Dale Robertson, whose horse expertise, Oklahoma roots and handsome looks helped him win cowboy roles in 1950s and '60s, has died at age 89, his wife said Thursday.
Robertson was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer just last week while being treated for pneumonia at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, California, Susan Robertson said. He died Tuesday.
"He always said he lived two or three lifetimes," she said. "He was in Hollywood when it was great."
Robertson's acting career began after a movie scout saw a photo of him in a Hollywood photo shop's display window. He had the portrait taken to send to his mother while he was stationed at an Army post in California, according to his official biography.
He acted in several uncredited movie roles in 1948 after he left the Army, leading to his role as the outlaw Jesse James in "Fighting Man of the Plains" in 1949
