---
name: "Robert Stack"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/robert-stack"
fi1m_id: "robert-stack"
imdb_id: "nm0821041"
tmdb_id: 2493
wikidata_id: "Q355153"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "13 January 1919"
died: "14 May 2003"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 4
average_fi1m_score: 84
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 4
updated: "2026-09-25T07:32:54.814704+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Robert Stack

## Identity

Robert Stack

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/robert-stack
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** robert-stack
- **IMDb ID:** nm0821041
- **TMDB ID:** 2493
- **Wikidata ID:** Q355153
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Stack, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q355153, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0821041/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/2493

Actor. Born 13 January 1919 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Died 14 May 2003.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 13 January 1919, Los Angeles, California, USA
- **Died:** 14 May 2003
- **Active:** 1940–1986
- **Also known as:** Роберт Стэк, Charles Langford Modini Stack, رابرت استاک
- **Primetime Emmy Awards:** 1 Emmy (1 won)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 84, as actor, over 4 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1940s 82 (2), 1950s 83 (1), 1980s 89 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 84 to 79 across 4 titles
- **Score spread:** 3 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 4 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Comedy 2, Drama 2, Romance 2, War 1
- **Screen time:** 6 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $89m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Stack, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q355153, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0821041/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/2493

## Streaming the US now

- **Hulu:** [*Airplane!*](https://film.one/film/airplane.md) (89)
- **HBO Max:** [*To Be or Not to Be*](https://film.one/film/to-be-or-not-to-be.md) (87)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Robert Stack

> Robert Stack's deep baritone and stern composure could make authority persuasive or monotonous. We value him most in comedy, where his refusal to soften those habits makes the foolishness around him funnier.

Robert Stack keeps attending to the emergency in *Airplane* (1980) as though sensible behaviour remains an option. His Captain Rex Kramer brings a deep baritone and a seriousness that the foolish dialogue does nothing to disturb. We laughed because he continued to sound capable when the words gave us so little reason to trust anyone's judgement. There is no invitation to admire his straight face. The joke needs him to get on with the job.

*To Be or Not to Be* (1942) is a reminder that comedy was part of his work long before it became self-parody. He plays Lieutenant Stanislav Sobinski for Ernst Lubitsch, though Jack Benny and Carole Lombard provide the comic assurance we prize in that film. Douglas Sirk's *Written on the Wind* (1956) casts him as Kyle Hadley, a self-destructive man.

Eliot Ness in *The Untouchables* (1959–1963) made that sternness central to his reputation. As an incorruptible Treasury agent, Stack's terse delivery gave authority a persuasive simplicity. There was a cost: the subsequent typecasting in no-nonsense roles could make him seem one-note. We find that firmness most useful when a film puts it under strain, rather than merely relying on the voice to establish who is in charge.

Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker understand this in *Airplane*. Peter Graves and Leslie Nielsen share Stack's seriousness, while Lloyd Bridges seems less securely in command. Some of the wordplay is painfully corny, and even this cast cannot make every joke work. Yet Stack's contribution is substantial precisely because he declines to compete for the laugh. Start with Kramer, then try Kyle Hadley before deciding that Stack could only play the man who had everything under control.

## Biography

Robert Stack (born Charles Langford Modini Stack) was an American actor and television host. He appeared in more than 40 feature films and gained prominence for his role as Eliot Ness in the television series The Untouchables (1959–1963), for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1960.

Stack received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Written on the Wind (1956). Later in his career he took on comedic roles that satirised his established screen persona, including Captain Rex Kramer in Airplane! (1980) and the voice of Ultra Magnus in The Transformers: The Movie (1986). He also hosted the true-crime series Unsolved Mysteries from 1987 to 2002.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (4)

- *Airplane!* (1980), Fi1m 89, as Captain Rex Kramer — [page](https://film.one/film/airplane.md)
- *Written on the Wind* (1956), Fi1m 83, as Kyle Hadley — [page](https://film.one/film/written-on-the-wind.md)
- *To Be or Not to Be* (1942), Fi1m 87, as Lieut. Stanislav Sobinski — [page](https://film.one/film/to-be-or-not-to-be.md)
- *The Mortal Storm* (1940), Fi1m 76, as Otto Von Rohn — [page](https://film.one/film/the-mortal-storm.md)

