Robert Strauss(1913-1975)

A seemingly ubiquitous presence in films of the 1950s, this beefy character actor drifted from one menial job to another before turning to dramatics. He worked on the stage for several years before breaking into movies in 1952. Typically played gruff characters -- sometimes comic, sometimes menacing -- and essayed quite a few gangster roles as well. He won an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Animal in Infierno en la tierra (1953), a role he had originated on Broadway. He also appeared in Qué suerte tiene el marino (1952), Locos del aire (1952), The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954), La comezón del séptimo año (1955), El hombre del brazo de oro (1955), Attack (1956), El país de la alegría (1959) (as Romeo Scragg), Mujeres en su vida (1961), Loco por las muchachas (1962), La salsa de la vida (1963), Las joyas de la familia (1965), Nacida para pecar (1965), Frankie and Johnny (1966), and La cuadrilla de los renegados (1967), to name a few, in addition to many TV shows in the 1960s and 1970s. He was incapacitated during the final years of his life, from a paralytic stroke.