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Thanks for the article! He looked nearly 'IDENTICAL' to his late father, Robert Walker. The article mostly mentions his parents and not much at all about him; did he have a family? I think he played a small part in 'EASY RIDER', 1969 as the commune leader. R.I.P, Sir.
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The Variety obit (featured in the link above) refers to the John Wayne film that Walker co-starred in as "The War Dragon", kinda poor for an entertainment-based newspaper. Anyway, that's the film (I mean, The War Wagon) that I most recall Robert Walker Jr from, that and the United Artists release (and another western), Young Billy Young.
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THE CEREMONY marked the producing and directing debut of actor Laurence Harvey. Although Anthony Mann had originally been attached to produce and direct, with Harvey starring in the role of “Sean McKenna,” Harvey eventually replaced Mann as both director and producer. When distributor United Artists announced that filming would take place in Spain, Alfredo Matas’s Jet Films signed on as a Spanish co-producer. Harvey later claimed that Matas proved unable to provide the financing he had originally promised.
With the help of UA’s George Ornstein, Harvey took back singular control of the film until February 1962, when new Spanish co-producers, Jorge Tusell’s Estela Films and Enrique Aguila’s Universal Espanola, signed on. Variety stated that Estela and Universal Espanola would furnish $200,000 toward the $1.1 million budget and allow the film to qualify as an official U.S.-Spanish co-production.
Ultimately, those companies also left, due to the content of a nude scene performed by Sarah Miles that was rejected by Spanish censors. The controversy was reported in a 24 April 1963 Variety item, which claimed that Miles had written a letter to Spanish authorities, confirming that she acted in the scene willingly because she had felt it was called for, not due to pressure from Harvey. Harvey contested earlier reports that Tusell and Aguila’s companies had departed over nudity issues, since the scene had been included in the script they had originally approved.
In the film, after a bank holdup in Tangiers, in the course of which a guard is killed, Irishman “Sean McKenna” (Harvey), the leader of the gang responsible for the crime, is arrested for the murder. Though he is innocent, the sadistic French public prosecutor, “LeCoq” (Ross Martin), is determined that an example be made, and Sean is sentenced to death by the firing squad. “Catherine” (Sarah Miles), his girlfriend, persuades his brother, “Dominic” (Robert Walker Jr.), to help arrange an escape by promising to run away with him once Sean is freed.
Robert Walker Jr. in THE CEREMONY
Principal photography began on 5 December 1962 in Spain. Some exteriors were shot in Toledo, at the Campo de Criptana monastery, and in the forest outside the Casa del Campo park in Madrid. Two months of interior shooting took place at the Sevilla Studios outside Madrid. Filming wound in late January or early February 1963.
While filming took place entirely in Spain, the production was headquartered in Switzerland. A sneak preview was held in Dublin, Ireland, and in September 1963, Harvey arranged a private screening during the 24th Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy. U.S. theatrical release followed on 25 December 1963 at Los Angeles, CA’s Beverly Hills Music Hall Theatre.
Eight minutes of Gérard Schurmann’s score were released on a Cloud Nine compilation CD in 1993. Following mixed critical reception, co-star Robert Walker, Jr. won a Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year-Actor.
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Robert Walker Jr. earned a Theatre World Award for his two 1964 off-Broadway roles in "I Knock at the Door" and "Pictures in the Hallway." In 1964 he also was handed the biggest challenge of his film career, taking over Jack Lemmon's Oscar-winning role as ENSIGN PULVER in the sequel to the popular service comedy MISTER ROBERTS (1955).
In the comedy, morale aboard a U. S. Navy cargo ship worsens when the hated “Captain Morton” (Burl Ives) refuses “Bruno” (Tommy Sands), a radio operator, permission to attend the funeral of his infant daughter. Later, Bruno tries to kill the captain, but Ensign Pulver wrests the gun from him, and the captain falls overboard during the fight. Pulver grudgingly dives in after him and maneuvers him into a life raft, but they are separated from the ship when a storm arises and presumed lost.
Millie Perkins and Robert Walker Jr. in ENSIGN PULVER
Unfortunately, the comparison of Robert Walker Jr. to Jack Lemmon was not favorable to Walker, and the script had neither the charm nor wit of its predecessor. Although Joshua Logan returned as director, the film and Walker were torpedoed by the reviewers, and Walker lost major ground in Hollywood. George Duning's score has not been released.
