Robert Archibald Shaw (9 August 1927 – 28 August 1978) was an English actor and writer. Beginning his career in theatre, Shaw joined the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre after the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and appeared in productions of ''

Macbeth ''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...

'', '' Henry VIII'', '' Cymbeline'', and other Shakespeare plays. With the

Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England *Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Mai ...

company (1951–52), he continued primarily in Shakespearean roles. In 1959 he starred in a West End production of '' The Long and the Short and the Tall''. Shaw was nominated for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

and a Golden Globe for his role as Henry VIII in the drama film '' A Man for All Seasons'' (1966). His other film roles included the mobster Doyle Lonnegan in ''

The Sting ''The Sting'' is a 1973 American caper film. Set in 1936, it involves a complicated plot by two professional grifters (Paul Newman and Robert Redford) to con a mob boss ( Robert Shaw). The film was directed by George Roy Hill, who had dir ...

'' (1973) and the shark hunter Quint in '' Jaws'' (1975). He also played roles in '' From Russia with Love'' (1963), ''

Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain () was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defended the United Kingdom (UK) against large-scale attacks by Nazi Germany's air force ...

'' (1969), '' Young Winston'' (1972), '' The Taking of Pelham One Two Three'' (1974), '' Robin and Marian'' (1976), and '' Black Sunday'' and '' The Deep'', both of which were released in 1977. Shaw was also a notable writer, winning the 1962 Hawthornden Prize for his novel '' The Sun Doctor''. His novel and play ''The Man in the Glass Booth'' was an international success and filmed in 1975.

Early life

Robert Archibald Shaw was born on 9 August 1927 at 51 King Street in

Westhoughton Westhoughton ( ) is a List of towns in England, town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, southwest of Bolton, east of Wigan and northwest of Manchester. the son of Thomas Archibald Shaw and Doreen Nora, née Avery. His father, a doctor and former Royal Field Artillery Lieutenant, was of Scottish descent; his mother, a former nurse, was born at Piggs Peak, Swaziland. 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. His father killed himself when Shaw was 12, and the family then relocated to

Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...

, where Shaw attended the independent Truro School. 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 The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, also known by its abbreviation RADA (), is a drama school in London, England, which provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in Bloomsbury, Central London ...

in London, graduating in 1948.

Career

Early career

Shaw began his acting career in theatre, appearing in regional theatre throughout England. He played Angus in a production of ''

'' at Stratford in 1946. He played at Stratford for two seasons. In 1947, he appeared in ''

The Cherry Orchard ''The Cherry Orchard'' () is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by '' Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate edition later that year in Saint Petersburg, via A.F. Marks Pu ...

'' on British TV; also for that medium, he performed scenes from '' Twelfth Night'' and ''Macbeth''. He had a small part in ''

The Lavender Hill Mob ''The Lavender Hill Mob'' is a 1951 British comedy film from Ealing Studios, written by T. E. B. Clarke, directed by Charles Crichton, starring Alec Guinness and Stanley Holloway and featuring Sid James and Alfie Bass. The title refers ...

'' (1951), playing a police laboratory technician towards the end of the film; the following year 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). He returned to Stratford in 1953. Shaw had small roles in '' The Dam Busters'' (1955), a TV version of '' The Scarlet Pimpernel'' (1956), the films '' Doublecross'' (1956) and ''

A Hill in Korea ''A Hill in Korea'' is a 1956 British war film based on Max Catto's 1953 novel of the same name. The original name was ''Hell in Korea'', but it was changed for distribution reasons—except in the US. It was directed by Julian Amyes and pro ...

'' (1956) (alongside other young actors like Michael Caine), and a TV version of '' Hindle Wakes'' (1957).

''The Buccaneers''

Shaw became a TV star in the UK when he starred as Captain Dan Tempest in '' The Buccaneers'' (1956–57) which ran for 39 episodes. He was by this time a TV leading man, having lead roles in TV films such as ''Success'' (1957) and a TV version of '' Rupert of Hentzau'' (1957). He had a big stage success with '' The Long and the Short and the Tall'' on the West End in 1959, directed by Lindsay Anderson, a performance that was filmed for television (though Shaw did not appear in the feature film version). Shaw had small roles in '' Sea Fury'' (1958) and '' Libel'' (1959) and guest-starred on '' William Tell'', '' ITV Television Playhouse'', '' The Four Just Men'', and '' Danger Man''. He also appeared in TV plays including ''The Dark Man'', ''Misfire'' and ''The Train Set''. In 1961, he appeared in a Broadway production of

Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A List of Nobel laureates in Literature, Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramat ...

