I got to visit with Mr. Robertson at the 1998 National Cowboy Symposium in Lubbock, Texas. I asked him how he got into the acting field. He said that after World War II broke out, he had joined the U.S. Army and was stationed at San Luis Obispo, Calif. Indications were that his unit would soon be shipped to the Pacific battlefield. So, with Christmas just ahead, he decided to have a studio photo made and send it to his mother.
"I asked around to see if anyone else wanted to go, and fourteen of us made the trip all the way down to Hollywood to find a photographer," Dale said. "We just drove down the street and picked one at random and had our photos taken. Then we drove back to the base and, sure enough, we were shipped out not too long after that.
"Then the strangest thing happened. I started getting letters from agents wanting to represent me in Hollywood. It turned out that the photographer liked my photo so much that he had blown it up real big and put it in his front window as an advertisement for his work. And it wound up eventually putting me to work."
After the war, stayed in California and got an agent and started getting small parts. His first movie was, "The Boy With the Green Hair," about a boy whose hair turned green whenever he would tell a lie. In 1947 he had his first major role in Flamingo Road starring Joan Crawford.
Several years later, Hollywood columnist Louella Parsons, asked Dale's agent whether Dale could appear on her program. The agent said yes, but forgot to tell Dale about the deal. Dale and Ms. Parsons met each other a couple of days later and she said, "I'm happy you're going to be on my show next week."
Dale was a bit perplexed and answered, "Oh that's okay. But, by the way, what are you going to pay me?"
You'd think he had hit her between the eyes with a two-by-four. "Pay?" Mrs. Parsons exclaimed. Her nationally syndicated program was one that most actors would have paid her to get to be on it.
Dale put it to her plainly: "Look, you don't do the show for free. So why should I? When I first came out here, I was willing to do things for free to show off my talent; but now I get good money from my talent. So why shouldn't you pay?"
Miss Parsons was a powerful person in the Hollywood community, not a good person to have as an enemy. She turned to walk away and growled, "You're going to be out of this business in a year."
A few days later Dale was sitting in the swanky office of Columbia Pictures executive Harry Cohn. The phone rang and it was Louella Parsons. She was absolutely irate. She told Mr. Cohn not to employ an arrogant young actor by the name of Dale Robertson. "He is not only arrogant, but I believe he is also anti-Semitic."
Unbeknown to Miss Parsons, Harry Cohn was letting Dale's listen in on the conversation. After she hung up, Mr. Cohn looked at the handsome young actor and asked, "Are you anti-Semitic?"
Dale thought a minute and said, "What does 'anti-Semitic' mean?"
Mr. Cohn explained, "That means you don't like Jews."
"Oh, I see, " Dale said. "And are you Jewish, Mr. Cohn?"
The movie studio executive said, "I certainly am."
Dale smiled that wonderful smile and said, "Well, I sure don't like you!" Their mutal friendship continued until Mr. Cohn died many years later.
Dale made 63 motion pictures. His favorite film was, The Gambler from Natchez . He also made 430 hours of television, including The Tales of Wells Fargo .
One thing that Dale was never very fond of was the press. And they reciprocated by "awarding" him their "Sour Apple Celebrity Award" for three years in a row.
Dale and his wife, Susan, have lived on their horse ranch in Yukon, Okla., for many years. He travels widely, appearing at Western festivals and making other public appearances.
