Joseph N. "Joby" Baker (born March 26, 1934) is a Canadian actor and painter, long based in the United States.[1]
Joby Baker | |
|---|---|
 Baker on Good Morning World in 1967 | |
| Born | March 26, 1934 |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, painter |
| Years active | 1952–1984 |
| Spouses | Joyce H. Winter
(m. 1961; div. 1975)Megan Moore
(m. 2014) |
| Children | 5 |
Career
editBaker was born in Montreal, Quebec. An early role in his career was in a 1958 episode of The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, "Ronnie Makes A Record", where he was cast as a recording studio vocalist. In the early 1960s he made guest appearances on many television series. In 1962, he appeared on Perry Mason as Kenneth Carter in "The Case of the Bogus Books". He appeared as a semi-regular in the first season of the WWII TV series Combat! as Pvt. Kelly.
Other television series appearances included The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Dr. Kildare and The Dick Van Dyke Show. In 1960, he co-starred with Jack Lemmon and Ricky Nelson in The Wackiest Ship in the Army.[2] He appeared in the Elvis Presley movie Girl Happy (1965), and in all three Gidget movies.
In 1967, Baker was cast as a travelling magician, Dr. William Davis, in the episode "The Saga of Dr. Davis" on the syndicated series Death Valley Days, hosted by Robert Taylor.[3] Judi Meredith played his wife, Jenny, whose death leads him to take an adopted son, Tad, on his remaining westward journeys.
Baker began a long association with Walt Disney Studios where he appeared in The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin (1966),[4] Blackbeard's Ghost (1968),[5] and Superdad (1974). In 1967–68, he had a lead role in Good Morning World, a short-lived sitcom about a pair of disc jockeys named Lewis and Clarke. The series co-starred Goldie Hawn.[6] This was followed by a succession of character roles, including an appearance in an episode of the 1973 situation comedy A Touch of Grace and a stint as "Colonel Marvin" on the 1980 sitcom Six O'Clock Follies.
Personal life
editBaker was first married to Joan Blackman, whom he met in drama school. In 1984, he married lyricist and songwriter Dory Previn.[7] He illustrated The Dory Previn Songbook,[8] published in 1995. He has exhibited as an abstract painter in major Los Angeles art galleries.[citation needed]
Selected Filmography
edit- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1959) (Season 4 Episode 13: "Six People, No Music") as Thor
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1960) (Season 5 Episode 24: "Madame Mystery") as Jimmy Dolan
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1961) (Season 7 Episode 11: "The Right Kind of Medicine") as Vernon
- The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1963) (Season 2 Episode 8: "The Cadaver") as Doc Carroll
References
edit- ^ "Tales of chicken ... and fine art" by Alan Chartock, The Berkshire Eagle (September 2, 2006) via ProQuest 379732881
- ^ "'The Wackiest Ship in the Army' Arrives" by Bosley Crowther, The New York Times (February 9, 1961) Retrieved from ProQuest 115403668
- ^ "Death Valley Days - Season 15 (1966-67)", ctva.biz. Accessed April 12, 2024.
- ^ "Bullwhip Griffin" by Howard Thompson, The New York Times (March 9, 1967), p. 43. Retrieved from ProQuest 118171935
- ^ Blackbeard’s Ghost review, variety.com. Accessed April 12, 2024.
- ^ "DVD extras", latimes.com, January 17, 2006. Accessed April 12, 2024.
- ^ "A Nod to the Path a Singer Paved, With Stories of Pain Laid Bare" by Stephen Holden at www.nytimes.com
- ^ Dory Previn Biography by William Ruhlmann at www.allmusic.com
External links
edit
- Joby Baker at IMDb