Joby Baker
Canadian actor and painter (1934–2026)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Joseph N. "Joby" Baker (March 26, 1934 – June 22, 2026) was a Canadian actor and painter, long based in the United States.[1]
Joby Baker | |
|---|---|
Baker on Good Morning World in 1967 | |
| Born | March 26, 1934 |
| Died | June 22, 2026 (aged 92) Yonkers, New York, U.S. |
| Occupations | Actor, painter |
| Years active | 1952–1984 |
| Spouses | Joyce H. Winter
(m. 1961; div. 1975)Megan Moore (m. 2014) |
| Children | 5 |
Early life
Baker was born in Montreal, Quebec on March 26, 1934.[2][3] He lived most of his childhood in Oahu, Hawaii then moved to New York City to attend school.[4]
Career
An early role in Baker's career was in a 1958 episode of The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, "Ronnie Makes A Record", where he was cast as a recording studio vocalist. In the early 1960s, he made guest appearances on many television series. In 1962, he appeared on Perry Mason as Kenneth Carter in "The Case of the Bogus Books". He appeared as a semi-regular in the first season of the WWII TV series Combat! as Pvt. Kelly.
Other television series appearances included The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Dr. Kildare and The Dick Van Dyke Show. In 1960, he co-starred with Jack Lemmon and Ricky Nelson in The Wackiest Ship in the Army.[5] He appeared in the Elvis Presley movie Girl Happy (1965), and in all three Gidget movies.[4][6]
In 1967, Baker was cast as a travelling magician, Dr. William Davis, in the episode "The Saga of Dr. Davis" on the syndicated series Death Valley Days, hosted by Robert Taylor.[7] Judi Meredith played his wife, Jenny, whose death leads him to take an adopted son, Tad, on his remaining westward journeys.
Baker began a long association with Walt Disney Studios where he appeared in The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin (1966),[8] Blackbeard's Ghost (1968),[9] and Superdad (1974). In 1967–68, he had a lead role in Good Morning World, a short-lived sitcom about a pair of disc jockeys named Lewis and Clarke.[10] The series co-starred Goldie Hawn.[11] This was followed by a succession of character roles, including an appearance in an episode of the 1973 situation comedy A Touch of Grace and a stint as "Colonel Marvin" on the 1980 sitcom Six O'Clock Follies.
Personal life and death
Baker first married Joan Blackman, whom he met in drama school. In 1984, he married lyricist and songwriter Dory Previn.[12] He illustrated The Dory Previn Songbook,[13] published in 1995. He exhibited as an abstract painter in major Los Angeles art galleries.[citation needed]
Baker died at a hospital in Yonkers, New York, on June 22, 2026, at the age of 92.[2][3][4]
Selected filmography
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1958) (Season 4 Episode 13: "Six People, No Music") as Thor
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1960) (Season 5 Episode 24: "Madame Mystery") as Jimmy Dolan
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1961) (Season 7 Episode 11: "The Right Kind of Medicine") as Vernon
- The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1963) (Season 2 Episode 8: "The Cadaver") as Doc Carroll
