1919-05-10 Shannon, Texas, USA
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.
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John Wayne's 'The Alamo' | Tennessean | 1992-06-06 |
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99 and 44/100% Dead | Gunman | 1974-08-29 |
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McQ | Santiago's Bodyguard (uncredited) | 1974-01-04 |
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The Stone Killer | Council Member (uncredited) | 1973-08-08 |
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Cahill: United States Marshal | Leader of Bunch | 1973-07-11 |
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Big Jake | Texas Ranger (uncredited) | 1971-05-26 |
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Rio Lobo | Corporal in Baggage Car (uncredited) | 1970-04-01 |
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Chisum | Trail Herder (uncredited) | 1970-07-23 |
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The Undefeated | Yankee Sergeant at River (uncredited) | 1969-10-04 |
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The Green Berets | Sgt. Griffin | 1968-07-04 |
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Hellfighters | Firefighter in Plane (uncredited) | 1968-11-27 |
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The Scalphunters | Scalphunter | 1968-02-29 |
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Welcome to Hard Times | Miner Fighting Bert (uncredited) | 1967-04-30 |
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The War Wagon | Brown / Mustachioed guard at blown bridge | 1967-05-26 |
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The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin | Cook (uncredited) | 1967-03-08 |
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El Dorado | Jason's Gunman | 1966-12-17 |
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Smoky | Manuel | 1966-08-03 |
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Blindfold | Fitzpatrick's Henchman | 1966-05-23 |
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Smoky | Chuck - a Ranch Hand | 1966-08-03 |
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Nevada Smith | Deputy (uncredited) | 1966-06-10 |
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Black Spurs | Norton - Prisoner | 1965-05-28 |
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Cat Ballou | Armed Guard (uncredited) | 1965-06-24 |
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The Sons of Katie Elder | Townsman (uncredited) | 1965-06-23 |
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The Rounders | Brawler (uncredited) | 1965-01-08 |
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Shenandoah | Rebel Commander with Mustache | 1965-06-03 |
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Cheyenne Autumn | Jessie (uncredited) | 1964-10-15 |
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Mail Order Bride | Saloon Brawler (uncredited) | 1964-03-10 |
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Advance to the Rear | Monk (uncredited) | 1964-06-10 |
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Shock Corridor | Wilkes | 1963-09-25 |
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Donovan's Reef | Festus | 1963-06-12 |
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McLintock! | Sheriff Jeff Lord | 1963-11-12 |
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Merrill's Marauders | Officer | 1962-03-16 |
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How the West Was Won | Officer (uncredited) | 1962-11-02 |
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The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance | Henchman (uncredited) | 1962-04-13 |
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Two Rode Together | Comanche | 1961-05-24 |
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Two Rode Together | Comanche (uncredited) | 1961-05-24 |
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Sergeant Rutledge | Court-Martial Board Member (uncredited) | 1960-05-25 |
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The Alamo | Tennesseean | 1960-10-23 |
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Spartacus | Slave (uncredited) | 1960-10-13 |
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The Wonderful Country | Barton | 1959-10-21 |
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Rio Bravo | Gunman (uncredited) | 1959-03-18 |
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Man of the West | Rifleman-Guard on Train (uncredited) | 1958-06-20 |
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The Western: A Lost TV Special | Self | 1958-06-08 |
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The Big Country | Terrill Cowboy | 1958-09-30 |
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The Hired Gun | Frank Cooper - Conroy Ranch Wrangler | 1957-09-20 |
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Run of the Arrow | Sergeant | 1957-09-05 |
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Night Passage | Roan | 1957-07-24 |
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Forty Guns | Howard Swain | 1957-09-10 |
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The Wings of Eagles | Officer | 1957-01-31 |
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The King and Four Queens | Posseman | 1956-12-21 |
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Red Sundown | Henshaw's Man | 1956-03-01 |
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Kentucky Rifle | Indian (uncredited) | 1956-07-01 |
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The Rawhide Years | Johnny (uncredited) | 1956-07-01 |
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The Great Locomotive Chase | Confederate Prison Captain (uncredited) | 1956-06-08 |
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The Searchers | Ranger at Wedding (uncredited) | 1956-05-16 |
