User:JadeHunter11/Robert Dunham

Hi Steve,

It states that I have to contact you in regards to adding a page with the title, "Robert Dunham." Robert Dunham was my father. For years, wikipedia.com had an article on here that was not correct. I had added information in the past. Yesterday, as you know it was all deleted. I don't know too much about computers not am I computer saavy. I looked over how to add an article and it seems too complicated for me. I am including a copy of my Dad's fan page on Facebook, that I have created, along with a rough draft of the article, I wanted to add to wikipedia. The previous person named Brian something, who added the article, put misinformation in the article. In addition, he plagiarized it from another site, "TohoKingdom.com" Here is the FB site:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=100001443794858

Here is a rough draft of my article, which was written by me and verified by my own various sources:

Robert Dunham (July 6, 1931 - August 6, 2001) was an American actor. He is best known for his role as Antonio, Emperor of Seatopia in Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973). Dunham's most famous role would be that of Mark Jackson, in the Japanese film, Dogora (1964). Dunham was an American living in Japan, during most of the country's "Golden Age” of cinema. He was cast in many films between 1960-1975, usually as a “heavy.” Dunham worked for Toho Studios, best known for their Godzilla films, from 1961-1974 and was cast in their movies such as Mothra (1961), The Last War (1961), Dogora or Dagora the Space Monster (1964), The Face of Another (1966), Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973), and ESPY a.k.a Esupai (1974). He also acted in films such as Marines Let’s Go (1961), A Flight from Ashiya, (1964) with actors Yul Brynner and Richard Widmark, as well as The Little Adventurer, with British child actor, Mark Lester. In 1966, Dunham wrote, directed and produced a movie called, The Time Travelers, with actress Linda Purl. Robert Dunham credits starting Linda Purl’s acting career, as this was her first film. (Linda Purl was 10-years-old at the time. She was born in the United States but was raised in Japan. She had been the only foreigner, to train at the Toho Geino Academy.) As far as what made Dunham stand out from other Caucasian actors in Japan at the time, was that Dunham spoke fluent Japanese.

Robert Dunham grew up in Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts. Born to an affluent family, his parents were Earl and Charlotte Dunham. His paternal grandparents were William and Clara Dunham of Nova Scotia. His maternal grandparents were Henry and Bertha Chadbourne of Worcester, Massachusetts. He has one older sister named Patricia June. He graduated from a private school called Noble and Greenough School in Dedham, Massachusetts, in 1949. Dunham was later accepted into Williams College, in Williamstown, Massachusetts. While at William’s College, he played for both the squash (J.V.) and lacrosse teams. He belonged to the Delta Kapa Epsilon fraternity. He graduated from Williams College in 1953, with his Bachelor’s degree in Art.

After graduating college, Dunham joined the United States Marine Corps. He was stationed in Yokohama, Japan and served for two years as a 2nd Lieutenant of the Military Police (MP). Later, he attended correspondence school to learn how to speak Japanese. After being honorably discharged from the US Marine Corps, he returned to home to the United States to work for his father’s automobile dealership. After only nine months, he went back to Japan and opened up his own import/export business called Pan Commercial Ltd., where he exported shoes. Later, he worked in the Japanese automobile industry, test driving cars for Hino Motors/Toyota. He later met Australian race car driver Peter Brock (1945-2006) and put together a racing team called Brock Racing Enterprises or BRE. Dunham had previous experience, racing cars on the upstate New York’s dirt racing circuit. Dunham raced both motorcycles and cars on Japan’s Suzuka Circuit, in the 1960s. Later, he raced a car called the Hino Contessa 900. On October 10, 1964, he raced the Hino Contessa 1300 GT at the Riverside GP (California) and placed second in G class. On November 1, 1964, he won first place at Willow Springs Hill climb (California), in the 1100cc class, with Peter Brock placing second. Then, in November 22, 1964, Dunham raced the Hino 900 GT and got 1st in class and 6th in total at the Del Mar race. In 1964, AC Cars, well-known for designing the Cobra car, used both Dunham and Pete Brock’s bodywork designs, for their Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe. (They used a scaled-up version to increase room, inside the car.)

His racing talents later led him to work as a stunt man, for automobiles. Because of his diverse background and his ability to speak Japanese fluently, his opportunities multiplied. This is what helped jump-start Dunham’s acting career. In 1980, he stated to a newpaper reporter at The Cape Cod Times in an interview, "I never really took acting, too seriously." He also starred in several Japanese and American commercials. One notable commercial he made was for Nestea Iced Tea, where he did the "Nestea Plunge" for their commercial in the 1970s, as well as for Japanese commercials for various soft drinks.

He also authored three books: Tokyo Unzipped, The Art of Being Japanese and Alice in Blunderland, which he published under the name “Bob Dunham.” His books were all satirical novels, made to “poke fun” of the common stereotypes Americans have of the Japanese culture.

Dunham lived in Tokyo for over 22 years. His first wife was Diane Drown of Natick, Massachusetts. They were married for less than a year and were quickly divorced. In 1953, Dunham married a Japanese woman named Keiko. They had two children, Barbara Ann and Daniel Alan. They were married for approximately 15 years and divorced in 1968. During this time, Dunham met 24-year-old Japanese fashion model, Setsuko Sazawa. They were later married in February 1969. They had two children, Emiko (Emmy) and Marcia. Dunham and his wife Setsuko, moved to Denenchofu, an affluent suburb of Tokyo, where they lived from 1973-75. In 1975, Dunham decided to move his family to the United States and moved to Truro, Massachusetts, an isolated area of Cape Cod. He became a freelance writer, often contributing material to magazines such as Car and Driver, Road and Track and The Saturday Evening Post.

Dunham lived all over Cape Cod between 1975-1987. He lived in Truro, Wellfleet, South Orleans and Brewster, Massachusetts. In 1984, he divorced his third wife Setsuko and moved back to Truro, Massachusetts, till 1987. He later moved to a gated community in Sarasota, Florida. He was very active in local theater productions in Sarasota and was involved with the local theatre club.

In his later years, he had enjoyed fishing and sailing. Dunham eventually opened up a fish smoking business off Bracket Road in Eastham, Massachusetts. He also worked as a Harbor Master for Pamet Harbor in Truro, Massachusetts for many years, in the late 1970s to the early 1980s.

In 1998, he directed a movie called, "Samantha," which was based on a short story he wrote many years ago in Japan called, "The Nine Lives of Miss Hama's Cats." It was completed a couple of years later but the movie was never sold.

Dunham passed away alone in his home, sometime in late July 2001. His body was discovered in his home in Sarasota, on August 6, 2001, by the Sarasota Sheriff's Office. He died from a massive stroke, at the age of 70. He is buried at the National Cemetery in Bourne, Massachusetts.

Mind you, this is a rough draft that was written in under 2 hours. Please let me know if anyone can help me put the correct article, about my father, onto wikipedia.com. Thank you and have a Happy Holiday!

Sincerely,

JadeHunter11 (talk) 20:10, 21 December 2010 (UTC)