Robert Lansing; Starred in Hit 1960s TV Series

Robert Lansing, Broadway, film and television actor who starred in the series “12 O’Clock High,” has died.

The 66-year-old actor, who lived in Manhattan, died Sunday of cancer in a New York City hospice.

A native of San Diego, Lansing made his acting debut in 1951 on Broadway in “Stalag 17.” His craggy good looks and stentorian voice earned him continuing stage work. Among his Broadway credits were “The Little Foxes,” “Suddenly Last Summer,” “Cyrano de Bergerac” and “Charley’s Aunt.”

Off-Broadway, his work included “Father,” the “Sea Plays” of Eugene O’Neill and two one-man shows, “Damian” and “The Disciple of Discontent.”

Lansing’s motion picture roles included “A Gathering of Eagles” and “Under the Yum Yum Tree.”

On television, he appeared in episodes of such hits as “Star Trek,” “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” “The Twilight Zone” and “Murder, She Wrote.”

But Lansing is probably best remembered as the authoritarian Brig. Gen. Frank Savage in “12 O’Clock High.” The ABC drama series about World War II bomber pilots aired from Sept. 18, 1964, through Jan. 13, 1967. Lansing’s character died at the beginning of the second season.