Biography
Clifford Parker Robertson III (September 9, 1923 – September 10, 2011) was an American actor whose career in film and television spanned half a century. Robertson portrayed a young John F. Kennedy in the 1963 film PT 109, and won the 1968 Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the film Charly. On television, he portrayed retired astronaut Buzz Aldrin in the 1976 adaptation of Aldrin's autobiographic Return to Earth, played a fictional character based on Director of Central Intelligence Ric...
Known For
Complete Filmography
Spider-Man 3
2007
as Ben Parker
The seemingly invincible Spider-Man goes up against an all-new crop of villains—including the shape-shifting Sandman. While Spider-Man’s superpowers a...
Riding the Bullet
2004
as Farmer
In 1969, while studying at the University of Maine, artist Alan Parker becomes obsessed with death. Believing he is losing his girlfriend, he tries to...
Los Angeles Plays Itself
2004
as President in Escape From L.A. (archive footage)
From its distinctive neighborhoods to its architectural homes, Los Angeles has been the backdrop to countless movies. In this dazzling work, Andersen ...
Spider-Man 2
2004
as Ben Parker
Peter Parker is going through a major identity crisis. Burned out from being Spider-Man, he decides to shelve his superhero alter ego, which leaves th...
13th Child
2002
as Mr. Shroud
People are being killed by someone or something using superhuman strength. A clever DA Assistant is sent to investigate. Is this just a way to commit ...
13th Child
2002
Writer
People are being killed by someone or something using superhuman strength. A clever DA Assistant is sent to investigate. Is this just a way to commit ...
Joan Crawford: The Ultimate Movie Star
2002
as Self - Actor
In this documentary on the life of Joan Crawford, we learn why she should be remembered as the great actress she was, and not only as "mommie dearest....
Spider-Man
2002
as Ben Parker
After being bitten by a genetically altered spider at Oscorp, nerdy but endearing high school student Peter Parker is endowed with amazing powers to b...
Behind the Ultimate Spin: The Making of 'Spider-Man'
2002
as Self
Documentary on the making of 'Spider-Man.'
'Obsession' Revisited
2001
as Self
A documentary about the making of 1976's "Obsession" featuring interviews with director Brian De Palma, stars Cliff Robertson and Genevieve Bujold and...
Falcon Down
2001
as Buzz Thomas
U.S. Air force officer Hank Thomas attempts to expose a military cover-up after a civiian airliner crashes.
Mach 2
2001
as Vice President Pike
A Presidential candidate running against the Vice-President plans a trip to the Balkans to negotiate the release of American servicemen being held hos...
Family Tree
1999
as Larry
A lonely young boy, overshadowed by his older brother, picked on by other boys at school and ignored by his businessman father, finds strength and com...
Assignment Berlin
1998
as Colonel Cliff Garret
Tracy Garret's a cop and after an incident that left one person dead, she's invited by her father to spend sometime with him in Berlin. While they wer...
Race
1998
as Jack Durmann
An East L.A working stiff is bullied by his wife to run for a City Council position against a well-organized recognized political figure.
Lusitania
1998
as Narrator
A documentary on the tragedy of the sinking of the Lusitania, and how it led indirectly to the United States entering World War I.
Joan Crawford: Always the Star
1996
as Self
Glamorous and hugely popular Joan Crawford raised herself from brutal poverty to Academy Award-winning stardom by guts, determination and hard work. D...
Escape from L.A.
1996
as President
Into the 9.6-quaked Los Angeles of 2013 comes Snake Plissken. His job: wade through L.A.'s ruined landmarks to retrieve a doomsday device.
Dazzle
1995
as Mike Kilkullen
Beautiful successful photographer battles evil half-sisters and evil land developers to keep the family ranch intact, following her father's death. In...
Sonja Henie: Queen of the Ice
1995
as Narrator
Narrated by Cliff Robertson The daughter of a fur wholesaler, Sonja Henie received her first pair of ice skates when she was six. Eight years later, s...
The Sunset Boys
1995
as Ted Roth
Ernest, Ted and August fulfill their friend Carl's dying wish and take him to Heidelberg, where they all first met 45 years ago, to see his old girlfr...
