Robert Shayne Was Blacklisted Because of Communist Ties
Robert Shayne had a prolific career in Hollywood and acted for over 60 years before his death in 1992. He is likely most remembered for playing police inspector William “Bill” Henderson on The Adventures of Superman. During the earlier episodes, he appeared only sporadically because he was being investigated by the House Un-American Activities Committee, whose goal was to look into people and organizations suspected of having communist ties.
Shayne was briefly blacklisted on unspecific and unproven charges. When he was cleared, Shayne later appeared in more episodes of the show, particularly those filmed in color, and eventually became a regular on the series.
