Chuck Roberson

Birthday: 1919-05-10
Deathday: 1988-06-08
Birthplace: Shannon, Texas, USA
Gender: Male
Owned By: Unowned

Charles Hugh Roberson (May 10, 1919 – June 8, 1988) was an American actor and stuntman.

Roberson was born near Shannon, Texas, the son of farmer Ollie W. Roberson and Jannie Hamm Roberson. Raised on cattle ranches in Shannon, Texas, and Roswell, New Mexico, he left school at 13 to become a cowhand and oilfield roughneck. He married and took his wife and daughter to California, where he joined the Culver City Police Department and guarded the gate at MGM Studios. Following army service in World War II, he returned to the police force. During duty at Warner Bros. studios during a labor strike, he met stuntman Guy Teague, who alerted him to a stunt job at Republic Pictures. Teague had been John Wayne's stunt double for many years and was able to show him the ropes. Chuck also resembled John Carrol whom Roberson doubled in his first picture, Wyoming (1947). He played small roles and stunted in other roles in the same film. He graduated to larger supporting roles in Westerns for Wayne and John Ford, and to a parallel career as a second-unit director.

His television appearances include The Lone Ranger, The Adventures of Kit Carson, Lawman, Death Valley Days, Have Gun – Will Travel, Laramie, Gunsmoke, The Virginian, Laredo, Bonanza, Daniel Boone, and The Big Valley. Roberson also appeared in Disney's television Westerns The Swamp Fox and Texas John Slaughter. They were part of The Wonderful World of Color. Before that, he portrayed a Confederate Prison Captain in The Great Locomotive Chase.

In 1980 he published an autobiography, The Fall Guy: 30 Years as the Duke's Double.

Roberson died of cancer on June 8, 1988, in Bakersfield, California, and is buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Hollywood Hills, California, next to his brother, actor Lou Roberson. Bob Dylan drew him as Long Tom in his Beaten Path series, the drawing is entitled "Untitled 1" and is based on a frame from the film Winchester '73 (1950). Roberson and Wayne Burson, another stuntman, were partners in breeding and training racehorses, with Roberson furnishing the horses from his Bakersfield, California, ranch and Burson training them.

