In Treasure of the Sierra Madrea little Hispanic kid runs up to Bogart and tries to sell him a lottery ticket? He bugs him and bugs him until finally Bogart throws a glass of water in his face. The little kid shows up a couple of scenes later, to tell Dobbs his ticket won, just in time to save the day, and give them the necessary cash to go prospecting.
That little kid was Robert Blake. Mr. I-went-back-to-the-restaurant-to-get-my-gun-and-when-I-returned-to-the-car-my-crazy/skank wife-was-dead Blake.
I know he’s in a lot of trouble right now, and sounds like he’s guilty as sin, but he was some actor, when the part was right. In Cold Blood comes to mind, with that great shot of him looking out the window, as the rain falls, and the reflection of the raindrops makes it look as though he’s crying.
“Bobby” Blake was 11 or 12 at the time of the filming of Sierra Madre. The main impression Blake had, which shocked him, as a little kid, was how Bogart would look at the script, and immediately start cutting his lines down. Crossing stuff out, mercilessly.
Smart man.
If you can convey something without words, all the better.
But Blake watched this process, thinking, “Wow! He doesn’t want to talk!”
A few months ago, I saw Blake in a TV movie where he played a New Jersey man who killed his wife and children. I didn’t watch the whole thing, but I saw a scene of him, in a prison jumpsuit, talking through the glass to his new wife. Except for the hair color, he looked exactly as he did during his prison interviews.
I assume you also know he was one of the Little Rascals. He played Killer, whose shtick was killing small animals to feed to Petey.
Heh, just kidding on that last part.
Yes, I did know about the Little Rascals! Very strange.
In Cold Blood (while, in my opinion, can’t really live up to the book) is pretty damn good. But the character that Blake plays – is SO much more … vivid and terrifying in the book – because you get so much more information. The little stunted legs, the arrested development … He’s a tragic guy. A tragic and murderous character.
I think in the Little Rascals, he was credited under his original name, Mickey Gubitosi (sp?)
You’re right, Ken. And his charcater is cleverly named…Mickey.
Ha! I didn’t know about the character name.