Robert J. Shaw; Radio and Television Scriptwriter

Robert J. Shaw, 79, radio and television scriptwriter who worked on “Dallas.” Born in Pewaukee, Wis., Shaw studied creative writing at the University of Wisconsin with such authors as Sinclair Lewis. In 1940, Shaw sold his first radio show, “Front Page Farrell,” to NBC. He scripted other popular radio dramas of the period, including “Stella Dallas,” “The Guiding Light,” “Search for Tomorrow” and all 572 episodes of the long-running “Mr. District Attorney.” Moving on to television, he wrote for “Robert Montgomery Presents,” “Hawaiian Eye,” the prime-time serial “Peyton Place” and eventually “Dallas.” Shaw was credited with conceiving the trans-season cliffhanger that had the nation’s television viewers asking, “Who Shot J.R.?” Shaw shared seven Emmys and a lifetime achievement award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. He taught scriptwriting at several universities, including Yale and UCLA. On March 30 in Los Angeles of a heart attack.