Truly, he kept his eye on the sparrow

https://deadline.com/2023/03/robert-blake-dead-actor-in-baretta-in-cold-blood-was-89-beat-real-life-murder-rap-1235284339/
Robert Blake Dies: Actor In ‘Baretta’ And ‘In Cold Blood’ Was 89, Beat
Real-Life Murder Rap

https://deadline.com/tag/robert-blake/?fbclid=IwAR0rVGWeImcvSN1TCOpXONQIhaC1BR2vbMUV7B9r5R4sMtbO2ZjUSJ9-ezE

Robert Blake, the controversial actor who won a Lead Actor Emmy for Baretta
and starred in films including In Cold Blood and Lost Highway before a
murder trial ended his career, died today of heart disease in Los Angeles.
He was 89. His niece, Noreen Austin, confirmed the news.

Blake’s long career ranged from a childhood stint in “Our Gang” at age 5
through major films and television before he was acquitted of murder in the
2001 death of his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley.

Over the course of 60+ years of working in Hollywood, Blake appeared in
such classic films as Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) alongside
Humphrey Bogart; In Cold Blood (1967) with John Forsythe; as well as a
range of studio Westerns using the stage name of “Bobby Blake” during the
1940s. His final feature film role was in Lost Highway (1997), directed by
David Lynch.

In television, Blake was best known for his role as streetwise New York
City undercover detective Tony Baretta in Baretta, which aired for four
seasons on ABC from 1975-78. He was an Emmy Award For Outstanding Lead
Actor in a Drama Series in 1975 and was nominated again for the role in
1977. He also earned two other Emmy noms during his career, for lead actor
in the miniseries Blood Feud (1983) and Judgment Day: The John List Story
(1993).

Baretta was created by prolific TV writer/creator Stephen J. Cannell and
featured the memorable theme song “Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow,” sung by
Sammy Davis Jr. It was a spinoff from another ABC crime darma, Toma, that
debuted in 1973. But its star, Tony Mustane, grew weary of the weekly
production grind, so ABC brass decided to recast Blake in the role and
retitle the series Toma Starring Robert Blake. But a few format tweaks
later, Baretta was born.

The series debuted as a replacement show in January 1975 and finished its
first season in Top 25 among primetime shows. It leapt into the Top 10 for
Season 2 — fueled by the lead characters catchphrases including “And that’s
the name of that tune” and “You can take that to the bank — but would be
canceled in 1978 after 80-plus episodes.

Several years later, Blake was cast as the lead of NBC drama Hell Town. He
played Father Noah Rivers, aka Hardstep, who pretty much was Baretta in
priestly garb, trying to bring hope to the East L.A. parish of St.
Dominic’s. The series lasted only a handful of episodes in 1985.

On television, fans also watched Blake on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny
Carson, where he was a recurring guest who appeared in funny skits with
longtime friend Johnny Carson and other featured celebrities.

He is also remembered as a pitchman in commercials for STP, Geico and
others.

But there was also a darker side to the Blake story.

Bakley, Blake’s second wife, was found shot to death outside of Vitello’s
restaurant in the San Fernando Valley in 2001, after the couple had dined
there. Blake told police that he had gone back into the restaurant to
retrieve a handgun he’d left on the floor of their booth.

Blake was charged with Bakley’s murder in 2002, along with solicitation of
murder, conspiracy and special circumstances of lying in wait. But a jury
found him not guilty of the crimes in 2005 after a sensational trial. And
though Bakley’s children brought a wrongful-death suit against Blake
shortly thereafter, her killing officially remains unsolved.

The highly publicized, three-month trial saw Blake weep into the shoulder
of his lawyer after the jury acquitted him. The seven men and five women
found him not guilty of soliciting a former stunt double whom he met on the
Baretta set to kill his wife.

During the course of the trial, their unhappy marriage details became
sensational news fodder.

Bakley, it was revealed, had at least a dozen aliases and 10 former
husbands. The defense contended she had trapped Mr. Blake into an unloving
marriage by becoming pregnant with his child. Thus, the motive for Blake,
who referred to his wife as “pig,” was established. But the jury didn’t
believe the stuntman’s testimony, thanks to his history of drug abuse.

The judge ordered that Mr. Blake be given back his passport and $1.5
million bail.

In his later years Blake wrote his memoir, The Life of a Rascal, and lived
quietly in the Los Angeles area, enjoying jazz music, playing his guitar,
reading poetry, and watching many Hollywood classic films.

A private memorial service will be held to honor his life. In lieu of
flowers, his family requests that donations be made to City of Hope.

--
The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it is still on my list.

> anim8rfsk
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> Robert Blake Dies: Actor In ‘Baretta’ And ‘In Cold Blood’ Was 89,

I thought he died a few years back?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HNWhVXcjV8