Robert Courtleigh

Robert Courtleigh (October 23, 1916 – November 21, 2004) was an American actor whose career spanned Broadway, television, and film. Born in Rye, New York, he was one of four sons of Edna (Conroy) Courtleigh, a Gibson Girl, and William Courtleigh, a Canadian-born Broadway actor who was both a member of the Lamb's Club and a co-creator of the Actors' Equity Association. Courtleigh's brother Stephen and half-brother William also pursued acting careers.

Courtleigh made his Broadway appearance in 1933 in the play A Saturday Night. His television career gained momentum in the 1950s through the science fiction series Atom Squad, in which he played Steve Elliott alongside Bob Hastings and Bram Nossem. That role brought him recognition beyond the screen: he was selected as an honorary delegate to the ninth annual World Science Fiction Convention, held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

His subsequent television work included an episode of Men into Space in the 1960s, the role of the evil stepmother's groom in the CBS special Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella starring Lesley Ann Warren, and multiple appearances in Hallmark Hall of Fame productions. On March 15, 2022, it was confirmed on the MASH Matters podcast that Courtleigh portrayed General Douglas MacArthur in the M*A*S*H episode "Big Mac." His film credits included supporting roles in the Sylvester Stallone drama F.I.S.T. and Winter Kills, a thriller directed by John Huston.

Courtleigh was preceded in death by his wife, Gretchen, who died in February 2004. Each had a child from a previous marriage.