Credits

Year Title Character
1992-06-06 John Wayne's 'The Alamo' Tennessean
1974-08-29 99 and 44/100% Dead Gunman
1974-01-04 McQ Santiago's Bodyguard (uncredited)
1973-08-08 The Stone Killer Council Member (uncredited)
1973-07-11 Cahill: United States Marshal Leader of Bunch
1971-05-26 Big Jake Texas Ranger (uncredited)
1970-07-23 Chisum Trail Herder (uncredited)
1970-04-01 Rio Lobo Corporal in Baggage Car (uncredited)
1969-10-04 The Undefeated Yankee Sergeant at River (uncredited)
1968-11-27 Hellfighters Firefighter in Plane (uncredited)
1968-07-04 The Green Berets Sgt. Griffin
1968-02-29 The Scalphunters Scalphunter
1967-05-26 The War Wagon Brown / Mustachioed guard at blown bridge
1967-04-30 Welcome to Hard Times Miner Fighting Bert (uncredited)
1967-03-08 The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin Cook (uncredited)
1966-12-17 El Dorado Jason's Gunman
1966-08-03 Smoky Manuel
1966-08-03 Smoky Chuck - a Ranch Hand
1966-06-10 Nevada Smith Deputy (uncredited)
1966-05-23 Blindfold Fitzpatrick's Henchman
1965-06-24 Cat Ballou Armed Guard (uncredited)
1965-06-23 The Sons of Katie Elder Townsman (uncredited)
1965-06-03 Shenandoah Rebel Commander with Mustache
1965-05-28 Black Spurs Norton - Prisoner
1965-01-08 The Rounders Brawler (uncredited)
1964-10-15 Cheyenne Autumn Jessie (uncredited)
1964-06-10 Advance to the Rear Monk (uncredited)
1964-03-10 Mail Order Bride Saloon Brawler (uncredited)
1963-11-12 McLintock! Sheriff Jeff Lord
1963-09-25 Shock Corridor Wilkes
1963-06-12 Donovan's Reef Festus
1962-11-02 How the West Was Won Officer (uncredited)
1962-04-13 The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance Henchman (uncredited)
1962-03-16 Merrill's Marauders Officer
1961-05-24 Two Rode Together Comanche
1961-05-24 Two Rode Together Comanche (uncredited)
1960-10-23 The Alamo Tennesseean
1960-10-13 Spartacus Slave (uncredited)
1960-05-25 Sergeant Rutledge Court-Martial Board Member (uncredited)
1959-10-21 The Wonderful Country Barton
1959-03-18 Rio Bravo Gunman (uncredited)
1958-09-30 The Big Country Terrill Cowboy
1958-06-20 Man of the West Rifleman-Guard on Train (uncredited)
1957-09-20 The Hired Gun Frank Cooper - Conroy Ranch Wrangler
1957-09-10 Forty Guns Howard Swain
1957-09-05 Run of the Arrow Sergeant
1957-07-24 Night Passage Roan
1957-01-31 The Wings of Eagles Officer
1956-12-21 The King and Four Queens Posseman
1956-07-24 7 Men from Now Mason
1956-07-01 The Rawhide Years Johnny (uncredited)
1956-07-01 Kentucky Rifle Indian (uncredited)
1956-06-08 The Great Locomotive Chase Confederate Prison Captain (uncredited)
1956-05-16 The Searchers Ranger at Wedding (uncredited)
1956-03-01 Red Sundown Henshaw's Man
1955-11-02 Lady Godiva of Coventry Soldier
1955-09-30 The Second Greatest Sex Brawler (uncredited)
1955-09-22 The Tall Men Alva Jenkin (uncredited)
1955-05-06 The Prodigal Chieftain
1955-02-18 Timberjack Lumberjack (uncredited)
1955-02-01 Ten Wanted Men Gunfighter (uncredited)
1954-11-24 Sign of the Pagan Mirrai
1954-05-15 Jubilee Trail Man at Bar (uncredited)
1954-04-25 The Lone Gun Luke (uncredited)
1954-02-12 The Far Country Latigo (uncredited)
1953-11-26 Hondo Otawanga
1953-11-04 Calamity Jane Barfly (uncredited)
1953-07-24 Gun Belt Oliver
1953-07-13 Hannah Lee: An American Primitive Cowboy
1953-05-27 Raiders of the Seven Seas Spanish Officer (uncredited)
1953-04-25 Cow Country Stubby (as Brett Houston)
1952-12-27 Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd Pirate (uncredited)
1952-12-24 Blackbeard, the Pirate Mounted Soldier
1952-12-01 The Blazing Forest Lumberjack (uncredited)
1952-10-24 The Lusty Men Cowboy
1952-10-16 Way of a Gaucho Gaucho
1952-09-06 Cattle Town Rider
1952-02-08 Buffalo Bill in Tomahawk Territory Trooper (uncredited)
1952-01-02 Indian Uprising Taggart Man
1950-11-15 Rio Grande Officer/Indian Fires Arrow Into Col. York's Chest (uncredited)
1950-07-20 Atom Man vs. Superman Policeman on Road (uncredited)
1950-07-12 Winchester '73 Long Tom (uncredited)
1950-07-07 Hi-Jacked Police Officer (uncredited)
1950-06-01 Hills of Oklahoma Cowhand (uncredited)
1950-05-19 Cow Town Mike Grady - Henchman (as Charles Roberson)
1950-04-13 Outcasts of Black Mesa Kramer - Henchman (as Charles 'Chuck' Roberson)
1950-04-08 The Capture Employee (uncredited)
1950-02-02 Trail of the Rustlers Bob - Henchman (uncredited)
1949-10-08 Western Renegades Jones (uncredited)
1949-09-15 The Fighting Kentuckian Militiaman (uncredited)
1949-08-31 The James Brothers of Missouri Townsman (uncredited)
1949-08-21 Haunted Trails Ed - Ranch Hand (uncredited)
1949-05-29 Hellfire Groper (uncredited)
1949-05-23 Law of the Golden West Wagon Driver (uncredited)
1949-05-11 Roughshod Deputy (uncredited)
1949-05-01 Stampede Sandy (uncredited)
1948-12-30 Wake of the Red Witch Seaman
1948-12-27 Last of the Wild Horses Deputy Chuck (uncredited)
1948-12-08 Homicide for Three Joe - Policeman
1948-05-24 The Gallant Legion Ranger
1948-05-14 The Arizona Ranger Henchman (uncredited)
1948-04-01 California Firebrand Gunman
1948-02-20 Albuquerque Man at Gambling Table (uncredited)
1947-11-24 The Flame Policeman (uncredited)
1947-08-02 Jesse James Rides Again Lafe
1947-02-26 Song of Scheherazade Midshipman (uncredited)
1947-02-26 Song of Scheherazade Midshipman
1947-01-31 Calendar Girl Swedish Tug of War Man
1946-11-11 The Plainsman and the Lady Deputy (uncredited)