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==Acting career==
==Acting career==
[[File:Robert Shaw - Radio TV Mirror, July 1957.jpg|thumb|upright|Shaw in ''[[The Buccaneers (TV series)|The Buccaneers]]'' (1957)]]
[[File:Robert Shaw - Radio TV Mirror, July 1957.jpg|thumb|upright|Shaw in ''[[The Buccaneers (TV series)|The Buccaneers]]'' (1957)]]
Shaw began his acting career in theatre, appearing in regional theatre throughout England. In 1952, he made his London debut in the West End at the [[Embassy Theatre (London)|Embassy Theatre]], in ''[[Caro William]]''.
Shaw began his acting career in theatre, appearing in regional theatre throughout England. In 1947 he appeared in ''[[The Cherry Orchard]]'' on British TV, and did scenes from ''[[Twelfth Night]]'' and ''[[Macbeth (play)|Macbeth]]''.


He was an extra in ''[[The Lavender Hill Mob]]'' (1951) and in 1952, he made his London debut in the West End at the [[Embassy Theatre (London)|Embassy Theatre]], in ''[[Caro William]]''. That year he appeared on TV in ''A Time to Be Born'' (1952).
Shaw starred in a British TV series which also appeared on American television as ''[[The Buccaneers (TV series)|The Buccaneers]]'' (1956–57). Shaw's best-known film performances include assassin [[List of James Bond henchmen in From Russia with Love|Donald Grant]] in the second [[James Bond]] film, ''[[From Russia with Love (film)|From Russia with Love]]'' (1963); the title role in ''[[The Luck of Ginger Coffey (film)|The Luck of Ginger Coffey]]'' (1964); the relentless [[Panzer division|panzer]] German Army officer Colonel Hessler in ''[[Battle of the Bulge (film)|Battle of the Bulge]]'' (1965); a young [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]] in ''[[A Man for All Seasons (1966 film)|A Man for All Seasons]]'' (1966); [[General George Armstrong Custer]] in ''[[Custer of the West]]'' (1967); [[Lord Randolph Churchill]], in ''[[Young Winston]]'' (1972); mobster Doyle Lonnegan in ''[[The Sting]]'' (1973); the subway-hijacker and hostage-taker "Mr. Blue" in ''[[The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974 film)|The Taking of Pelham One Two Three]]'' (1974); the shark-obsessed fisherman Quint in ''[[Jaws (film)|Jaws]]'' (1975), lighthouse keeper and treasure-hunter Romer Treece in ''[[The Deep (1977 film)|The Deep]]'' (1977); and Israeli [[Mossad]] agent David Kabakov in ''[[Black Sunday (1977 film)|Black Sunday]]'' (1977).


Shaw had small roles in ''[[The Dam Busters (1955 film)|The Dam Busters]]'' (1955), a TV version of ''[[The Scarlet Pimpernel]]'' (1956), ''[[Doublecross (film)|Doublecross]]'' (1956), ''[[A Hill in Korea]]'' (1956) (alongside other young actors like [[Michael Caine]]), and a TV version of ''[[Hindle Wakes]]'' (1957).
Shaw was nominated for the [[Golden Globe Award]] and the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]] for his role in ''A Man for All Seasons''.
===''The Buccaneers''===
Shaw became a TV star in England when he starred as Captain Dan Tempest in ''[[The Buccaneers (TV series)|The Buccaneers]]'' (1956-57).


He was now a TV leading man, having leads in TV films such as ''Success'' (1957) and a TV version of ''[[Rupert of Hentzau]]'' (1957), ''[[The Long and the Short and the Tall]]'' (1959), ''Misfire'' (1960).
He performed onstage as well, across Britain and on Broadway in the United States,<ref>{{IBDB name|59762|Robert Shaw}}</ref> where his notable performances include [[Harold Pinter]]'s ''[[Old Times]]''<ref>{{ibdb title|3624|Old Times}}</ref> and ''[[The Caretaker]]'',<ref>{{ibdb title|2879|The Caretaker}}</ref> [[Friedrich Dürrenmatt]]'s ''[[The Physicists]]'' directed by [[Peter Brook]],<ref>{{ibdb title|3218|The Physicist}}</ref> and ''[[The Man in the Glass Booth]]'', inspired by the kidnapping and trial of [[Adolf Eichmann]], written by Shaw himself, and directed by Pinter.<ref>{{ibdb title|3412|The Man in the Glass Booth}}</ref>

