In those days I would go for an interview and find myself competing with this other chap who would always be younger and taller, and much handsomer than I.

Some of these films such as Vice Squad (1953) proved excellent in their own right while others such as 1958's Tank Battalion were critical and commercial failures. Immediately prior to filming the emotional scene Robinson told his co-star and longtime friend Charlton Heston that he was dying from cancer and had weeks to live at best. One of his chief pastimes was collecting records of the world's leading concerts.

He was included in the American Film Institute's list of the 25 greatest male stars in American cinema. Other memorable roles include Barton Keyes in the film noir Double Indemnity Dathan in The Ten Commandments and his final performance as Sol Roth in Soylent Green.