance. Lances were used in mounted warfare by the Assyrians as early as and subsequently by Greek, Persian, Gallic, Han-Chinese, nomadic and Roman horsemen...
, Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible is an American television series which was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicled the missions of a team of secret American government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force . The leader of the team was Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, except in...
, Marcus Welby, M.D.
Marcus Welby, M.D.
Marcus Welby, M.D. is an American medical drama television program that aired on ABC from September 23, 1969, to July 29, 1976. It starred Robert Young as a family practitioner with a kind bedside manner, and was produced by David Victor and David J. O'Connell...
, The Wild Wild West
The Wild Wild West
The Wild Wild West is an American television series that ran on CBS for four seasons from September 17, 1965 to April 4, 1969....
, Ironside
Ironside (TV series)
Ironside is a Universal television series which ran on NBC from September 14, 1967 to January 16, 1975. The show starred Raymond Burr as the wheelchair-using Chief of Detectives, Robert T. Ironside. The character's debut was in a TV-movie on March 28, 1967. The original title of the show in the...
, The Rockford Files
The Rockford Files
The Rockford Files is an American television drama series which aired on the NBC network between September 13, 1974 and January 10, 1980. It has remained in regular syndication to the present day. The show stars James Garner as Los Angeles-based private investigator Jim Rockford and features Noah...
, Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....
, Mannix
Mannix
Mannix is an American television detective series that ran from 1967 through 1975 on CBS. Created by Richard Levinson and William Link and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller, the title character, Joe Mannix, is a private investigator. He is played by Mike Connors...
, Vega$
Vega$
Vega$ is an American detective television drama series that aired on ABC between 1978 and 1981. It was produced by Aaron Spelling. The series, was filmed in its entirety in Las Vegas, Nevada, which is believed to be the first television series produced entirely in Las Vegas...
, The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple is a 1965 Broadway play by Neil Simon, followed by a successful film and television series, as well as other derivative works and spin offs, many featuring one or more of the same actors. The plot concerns two mismatched roommates, one neat and uptight, the other more easygoing and...
, Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O is an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productions and Leonard Freeman. Set in Hawaii, the show originally aired for twelve seasons from 1968 to 1980, and continues in reruns. The show featured a fictional state police unit run by Detective Steve McGarrett,...
, The Love Boat
The Love Boat
The Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain...
, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries
The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries
The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries is a television series which aired for three seasons on ABC...
, San Francisco International, Nakia
Nakia
Nakia Reynoso , known professionally as Nakia, is an American musician, singer-songwriter and actor living in Austin, Texas. He is a native of Virginia Beach, Virginia.- Professional background :...
, Night Gallery, The Bold Ones, The Quest, Most Wanted, Westside Medical, Man From Atlantis, Jigsaw John, Sixth Sense, Quincy, M.E, Feather and Father Gang, Hawkins, Men from Shiloh, Perry Mason, Wide World of Mystery, Six Million Dollar Man, and appeared in mini-series, including Captain and the Kings, Centennial, Hotel, The Immigrants, and Around the World in Eighty Days. He starred in two cult films, Four Rode Out
Four Rode Out
Four Rode Out is a 1971 Spanish/American adventure/western film starring Sue Lyon and Leslie Nielsen.-Plot:In this western, a Mexican desperado tries to flee his partner, a determined girlfriend, and a US Marshal.-Cast:*Sue Lyon : Myra Polsen...
and Kashmiri Run, directed by the veteran TV director John Peyser, and made some feature films, including The Magic of Lassie
The Magic of Lassie
The Magic of Lassie is a 1978 Wrather Corporation film. It features James Stewart in one of only two musical film roles that he played . Mickey Rooney and Alice Faye also make cameo appearances in the film...
. He co-starred or was featured in several TV movies, including, The Adventures of Nick Carter, Dead Man on the Run, The Night Rider, The Silent Gun, The Lives of Jenny Dolan, The Deadly Tower, Hot Rod
Hot rod
Hot rods are typically American cars with large engines modified for linear speed. The origin of the term "hot rod" is unclear. One explanation is that the term is a contraction of "hot roadster," meaning a roadster that was modified for speed. Another possible origin includes modifications to or...
, Desperado
Desperado
Desperado may refer to:* Outlaw, particularly in the American Old West- Amusement rides :* Desperado , a roller coaster at Buffalo Bill's casino in Primm, Nevada* Desperados , a collective amusement ride- Comics :...
, The Bravos, High Noon, Part II, and Assignment Munich.
In 1979, Roberts again achieved "superstar" status (TV Guide, 1982) as the lead in Trapper John, M.D.
Trapper John, M.D.
Trapper John, M.D. is an American television medical drama and spin-off of the film MASH, concerning a lovable surgeon who became a mentor and father figure in San Francisco, California. The show ran on CBS from September 23, 1979, to September 4, 1986....
(1979–86), receiving an Emmy nomination in 1981; and playing the character twice as long as Wayne Rogers
Wayne Rogers
William Wayne McMillan Rogers III is an American film and television actor, best known for playing the role of 'Trapper John' McIntyre in the U.S...
had (1972–1975) on the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
M*A*S*H series. Roberts told TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
(1979) that he chose to return to weekly television after watching his father age, and realizing that it was a vulnerable time to be without financial security. "The show allowed Roberts to both use his dramatic range and address issues," wrote The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
.
Of the period between series, Roberts said he enjoyed moving around and playing different characters. During that time, he also toured university campuses conducting seminars on play production, acting and poetry.
