Robert Lowery (born Robert Lowery Hanks, October 17, 1913 – December 26, 1971) was an American motion picture, television, and stage actor who appeared in more than 70 films. He was the second actor to play Batman, appearing as the character in the 1949 film serial Batman and Robin.
Early life Lowery was born in Kansas City, Missouri.
Syndicated newspaper columnist Harrison Carroll reported that Lowery was "a direct descendant of Nancy Hanks" (Lincoln).
He graduated from Paseo High School in Kansas City, and soon was invited to sing with the Slats Randall Orchestra.
Career
Lowery debuted in motion pictures in Come and Get It (1936).
During his career, Lowery was primarily known for roles in action films such as The Mark of Zorro (1940), The Mummy's Ghost (1944), and Dangerous Passage (1944). He became the second actor to play DC Comics' Batman (succeeding Lewis Wilson), starring in a 1949's Batman and Robin serial.
Lowery also had roles in a number of Western films, including The Homesteaders (1953), The Parson and the Outlaw (1957), playing Gangster-mastermind Arnold Rothstein in The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond (1960), Young Guns of Texas (1962), and Johnny Reno (1966). He was also a stage actor and appeared in Born Yesterday, The Caine Mutiny, and in several other productions.
On television, Lowery was best known for the role of Big Tim Champion on the series Circus Boy (1956–1957). In 1956, he guest starred in "The Deadly Rock," an episode of The Adventures of Superman (which was the first time a Batman actor shared screen time with a Superman actor, although Lowery and Reeves had appeared together in their presuperhero days in the 1942 World War II anti-VD propaganda film, Sex Hygiene.) Lowery also had guest roles on Perry Mason, featured as murder victim Amos Bryant in "The Case of the Roving River" and as Andrew Collis in "The Case of the Provocative Protégé", Playhouse 90 ("The Helen Morgan Story"), Hazel, Cowboy G-Men, as Foxy Smith on Maverick in the 1959 episode "Full House" starring James Garner with Joel Grey as Billy the Kid, Tales of Wells Fargo, Rawhide, 77 Sunset Strip, Hawaiian Eye, and Pistols 'n' Petticoats.
He made his last on-screen appearance in the 1967 comedy/Western film The Ballad of Josie, opposite Doris Day and Peter Graves.
Personal life and death He was married three times, to three actresses. Jean Parker and he had a son, Robert Lowery Hanks II, in 1952.
His other wives were Vivan Wilcox and Barbara "Rusty" Farrell, whom he married on March 21, 1947 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Lowery died of heart failure at the age of 58 in his Los Angeles apartment on December 26, 1971.Forgotten Noir DVD VCI entertainment
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes1936 Come and Get It Restaurant Patron Uncredited Great Guy Mr. Parker Uncredited1937 Wake Up and Live Chauffeur The Lady Escapes Reporter Uncredited You Can't Have Everything Co-Pilot Uncredited Wife, Doctor and Nurse Intern Uncredited Charlie Chan on Broadway Reporter Uncredited Hot Water Uncredited Life Begins in College Sling Second Honeymoon Reporter Uncredited Big Town Girl Elevator Boy Uncredited1938 City Girl Greenleaf Uncredited Happy Landing Newspaper Reporter Uncredited Walking Down Broadway Delivery Man Uncredited Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm Attendant Uncredited Island in the Sky Elevator Starter Uncredited Four Men and a Prayer Sailor Uncredited A Trip to Paris Bank Teller Uncredited Kentucky Moonshine Reporter Uncredited Alexander's Ragtime Band Reporter Uncredited Safety in Numbers Harry One Wild Night Bank Messenger Uncredited Josette Boatman Rufe Uncredited Always Goodbye Don Gordon Uncredited Passport Husband Ted Markson Gateway Reporter Uncredited Keep Smiling Man at Auction Uncredited Straight, Place and Show Bob Uncredited Submarine Patrol Sparks Kentucky Sally's Partner Uncredited1939 Tail Spin Sam Uncredited Wife, Husband and Friend Interne Uncredited Everybody's Baby B. Wilson Uncredited Mr. Moto in Danger Island Lt. George Bently Young Mr. Lincoln Juror Bill Killian Uncredited Charlie Chan in