Robert Blake was an actor who starred in movies and TV shows including “In Cold Blood” and “Baretta” before being acquitted of killing his wife in 2001.
- Died: March 9, 2023 (Who else died on March 9?)
- Details of death: Died in Los Angeles of heart disease at the age of 89.
Acting career
Blake got his start as a child actor in the “Our Gang” series of movie shorts. Playing Mickey, he soon rose to be the star of the ensemble cast and appeared in more than three dozen installments. His other childhood roles included playing the young sidekick Little Beaver in the “Red Ryder” series of westerns, as well as films including “The Big Noise” and “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.”
Transitioning to an adult career after briefly serving in the U.S. Army in the early 1950s, Blake appeared in TV shows including “Have Gun Will Travel,” “The Rebel,” and “The Californians,” as well as starring in “The Richard Boone Show.” His breakout role came in 1967’s true crime classic “In Cold Blood,” playing murderer Perry Smith. Though Blake’s childhood career had been busy, he was relatively unknown as an adult, and his performance brought rave reviews and newfound fame. He went on to star in movies including “Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here” and “Corky” before taking on his best-known role. Blake played Detective Tony Baretta in the 1970s TV series “Baretta,” starring for four seasons. He became known for catchphrases including “Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time.”
Blake’s later career included starring roles on the short-lived TV series “Hell Town” and in the TV movie “Judgement Day: The John List Story.” His final role was in the 1997 David Lynch film “Lost Highway,” playing the Mystery Man.
Murder trial
In 2001, Blake and his wife, Bonnie Lee Bakley, were out to dinner when she was shot and killed while waiting in their car. Initially not considered a suspect, Blake was arrested and charged with her murder almost a year later. Pleading not guilty, he spent a year in jail and another year on house arrest before going to trial. He was acquitted in his 2004-2005 criminal trial, in part because of witnesses for the prosecution who were seen as unreliable by the jury. In the wake of that verdict, Bakley’s children filed a civil suit against Blake, and he was found liable for her wrongful death. He was ordered to pay $30 million, which was reduced to $15 million upon appeal.
Tributes to Robert Blake
Full obituary: Los Angeles Times
