ROBERT STACK

January 13, 1919

Robert Stack was born Charles Langford Modini Stack in Los Angeles, California, but his first name, selected by his mother, was changed to Robert by his father. He spent his early childhood in Adria and Rome, becoming fluent in French and Italian at an early age, and did not learn English until returning to Los Angeles when he was seven. Stack took drama courses at Bridgewater State University. His deep voice and good looks attracted the attention of producers in Hollywood. 

Stack’s first film, teamed him with Deanna Durbin: First Love in 1939.

His first role on television was for ABC’s “Pulitzer Prize Playhouse” in an episode titled “Broken Dishes” on February 9, 1951. 

In 1956, Stack was nominated for an Oscar for his supporting role in Douglas Sirk’s film Written on the Wind.  He lost to Anthony Quinn in Lust for Life.

Stack’s best known role of Elliot Ness came courtesy of Desilu, who presented “The Untouchables” as a two-part pilot episode of “Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse” in April 1959. The series was picked-up and began airing in October 1959 on CBS. The final episode was aired in May 1963.  Stack was in all 119 episodes of the series. 

Although he had nothing against comedy, Robert Stack always refused to play any sort of satire or parody of Eliot Ness. When his former boss (Lucy) asked, he made an exception and appeared on “The Lucy Show” in “Lucy, The Gun Moll” (TLS S4;E25) airing on March 25, 1966. 

Reuniting nearly all the characters from the series, including Stack’s, are all given very different names than their “Untouchables” counterparts. Stack played Agent Briggs.

When the series premiered, Look Magazine put both Lucille Ball and Robert Stack on the cover of their September 27, 1960 issue celebrating ten years of television. 

The role won him an Emmy Award in 1960. Here he poses with presenter Fred Astaire. 

The now-defunct Movieland Wax Musuem in Corona, California, featured wax figures of both Lucille Ball and Robert Stack. 

The phenomenal success of “The Untouchables” included Stack’s image being included on a variety of merchandise; everything from bubble gum cards to toys. 

Although he never acted opposite Lucille Ball after “The Lucy Show,” they both appeared on the same award and variety specials together: 

• “Frank Sinatra: The First 40 Years” (1980)
• “The 8th Annual People’s Choice Awards” (1982)
• “The 38th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards” (1986)
• “The Kennedy Center Honors” (1986)
• “Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood” (1987)
• “AFI Tribute to Jack Lemmon” (1988)
• “The Princess Grace Foundation Tribute to Cary Grant” (1988)

In 1991, Robert Stack reprised the role he made famous in the TV Movie “The Return of Eliot Ness” on NBC.

From 1987 to 2002 he was the host of TV’s “Unsolved Mysteries.” He appeared in all 292 episodes of the docu-series. It earned him his third Emmy nomination. 

Robert Stack died on May 14, 2003 of a heart attack. He was 84. He left behind a widow, actress Rosemary Bowe, after 47 years of marriage. They had two children. 

In August 2003, Stack posthumously appeared in the documentary “The Desilu Story” for Bravo TV.  Stack told a story about how the mob considered putting out a contract on Desi Arnaz’s life for creating “The Untouchables.”