Robert Shayne

Overview

Born
October 4, 1900 · Yonkers, New York, USA
Died
November 29, 1992 · Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA (lung cancer)
Birth name
Robert Shaen Dawe
Nickname
- Bob
Height
5′ 11″ (1.80 m)

Born in turn-of-the-century Yonkers, New York, Robert Shayne (born Robert Shaen Dawe) worked at a variety of jobs before his interests ultimately turned toward acting. He appeared in a succession of legit theater productions throughout the 1930s and even appeared in a few films, making a comedy short in New York in 1929, two features in 1934 and a comedy short shot in New York in 1937. In 1942 he signed with Warner Brothers and trekked to Hollywood, where he became a contract player at their Culver City studios. Warners starred the newly-arrived stage actor in a series of two-reel Westerns before graduating him to supporting roles in "A"-level features. In 1946 he left the studio to freelance. Several years later he got involved in the infant medium of TV, where he played the part for which he is best remembered--Inspector Henderson in the series Adventures of Superman (1952).
- IMDb mini biography by: Tom Weaver <TomWeavr@aol.com>

Served with Ronald Reagan on the Screen Actors Guild board and on the committee for aging actors at the Actors Equity Association.
First film experience was in an experimental two-reel talkie in 1929 with Bert Lahr shot at the famed Astoria Studios in New York.
Raised in the political arena of Washington, DC. His father was a publisher with major connections to the White House. As a very young child Shayne once sat on the lap of President William Howard Taft. When Taft asked him how he was, the young Shayne replied that he was uncomfortable sitting on Taft's lap because his belly was so big (Taft was renowned for his girth and was so fat he once got stuck in the bathtub at the White House).
His career consisted of supporting roles and bit parts (sometimes uncredited) in well over 100 feature films. It was his regular role as Insp. Bill Henderson on the classic TV series Adventures of Superman (1952) that finally made his face and name familiar to the public.
He had two failed marriages. His third marriage lasted almost 50 years and ended only with his passing in 1992.

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