He had small roles in ''[[Sea Fury]]'' (1958) and ''[[Libel (film)|Libel]]'' (1959) and guest starred on ''[[Dial 999]]'', ''[[William Tell (TV series)|William Tell]]'', ''[[ITV Television Playhouse]]'', ''[[The Four Just Men]]'', and ''[[Danger Man]]''. He was also in TV plays like ''The Dark Man'' and ''The Train Set''.
===Broadway===
Shaw appeared in a production of [[Harold Pinter]]'s ''[[The Caretaker]]'' alongside [[Donald Pleasance]] and [[Alan Bates]]. In 1961 the production transferred to Broadway and ran for 165 performances.

Shaw had good roles in ''[[The Valiant]]'' (1962) and ''[[Tomorrow at Ten]]'' (1962) and TV versions of ''[[The Winter's Tale]]'' (1962) and ''[[The Father]]'' (1962). He, Pleasance, and Bates reprised their performances in a film version of ''[[The Caretaker (film)|The Caretaker]]'' (1963).
===Film Fame===
Shaw became well known as a film actor when cast as assassin [[List of James Bond henchmen in From Russia with Love|Donald Grant]] in the second [[James Bond]] film, ''[[From Russia with Love (film)|From Russia with Love]]'' (1963).

For TV he adapted an appeared in a production of ''[[A Florentine Tragedy]]'' (1963) and was Claudius in ''[[Hamlet at Elsinore]]'' (1964) with Christopher Plummer. He played the title role in ''[[The Luck of Ginger Coffey (film)|The Luck of Ginger Coffey]]'' (1964) and had a role in ''[[Carol for Another Christmas]]'' (1964).

In 1964 Shaw returned to Broadway in a production of ''The Physicists'' directed by [[Peter Brook]] but it only ran 55 performances.

Shaw was the relentless [[Panzer division|panzer]] German Army officer Colonel Hessler in ''[[Battle of the Bulge (film)|Battle of the Bulge]]'' (1965); a young [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]] in ''[[A Man for All Seasons (1966 film)|A Man for All Seasons]]'' (1966), which earned him a nomination for the [[Golden Globe Award]] and the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]]; [[General George Armstrong Custer]] in ''[[Custer of the West]]'' (1967); [[Martin Luther]] in ''[[Luther (film)|Luther]]'' (1968); and top billed in another film version of Pinter, ''[[The Birthday Party (film)|The Birthday Party]]'' (1968).

In 1968 his play ''[[The Man in the Glass Booth]]'' was a Broadway hit, directed by Pinter. It ran for 264 performances.

Shaw was one of many stars in ''[[Battle of Britain (film)|Battle of Britain]]'' (1969) and he had the lead in ''[[The Royal Hunt of the Sun (film)|The Royal Hunt of the Sun]]'' (1969) and ''[[Figures in a Landscape]]'' (1970).

In 1970 Shaw returned to Broadway playing the title role in ''[[Gantry]]'', a musical adaptation of ''[[Elmer Gantry]]'' which ran for 1 performance despite co starring [[Rita Moreno]].

He did ''[[A Town Called Bastard]]'' (1971) then played [[Lord Randolph Churchill]], in ''[[Young Winston]]'' (1972); ''[[A Reflection of Fear]]'' (1972); ''[[The Hireling]]'' (1973); had a cameo in ''[[The Golden Voyage of Sinbad]]'' (1973); played mobster Doyle Lonnegan in ''[[The Sting]]'' (1973); was the subway-hijacker and hostage-taker "Mr. Blue" in ''[[The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974 film)|The Taking of Pelham One Two Three]]'' (1974).

In 1974 he made his final appearance on Broadway, in a production of ''[[Dance of Death]]''.
===Film Stardom===
Shaw achieved his greatest film stardom to date after playing the shark-obsessed fisherman Quint in ''[[Jaws (film)|Jaws]]'' (1975).

