Robert Bainter Bailey (June 13, 1913[citation needed] – August 13, 1983) was an American actor who performed mostly on radio but also appeared in films.

His mother had left the stage for the newer medium, and she helped him find work on soap operas.

[1] One of Bailey's earliest roles on radio was that of the title character in the comedy serial Mortimer Gooch (1936–37) on CBS.

[4] He played Bob Jones in Kitty Keene, Inc..[2] He was signed in 1943 by 20th Century-Fox and appeared in seven feature films; the first two (in which he was most prominent) starred Laurel and Hardy.

The program ran from 1949 to 1962 (it and Suspense were the last CBS radio drama series on the air until the CBS Radio Mystery Theater began in 1974) and featured the exploits of "America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator"; Bailey starred as Johnny from 1955 to 1960[7] and wrote the script for the December 22, 1957 episode "The Carmen Kringle Matter" using the pen name "Robert Bainter".

Near the end of the 1962 film Birdman of Alcatraz, he can be seen as one of the reporters gathered around Burt Lancaster and Edmond O'Brien.

He worked in a rehab facility helping others with similar struggles until he a stroke that confined him to rest home for the last ten years of his life.John Denning Interview with Bailey's Daughter Roberta Goodwin on February 7, 1982 Bailey died in Lancaster, California, aged 70, on August 13, 1983.