Robert Ivers: Movies & Filmography

Robert Ivers, born Robert Prestlien on December 11, 1934, in Seattle, Washington, was an American actor whose career spanned both the golden age of Hollywood cinema and the early decades of television broadcasting. After attending Tucson High School from 1950 to 1953, he received scholarships to both the Pasadena Playhouse and the University of Arizona, though he ultimately transferred to the latter institution to begin performing on stage during his first year rather than waiting until his second year as Pasadena's curriculum required. His early exposure to the entertainment industry came through uncredited appearances in notable 1950s films including Broken Lance (1954) and Violent Saturday (1955), which led to his signing with Paramount Pictures in 1956 after a standout performance in the lead role of the play Tea and Sympathy. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, Ivers established himself as a reliable supporting actor, delivering memorable performances in major motion pictures such as The Delicate Delinquent (1957) alongside Jerry Lewis, Short Cut to Hell (1957)—notably the only film directed by legendary actor James Cagney—and perhaps most famously as Cookie, one of Elvis Presley's army buddies in G.I. Blues (1960), which marked Presley's first post-army film appearance.

As the 1960s progressed, Ivers transitioned increasingly toward television, appearing in numerous popular series including Pony Express, The Fugitive starring David Janssen, Twelve O'Clock High, The Virginian, Bat Masterson, The Untouchables, and Gunsmoke, though he reportedly felt disappointment as his acting opportunities diminished by the mid-1960s. Demonstrating remarkable versatility, Ivers pivoted to journalism in 1965, launching a successful second career as a television news anchor at KPHO in Phoenix, Arizona, followed by positions at WJIM in Lansing, Michigan, and KTHI-TV in Fargo, North Dakota, before returning to his home state in 1972 to become a mainstay at KAPP in Yakima, Washington. At KAPP, he anchored newscasts, hosted the Saturday morning children's program, the weekday Morning Moneyman Movie, and participated in the station's annual Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon coverage, later moving to competing station KNDO before establishing his own advertising agency and hosting a syndicated radio show featuring film trivia and reviews. In his personal life, Ivers married Lenore Roberts in 1961, though the marriage was annulled later that year. He subsequently married actress Marcia Henderson on September 7, 1961, with whom he had two daughters, Alenda and Mallory, before Henderson's death from lupus in 1987. Ivers passed away on February 13, 2003, in Yakima at the age of 68, leaving behind a legacy that was posthumously recognized in August 2003 when he received the Elvis Fans' Choice Award for Best Male Duo as the best Elvis movie sidekick during Elvis Week festivities in Memphis, Tennessee.