Cliff Robertson: 1923-2011

Cliff Robertson at 2004 NYC Oscar celebration — AP Photo/Tina Fineberg

Actor, writer, director and producer Cliff Robertson straightens his tie as he arrives for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' official New York Oscar Night celebration of the 76th Academy Awards in New York on Feb. 29, 2004. Robertson, who played John F. Kennedy in "PT-109," won an Oscar for "Charly" and was famously victimized in a 1977 Hollywood forgery scandal, died Saturday. He was 88.

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In 1961, Cliff Robertson starred with Dolores Dorn in Samuel Fuller's "Underworld U.S.A." Robertson died Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011, at the age of 88.

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Actor Cliff Robertson takes a break as the skipper of the PT 109, Lt. John F. Kennedy in the movie "PT 109," in this Feb. 25, 1963 photo. Robertson died Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011. He was 88.

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Actor Cliff Robterson poses with the Emmy he won for his role in "PT 109" — AP Photo

Actor Cliff Robertson holds the Emmy he won for the outstanding single performance by an actor in a leading role in a drama in Los Angeles, May 22, 1966. Robertson, the movie actor who played John F. Kennedy in "PT-109," won an Oscar for "Charly" and was famously victimized in a 1977 Hollywood forgery scandal, died Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011. He was 88.

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Cliff Robertson and Henry Fonda duked it out in the cut-throat world of Washington politics in "The Best Man" (1964). Robertson played a U.S. senator competing for the presidential nomination, in the film adaptation of Gore Vidal's play.

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Cliff Robertson in scene from "Charly" — AP Photo/ABC

Cliff Robertson plays a mentally retarded man who falls in love with his teacher, portrayed by Claire Bloom, after brain surgery raised him temporarily to genius level in "Charly." Robertson first appeared in the "Charly" story in a TV version, "The Two Worlds of Charlie Gordon." Both were based on "Flowers for Algernon," a short story that author Daniel Keyes later revised into a novel.

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Cliff Robertson won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of a mentally-challenged man whom science turns into a genius in the 1968 film, "Charly."

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Genevieve Bujold and Cliff Robertson in "Obsession" — Columbia Pictures

Cliff Robertson with Genevieve Bujold in the 1976 film "Obsession." In 1977, Robertson made headlines by blowing the whistle on a Hollywood financial scandal. He had discovered that David Begelman, president of Columbia Pictures, had forged his signature on a $10,000 salary check, and he called the FBI and local authorities.

Hollywood insiders were not happy with the ugly publicity. Robertson said neither the studios nor the networks would hire him for four years.

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In "The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid" (1972), Cliff Robertson played famed outlaw Cole Younger. — Universal Pictures

In the 1972 film "The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid," Cliff Robertson played famed outlaw Cole Younger.

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Cliff Robertsonand Robert Redford in scene from "Three Days of the Condor" — Paramount Pictures

The 1975 Sydney Pollack thriller, "Three Days of the Condor," starred Robert Redford as a CIA analyst caught in a deadly web of intrigue, who thinks the Agency's deputy director, played by Cliff Robertson, can save him.

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Cliff Robertsson interviewed by Gene Shalit on "Today." — AP Photo/David Pickoff

Actor Cliff Robertson is interviewed by Gene Shalit on NBC's "Today Show," March 1, 1978. Robertson, who played John F. Kennedy in "PT-109," won an Oscar for "Charly" and was famously victimized in a 1977 Hollywood forgery scandal, died Saturday, Seot. 10, 2011, a day after his 88th birthday.

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Cliff Robertson played Playboy founder Hugh Hefner in Bob Fosse's bio-pic of Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten in 1983s "Star 80." — Warner Brothers

Cliff Robertson played Playboy founder Hugh Hefner in Bob Fosse's 1983 biopic of Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten in "Star 80."

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Cliff Robertson in a scene from "Brainstorm." — MGM/UA

The 1983 sci-fi flick "Brainstorm" featured a device that could tap into a person's memories and sensory experiences. Robertson played a corporate exec, seen here giving board members a test-run.

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Cliff Robertson smiles after he test-piloted a replica of an airplane challenging the Wright brother's status as the first to fly in a tethered test flight — AP Photo/Peter Hvizdak

Actor Cliff Robertson smiles after he test-piloted a replica of an airplane challenging the Wright brother's status as the first to fly in a tethered test flight at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford, Conn., on July 11, 1986. Robertson, who played John F. Kennedy in "PT-109," won an Oscar for "Charly" and was famously victimized in a 1977 Hollywood forgery scandal, died Saturday. He was 88.

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Cliff Robertson and Rosemary Harris in scene from "Spider-Man" (2002). — Sony Pictures

Cliff Robertson played Uncle Ben, the surrogate father of Peter Parker in "Spider-Man" (2002) and its sequels. Here he is pictured with Rosemary Harris.

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Actor Cliff Robertson, right, gives a kiss to actress Rosemary Harris at the premiere of "Spider-Man 2," in Los Angeles, June 22, 2004.

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Actor Cliff Robertson attends the premiere of "Spider-Man 3" at the Kaufman Astoria Studios during the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival on April 30, 2007, in the Queens borough of New York. Robertson never elevated into the top ranks of leading men, but the Oscar and Emmy winner remained a popular actor from the mid-1950s into the following century. His later roles included kindly Uncle Ben in the "Spider-Man" movies.

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