Joby Baker, an actor who starred in three Gidget movies and became a familiar face on 1960s and ’70s TV, has passed away.
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Baker, 92, died of natural causes on June 22 in Mount Kisco, New York, according to Deadline, citing his family.
The outlet noted that Baker’s death came just 10 days after the passing of Ronnie Schell, his co-star in the 1967 CBS sitcom Good Morning World. The single-season comedy, which also featured Goldie Hawn, starred the pair as best friends and morning radio DJs.
Born Joseph N. Baker on March 26, 1934, in Montreal, he developed an early passion for acting before relocating to Hollywood.
Baker was a popular comedian and actor whose career spanned over three decades. Starting in the early 1950s, he landed small roles in popular shows including The Red Skelton Hour, Studio One, and The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. He continued working steadily in television until his final guest credit in the 1984 TV adaptation of The Paper Chase.
Some of Joby Baker’s Co-Stars Include Elvis Presley and Jack Lemmon
In film, Baker starred in three Gidget movies, including the 1959 original with Sandra Dee as the surfing title character. He returned to the franchise for Gidget Goes Hawaiian in 1961 and Gidget Goes to Rome in 1963.
He also appeared in 1960’s The Wackiest Ship in the Army opposite Jack Lemmon and Ricky Nelson. Meanwhile, he appeared alongside Elvis Presley in the 1965 film Girl Happy, playing a comic bass player in Presley’s pop band.
Baker also became a Disney favorite, popping up in a string of studio films including The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin (1967), Blackbeard’s Ghost (1968), and Superdad (1973).
Of course, Baker became a favorite of TV audiences for generations. He was a regular on Combat during its first season and went on to guest star in series such as The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Ben Casey, Mannix, Simon & Simon, and Quincy M.E. He also enjoyed guest spots on sitcoms like The Dick Van Dyke Show, F Troop, and Love American Style.
By the 1970s, Baker had become an accomplished painter and sculptor. His work was exhibited in galleries across Los Angeles, New York, and New England, exploring themes of memory, vulnerability, and human emotion. His pieces earned critical acclaim and entered prominent private collections nationwide.
In 1984, Baker married Emmy-winning singer-songwriter Dory Previn. They left Los Angeles for a farmhouse in the Berkshires of Southfield, Massachusetts, where both kept studios in their art-filled home. Previn passed away in 2012.
Baker is survived by his daughters Fredricka Baker and Michelle Wayland; Scott Zimmerman, whom he raised as a son; six grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter.