Michael Shane was an American lawyer and actor. Born in Cleveland, Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

, he attended Glenville High School

Glenville High School

Glenville Academic Campus is a public high school in the Glenville neighborhood on the East Side of Cleveland, Ohio. The school is part of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. Founded in 1905, the school's original campus was located at Everton and Parkwood. The current campus was built in...

. While earning his undergraduate and law degrees at Ohio State University

Ohio State University

The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...

, he performed as a stand-up comic at local nightclubs.

Legal work

Shane became a lawyer in 1953 and was a member of the Shane, Shane & Henderson Law Firm in downtown Cleveland. Specializing in personal injury and malpractice cases, he had a reputation as a dramatic courtroom lawyer who made emotional presentations to juries. He also did legal work in show business, acted in small theatre productions and wrote songs.

Acting

In 1963, director Larry Peerce

Larry Peerce

Larry Peerce is an American film and TV director whose work includes the theatrical feature Goodbye, Columbus, the early rock and roll concert film The Big T.N.T. Show, and One Potato, Two Potato , the first U.S...

 was filming a small independent movie, One Potato, Two Potato

One Potato, Two Potato

One Potato, Two Potato is a 1964 black-and-white drama film directed by Larry Peerce and starring Barbara Barrie and Bernie Hamilton.The story concerns the difficulties faced by an interracial marriage between an African-American office worker and a white divorcee...

in nearby Painesville, Ohio

Painesville, Ohio

As of the 2010 Census, there were 19,563 people. As of the census of 2000, there were 17,503 people, 6,525 households, and 4,032 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,928.6 people per square mile . There were 6,933 housing units at an average density of 1,160.0 per square mile...

, and needed a legal office for one of the scenes. Shane offered his in exchange for a part in the film. His performance as attorney Jordan Hollis in the film earned him a positive review in The New Yorker

The New Yorker

The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...

 magazine.

Filmography

• One Potato, Two Potato
  One Potato, Two Potato
  One Potato, Two Potato is a 1964 black-and-white drama film directed by Larry Peerce and starring Barbara Barrie and Bernie Hamilton.The story concerns the difficulties faced by an interracial marriage between an African-American office worker and a white divorcee...
  
  (1964) as Jordan Hollis
• Why Would I Lie?
  Why Would I Lie?
  Why Would I Lie? is a 1980 American comedy/drama film about a compulsive liar named Cletus . The film, which was directed by Larry Peerce and shot in Spokane, Washington, is based on the novel The Fabricator by Hollis Hodges....
  
  (1980) as the Bartender
• Love Child
  Love Child (film)
  Love Child is a 1982 biopic based on the life of Terry Jean Moore. The film stars Amy Madigan, Beau Bridges, and Mackenzie Phillips.-Plot summary:...
  
  (1982) as Judge Hare
• Take These Men (1983) (TV) as the Hotel Manager ... aka Surprise, Surprise! (USA: alternative title)
• Casino (1992) (TV) as Tony Sutton

External links