Shaw followed this with ''[[Murder on the Bridge]]'' (1975); ''[[Diamonds (film)|Diamonds]]'' (1975); ''[[Robin and Marian]]'' (1976); ''[[Swashbuckler (film)|Swashbuckler]]'' (1976); playing the lighthouse keeper and treasure-hunter Romer Treece in ''[[The Deep (1977 film)|The Deep]]'' (1977); and as Israeli [[Mossad]] agent David Kabakov in ''[[Black Sunday (1977 film)|Black Sunday]]'' (1977).

His last performances were in ''[[Force 10 from Navarone (film)|Force 10 from Navarone]]'' (1978) and ''[[Avalanche Express]]'' (1979).


==Writing career==
==Writing career==

Revision as of 22:04, 29 January 2019

For other people with the same name, see Robert Shaw (disambiguation).

Robert Shaw
File:Robert Shaw headshot.jpg
Shaw c. 1971
Born(1927-08-09)9 August 1927
Westhoughton, Lancashire, England
Died28 August 1978(1978-08-28) (aged 51)
Tourmakeady, County Mayo, Ireland
Occupation(s)Actor, novelist, playwright
Years active1947–1978
Spouse(s)
Jennifer Bourke
​
​
(m. 1952; div. 1963)​

​
​
(m. 1963; died 1975)​

Virginia Jansen
​
(m. 1976)​
Children
10
  • Deborah Shaw (1953)
  • Penelope Shaw
  • Rachel Shaw
  • Katherine Shaw
  • Elizabeth Shaw (1963)
  • Hannah Shaw
  • Ian Shaw (1969)
  • Colin Shaw
  • Charles Shaw (1961) (adopted)
  • Thomas Shaw (1977)
RelativesTanya Landman (niece)
Rob Kolar (grandson)

Robert Archibald Shaw (9 August 1927 – 28 August 1978) was an English actor, novelist, and playwright. He was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his role as Henry VIII in the drama film A Man for All Seasons (1966).

Shaw's other notable film roles include From Russia with Love (1963), The Royal Hunt of the Sun (1969), Young Winston (1972), The Sting (1973), The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974), Jaws (1975), Robin and Marian (1976), and Black Sunday (1977).

Early life

Robert Archibald Shaw was born on 9 August 1927 at 51 King Street in Westhoughton, Lancashire,[1] the son of former nurse Doreen Nora (née Avery), who was born in Piggs Peak, Swaziland, and doctor Thomas Archibald Shaw.[2][3] He had three sisters named Elisabeth, Joanna, and Wendy, and one brother named Alexander. When he was seven years old, the family moved to Scotland, settling in Stromness, Orkney. When Shaw was 12, his alcoholic father killed himself. The family then moved to Cornwall, where Shaw attended the independent Truro School.[citation needed] For a brief period, he was a teacher at Glenhow Preparatory School in Saltburn-by-the-Sea in the North Riding of Yorkshire, before attending the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. He also served in the Royal Air Force.[citation needed]

Acting career

Shaw in The Buccaneers (1957)

Shaw began his acting career in theatre, appearing in regional theatre throughout England. In 1947 he appeared in The Cherry Orchard on British TV, and did scenes from Twelfth Night and Macbeth.

He was an extra in The Lavender Hill Mob (1951) and in 1952, he made his London debut in the West End at the Embassy Theatre, in Caro William. That year he appeared on TV in A Time to Be Born (1952).

Shaw had small roles in The Dam Busters (1955), a TV version of The Scarlet Pimpernel (1956), Doublecross (1956), A Hill in Korea (1956) (alongside other young actors like Michael Caine), and a TV version of Hindle Wakes (1957).

The Buccaneers

Shaw became a TV star in England when he starred as Captain Dan Tempest in The Buccaneers (1956-57).

He was now a TV leading man, having leads in TV films such as Success (1957) and a TV version of Rupert of Hentzau (1957), The Long and the Short and the Tall (1959), Misfire (1960).

He had small roles in Sea Fury (1958) and Libel (1959) and guest starred on Dial 999, William Tell, ITV Television Playhouse, The Four Just Men, and Danger Man. He was also in TV plays like The Dark Man and The Train Set.

Broadway

Shaw appeared in a production of Harold Pinter's The Caretaker alongside Donald Pleasance and Alan Bates. In 1961 the production transferred to Broadway and ran for 165 performances.

