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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McQ | Santiago's Bodyguard (uncredited) | 1974-01-04 |
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99 and 44/100% Dead | Gunman | 1974-08-29 |
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Cahill: United States Marshal | Leader of Bunch | 1973-07-11 |
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The Stone Killer | Council Member (uncredited) | 1973-08-08 |
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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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Hellfighters | Firefighter in Plane (uncredited) | 1968-11-27 |
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The Green Berets | Sgt. Griffin | 1968-07-04 |
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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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Nevada Smith | Deputy (uncredited) | 1966-06-10 |
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Smoky | Chuck - a Ranch Hand | 1966-08-03 |
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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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Black Spurs | Norton - Prisoner | 1965-05-28 |
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Cat Ballou | Armed Guard (uncredited) | 1965-06-24 |
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Shenandoah | Rebel Commander with Mustache | 1965-06-03 |
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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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Mail Order Bride | Saloon Brawler (uncredited) | 1964-03-10 |
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Cheyenne Autumn | Jessie (uncredited) | 1964-10-15 |
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Advance to the Rear | Monk (uncredited) | 1964-06-10 |
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McLintock! | Sheriff Jeff Lord | 1963-11-12 |
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Donovan's Reef | Festus | 1963-06-12 |
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Shock Corridor | Wilkes | 1963-09-25 |
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The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance | Henchman (uncredited) | 1962-04-13 |
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How the West Was Won | Officer (uncredited) | 1962-11-02 |
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Merrill's Marauders | Officer | 1962-03-16 |
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Two Rode Together | Comanche (uncredited) | 1961-05-24 |
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Two Rode Together | Comanche | 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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Rio Bravo | Gunman (uncredited) | 1959-03-18 |
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The Wonderful Country | Barton | 1959-10-21 |
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The Big Country | Terrill Cowboy | 1958-09-30 |
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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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Night Passage | Roan | 1957-07-24 |
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Run of the Arrow | Sergeant | 1957-09-05 |
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The Hired Gun | Frank Cooper - Conroy Ranch Wrangler | 1957-09-20 |
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The Wings of Eagles | Officer | 1957-01-31 |
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Forty Guns | Howard Swain | 1957-09-10 |
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The King and Four Queens | Posseman | 1956-12-21 |
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Kentucky Rifle | Indian (uncredited) | 1956-07-01 |
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The Searchers | Ranger at Wedding (uncredited) | 1956-05-16 |
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The Great Locomotive Chase | Confederate Prison Captain (uncredited) | 1956-06-08 |
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Seven Men from Now | Mason | 1956-07-24 |
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Red Sundown | Henshaw's Man | 1956-03-01 |
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The Rawhide Years | Johnny (uncredited) | 1956-07-01 |
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Timberjack | Lumberjack (uncredited) | 1955-02-18 |
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Lady Godiva of Coventry | Soldier | 1955-11-02 |
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Ten Wanted Men | Gunfighter (uncredited) | 1955-02-01 |
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The Prodigal | Chieftain | 1955-05-06 |
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The Tall Men | Alva Jenkin (uncredited) | 1955-09-22 |
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The Second Greatest Sex | Brawler (uncredited) | 1955-09-30 |
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Sign of the Pagan | Mirrai | 1954-11-24 |
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The Lone Gun | Luke (uncredited) | 1954-04-25 |
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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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Hondo | Kloori / Cavalry Sergeant Killed in Indian Attack (uncredited) | 1953-11-26 |
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Cow Country | Stubby (as Brett Houston) | 1953-04-25 |
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Calamity Jane | Barfly (uncredited) | 1953-11-04 |
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Gun Belt | Oliver | 1953-07-24 |
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Hannah Lee: An American Primitive | Cowboy | 1953-07-13 |
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Raiders of the Seven Seas | Spanish Officer (uncredited) | 1953-05-27 |
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Buffalo Bill in Tomahawk Territory | Trooper (uncredited) | 1952-02-08 |
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Blackbeard, the Pirate | Mounted Soldier | 1952-12-24 |
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The Blazing Forest | Lumberjack (uncredited) | 1952-12-01 |
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Way of a Gaucho | Gaucho | 1952-10-16 |
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Cattle Town | Rider | 1952-09-06 |
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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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Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd | Pirate (uncredited) | 1952-12-27 |
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Atom Man vs. Superman | Policeman on Road (uncredited) | 1950-07-20 |
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Outcasts of Black Mesa | Kramer - Henchman (as Charles 'Chuck' Roberson) | 1950-04-13 |
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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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Rio Grande | Officer / Indian Fires Arrow Into Col. York's Chest (uncredited) | 1950-11-15 |
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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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Trail of the Rustlers | Bob - Henchman (uncredited) | 1950-02-02 |
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Hi-Jacked | Police Officer (uncredited) | 1950-07-07 |
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The James Brothers of Missouri | Townsman (uncredited) | 1949-08-31 |
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Haunted Trails | Ed - Ranch Hand (uncredited) | 1949-08-21 |
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Roughshod | Deputy (uncredited) | 1949-05-11 |
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The Fighting Kentuckian | Militiaman (uncredited) | 1949-09-15 |
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Western Renegades | Jones (uncredited) | 1949-10-08 |
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Hellfire | Groper (uncredited) | 1949-05-29 |
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Law of the Golden West | Wagon Driver (uncredited) | 1949-05-23 |
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Stampede | Sandy (uncredited) | 1949-05-01 |
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Albuquerque | Man at Gambling Table (uncredited) | 1948-02-20 |
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Homicide for Three | Joe - Policeman | 1948-12-08 |
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The Gallant Legion | Ranger | 1948-05-24 |
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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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Last of the Wild Horses | Deputy Chuck (uncredited) | 1948-12-27 |
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California Firebrand | Gunman | 1948-04-01 |
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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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The Flame | Policeman (uncredited) | 1947-11-24 |
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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 |
