Jason Robards
Jason Nelson Robards Jr. was an American actor. Known for his roles on stage and screen, he gained a reputation as an interpreter of the works of playwright Eugene O'Neill. Robards received numerous accolades and is one of 24 performers to have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting having earned competitive wins for two Academy Awards, a Tony Award, and an Emmy Award. He was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1979, earned the National Medal of Arts in 1997, and the Kennedy Center Honors in 1999.
Robards started his career in theatre, making his Broadway debut playing James Tyrone Jr. in the 1956 revival of the Eugene O'Neill play Long Day's Journey into Night earning a Theatre World Award. He earned the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his role in the Budd Schulberg play The Disenchanted. His other Tony-nominated roles were in Long Day's Journey into Night. Toys in the Attic, After the Fall, Hughie, The Country Girl, A Moon for the Misbegotten, and A Touch of the Poet.
He made his feature film debut in The Journey. He went on to win two consecutive Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor for playing Ben Bradlee in All the President's Men, and Dashiell Hammett in Julia. He was Oscar-nominated for playing Howard Hughes in Melvin and Howard. His other notable films include Long Day's Journey into Night, A Thousand Clowns, Once Upon a Time in the West, Tora! Tora! Tora!, Parenthood, Philadelphia, Enemy of the State, and Magnolia.
On television, Robards won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his performance as Henry Drummond in the NBC television adaptation Inherit the Wind. His other Emmy-nominated roles were in Abe Lincoln in Illinois, A Moon for the Misbegotten, Washington: Behind Closed Doors, and F.D.R.: The Last Year.
Early life
Family
Robards was born July 26, 1922, in Chicago, Illinois, the son of actor Jason Robards Sr. and Hope Maxine Robards. He was of German, English, Welsh, Irish, and Swedish descent. The family moved to New York City when Jason Jr. was still a toddler, and then moved to Los Angeles when he was six years old. Later interviews with Robards suggested that the trauma of his parents' divorce, which occurred during his grade-school years, greatly affected his personality and world view. From his parents' first marriage together, he had a younger brother named Glenn. He had little or no contact with his mother after the divorce. She later married a second time to Arthur Milburn, making him his stepfather, although he may or may not have known about it at the time. His father married a second time to Agnes Lynch. He was probably closer to his stepmother than his biological one. From his father's second marriage, he had a half-sister named Laurel.As a youth, Robards also experienced the decline of his father's acting career. The elder Robards had enjoyed considerable success during the era of silent films, but he fell out of favor after the advent of sound film, leaving the younger Robards soured on the Hollywood film industry. The teenage Robards excelled in athletics at Hollywood High School in Los Angeles. Although his prowess in sports attracted interest from several universities, Robards decided to enlist in the United States Navy upon his graduation in 1940.
Naval service
Following the completion of recruit training and radio school, Robards was assigned to the heavy cruiser in 1941 as a radioman 3rd class. On December 7, 1941, Northampton was at sea in the Pacific Ocean about off Hawaii. Contrary to some stories, he did not see the devastation of the Japanese attack on Hawaii until Northampton returned to Pearl Harbor two days later. Northampton was later directed into the Guadalcanal campaign in World War II's Pacific theater, where she participated in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands.During the Battle of Tassafaronga in the waters north of Guadalcanal on the night of November 30, 1942, Northampton was sunk by hits from two Japanese torpedoes. Robards found himself treading water until near daybreak, when he was rescued by an American destroyer. For its service in the war, Northampton was awarded six battle stars. Two years later, in November 1944, Robards was radioman aboard the light cruiser, the flagship for the invasion of Mindoro in the northern Philippines. On December 13, she was struck by a kamikaze aircraft off Negros Island in the Philippines. The aircraft hit one of the port five-inch gun mounts, while the plane's two bombs set the midsection of the ship ablaze. With this damage and 223 casualties, Nashville was forced to return to Pearl Harbor and then to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington, for repairs.
Robards served honorably during the war, but was not a recipient of the U.S. Navy Cross, contrary to what has been reported in numerous sources. The inaccurate story derives from a 1979 column by Hy Gardner. Aboard Nashville, Robards first found a copy of Eugene O'Neill's play Strange Interlude in the ship's library. Also while in the Navy, he first started thinking seriously about becoming an actor. He had emceed for a Navy band in Pearl Harbor, got a few laughs, and decided he liked it. His father suggested he enroll in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City, from which he graduated in 1948. Robards left the Navy in 1946 as a Petty officer first class. He was awarded the Good Conduct Medal of the Navy, the American Defense Service Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal.
Career
1947–1961: Theatre debut and breakthrough
Robards moved to New York City and began working on radio and stage. His first role was the 1947 short film Follow That Music. He made his Broadway debut in the popular hit Stalag 17, joining the cast during its run; Robards also worked as an assistant stage manager. In 1953 he appeared in American Gothic directed by Jose Quintero. Robards also began getting roles in some television dramas, such as episodes of The Magnavox Theatre, Mama, The Man Behind the Badge, The Big Story, Philco Television Playhouse, Armstrong Circle Theatre, Appointment with Adventure, Justice, Star Tonight and Goodyear Playhouse.Robards' big break was landing the starring role in José Quintero's 1956 off Broadway theatre revival production - and the later 1960 television film - of O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh, portraying the philosophical salesman Hickey; he won an Obie Award for his stage performance. He later portrayed Hickey again in another 1985 Broadway revival also staged by Quintero.
