Actor, Comedian, Painter
Joby Baker, Versatile Actor and Disney TV Star of 60s and 70s, Dies at 92
Key Points
Managed early in his career by famed comedian Lou Costello.
Appeared in The Last Angry Man (1959) opposite Paul Muni, and in The Wackiest Ship in the Army (1960) sharing the USS Echo with Jack Lemmon and Ricky Nelson.
The Berkshire Edge profiled him in 2014 as a Southfield painter, showing work at Lauren Clark Gallery in Great Barrington.
He recalled that CBS considered naming the show after him, saying, 'They were going to call it The Joby Baker Show' and he begged them not to.
There were conflicting reports about the exact location of his death, with The Hollywood Reporter placing it in Yonkers, New York, while Deadline cited Mount Kisco in Westchester County.
Joby Baker, a Canadian-born actor and comedian who became a familiar face in 1960s and 1970s Hollywood, died of natural causes on June 22 at age 92. Daily Voice reported his death in Mount Kisco, New York, while The Hollywood Reporter placed it in Yonkers — both in Westchester County. His granddaughter Sofia Silverman confirmed the news.
Baker built a career that stretched from Elvis Presley films to Disney classics to a long-running CBS sitcom. In later life, he stepped away from acting entirely and reinvented himself as a painter and sculptor in western Massachusetts.
From Montreal to Hollywood: A Career Built on Range
Born Joseph Baker in Montreal in 1934, he grew up partly in Hawaii and survived a friendly-fire incident tied to the Pearl Harbor attack. Early in his career, he was managed by legendary comedian Lou Costello — a connection that helped open doors in Hollywood.
Baker's film résumé was wide. He appeared opposite Paul Muni in The Last Angry Man (1959) and shared the screen with Jack Lemmon and Ricky Nelson in The Wackiest Ship in the Army (1960). He then joined Elvis Presley for Girl Happy and Spinout, and appeared in Disney films including The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin and Blackbeard's Ghost, according to Yahoo News.
Star of Good Morning World, Guest on Dozens of Shows
Baker's biggest TV role came on the CBS sitcom Good Morning World, where he played radio DJ Dave Lewis. The show almost bore his name. He later recalled that the network considered calling it The Joby Baker Show — and said he begged them not to, according to Daily Voice.
His television guest list reads like a guide to 1960s and 1970s classics. He appeared on The Dick Van Dyke Show, Perry Mason, Combat!, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Mannix, and Quincy M.E. He made his final TV appearance on The Paper Chase in 1984, after which he retired from acting entirely.
Painter and Sculptor: A Second Life in the Berkshires
By the 1970s, Baker had shifted his focus from screen to studio. He moved to Southfield in western Massachusetts and built a new career as a visual artist alongside his wife, singer-songwriter Dory Previn. His work was shown in galleries across Los Angeles, New York, and New England.
The Berkshire Edge profiled him in 2014 as a Southfield painter. His work appeared at the Lauren Clark Gallery in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. EW noted that he was celebrated both as an actor and as an artist — a rare double life for a Hollywood veteran of his era.
A Goldie Hawn Co-Star Remembered by Family
Baker also shared the screen with a then-unknown Goldie Hawn. Yahoo News noted the connection, underscoring just how wide his Hollywood circle had been. His granddaughter Sofia Silverman spoke with reporters after his death to confirm the news and share details about his final years.
Baker was 92. He leaves behind a career that touched Elvis films, Disney adventures, network television, and a gallery wall in the Berkshires — a run that few actors of his generation could match.
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