American Cinema
1995
as Narrator
The history of Hollywood and filmmaking comes alive in this spectacular nine hour celebration of movie magic. It's a mesmerizing, epic analysis that c...
Renaissance Man
1994
as Colonel James
An advertising man is slowly sliding downhill. When he is fired from his job in Detroit, he signs up for unemployment. One day they find him a job: te...
Lincoln
1992
as Noah Brooks (voice)
Famous actors read testimonies from people close to Lincoln about him and his actions during the Civil War.
Wind
1992
as Morgan Weld
In 1983, yacht sailor Will Parker leads an American crew financed by millionaire Morgan Weld to defeat during the America's Cup race against an Austra...
Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken
1991
as Dr. W.F. Carver
A runaway orphan, young Sonora, persists in a menial job mucking stables in Doc Carver's travelling stunt show. Her great wish is to become a death-de...
Dead Reckoning
1990
as Daniel Barnard
A doctor, his wife and her lover make a voyage on the yacht of the doctor. But when the weather turns very bad they have to stop the sea cruise and se...
William Holden: The Golden Boy
1989
as Self
It was said of him that in more than 70 films, he never once gave a bad performance.
Ford: The Man and the Machine
1987
as Henry Ford
Adapted from a book by Robert Lacey, this biographical film chronicles both the private and public life of automobile manufacturer Henry Ford (Cliff R...
Malone
1987
as Charles Delaney
Erstwhile C.I.A. assassin Richard Malone hopes for a tranquil retirement in the placid Pacific Northwest, but what he gets is a rumble with a right-wi...
Dreams of Gold: The Mel Fisher Story
1986
as Mel Fisher
The true story of treasure hunter Mel Fisher, who spent much of his life--and his fortune--hunting for sunken Spanish treasure galleons off the coast ...
Galapagos: My Fragile World
1986
as Narrator
A look at the life on the Galápagos Islands.
Shaker Run
1985
as Judd Pierson
With the accidental discovery of a lethal bio-agent at her research facility, Dr. Christine Ruben decides to double cross her own government by steali...
The Key to Rebecca
1985
as Maj. William Vandam
From master storyteller and best-selling author, Ken Follett, comes the exotic spy-thriller based on true events. North Africa, Summer of 1942 — mast...
Star 80
1983
as Hugh Hefner
Paul Snider is a narcissistic, small time hustler who fancies himself a ladies man. His life changes when he meets Dorothy Stratten working behind the...
Brainstorm
1983
as Alex Terson
Two brilliant research scientists have invented a device capable of recording and playing back sensory experiences only to have devastating results wh...
Class
1983
as Mr. Burroughs
Naive Midwestern prep student Jonathan bonds with his more worldly roommate, Skip, who takes the small-town boy under his wing. At Skip's urging, the ...
Spaces: The Architecture of Paul Rudolph
1983
as Narrator
Spaces: The Architecture of Paul Rudolph is a 1983 American short documentary film narrated by Cliff Robertson and produced by Bob Eisenhardt about th...
Two of a Kind
1982
as Frank Minor
Nolie has just turned 21 but is retarded and acts more like 8. While claiming that she only wants to help him, his "smother" actually likes things tha...
Night of 100 Stars
1982
as Self
The most glittering, expensive, and exhausting videotaping session in television history took place Friday February 19, 1982 at New York's Radio City ...
The Pilot
1980
as Mike Hagan
Mike Hagan is a pilot in passenger service and candidate for the honor "Best Pilot of the Year". Nobody knows that he's got private sorrows - he's an ...
The Pilot
1980
Director
Mike Hagan is a pilot in passenger service and candidate for the honor "Best Pilot of the Year". Nobody knows that he's got private sorrows - he's an ...
Dominique
1980
as David Ballard
The wife of a greedy man comes back to haunt him after he scares her to death.
The Little Prince
1979
as Narrator / Pilot
The Little Prince questions the universe in this story of innocence and wonder.
Overboard
1978
as Mitch Garrison
Attractive, affluent married couple Mitch and Lindy Garrison sail their yacht to Tahiti to recharge their relationship and add spice to their upper-mi...
Fraternity Row
1977
as Narrator (voice)
Zac is an idealistic student who, after arriving at college, decides to pledge the Gamma Nu Pi fraternity. Unhappy with what he sees as the bigotry an...
The American Indian's Sacred Ground
1977
as Self - Host
For generations the American Indians have drawn their legendary strength from their sacred ancestral lands. Academy-Award winner Cliff Robertson takes...
Obsession
1976
as Michael Courtland
A wealthy New Orleans businessman becomes obsessed with a young woman who resembles his late wife.
Midway
1976
as Cmdr. Jessop
This war drama depicts the U.S. and Japanese forces in the naval Battle of Midway, which became a turning point for Americans during World War II.
Shoot
1976
as Rex
When boredom, pride and a mad second of misjudgement leaves a hunter shot dead by one of five combat veterans also hunting in the Canadian hills, it i...
Return to Earth
1976
as Col. Edwin A. 'Buzz' Aldrin Jr.
The story of Buzz Aldrin, the second astronaut to walk on the moon, and the problems he had after his return to Earth, including the breakup of his ma...
Three Days of the Condor
1975
as J. Higgins
When bookish CIA researcher Joe Turner finds all his co-workers dead, he, together with a woman he has kidnapped, must work together to outwit those r...
My Father's House
1975
as Tom Lindholm Jr.
Recovering from a heart attack, a workaholic editor recalls the simple days of his youth. Robertson adds an emotional center to this messy, flashback-...
Out of Season
1975
as Joe Tanner
Middle-aged Ann and her teenage daughter Joanna manage a failing hotel on an island off the British coast. One day, the hotel receives an unexpected g...
J.W. Coop
1974
as J.W. Coop
After losing eight years to prison, cowboy J. W. Coop is released to return to life as a professional rodeo cowboy in the 60's. Determined to make up ...
J.W. Coop
1974
Director, Producer, Writer
After losing eight years to prison, cowboy J. W. Coop is released to return to life as a professional rodeo cowboy in the 60's. Determined to make up ...
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
1974
as Johnny Nolan
The story of a family living in a New York City slum in 1912, headed by a loving but alcoholic father and a strong-willed mother.
Man on a Swing
1974
as Lee Tucker
When a young schoolteacher is found dead in her car in a parking lot in broad daylight, police chief Lee Tucker can find no clues pointing to her kill...
The Man Without a Country
1973
as Philip Nolan
At his court-martial, an American Army officer renounces his country. For his punishment he is ordered to spend the rest of his life on a ship that sa...
Ace Eli and Rodger of the Skies
1973
as Ace Eli Walford
The story of Ace Eli Walford, a 1920s stunt flyer who barnstorms around the country, taking his eleven-year-old son Rodger with him as he goes from to...
The Men Who Made the Movies: Raoul Walsh
1973
as Narrator
In 1972 and '73, film critic Richard Schickel made an 8-part series for American public television: 'The Men Who Made the Movies'. Each episode featur...
The Men Who Made the Movies: Alfred Hitchcock
1973
as Narrator
A look at Alfred Hitchcock's films. The Master of Suspense himself, who is interviewed extensively here, shares stories including his deep-seated fear...
The Men Who Made the Movies: Vincente Minnelli
1973
as Narrator (voice)
The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid
1972
as Cole Younger
The gangs of Jesse James and Cole Younger join forces to rob the First National Bank in Northfield, Minnesota, but things do not go as planned.
Too Late the Hero
1970
as Lt. Sam Lawson
A WWII film set on a Pacific island. Japanese and allied forces occupy different parts of the island. When a group of British soldiers are sent on a m...
The Sunshine Patriot
1968
as Christopher Ross / Arthur Selby
An American spy tries desperately to get out from behind the Iron Curtain with some crucial microfilm with the Communist security police close on his ...
Charly
1968
as Charlie Gordon
An experiment on a simpleton turns him into a genius. When he discovers what has been done to him he struggles with whether or not what was done to hi...