Robards originated the role of Jamie Tyrone Jr. in the original Broadway production of O'Neill's Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning Long Day's Journey into Night, which was also directed by Quintero and ran for 390 performances. Robards appeared alongside Fredric March, Florence Eldridge and Bradfor Dillman. Robards earned the Theatre World Award for his performance and was also nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.
Robards continued to be busy on television, guest starring in The Alcoa Hour, Seven Lively Arts, Studio One and Omnibus.
After his Broadway success, Robards was invited to make his feature film debut in the Anatole Litvak directed drama The Journey starring Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr.
He returned to Broadway acting in Budd Schulberg's play The Disenchanted, winning the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. It only had a short run but the Lillian Hellman play Toys in the Attic, where Robards acted opposite Maureen Stapleton and Irene Worth, ran 456 performances. For the role he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.
Robards starred in the TV version of For Whom the Bell Tolls for Playhouse 90, Billy Budd for The Dupont Show of the Month, A Doll's House, and The Iceman Cometh.
In 1961 Robards starred in Big Fish, Little Fish by Hugh Wheeler directed by John Gielgud. This was followed by the enormously popular Broadway hit A Thousand Clowns by Herb Gardner. In Hollywood Robarts appeared in two flop films, By Love Possessed and Tender is the Night.
1962–1980: Film stardom and acclaim
He became a familiar face to movie audiences throughout the 1960s. He repeated his role in Long Day's Journey into Night in the 1962 film and played playwright George S. Kaufman in the film Act One based on the Moss Hart play of the same name. In the latter Robards acted alongside George Hamilton, George Segal, Jack Klugman and Eli Wallach.Robards returned to Broadway to appear in two plays directed by Elia Kazan, Arthur Miller's After the Fall and S.N. Behrman's But For Whom Charlie. Roberts was also in Eugene O'Neil's Hughie directed by Quintero
In films, Robards played Abe Lincoln in Illinois for television and Murray Burns in the comedy-drama A Thousand Clowns repeating his stage performance, for which he was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. He was in two episodes of Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre including an adaptation of One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich.
His films included Big Hand for the Little Lady, a comedy Western, and Any Wednesday, an adaptation of a popular Broadway hit. Robards did Noon Wine for Sam Peckinpah on television, the film that revived Peckinpah's career. On Broadway he was in The Devils, which only had a short run.
In 1967 Robards portrayed Doc Holliday in the western film Hour of the Gun and played Al Capone in The St. Valentine's Day Massacre. That same year he acted in Divorce American Style acting alongside Dick Van Dyke, Debbie Reynolds, Van Johnson, and Jean Simmons.
The following year he played Manuel "Cheyenne" Gutiérrez in the Sergio Leone western film Once Upon a Time in the West. He acted opposite Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, and Claudia Cardinale. That year he also acted in the William Friedkin directed musical comedy The Night They Raided Minsky's and the biographical drama Isadora.
Robards did The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde for television and on Broadway Robards was in We Bombed in New Haven a play by Joseph Heller.
Robards acted in the 1970 film Tora! Tora! Tora!, a depiction of the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, that led the United States into World War II. Robards played Brutus in Julius Caesar opposite Charlton Heston, did Rosolino Paternò, soldato... in Italy and played the lead in The Ballad of Cable Hogue for Peckinpah. Robards starred in Fools, Johnny Got His Gun, Murders in the Rue Morgue for AIP, and The War Between Men and Women. On television he did The House Without a Christmas Tree, The Thanksgiving Treasure and Old Faithful.
Robards continued to appear on Broadway in revivals such as The Country Girl and A Moon for the Misbegotten. He repeated his performance in Moon for television in 1975.
Robards had a small role in Peckinpah's Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid. He was also in A Boy and His Dog, The Easter Promise, Mr. Sycamore, and Addie and the King of Hearts.
Robards appeared in two dramatizations based on the Watergate scandal; in 1976, he portrayed Washington Post executive editor Ben Bradlee in the film All the President's Men, based on the book by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, denying Network a chance to sweep all four acting categories. The next year, he played fictional president Richard Monckton in the 1977 television miniseries Washington: Behind Closed Doors, based on John Ehrlichman's roman à clef ''The Company.
Robards was reunited with O'Neill and Quintero for A Touch of the Poet on stage in 1977. He was alson in The Spy Who Never Was, Julia, Comes a Horseman, A Christmas to Remember, Hurricane, Cabo Blanco, Haywire , Raise the Titanic, Melvin and Howard , and The Legend of the Lone Ranger. On stage, Robards was in Hughie. Robard's performance in Melvin and Howard'' earned him another Oscar nomination.