Robert Hinkle(1930-2026)

Robert (Texas Bob) Hinkle's show-business career went from the rodeo to the studio, and spans the latter half of the 20th-century. After graduating from high school in his home-town of Brownfield, Texas, Bob enlisted in the United States Air Force in November of 1947 and received his honorable discharge in March of 1950. He joined the rodeo circuit upon discharge and it was at a rodeo in Moses Lake, Washington, where Bob was competing as a calf-roper and a bulldogger, that Bob had, in his opinion, his 'most memorable achievement'; he bet a fellow competitor $20 he could get a date with the Queen of the Rodeo, Miss Sandra Larson. He met her, took her to the rodeo dance that night, collected his twenty-bucks; and married the beautiful lady fifteen months later. This 'cowboy-and-the-lady' union is still intact after 56 years, and the raising of their three children, Michael, Bradley and Melody. While visiting his rodeo friends on the set of Universal's 1952 "Bronco Buster," Bob's western appearance and demeanor caught the eye of director Budd Boetticher and landed him an uncredited role as a combination cowboy stuntman. That was all it took for Bob to decide that the "reel" west of Hollywood was more to his liking than breaking bones in real-west rodeos. Acting roles soon led him to another turning point when, in 1955, he found himself back in Texas at the Marfa location of George Stevens' "Giant" as a combination of technical/dialogue director/coach, and advising the likes of James Dean, Rock Hudson, Mercedes McCambridge, and Dennis Hopper on how to 'talk Texas.' Later, he did the same coaching job on "Hud," with Paul Newman, Patricia Neal and Melvyn Douglas. He also created and directed the 'pig scramble' segment in that film. His 1955 work on "Giant," thanks to all the generous tips and questions-answered by George Stevens, expanded Bob's interest in the film business beyond action and, in 1960, Bob wrote, directed and produced "Old Rex" for Universal Pictures, and also a short called "Born Hunters." This led him to producing a live-action short for Paramount, Mr. Chat (1964). His expanding career found him in 1964 producing a series of country-music specials called "Hollywood Jubilee" with Jeannie Seely, Henson Cargill and an unknown singer named Glen Campbell. In 1964 he became the personal manger for his old friend, fellow-Texan, Chill Wills. Also, in 1963-65, Bob wrote, directed and produced a series of two-reel shorts for Paramount. These were shot in Technicolor and on location throughout the United States, and some of the titles were "Born Hunter," narrated by Tex Williams; "Thoroughbred Racing", shot in Kentucky and narrated by Don 'Red' Barry; and "Texas Today" and "Virginia City," narrated by Chill Wills. A daredevil stunt performer named Robert Craig "Evel" Knievel hired Bob as his promoter in 1968-71. In 1970 Hinkle became the personal manager for Marty Robbins and remained so until Robbins' death in 1982. In 1972 Bob combined his film production roots with country music by producing and directing, for Universal, "Country Music Jubilee" starring Marty Robbins and Sammy Jackson, and followed that in 1972 with "Guns of a Stranger," starring his two clients, Marty Robbins and Chill Wills. He pulled out all the stops in 1982 with "Atoka," in which 100,000 people went on a picnic with Willie Nelson, Larry Gatlin, Don Williams, Freddy Fender, Hoyt Axton, David Allan Coe, Freddie Weller, Red Steagall and Marty Robbins. Bob was later the General Manager of Network One in Nashville, where he produced numerous TV shows, music videos and national commercials. Bob and Sandra Hinkle now reside back in Dallas, back to his roots, where he is semi-retired but his fast pace continues as he helps disaster victims through his work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.