's '' The Caretaker'' alongside Donald Pleasence and Alan Bates. Shaw replaced Peter Woodthorpe, who had performed with the others on stage in London. It ran for 165 performances. He had good roles in '' The Valiant'', a war film, and '' Tomorrow at Ten'' (both 1962), a thriller. Shaw played the leads in TV versions of '' The Winter's Tale'' and '' The Father'' (both 1962). He, Pleasence, and Bates reprised their performances in a film version of '' The Caretaker'' (1963); Shaw was part of the consortium who helped finance the latter.

Writing

Shaw's first novel, ''The Hiding Place'', published in 1960, received positive reviews. His second novel '' The Sun Doctor'' (1961), was awarded the Hawthornden Prize in 1962.

Film fame

Shaw became well known as a film actor when cast as assassin Donald "Red" Grant in the second

James Bond The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...

film, '' From Russia with Love'' (1963). For TV he adapted and 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), shot in Canada alongside Mary Ure, who became his second wife. He had a role in '' A Carol for Another Christmas'' (1964). Shaw later said of his early career, "I could have been a straight leading man but that struck me as a boring life." In 1964, Shaw returned to Broadway in a production of '' The Physicists'' directed by Peter Brook but it ran for only 55 performances. "I want very much to avoid doing bad commercial pictures for lots of money", he said. "It's difficult to avoid with six kids and two wives." Shaw then embarked on a trilogy of novels – '' The Flag'' (1965), '' The Man in the Glass Booth'' (1967) and '' A Card from Morocco'' (1969). He also adapted ''The Hiding Place'' into a screenplay for the film '' Situation Hopeless... But Not Serious'' starring Sir

Alec Guinness Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. In the BFI, British Film Institute listing of 1999 of BFI Top 100 British films, the 100 most important British films of the 20th century ...

. Shaw was the relentless

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...

panzer commander Colonel Hessler in ''

Battle of the Bulge The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive or Unternehmen Die Wacht am Rhein, Wacht am Rhein, was the last major German Offensive (military), offensive Military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western ...

'' (1965), produced by Philip Yordan; a young Henry VIII in '' A Man for All Seasons'' (1966), which earned him a nomination for the

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...

and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor; General George Armstrong Custer in '' Custer of the West'' (1967), again for Yordan; Martin Luther in ''Luther'' (a 1968 film made for television); he was top billed in another film version of Pinter's '' The Birthday Party'' (1968), directed by

William Friedkin William David Friedkin (; August 29, 1935 – August 7, 2023) was an American film, television and opera director, producer, and screenwriter who was closely identified with the "New Hollywood" movement of the 1970s. Beginning his career in doc ...

''The Man in the Glass Booth''

His play '' The Man in the Glass Booth'' was a success in London in 1967. It transferred to Broadway the following year and was a hit, running for 264 performances. 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. The play, but not the movie, presents the question: "Given the chance, would Jews behave like Nazis?" Shaw was one of many stars in ''

'' (1969), with the role of Sailor Malan written specifically for him. He had the lead in '' The Royal Hunt of the Sun'' (1969) where he played Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro, alongside Christopher Plummer who played Incan Emperor Atahualpa, and '' Figures in a Landscape'' (1970); his fee for the latter was reportedly $500,000. In 1970, Shaw returned to Broadway playing the title role in '' Gantry'', a musical adaptation of '' Elmer Gantry,'' which ran for just one performance, despite co-starring Rita Moreno. His play '' Cato Street'', about the 1820 Cato Street Conspiracy, was produced for the first time in 1971 in London. He appeared in '' Old Times'' on Broadway in 1971. As an actor he appeared in '' A Town Called Bastard'' (1971), a spaghetti Western; '' Young Winston'' (1972), as Lord Randolph Churchill; '' A Reflection of Fear'' (1972); '' The Hireling'' (1973); he had a cameo in '' The Golden Voyage of Sinbad'' (1973); played mobster Doyle Lonnegan in ''

'' (1973), a huge hit; was the subway-hijacker and hostage-taker "Mr. Blue" in '' The Taking of Pelham One Two Three'' (1974). He made his final appearance on Broadway, in a production of '' Dance of Death'', in 1974. ''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, he viewed the completed film before its release and asked to have his name reinstated. In 2002, director

Arthur Hiller Arthur Hiller, (November 22, 1923 – August 17, 2016) was a Canadian television and film director with over 33 films to his credit during a 50-year career. He began his career directing television in Canada and later in the U.S. By the late ...

