Robert F. Lyons was born in 1939 in Albany, New York. He made his debut on television on an episode of “I Dream of Jeannie” in 1966. He was soon making feature films and his movies of note include “Pendleum” with Jean Seberg and George Peppard in 1969,”Getting Straight” with Elliot Gould and Candice Bergen and “The Todd Kilings” with Gloria Grahame.
TCM Overview:
Boyish lead of counter-culture films who made transition to more “solid guy” character roles in the 1970s and 80s. Best remembered for his hilarious turn in “Getting Straight” (1970), as Elliot Gould’s stoner buddy whose lame attempts at dodging the draft ultimately cause him to enlist in the Marines. After playing a charming Manson type who drives an unstable younger boy to multiple murder in “The Todd Killings” (1971), and a Harvard pot dealer opposite Barbara Hershey in “Dealing: Or The Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues” (1972), Lyons could be found in more standard action fare.