In 1988, Roberts co-starred with Milla Jovovich
Milla Jovovich
Milla Jovovich December 17, 1975)is an American model, actress, musician, and fashion designer. Over her career, she has appeared in a number of science fiction and action-themed films, for which music channel VH1 has referred to her as the "reigning queen of kick-butt".Milla Jovovich began...
in the TV movie The Night Train to Kathmandu
The Night Train to Kathmandu
The Night Train to Kathmandu is a 1988 tv movie that stars Milla Jovovich, Eddie Castrodad and Pernell Roberts. It was directed by Robert Wiemer.-Plot summary:...
.
He guest starred as Hezekiah Horn in the powerful Young Riders
The Young Riders
The Young Riders is an American Western television series created by Ed Spielman that presents a fictionalized account of a group of young Pony Express riders based at the Sweetwater Station in the Nebraska Territory during the years leading up to the American Civil War...
episode, "Requiem for a Hero," which won a Western Heritage Award in 1991.
In interviews, Roberts had described television as a "director's and film cutter's medium" (Pittsburgh Press, April 28, 1967), but he himself was described as a "born television actor........low key" (TV Guide, 1982).
In the 1980s and 1990s, playing off his Trapper John M.D. persona, Roberts acted as TV spokesman for Ecotrin, a brand of analgesic
Analgesic
An analgesic is any member of the group of drugs used to relieve pain . The word analgesic derives from Greek an- and algos ....
tablets.
Recent roles included Donor (thriller, 1990) with Melissa Gilbert
Melissa Gilbert
Melissa Ellen Gilbert is an American actress, writer, and producer, primarily in movies and television. Gilbert is best known as a child actress who co-starred as Charles Ingalls's second daughter, Laura Ingalls Wilder, on the dramatic television series Little House on the Prairie...
and Checkered Flag (action, 1990).
He narrated documentaries, including the National Geographic episode, "In the Realm of the Alligator," in 1986; the TV special Code One, about the work of paramedics, 1989 and, "The Mountain Men" episode of the History Channel, 1999.
From 1991–1993, in his last venture into series television, Roberts lent his distinctive voice to host and narrate the TV anthology series, "FBI: The Untold Stories
FBI: The Untold Stories
F.B.I.:The Untold Stories was a police drama anthology series which was aired in the United States by ABC from 1991 to 1993.Unlike ABC's The F.B.I., which was one of the network's major successes of the late 1960s and early 1970s, F.B.I.:The Untold Stories had no ongoing characters or storylines;...
."
He made his last TV appearance in 2001 on an episode of Diagnosis: Murder
Diagnosis: Murder
Diagnosis: Murder is a mystery/medical/crime drama television series starring Dick Van Dyke as Dr. Mark Sloan, a medical doctor who solves crimes with the help of his son, a homicide detective played by his real-life son Barry Van Dyke. The series began as a spin-off of Jake and the Fatman...
, updating a Mannix
Mannix
Mannix is an American television detective series that ran from 1967 through 1975 on CBS. Created by Richard Levinson and William Link and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller, the title character, Joe Mannix, is a private investigator. He is played by Mike Connors...
character he had portrayed decades before.
In his later life, and after the death of all of his former Bonanza co-stars, Roberts "jokingly referred to himself as, "Pernell--The--Last--One--Roberts," (New York Times, January 26, 2010; Cowboydirectory.com). He read Bonanza Gold Magazine, which was like looking at an old family album he said, and watched reruns of Bonanza when he wanted to see old friends (Bonanza Gold Magazine, 2005).
Personal life and death
Roberts married four times, first in 1951 to Vera Mowry, a professorProfessor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of theater history at Washington State University
Washington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
and subsequently Hunter College
Hunter College
Hunter College, established in 1870, is a public university and one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York, located on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Hunter grants undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate degrees in more than one hundred fields of study, and is recognized...
as well as professor emerita of the Ph.D. Program in Theatre at City University of New York
City University of New York
The City University of New York is the public university system of New York City, with its administrative offices in Yorkville in Manhattan. It is the largest urban university in the United States, consisting of 23 institutions: 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E...
— with whom he had his only child (Jonathan Christopher "Chris" Roberts, b. October 1951). Pernell and his first wife later divorced. Chris Roberts, who lived variously in California and New York, attended Franconia College
Franconia College
Franconia College was a small experimental liberal arts college in Franconia, New Hampshire, United States. It opened in 1963 on the site of The Forest Hills Hotel on Agassiz Road, and closed in 1978, after years of declining enrollment and increasing financial difficulties.A small, eclectic...
and died in a motorcycle accident in 1989 at age 38, sometimes reported as age 37.
Roberts married Judith Anna LeBreque on October 15, 1962; they divorced in 1971. He subsequently married Kara Knack in 1972, divorcing in 1996.
At the time of his death —
from pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer refers to a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. The most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for 95% of these tumors is adenocarcinoma, which arises within the exocrine component of the pancreas. A minority arises from the islet cells and is classified as a...
on January 24, 2010 — Roberts was married to Eleanor Criswell. He appeared as captain of the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
teams for Battle of the Network Stars
Battle of the Network Stars
Battle of the Network Stars is the name of 19 US television specials featuring competitions among teams of popular television performers representing the three major broadcast networks at that time: ABC, CBS, and NBC.- History :...
11 and 12.
External links
- Pernell Roberts at pernellrobertsaroundtheworld http://www.pernellrobertsaroundtheworld.com/
- Pernell Roberts at PernellRoberts.net
- Pernell Roberts (pending) listing at findagrave.com
- http://www.darrenmcgavin.net/bonanza.html article
- David Dortort Archive Interview (web)
- Mike Douglas Interview (web)
- Henry Darrow Television Archives Interview (web)