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Seven Men from Now | Mason | 1956-07-24 |
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The Second Greatest Sex | Brawler (uncredited) | 1955-09-30 |
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The Prodigal | Chieftain | 1955-05-06 |
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Ten Wanted Men | Gunfighter (uncredited) | 1955-02-01 |
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The Tall Men | Alva Jenkin (uncredited) | 1955-09-22 |
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Lady Godiva of Coventry | Soldier | 1955-11-02 |
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Timberjack | Lumberjack (uncredited) | 1955-02-18 |
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The Far Country | Latigo (uncredited) | 1954-02-12 |
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Jubilee Trail | Man at Bar (uncredited) | 1954-05-15 |
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The Lone Gun | Luke (uncredited) | 1954-04-25 |
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Sign of the Pagan | Mirrai | 1954-11-24 |
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Hannah Lee: An American Primitive | Cowboy | 1953-07-13 |
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Gun Belt | Oliver | 1953-07-24 |
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Hondo | Kloori / Cavalry Sergeant Killed in Indian Attack (uncredited) | 1953-11-26 |
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Calamity Jane | Barfly (uncredited) | 1953-11-04 |
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Raiders of the Seven Seas | Spanish Officer (uncredited) | 1953-05-27 |
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Cow Country | Stubby (as Brett Houston) | 1953-04-25 |
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Cattle Town | Rider | 1952-09-06 |
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Blackbeard, the Pirate | Mounted Soldier | 1952-12-24 |
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Buffalo Bill in Tomahawk Territory | Trooper (uncredited) | 1952-02-08 |
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Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd | Pirate (uncredited) | 1952-12-27 |
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Way of a Gaucho | Gaucho | 1952-10-16 |
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The Blazing Forest | Lumberjack (uncredited) | 1952-12-01 |
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The Lusty Men | Cowboy | 1952-10-24 |
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Indian Uprising | Taggart Man | 1952-01-02 |
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The Capture | Employee (uncredited) | 1950-04-08 |
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Winchester '73 | Long Tom (uncredited) | 1950-07-12 |
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Hills of Oklahoma | Cowhand (uncredited) | 1950-06-01 |
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Cow Town | Mike Grady - Henchman (as Charles Roberson) | 1950-05-19 |
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Atom Man vs. Superman | Policeman on Road (uncredited) | 1950-07-20 |
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Hi-Jacked | Police Officer (uncredited) | 1950-07-07 |
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Trail of the Rustlers | Bob - Henchman (uncredited) | 1950-02-02 |
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Rio Grande | Officer / Indian Fires Arrow Into Col. York's Chest (uncredited) | 1950-11-15 |
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Outcasts of Black Mesa | Kramer - Henchman (as Charles 'Chuck' Roberson) | 1950-04-13 |
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The Fighting Kentuckian | Militiaman (uncredited) | 1949-09-15 |
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The James Brothers of Missouri | Townsman (uncredited) | 1949-08-31 |
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Hellfire | Groper (uncredited) | 1949-05-29 |
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Western Renegades | Jones (uncredited) | 1949-10-08 |
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Law of the Golden West | Wagon Driver (uncredited) | 1949-05-23 |
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Haunted Trails | Ed - Ranch Hand (uncredited) | 1949-08-21 |
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Stampede | Sandy (uncredited) | 1949-05-01 |
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Roughshod | Deputy (uncredited) | 1949-05-11 |
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Albuquerque | Man at Gambling Table (uncredited) | 1948-02-20 |
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Wake of the Red Witch | Seaman | 1948-12-30 |
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The Arizona Ranger | Henchman (uncredited) | 1948-05-14 |
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California Firebrand | Gunman | 1948-04-01 |
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The Gallant Legion | Ranger | 1948-05-24 |
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Last of the Wild Horses | Deputy Chuck (uncredited) | 1948-12-27 |
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Homicide for Three | Joe - Policeman | 1948-12-08 |
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The Flame | Policeman (uncredited) | 1947-11-24 |
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Song of Scheherazade | Midshipman | 1947-02-26 |
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Jesse James Rides Again | Lafe | 1947-08-02 |
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Song of Scheherazade | Midshipman (uncredited) | 1947-02-26 |
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Calendar Girl | Swedish Tug of War Man | 1947-01-31 |
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The Plainsman and the Lady | Deputy (uncredited) | 1946-11-11 |
