As a gamer who grew up watching classic TV shows and movies, I can’t help but feel a tinge of nostalgia with the passing of Robert Logan. Known for his roles as J.R. Hale on 77 Sunset Strip and Skip Robinson in The Adventures of the Wilderness Family, he was an integral part of my childhood entertainment. His life journey, from being a baseball player to an actor, mirrors my own dreams as a kid, dreaming of becoming a game developer while playing Little League.
82-year-old Robert Logan, who took over from Edd “Kookie” Byrnes as the valet parking attendant on the popular ABC detective show 77 Sunset Strip, and later starred as a father in a series of outdoor adventure films, has passed away.
On the 6th of May, Logan passed away due to natural reasons in Estero, Florida, as confirmed by his son, Anthony Logan, to The Hollywood Reporter. His family opted to postpone announcing his demise until this week.
Following Gerald Lloyd Kookson III’s promotion from a parking attendant at Dino’s Lodge (a nightclub owned by Dean Martin) to partner and private investigator at the detective agency adjacent, the character of Logan was introduced on Warner Bros. Television’s 77 Sunset Strip, portraying Kookson III’s replacement, a stylish character named J.R. Hale.
For fifty episodes spanning the last two seasons of the stylish crime-solving series featuring Efrem Zimbalist Jr. and Roger Smith as Stu Bailey and Jeff Spencer, respectively, Logan appeared as Hale up until June 1963.
In the 1975 series titled “The Adventures of the Wilderness Family“, Logan played the character Skip Robinson, a construction worker residing in bustling Los Angeles. To flee the dirt and disorder of urban existence, he relocated with his spouse (Susan Damante) and their two young children to a self-built cabin nestled within the majestic Rocky Mountains.
During its run at the box office, the independent film was a hit and led to two follow-ups: “The Further Adventures of the Wilderness Family” in 1978 and “Mountain Family Robinson” in 1979. At the same time, Logan portrayed another father figure in two back-to-nature family films – “Across the Great Divide” released in 1976 and “The Sea Gypsies,” which came out in 1978 as well.
As the eldest of eight, I, Robert Francis Logan, found my beginnings in Brooklyn on May 29, 1941. My father, Frank, was a banker, while my mother, Catherine, was a devoted homemaker. Our family later relocated to Los Angeles, where I completed my education at Junipero Serra High School.
Logan initially received a baseball scholarship at the University of Arizona, but a shift in coaching staff prompted him to attend Los Angeles City College instead. In a restaurant one evening, he was noticed by a Warner Bros. talent scout, leading to a signed contract.
1961 saw him gracing the sets of television shows such as “Maverick,” “Surfside 6,” and “77 Sunset Strip.” Initially, he wasn’t playing Hale in these appearances. Additionally, he was part of the film drama “Claudelle Inglish,” where Diane McBain took the lead role.
Following the cancellation of “77 Sunset Strip”, Logan made appearances on episodes of “Dr. Kildare” and “Mr. Novak”. He reconnected with Byrnes for the musical comedy “Beach Ball” (1965). In 1965-66, he starred alongside Fess Parker as Jericho Jones on NBC’s “Daniel Boone”. Additionally, in 1964, he was part of the team on the racing yacht Ticonderoga during its record-breaking trans-Pacific voyage to Tahiti.
I spent time working on John Guillermin’s World War II epic, titled “The Bridge at Remagen,” filmed in Czechoslovakia. After that, I stayed in Europe for a good while before eventually returning to the United States for “The Adventures of the Wilderness Family.”
In the sci-fi movie “Death Ray 2000”, he played the role of a covert operative, while on television, from 1979 to 1980, he starred in the NBC series titled “A Man Called Sloane“. However, Robert Conrad assumed the lead when the show was renewed.
Logan’s resume featured roles in movies like “Kelly” (1981), which he also penned, as well as “A Night in Heaven” (1986). Additionally, he acted in episodes of “Riptide” and “1st & Ten.” After retiring from acting in the late 1980s, he shifted his focus to making documentaries.
Apart from his son, the individuals who made it through are his wife of 39 years, Alina; his daughter Courtney, as well as her spouse Hayley; granddaughters Elsa, Ingrid, and Alma; and siblings Logan, Theresa, Janet, and Timothy.
Donations in his memory can be made to the Notre Dame Club of Miami.
Read More
Sorry. No data so far.
2024-08-08 00:54