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Posted: |
Dec 8, 2019 - 11:40 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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In the comedy-drama THE HAPPENING, a quartet of hippies (Michael Parks, George Maharis, Robert Walker Jr., and Faye Dunaway) "go with the flow" and end up kidnapping a retired Mafia kingpin (Anthony Quinn). During the film’s shoot, Walker was working on two projects at the same time. The second week of filming he did double duty shooting an episode of the sci-fi television series “The Time Tunnel”, in which he played Billy the Kid.
Robert Walker Jr., Faye Dunaway, and Michael Parks in THE HAPPENING
Elliot Silverstein directed this offbeat 1967 tale. Frank DeVol's score was released on a Colgems LP, but has never been reissued on CD. The soundtrack marked the first film soundtrack performance for the popular Motown singing group, The Supremes.
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Posted: |
Dec 9, 2019 - 12:11 AM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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Robert Walker Jr. co-starred in his second film with Kirk Douglas in the 1967 western THE WAR WAGON. In the film, “Taw Jackson” (John Wayne) returns from prison having survived being shot, to the ranch and gold that “Frank Pierce” (Bruce Cabot) stole from him. Jackson makes a deal with “Lomax” (Douglas), the man who shot him 5 years ago, to join forces against Pierce and steal a large gold shipment. The shipments are transported in the “War Wagon,” an armored stage coach that is heavily guarded. Assisting Jackson in the robbery are “Wes Catlin” (Keenan Wynn), a supply wagon driver and alcoholic “Billy Hyatt” (Walker), a young demolitions expert who soon becomes attracted to Catlin's young wife, “Kate” (Valora Noland).
John Wayne, Robert Walker Jr., Kirk Douglas, Valora Noland, Keenan Wynn, and Howard Keel in THE WAR WAGON
Burt Kennedy directed the film. Dimitri Tiomkin’s score was released by Intrada in 2010.
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Posted: |
Dec 9, 2019 - 11:09 AM
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By: |
filmusicnow
(Member)
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THE CEREMONY marked the producing and directing debut of actor Laurence Harvey. Although Anthony Mann had originally been attached to produce and direct, with Harvey starring in the role of “Sean McKenna,” Harvey eventually replaced Mann as both director and producer. When distributor United Artists announced that filming would take place in Spain, Alfredo Matas’s Jet Films signed on as a Spanish co-producer. Harvey later claimed that Matas proved unable to provide the financing he had originally promised.
With the help of UA’s George Ornstein, Harvey took back singular control of the film until February 1962, when new Spanish co-producers, Jorge Tusell’s Estela Films and Enrique Aguila’s Universal Espanola, signed on. Variety stated that Estela and Universal Espanola would furnish $200,000 toward the $1.1 million budget and allow the film to qualify as an official U.S.-Spanish co-production.
Ultimately, those companies also left, due to the content of a nude scene performed by Sarah Miles that was rejected by Spanish censors. The controversy was reported in a 24 April 1963 Variety item, which claimed that Miles had written a letter to Spanish authorities, confirming that she acted in the scene willingly because she had felt it was called for, not due to pressure from Harvey. Harvey contested earlier reports that Tusell and Aguila’s companies had departed over nudity issues, since the scene had been included in the script they had originally approved.
In the film, after a bank holdup in Tangiers, in the course of which a guard is killed, Irishman “Sean McKenna” (Harvey), the leader of the gang responsible for the crime, is arrested for the murder. Though he is innocent, the sadistic French public prosecutor, “LeCoq” (Ross Martin), is determined that an example be made, and Sean is sentenced to death by the firing squad. “Catherine” (Sarah Miles), his girlfriend, persuades his brother, “Dominic” (Robert Walker Jr.), to help arrange an escape by promising to run away with him once Sean is freed.
Robert Walker Jr. in THE CEREMONY
Principal photography began on 5 December 1962 in Spain. Some exteriors were shot in Toledo, at the Campo de Criptana monastery, and in the forest outside the Casa del Campo park in Madrid. Two months of interior shooting took place at the Sevilla Studios outside Madrid. Filming wound in late January or early February 1963.
While filming took place entirely in Spain, the production was headquartered in Switzerland. A sneak preview was held in Dublin, Ireland, and in September 1963, Harvey arranged a private screening during the 24th Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy. U.S. theatrical release followed on 25 December 1963 at Los Angeles, CA’s Beverly Hills Music Hall Theatre.
