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Robert Lowery, born Robert Larkin Hanks in Kansas City, Missouri, was the only surviving child of Roscoe Hanks, a respected Kansas City attorney and oil investor, and Leah Thompson, a concert pianist and organist. He attended local schools in Kansas City and graduated from Paseo High School in 1931, where he was recognized as a talented athlete. Lowery played for the Kansas City Blues baseball team and also participated in boxing and football. After sustaining a pelvic fracture from a field injury, he regained his strength working at a paper factory in Kansas City. Following the untimely death of his father at age 43, Lowery and his mother relocated to Los Angeles, hoping he could find opportunities in film and theater thanks to his good looks, athleticism, and impressive physique. He enrolled in Lila Bliss's acting school and soon attracted the attention of Twentieth Century-Fox after several successful stage performances around Los Angeles. Fox signed him in 1938, leading to roles in prominent films such as Drums Along the Mohawk (1939). Although not primarily known for his stage work, Lowery appeared in significant theater productions including The Caine Mutiny and Born Yesterday (playing "Brock") alongside his wife, actress Jean Parker. His film and stage career extended into the 1960s, when he embarked on a second career with Jackie Coogan in a celebrity travel cruise enterprise. Among his notable film roles was his performance with Ray Danton in The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond (1960), and he delivered a rare comedic turn as a scheming political governor pursuing John Wayne's ex-wife in one of Wayne’s western comedies.
As he aged, Lowery developed a striking resemblance to Clark Gable. He also had an extensive television career, portraying Big Tim Champion in Circus Boy (1956-57), which also starred Noah Beery Jr. and a young Micky Dolenz before his Monkees fame; appearing on Playhouse 90 (1956); and guest roles on Hazel (1961) and Pistols 'n' Petticoats (1966), where he played Buss Courtney during the 1966-67 season alongside Ann Sheridan. Lowery and Jean had one son, Robert, who resides in Redondo Beach, California, with his wife Barbara and their thirteen-year-old twin daughters. Robert Lowery died of a heart attack on Christmas night in 1971 and is interred at Valhalla Memorial Park in North Hollywood, California. Known for his motto, "Whatever's fair," he approached life and his career with a lighthearted spirit and was cherished by friends and family for his storytelling and humor.