Shaw had good roles in The Valiant (1962) and Tomorrow at Ten (1962) and TV versions of The Winter's Tale (1962) and The Father (1962). He, Pleasance, and Bates reprised their performances in a film version of The Caretaker (1963).

Film Fame

Shaw became well known as a film actor when cast as assassin Donald Grant in the second James Bond film, From Russia with Love (1963).

For TV he adapted an appeared in a production of A Florentine Tragedy (1963) and was Claudius in Hamlet at Elsinore (1964) with Christopher Plummer. He played the title role in The Luck of Ginger Coffey (1964) and had a role in Carol for Another Christmas (1964).

In 1964 Shaw returned to Broadway in a production of The Physicists directed by Peter Brook but it only ran 55 performances.

Shaw was the relentless panzer German Army officer Colonel Hessler in Battle of the Bulge (1965); a young Henry VIII in A Man for All Seasons (1966), which earned him a nomination for the Golden Globe Award and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor; General George Armstrong Custer in Custer of the West (1967); Martin Luther in Luther (1968); and top billed in another film version of Pinter, The Birthday Party (1968).

In 1968 his play The Man in the Glass Booth was a Broadway hit, directed by Pinter. It ran for 264 performances.

Shaw was one of many stars in Battle of Britain (1969) and he had the lead in The Royal Hunt of the Sun (1969) and Figures in a Landscape (1970).

In 1970 Shaw returned to Broadway playing the title role in Gantry, a musical adaptation of Elmer Gantry which ran for 1 performance despite co starring Rita Moreno.

He did A Town Called Bastard (1971) then played Lord Randolph Churchill, in Young Winston (1972); A Reflection of Fear (1972); The Hireling (1973); had a cameo in The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973); played mobster Doyle Lonnegan in The Sting (1973); was the subway-hijacker and hostage-taker "Mr. Blue" in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974).

In 1974 he made his final appearance on Broadway, in a production of Dance of Death.

Film Stardom

Shaw achieved his greatest film stardom to date after playing the shark-obsessed fisherman Quint in Jaws (1975).

Shaw followed this with Murder on the Bridge (1975); Diamonds (1975); Robin and Marian (1976); Swashbuckler (1976); playing the lighthouse keeper and treasure-hunter Romer Treece in The Deep (1977); and as Israeli Mossad agent David Kabakov in Black Sunday (1977).

His last performances were in Force 10 from Navarone (1978) and Avalanche Express (1979).

Writing career

Shaw was also an accomplished writer of novels, plays and screenplays. His first novel, The Hiding Place, published in 1960, received positive reviews. His next, The Sun Doctor, published the following year, was awarded the Hawthornden Prize in 1962.

Shaw then embarked on a trilogy of novels – The Flag (1965), The Man in the Glass Booth (1967) and A Card from Morocco (1969). His adaptation for the stage of The Man in the Glass Booth gained him the most attention for his writing. The book and play present a complex and morally ambiguous tale of a man who, at various times in the story, is either a Jewish businessman pretending to be a Nazi war criminal, or a Nazi war criminal pretending to be a Jewish businessman. The play was quite controversial when performed in the UK and the US, some critics praising Shaw's "sly, deft and complex examination of the moral issues of nationality and identity", others sharply critical of Shaw's treatment of such a sensitive subject.[citation needed]

The Man in the Glass Booth was further developed for the screen, but Shaw disapproved of the resulting screenplay and had his name removed from the credits. However, Shaw viewed the completed film before its release and asked to have his name reinstated. In 2002, director Arthur Hiller related Shaw's initial objection to the screenplay and his subsequent change of heart:

"When we decided that we needed more emotions in the film and leaned it towards that, we tried, obviously, to be honest to Robert Shaw, to keep that intellectual game-playing, but to create more of an emotional environment. And Robert Shaw became very disturbed. He did not like the idea and indeed, if you will watch the film, you will see that his name does not appear in the credits, nor does it even say, 'based on the play, The Man in the Glass Booth' because he wouldn’t let us do it. He just didn't like the idea until he saw the film. Then he phoned Eddie Anhalt, the screenwriter, and congratulated him because he thought it was—just kept the tone he wanted and did it so well. And he phoned Mort Abrahams the Executive Producer to see if he could get his name put on the final credits. But it was too late to restore his name, all the prints were all made."[4]

Shaw also adapted The Hiding Place into a screenplay for the film Situation Hopeless... But Not Serious starring Sir Alec Guinness. His play Cato Street, about the 1820 Cato Street Conspiracy, was produced for the first time in 1971 in London.