## Complete filmography (102)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Jacques Tati, tombé de la lune* (2021), Actor
- *Yellowface: Asian Whitewashing and Racism in Hollywood* (2019), as (archive footage)
- *These Dead Souls* (2018), as (archive footage)
- *Unsolved Mysteries Volume 1: UFOs* (2004), as Host
- *Butt-Ugly Martians* (2002), series, as Stoat Muldoon (voice)
- *Killer Bud* (2001), as The Gooch
- *Recess: School's Out* (2001), as Superintendent (voice)
- *Sealed with a Kiss* (1999), as Sumner Ethridge
- *Hercules: Zero to Hero* (1999), as Narrator (voice) (archive sound)
- *The Y2K Crisis* (1999), as Host
- *Hercules* (1998), series, as Bob (voice)
- *BASEketball* (1998), as Robert Stack
- *The Angry Beavers* (1997), series, as Narrator (voice)
- *King of the Hill* (1997), series, as Reynolds Penland (voice) (uncredited) — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/king-of-the-hill-1997.md)
- *Beavis and Butt-Head Do America* (1996), as Agent Flemming (voice)
- *Suddenly Susan* (1996), series, as Robert Stack
- *Diagnosis: Murder* (1993), series, as Peter McReynolds
- *The Return of Eliot Ness* (1991), as Eliot Ness
- *Unsolved Mysteries: UFOS* (1991), series, Actor
- *The Real Story of Baa Baa Black Sheep* (1991), as Lt. Littleboy (voice)
- *Unsolved Mysteries: Ghosts* (1990), series, Actor
- *The Fanelli Boys* (1990), series, as Robert Stack (uncredited), Kyle Hadley
- *Blossom* (1990), series, as Robert Stack
- *Joe Versus the Volcano* (1990), as Dr. Ellison
- *Unsolved Mysteries* (1988), series, as Host
- *Dangerous Curves* (1988), as Louis Faciano
- *Caddyshack II* (1988), as Chandler Young
- *Plain Clothes* (1988), as Mr. Gardner
- *Perry Mason: The Case of the Sinister Spirit* (1987), as Jordan White
- *The Transformers: The Movie* (1986), as Ultra Magnus (voice)
- *Big Trouble* (1986), as Winslow
- *Midas Valley* (1985), as Drew Hammond
- *Hollywood Wives* (1985), series, as George Lancaster
- *My Kingdom For...* (1985), Actor
- *Murder, She Wrote* (1984), series, as Chester Harrison
- *Brothers* (1984), series, Actor
- *George Washington* (1984), series, as General Stark
- *Uncommon Valor* (1983), as MacGregor
- *Hotel* (1982), series, as Lewis Blackwood, Charles Vandoor
- *Falcon Crest* (1981), series, as Roland Saunders
- *Strike Force* (1981), series, as Captain Frank Murphy
- *Airplane!* (1980), as Captain Rex Kramer — Fi1m 89, [page](https://film.one/film/airplane.md)
- *1941* (1979), as Maj. Gen. Joseph W. Stilwell
- *Undercover with the KKK* (1979), as Host - Narrator
- *Second Wind* (1978), as François Davis
- *The Love Boat* (1977), series, as Bret Garrett
- *Most Wanted* (1976), series, as Captain Linc Evers
- *Murder on Flight 502* (1975), as Captain Larkin
- *Adventures of the Queen* (1975), as Capt. James Morgan
- *The Strange and Deadly Occurrence* (1974), as Michael Rhodes
- *Police Story* (1973), series, Actor
- *Story of a Woman* (1970), as David Frasier
- *The Name of the Game* (1968), series, as Dan Farrell
- *Laura* (1968), as Mark McPherson
- *The Danny Thomas Hour* (1967), series, as Angelo (Businessman)
- *Action Man* (1967), as Jim Beckley
- *The Corrupt Ones* (1967), as Cliff Wilder
- *Is Paris Burning?* (1966), as General Sibert
- *Asylum for a Spy* (1965), as James Andrew Congers
- *The Caretakers* (1963), as Dr. Donovan MacLeod
- *The Lucy Show* (1962), series, as Agent Briggs
- *Alcatraz Express* (1961), as Eliot Ness
- *The Gun of Zangara* (1960), as Eliot Ness
- *The Last Voyage* (1960), as Cliff Henderson
- *The Untouchables* (1959), series, as Eliot Ness
- *John Paul Jones* (1959), as John Paul Jones
- *The Scarface Mob* (1959), as Eliot Ness
- *Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse* (1958), series, as Eliot Ness
- *The Gift of Love* (1958), as William 'Bill' Beck
- *Panic Button* (1957), as Jerry Cook
- *The Tarnished Angels* (1957), as Roger Shumann
- *Written on the Wind* (1956), as Kyle Hadley — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/film/written-on-the-wind.md)
- *Great Day in the Morning* (1956), as Owen Pentecost
- *Good Morning, Miss Dove* (1955), as Dr. Tommy Baker
- *Laura* (1955), as Mark Macpherson
- *The 20th Century Fox Hour* (1955), series, as Mark MacPherson
- *House of Bamboo* (1955), as Eddie Kenner
- *The High and the Mighty* (1954), as John Sullivan
- *The Iron Glove* (1954), as Captain Charles Wogan
- *Sabre Jet* (1953), as Col. Gil Manton
- *Conquest of Cochise* (1953), as Maj. Tom Burke
- *War Paint* (1953), as Lt. Billings
- *The Ford Television Theatre* (1952), series, as Ralph Saunders, Ben Barton
- *Bwana Devil* (1952), as Bob Hayward
- *Schlitz Playhouse of Stars* (1951), series, as Vic Flint
- *My Outlaw Brother* (1951), as Patrick O´Moore
- *Bullfighter and the Lady* (1951), as John Regan
- *Mr. Music* (1950), as Jeff Blake
- *Lux Video Theatre* (1950), series, as First Man
- *Riviera Dream* (1950), Actor
- *Fighter Squadron* (1948), as Capt. Stuart L. Hamilton
- *Miss Tatlock's Millions* (1948), as Nickey Van Alen
- *A Date with Judy* (1948), as Stephen Andrews
- *Keeping Fit* (1942), as Bob - Factory worker
- *Men of Texas* (1942), as Barry Conovan
- *Eagle Squadron* (1942), as Chuck S. Brewer
- *To Be or Not to Be* (1942), as Lieut. Stanislav Sobinski — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/film/to-be-or-not-to-be.md)
- *Badlands of Dakota* (1941), as Jim Holliday
- *Nice Girl?* (1941), as Don Webb
- *A Little Bit of Heaven* (1940), as Bob Terry
- *The Mortal Storm* (1940), as Otto Von Rohn — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/the-mortal-storm.md)
- *First Love* (1939), as Ted Drake

