Robert Blake whose full name was “Michael James Gubitosi” was born in New Jersey, United States. Being an actor at a young age in the ”Our Gang” comedies, better known as “The Little Rascals,” Blake earned success at a very young age. He played characters in movies like “The Great Noise,” “The Black Rose,” and “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.” He also appeared in many western movies by Red Ryder.
Robert Blake Dies at 89-
Robert Blake, the actor who was best known for playing gritty characters like TV detective “Tony Baretta”, recently passed away on Thursday at his Los Angeles home. His career was overshadowed by his trial and acquittal for the murder of his wife which took place in the year 2001. The “Lost Highway” actor was 89 years old before he passed away.
According to his niece Noreen Austin, the cause of his death was chronic heart disease. Moreover, Austin informed Fox News Digital that he had long-term cardiac troubles that caused him to pass away peacefully at home. He has spent the last few years of his life viewing old films, playing his guitar, and listening to jazz music.
About Robert’s Acting Career-
When Mr. Blake was two years old, his father would take him, his brother, and his sister to dance in parks in New Jersey in exchange for money. He began appearing in “Our Gang” movie comedy when he was just 5 years old.
He continued to perform as an actor in a large number of films and television programs, as well as making frequent appearances on late-night talk shows where he took great pleasure in telling his blatantly odd viewpoints that resulted in viciously mocking his career.
Later, he also developed a reputation as a terrible actor in Hollywood as he was mostly involved in drinking booze and drugs, insulting producers. He also punched a director and got into fights with other performers. All of this hampered his reputation negatively and he occasionally went for years without getting any work.
Nevertheless, he rose to fame on television in the late 1970s as Baretta, a detective who worked undercover to catch criminals. In the movie, Baretta had a pet cockatoo named Fred and lived in a run-down hotel. “You can take dat to da bank,” became one of his famous sayings after that movie.
When Robert Was Accused of a Murder-
Blake, who was once praised as one of the best actors of his time, is now better recognized for being the defendant in a weird real-life murder case. When Blake was tried and found not guilty of the killing of his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, he went from being praised for his actions to becoming well-known for the murder. His wife passed away in front of a Studio City restaurant on May 4, 2001.
Blake was imprisoned about a year after Robert’a wife, Bakley was killed in front of Vitello’s Italian Restaurant. Blake was then charged with one crime of murder with tremendous events, including two charges of soliciting murder, and the other of planning a plot to commit murder. With a gunshot wound to her head, Bakley was found in her car.
It was said that Blake mourned the breakdown in his relationship with his supporters all over the world in an interview with the Associated Press while he was in jail awaiting trial. The interview happens in the year 2002 when he stated that it stung because America was the only family he had.
In December 2004, his criminal prosecution got underway. Blake stuck around the fact that he was sure he had not murdered his wife. Later in March of the year 2005, a jury ruled Blake and found him not guilty of the crime. After being acquitted in court, a civil jury declared that Blake was responsible for Bakley’s departure from the world. The jury then awarded Bakley’s family $30 million in damages, that forced Blake into bankruptcy.
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