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.

Arthur Hiller's account is uncorroborated.

Film stardom

Shaw achieved his greatest film stardom after playing the shark-obsessed fisherman Quint in '' Jaws'' (1975), although he was at first reluctant to take the role since he did not like the book, but decided to accept at the urging of both his wife, actress Mary Ure, and his secretary: "The last time they were that enthusiastic was '' From Russia with Love''. And they were right." Shaw then appeared in '' End of the Game'' (1975); '' Diamonds'' (1975), because "I wanted to play a wonderfully elegant Englishman"; '' Robin and Marian'' (1976) as the Sheriff of Nottingham opposite Audrey Hepburn (Maid Marian) and Sean Connery (Robin Hood); '' Swashbuckler'' (1976); playing the lighthouse keeper and treasure-hunter Romer Treece in '' The Deep'' (1977), for which his fee was $650,000; and as Israeli Mossad agent David Kabakov in '' Black Sunday'' (1977). During filming '' Force 10 from Navarone'' (1978) Shaw said "I'm seriously thinking that this might be my last film... I no longer have anything real to say. I'm appalled at some of the lines... I'm not at ease in film. I can't remember the last film I enjoyed making." He made one more film, '' Avalanche Express'' (1979). Shaw and director/producer Mark Robson both died of heart attacks during post-production within months of each other; Robson in June 1978 and Shaw in August 1978. Shaw said he would use the proceeds from the film to pay off his taxes, then focus on writing and making the "occasional small film".

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. He adopted a son from his wife's previous marriage to playwright John Osborne. 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; he also adopted her son from a previous relationship. For the last seven years of his life, Shaw lived at Drimbawn House in Tourmakeady, County Mayo, Ireland. Like his father, Shaw was an alcoholic for most of his life. Shaw referred to himself as a

socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

during the 1976 Cork International Film Festival. "I started as a militant socialist, and I couldn't even now vote

Tory A Tory () is an individual who supports a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalist conservatism which upholds the established social order as it has evolved through the history of Great Britain. The To ...

under pain of death," he elaborated in an interview later the same year, adding that "I still think I am a socialist in a way."

Death

Shaw died in Ireland at the age of 51 from a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

on 28 August 1978, while driving from Castlebar, County Mayo, to his home in Tourmakeady. He was accompanied by his wife and his son. He suddenly became ill, stopped the car, stepped out, then collapsed and lost consciousness on the roadside. He was taken to Castlebar General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He had just completed acting in the film '' Avalanche Express''. His body was cremated and his ashes scattered near his home in Tourmakeady. A stone memorial to him was unveiled there in his honour in August 2008, three decades after his death. File:ShawMonument01.jpg, Robert Shaw memorial in Tourmakeady, County Mayo, Ireland, near the location where he died File:ShawMonument02.jpg, Closeup of the text File:Pier at Shaw Monument.jpg, View of the pier at the site

Tributes

Shaw has a Wetherspoons pub named after him in his birthplace of Westhoughton. Villain Sebastian Shaw from the ''

X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...

'' comics is named and modelled after Shaw. Film director Ridley Scott, in the DVD commentary for '' Gladiator'' (2000) when discussing the casting of Próximo and Marcus Aurelius, said "We have very few Robert Shaws now", implying he had wanted to cast a certain type of rugged actor that Shaw typified, in this case Oliver Reed and Richard Harris.

Work

Stage

* '' The Caretaker'' (1962) * '' The Physicists'' (1964) * '' The Man in the Glass Booth'' (1968) * '' Gantry'' (1970) * '' Old Times'' (1971) * '' The Dance of Death'' (1974)

Filmography

* ''The Cherry Orchard'' (1947) * ''

'' (1951) – Chemist at Police Exhibition (uncredited) * '' The Dam Busters'' (1954) – Flight Sgt. J. Pulford * '' Double Cross'' (1956) – Ernest * ''

'' (1956) – Lance Corporal Hodge * '' Sea Fury'' (1958) – Gorman * '' Libel'' (1959) – First Photographer * ''The Dark Man'' (TV, 1960) – Alan Regan * '' The Valiant'' (1962) – Lieutenant Field * '' The Father'' (1962) – The Captain * '' Tomorrow at Ten'' (1962) – Marlowe * '' The Caretaker'' (1963) – Aston * '' From Russia with Love'' (1963) – Donald 'Red' Grant * '' The Luck of Ginger Coffey'' (1964) – Ginger Coffey * ''