Personal life

Shaw was married three times and had 10 children, two of whom were adopted. His first wife was Jennifer Bourke from 1952 to 1963, with whom he had four daughters. His second wife was actress Mary Ure from 1963 to 1975, with whom he had four children, including daughters Elizabeth (born 1963) and Hannah (born 1966). He adopted son Colin (born 1961) from his wife's previous marriage to filmmaker and actor John Osborne; according to an interview with Colin, he was Shaw's son born during an affair while Ure was still married to Osborne. Shaw's son Ian (born 1969) also became an actor. This marriage ended with Ure's death from an overdose. His third and final wife was Virginia Jansen from 1976 until his death in 1978, with whom he had one son, Thomas, and adopted her son, Charles, from a previous relationship. Shaw's grandson (via his daughter Deborah and film producer Evzen Kolar) [5] is American musician and composer Rob Kolar.[6][7]

For the last seven years of his life, Shaw lived at Drimbawn House in Tourmakeady, County Mayo, Ireland.[8]

Death

Like his father, Shaw was an alcoholic for most of his life.[9] He died in Ireland at the age of 51 from a heart attack on 28 August 1978, while driving from Castlebar, County Mayo, to his home in Tourmakeady.[10] He suddenly became ill, stopped the car, stepped out, and then collapsed and died on the roadside. He was rushed to Castlebar General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.[11][12] He had just completed acting in the film Avalanche Express. His body was cremated and its ashes scattered near his home in Toormakeady. A stone memorial to him was unveiled there in his honour in August 2008.[8]

  • Robert Shaw memorial in Tourmakeady, County Mayo, Ireland, near the location where he died
    Robert Shaw memorial in Tourmakeady, County Mayo, Ireland, near the location where he died
  • Closeup of the text
    Closeup of the text
  • View of the pier at the site
    View of the pier at the site

Legacy

Shaw has a pub named after him[13] in his birthplace of Westhoughton.

Villain Sebastian Shaw from the X-Men comics is named and modelled after Shaw.[14]

Work

Stage

Filmography

Writing

References

  1. ^ "Mayor to unveil plaque in honour of Jaws star". The Bolton News. Newsquest. 19 July 1996. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  2. ^ Wakeman, John; Kunitz, Stanley (1975). World Authors, 1950-1970: A Companion Volume to Twentieth Century Authors. Wilson. p. 1292. ISBN 0-8242-0419-0.
  3. ^ Ross, Lillian; Ross, Helen (1961). The Player A Profile of an Art. Simon and Schuster. p. 472.
  4. ^ The Man In The Glass Booth; Interview with Arthur Hiller; 2003 DVD release; KINO VIDEO.
  5. ^ Busch, Anita (17 July 2017). "Evzen Kolar Dies: Film Producer Of 'Surf Ninjas' & 'City of Industry' Was 67". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media, LLC. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  6. ^ Ciafardini, Marc (6 June 2016). "Composer Rob Kolar Takes the Sonic Wheel for 'The Detour' on TBS". goseetalk.com. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  7. ^ Holdsworth, Nick (17 July 2010). "Brother, sister act is film fest friendly". Variety. Penske Business Media, LLC. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  8. ^ a b Connie O'Toole "Robert Shaw memorial unveiled in Mayo village" Irish Times (11 August 2008)
  9. ^ McIver, Brian (14 June 2012). "Revealed: The Scottish roots behind hellraiser Robert Shaw as Jaws hits cinemas again". Daily Record.
  10. ^ "Robert Shaw". tourmakeady.weebly.com.
  11. ^ "Robert Shaw, British Actor, Dies in Ireland". The Post and Courier. 29 August 1978. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
  12. ^ David Parkinson, "Shaw, Robert Archibald (1927–1978)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press 2004; online edition 2007; ISBN 978-0198614111
  13. ^ "The Robert Shaw". JD Weatherspoon. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  14. ^ "Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #44!". Retrieved 9 June 2011.

External links

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