Reno Wally Burke Second Fiddle Orchestra Leader Uncredited Here I Am a Stranger Minor Role Uncredited The Escape Ambulance Driver Uncredited Hollywood Cavalcade Henry Potter Drums Along the Mohawk John Weaver Day-Time Wife Flirty Architect Uncredited1940 City of Chance Ted Blaine Free, Blonde and 21 Dr. Stephen Craig Star Dust Bellboy Shooting High Bob Merritt Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise Dick Kenyon Four Sons Joseph Maryland Tom Bolton Uncredited The Mark of Zorro Rodrigo Murder Over New York David Elliot1941 Ride on Vaquero Carlos Martinez Private Nurse Henry Holt Great Guns Uncredited Cadet Girl Cadet Walton Remember the Day Hotel P.A. Announcer Uncredited1942 Who Is Hope Schuyler? Robert Scott My Gal Sal Sally's Friend Uncredited She's in the Army Navy Lt. Jim Russell Lure of the Islands Wally Criminal Investigator Bob Martin Rhythm Parade Jimmy Trent Dawn on the Great Divide Terry Wallace1943 So's Your Uncle Roger Bright Revenge of the Zombies Larry Adams A Scream in the Dark Mike Brooker The North Star Gunner Campus Rhythm Buzz O'Hara Tarzan's Desert Mystery Prince Selim December 7th: The Movie Pvt. Joseph L. Lockhart Uncredited1944 The Navy Way Johnny Zumano Hot Rhythm Jimmy O'Brien The Mummy's Ghost Tom Hervey Dark Mountain Don Bradley Mystery of the River Boat Steve Langtry Dangerous Passage Joe Beck1945 High Powered Tim Scott Fashion Model Jimmy O'Brien The Monster and the Ape Ken Morgan Road to Alcatraz John Norton Sensation Hunters Danny Burke Prison Ship Tom Jeffries1946 God's Country Lee Preston / Leland Bruce House of Horrors Steven Morrow They Made Me a Killer Tom Durling Death Valley Steve Big Town Pete Ryan Gas House Kids Eddie O'Brien Lady Chaser Peter Kane1947 Queen of the Amazons Gary Lambert I Cover Big Town Pete Ryan Danger Street Larry Burke Jungle Flight Kelly Jordon Killer at Large Paul Kimberly1948 Mary Lou Steve Roberts Heart of Virginia Dan Lockwood Shep Come Home Mark Folger Highway 13 Hank Wilson1949 Batman and Robin Bruce Wayne / Batman Serial Arson, Inc. Joe Martin The Dalton Gang Blackie Dalton / Blackie Mullet Call of the Forest Sam Harrison1950 Western Pacific Agent Bill Stuart I Shot Billy the Kid Sheriff Pat Garrett Gunfire Sheriff John Kelly Train to Tombstone Marshall Staley Border Rangers Mungo 1951 Crosswinds Nick Brandon1953 Jalopy Skid Wilson The Homesteaders Clyde Moss Cow Country Harry O'Dell1955 Lay That Rifle Down Nick Stokes/Poindexter March, III Two-Gun Lady "Big Mike" Doughterty 1957 The Parson and the Outlaw Col. Jefferson Morgan 1960 The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond Arnold Rothstein1962 Deadly Duo Jay Flagg When the Girls Take Over Maximo Toro Young Guns of Texas Jesse Glendenning 1963 McLintock! Gov. Cuthbert H. Humphrey 1964 Stage to Thunder Rock Deputy Sheriff Seth Barrington 1965 Zebra in the Kitchen Preston Heston1966 Johnny Reno Jake Reed Waco Mayor Ned Wood The Undertaker and His PalsCustomer 1967 The Ballad of Josie Whit Minick Television Year Title Role Notes1954 The Joe Palooka Story Don Jackson 1 episode The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse George Loring 1 episode 1955 Letter to Loretta Gordy 1 episode 1956 The Millionaire David Hanley 1 episode 1956–1957 Circus Boy Big Tim Champion 49 episodes1958 Casey Jones Greg Pontus 1 episode Tales of Wells Fargo Major Dennis KeelEpisode: "Special Delivery" Maverick Paul Asher Episode: "Burial Ground of the Gods" Yancy Derringer Blair Devon2 episodes1959 Cimarron City Harris 1 episode Maverick Foxy Smith Episode: "Full House" The Texan Coy Bennet 1 episode Rawhide Major Sinclair Episode: "Incident of the Wanted Painter" Bronco Mike Kirk1 episode1960Richard Diamond, Private Detective Mark Sutro 1 episodeCheyenne Giff Murdock / Richard Scott Episode: "Counterfeit Gun" Hotel de Paree Trent 1 episode Coronado 9 Miller 1 episode 1961 Whispering Smith Dave Markson 1 episode Rawhide Captain Holloway Episode: "The Captain's Wife"1962 Frontier Circus Marshal Taggert 1 episode Gunsmoke Idaho Smith 1 episode Hazel Pablo Rivera 1 episode
References
External links
Robert Lowery and Jean Parker in The Navy Way from YouTube