'' (1965) – Col. Martin Hessler * '' A Man for All Seasons'' (1966) – King Henry VIII * '' Custer of the West'' (1967) – Gen. George Armstrong Custer * '' Luther'' (TV, 1968) – Martin Luther * '' The Birthday Party'' (1968) – Stanley Webber * ''

'' (1969) – Squadron Leader "Skipper" * '' The Royal Hunt of the Sun'' (1969) –

Francisco Pizarro Francisco Pizarro, Marquess of the Atabillos (; ; – 26 June 1541) was a Spanish ''conquistador'', best known for his expeditions that led to the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. Born in Trujillo, Cáceres, Trujillo, Spain, to a poor fam ...

* '' Figures in a Landscape'' (1970) – MacConnachie (also adapted for the screen) * '' A Town Called Bastard'' (a.k.a. ''A Town Called Hell'') (1971) – The Priest * '' A Reflection of Fear'' (a.k.a. ''Labyrinth'') (1972) – Michael * '' Young Winston'' (1972) – Lord Randolph Churchill * '' The Hireling'' (1973) – Steven Ledbetter * '' The Golden Voyage of Sinbad'' (1973) – The Oracle of All Knowledge (uncredited) * ''

'' (1973) – Doyle Lonnegan * '' The Taking of Pelham One Two Three'' (1974) – Mr. Blue – Bernard Ryder * '' Jaws'' (1975) – Quint * '' The Man in the Glass Booth'' (1975) – Writer only * '' End of the Game'' (a.k.a. ''Der Richter und sein Henker'', ''Murder on the Bridge'', ''Deception'', and ''Getting Away with Murder'') (1975) – Richard Gastmann * '' Diamonds'' (a.k.a. ''Diamond Shaft'') (1975) – Charles / Earl Hodgson * '' Robin and Marian'' (1976) – Sheriff of Nottingham * '' Swashbuckler'' (a.k.a. ''Scarlet Buccaneer'') (1976) – Ned Lynch * '' Black Sunday'' (1977) – Major David Kabokov * '' The Deep'' (1977) – Romer Treece * '' Force 10 from Navarone'' (1978) – Major Keith Mallory (released posthumously) * '' Avalanche Express'' (1979) – General Marenkov (shot in 1978; final film role; released posthumously)

Television

Writing

* ''The Hiding Place'' (1960) * '' The Sun Doctor'' (1961) Awarded the Hawthornden Prize in 1962 * '' The Flag'' (1965) * '' Situation Hopeless... But Not Serious'' (screenplay adaptation of ''The Hiding Place'', 1965) * '' The Man in the Glass Booth'' (1967) * '' The Man in the Glass Booth'' (play adaptation, 1968) * '' A Card from Morocco'' (1969) * '' Figures in a Landscape '' (1970) (screenplay adaptation of novel) * '' Cato Street'' (play, 1971) * '' Jaws'' (1975) (uncredited rewrite of ''Indianapolis'' monologue)

Awards

At the 39th Academy Awards in 1967, Shaw became the second actor – after Charles Laughton – to receive an Oscar nomination for portraying

Henry VIII of England Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

, in the film '' A Man for All Seasons'' (1966). He was also nominated for a

for that same role, as well as a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word, Documentary or Drama Recording for the audio adaptation of the film and play. Shaw would go on to win supporting actor honors from both the National Board of Review and the Kansas City Film Critics Circle. Additionally, Shaw's performance in the 1972 biopic '' Young Winston'' earned him a Best Supporting Actor nomination from the New York Film Critics Circle, and he would also receive a posthumous win from the Online Film & Television Association for his turn in '' Jaws''.

References

External links

* *
Robert Shaw
at the British Film Institute *
Robert Shaw – For All Seasons
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Shaw, Robert 1927 births 1978 deaths 20th-century English dramatists and playwrights 20th-century English male actors 20th-century English male writers 20th-century English novelists Actors from the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art British people of English descent English expatriate male actors in the United States English expatriates in Ireland English male dramatists and playwrights English male film actors English male novelists English male Shakespearean actors English male television actors English people of Scottish descent English people of Swazi descent English socialists Male actors from Lancashire People educated at Truro School People from Orkney People from Westhoughton