Robert Strauss(1913-1975)
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Burly American character actor with a deep gravelly voice who was
equally adept at comedy and drama. The son of a theatrical costume
designer, Strauss worked as a salesman and also as a singing waiter and
busboy before finding success in the stage version of "Detective Story"
on Broadway. He appeared with José Ferrer in the Broadway revival of
"Twentieth Century." Also on Broadway, he played "Animal" in "Stalag,
17", and repeated the role in the film version (Stalag 17 (1953)). The wildly
comic yet appealing character brought Strauss an Oscar nomination for
Best Supporting Actor. He had appeared in films as early as 1942 but
became most familiar during the 1950s in memorable roles in such films
as The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954) and The Man with the Golden Arm (1955). He continued to appear on stage and also in
many television programs and commercials into the '70s. He died of
complications from a stroke, leaving a widow and three children from
his first marriage.