## Gallery

- ![Franklin Theater advertisement for the American war film Fighter Squadron (1948) - 28 Jan. 1949 Morning Call, Allentown PA](https://film.one/media/person/92996/gallery-a01c26f23346.jpg) Franklin Theater advertisement for the American war film Fighter Squadron (1948) - 28 Jan. 1949 Morning Call, Allentown PA — Warner Bros., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/1949_-_Franklin_Theater_Ad_-_28_Jan_MC_-_Allentown_PA.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Photo of Bruce Gordon as Frank Nitti and Robert Stack as Eliot Ness in a scene from the television program The Untouchables. (1962)](https://film.one/media/person/92996/gallery-92916118dc36.jpg) Photo of Bruce Gordon as Frank Nitti and Robert Stack as Eliot Ness in a scene from the television program The Untouchables. (1962) — ABC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Bruce_Gordon_Robert_Stack_The_Untouchables_1962.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Chuck Norris, Johnny Grant, Merv Griffin, Rosie Grier, and Charlton Heston, (Not in all Photos) (3A-7A) Trip to California, signing ceremony for Berne Conventio (1988)](https://film.one/media/person/92996/gallery-a6adf1fe1b13.jpg) Chuck Norris, Johnny Grant, Merv Griffin, Rosie Grier, and Charlton Heston, (Not in all Photos) (3A-7A) Trip to California, signing ceremony for Berne Conventio (1988) — William Fitz-Patrick, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Reagan_Contact_Sheet_C50180.jpg/1280px-Reagan_Contact_Sheet_C50180.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![President Ronald Reagan, Rosie Grier, Lew Wasserman, AC Lyles, Chuck Norris, Charlton Heston, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chuck Connors, Robert Stack, Andy Williams, (1988)](https://film.one/media/person/92996/gallery-89ddf44c7e28.jpg) President Ronald Reagan, Rosie Grier, Lew Wasserman, AC Lyles, Chuck Norris, Charlton Heston, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chuck Connors, Robert Stack, Andy Williams, (1988) — William Fitz-Patrick, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4d/Reagan_Contact_Sheet_C50182.jpg/1280px-Reagan_Contact_Sheet_C50182.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- 1957: Best Supporting Actor (nominated), for *Written on the Wind*

### Primetime Emmy Awards — 1 won

- 1960: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (won), for *The Untouchables*

### Other awards — 1 won

- Golden Plate Award 1962: Golden Plate Award (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/robert-stack