Eight minutes of Gérard Schurmann’s score were released on a Cloud Nine compilation CD in 1993. Following mixed critical reception, co-star Robert Walker, Jr. won a Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year-Actor.
Schurmann's score just got a rerecording on the recently released "The Film Music Of Gerard Schurmann" with Rumon Gamba and the B.B.C. Philharmonic Orchestra.
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Posted: |
Dec 9, 2019 - 11:12 AM
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By: |
filmusicnow
(Member)
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Robert Walker Jr. earned a Theatre World Award for his two 1964 off-Broadway roles in "I Knock at the Door" and "Pictures in the Hallway." In 1964 he also was handed the biggest challenge of his film career, taking over Jack Lemmon's Oscar-winning role as ENSIGN PULVER in the sequel to the popular service comedy MISTER ROBERTS (1955).
In the comedy, morale aboard a U. S. Navy cargo ship worsens when the hated “Captain Morton” (Burl Ives) refuses “Bruno” (Tommy Sands), a radio operator, permission to attend the funeral of his infant daughter. Later, Bruno tries to kill the captain, but Ensign Pulver wrests the gun from him, and the captain falls overboard during the fight. Pulver grudgingly dives in after him and maneuvers him into a life raft, but they are separated from the ship when a storm arises and presumed lost.
Millie Perkins and Robert Walker Jr. in ENSIGN PULVER
Unfortunately, the comparison of Robert Walker Jr. to Jack Lemmon was not favorable to Walker, and the script had neither the charm nor wit of its predecessor. Although Joshua Logan returned as director, the film and Walker were torpedoed by the reviewers, and Walker lost major ground in Hollywood. George Duning's score has not been released.
It's a pity, because KTVU Channel 2 San Francisco-Oakland used to play this feature film a lot, and the scene where Pulver shoots Captain Morton in buttocks with a piece of tinfoil with carpet tacks was always used as the preview.
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Posted: |
Dec 11, 2019 - 4:15 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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Robert Walker Jr. starred in his second film for producer Dick Clark (who also acted) in KILLERS THREE. Walker played “Johnny Ward,” who returns to the squalor of his backwoods North Carolina home at the end of World War II and marries his sweetheart, “Carol Harmon” (Diane Varsi), the mother of his 5-year-old son, J.J. Johnny decides to rob his employer, a bootlegger, of $250,000 kept in a safe. To implement his plan, he enlists the aid of an Army buddy, “Roger” (Clark), who had demolition experience during the war.
Robert Walker Jr., Diane Varsi, and Dick Clark in KILLERS THREE
Bruce Kessler directed the 1968 crime drama. Harley Hatcher scored most of the film with songs, which were sung by Merle Haggard, Bonnie Owens and others. Tower Records released the soundtrack LP, which was re-issued as a made-on-demand CD by Curb/Sidewalk.
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Posted: |
Dec 11, 2019 - 10:18 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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YOUNG BILLY YOUNG had several cast members who were second generation actors. Robert Walker, Jr., David Carradine, Deana Martin, and Chris Mitchum were the children of veteran actors Robert Walker, John Carradine, Dean Martin, and Robert Mitchum. The younger Mitchum appeared with his father as star.
Robert Walker Jr. and Deana Martin in YOUNG BILLY YOUNG
In the film, hired killers “Billy Young” (Walker) and “Jesse Boone” (Carradine) assassinate a Mexican general and flee to the Texas border. When Billy's horse falters, Jesse abandons him, and Billy encounters “Kane” (Robert Mitchum), former sheriff of Dodge City who is searching for the murderer of his son. Kane offers to take Billy to New Mexico, where Kane has accepted the job of deputy marshal, to try and clear Billy of the murder charge.
Burt Kennedy directed this 1969 western. A year earlier, Robert Mitchum had co-starred with Dean Martin in a western titled 5 CARD STUD. Unsurprisingly, as a popular crooner, Martin sang the title song for that movie, as he had for several other films in which he appeared. In response, and despite the fact he was not known for his singing ability, Mitchum insisted on recording the title song to YOUNG BILLY YOUNG, which was written by Shelly Manne, the film’s composer, and Ernie Sheldon. However, when it came time to re-record Manne’s score for LP release, Mitchum was replaced as singer by Billy Edd Wheeler. The United Artists LP has not had a CD re-issue.
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