The Devil's Brigade
1968
as Major Alan Crown
At the onset of World War II, American Lt. Col. Robert Frederick is put in charge of a unit called the 1st Special Service Force, composed of elite C...
The Honey Pot
1967
as William McFly
A millionaire fakes a terminal illness to fleece his former girlfriends.
Up from the Beach
1965
as Sgt. Edward Baxter
After the D-Day landings in June 1944, a US squadron liberates a small village in Normandy from German occupation.
Masquerade
1965
as David Frazer
The British send an American and a war hero to kidnap and hide an oil-country prince.
Love Has Many Faces
1965
as Pete Jordon
A woman lives in Acapulco with moochers and a husband who married her for her money.
633 Squadron
1964
as Wing Commander Roy Grant
When Norwegian resistance leader Lieutenant Erik Bergman reports the location of a German V-2 rocket fuel plant, the Royal Air Force's 633 Squadron is...
The Best Man
1964
as Joe Cantwell
The other party is in disarray. Five men vie for the party nomination for president. No one has a majority as the first ballot closes and the front-ru...
Sunday in New York
1963
as Adam Tyler
An innocent upstarter visits her airline pilot brother and meets a stranger she tries to seduce.
PT 109
1963
as Lt. John F, Kennedy
Dramatization of President John F. Kennedy's war time experiences during which he captained a PT boat, took it to battle and had it sunk by a Japanese...
My Six Loves
1963
as Rev. Jim Larkin
A celebrated actress discovers six runaway children living on her country property.
The Interns
1962
as Dr. John Paul Otis
During their first year of internship at New North Hospital, a group of aspiring doctors undergo both personal and professional upheavals.
The Big Show
1961
as Josef Everard
A European circus family is torn apart by greed and jealousy.
All in a Night's Work
1961
as Warren Kingsley, Jr.
After the sudden death of magazine publisher Colonel Ryder, his nephew, Tony inherits the magazine and has big plans to expand it. While negotiating a...
Underworld U.S.A.
1961
as Tolly Devlin
A bitter young man sets out to get back at the gangsters who murdered his father.
The Two Worlds of Charlie Gordon
1961
as Charlie Gordon
Teleplay adaptation of Daniel Keyes' noted short story “Flowers for Algernon,” about a gentle, disabled young man who undergoes a highly experimental ...
As the Sea Rages
1959
as Clements
After five years of war, Clements, a professional seaman, has no ambitions other than to live in peace and carry out his activity. Having settled down...
Battle of the Coral Sea
1959
as Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Conway
A US submarine and its crew are captured by the Japanese on the eve of a major WWII battle.
Gidget
1959
as The Big Kahuna
Due to an accident while swimming in the sea, Francis meets the surfer Moondoggie. She's fascinated with his sport and starts to hang out with his cli...
Days of Wine and Roses
1958
as Joe Clay
An alcoholic falls in love with and gets married to a young woman whom he systematically addicts to booze so they can share his "passion" together.
The Naked and the Dead
1958
as Robert Hearn
Fighting men in World War II learn the value of courage and quickness at the risk of losing their lives.
Natchez
1958
as Danny Carson
A Civil War veteran returns home to find his father has become a social pariah.
The Girl Most Likely
1958
as Pete
Dodie dreams of marrying a millionaire so that she can live 'the life'. Buzz, her boyfriend, however, is not rich as he is a salesman for a housing de...
Autumn Leaves
1956
as Burt Hanson
A woman falls for a younger man with severe mental problems.
Picnic
1955
as Alan Benson
Labor Day in a small Kansas farm town. Hal, a burly and resolute drifter, jumps off a dusty freight train car with the purpose of visiting Alan, a for...
Corvette K-225
1943
as Lookout
The story of a Canadian WWII naval vessel, with a dramatic subplot concerning her first captain.
We've Never Been Licked
1943
as Adams (uncredited)
Young Brad Craig enters the military school with a chip on his shoulder which upperclassmen quickly knock off. Once adjusted, Craig falls in love with...